How Cloud-Based Software Streamlines Onboarding
By the time you hire a new agent or sign on a new customer, a lot of work has already happened. In the case of the hiring process, you’ve spent time reviewing the agent’s application, interviewing them, and perhaps putting them through some tests to determine how they will perform in your call center. In the case of a new customer, you may have spent some time detailing and extolling the benefits of your product and why it is superior to your competitors’ or done some negotiating with the customer to guarantee they are getting exactly what they are looking [...]
Hot Topics in Compliance: TCPA Exemptions
Like any law, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is filled with exemptions. In general, the exemptions in the TCPA apply to two distinct situations: Exemptions to when callers need express consent and exemptions to when callers can use an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS). Here, we’re providing a top-level overview of these exemptions. Instances in Which Express Consent is Not Needed Purely information text messages, such as delivery and service notifications Calls from healthcare providers to landlines only that deliver a healthcare-related message Calls from utilities that are non-marketing messages and provide information about emergencies, circumstances where services [...]
4 Keys to Top-Notch Call Center Management
An effective and successful call center starts at the top. If not managed correctly, things start to crumble quickly. But if you manage your call center with a steady hand, prioritizing efficiency and agent experience, your customers will feel the positive effects and be more satisfied as a result. Here are four of the biggest keys to top-notch call center management. Prioritize Thorough Onboarding Agent turnover and absenteeism are big problems in the call center industry and both start with the onboarding process. If agents are not given a thoroughly comprehensive onboarding that leaves them feeling comfortable and confident [...]
Why the Right Technology is Important for Getting New Clients
There are many factors that go into finding and signing on new clients. Using the correct marketing and advertising methods that your ideal client will respond to. Putting those advertisements in places where your ideal clients will find them. Selling products and services that stand out from the pack and offer something that your clients won’t be able to find anywhere else. Offering those products and services at a competitive and justifiable price. The list goes on. But there are also behind the scenes factors that play a big role. How easy and intuitive your processes are, for both customers [...]
Hot Topics in Compliance: The National Do Not Call Registry
One of the most important elements of the Federal Trade Commission’s rules and regulations surrounding call center compliance is the National Do Not Call Registry. Here, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the National DNC Registry and how to use it to keep your call center in compliance at all times. The National Do Not Call Registry is a database of phone numbers maintained by the FTC that companies who make outbound phone calls or send text messages regarding sales or marketing cannot call or text. There are over 200 million phone numbers on the National DNC [...]
How Changing Customer Expectations are impacting call centers
Do you remember the days when it was normal and expected for a package ordered online to take 5 to 7 days to arrive? Or when leaving a message for a company and waiting for a response for 24 to 48 hours was not a cause for concern and rather an accepted waiting period? Fortunately for customers, and often unfortunately for many companies, these days are now in the rearview mirror. The fact that you can find almost anything you need or want online, from products to information, and that those things can be accessed almost instantly in many [...]
Why You Shouldn’t Overlook After-Call Work
Why You Shouldn’t Overlook After-Call Work The number one goal of your inbound call center is likely to improve customer experience and increase customer satisfaction as much as possible. And in your efforts to do this, you may be putting a lot of your focus on ways to improve agent interactions with customers. But it’s critical that you don’t put so much focus on the calls themselves that you forget about what happens after the call is completed. Indeed, making sure your agents complete the necessary after-call work before they move on to the next customer will go [...]
Hot Topics in Compliance: Avoiding TCPA Lawsuits
Hot Topics in Compliance: Avoiding TCPA Lawsuits When it comes to compliance, every company has two primary goals: Make sure they’re doing right by the customer and avoid any possible litigation. Fortunately, doing one typically means you are also achieving the other, as remaining in compliance with regulations—especially those set out in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)—will help you avoid lawsuits and prevent your team from ruffling customers’ feathers. Here, we’re focusing on three of the best practices that will help you avoid TCPA violations and thus steer clear of lawsuits. Document Everything The easiest way to [...]
The Two Key Elements of a Successful Inbound Call Center
Let’s be honest: There are a lot of elements that go into creating and running a successful inbound call center. But in our experience, we find that there are two that stand out over the rest: High-quality call center software and highly trained, effective agents. Here’s why you need both and just one isn’t going to cut it. The Case for High-Quality Software The biggest benefit of high-quality call center software is that it makes your agents’ jobs easier and smoother, and customers are going to feel that in their interactions with your agents. High-quality software will allow you [...]
The FCC Is Acting on the TRACED Act
When the TRACED (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence) Act passed in early 2020, the law set deadlines for phone companies and voice service providers to provide proof of the implementation of a STIR/SHAKEN protocol that would protect users from spam and robocallers. The first of those deadlines, in June of 2021, required the largest voice service providers to be using STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication standards in their networks. Since then, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been relatively quiet in enforcing the requirements set by the TRACED Act, though it has taken steps to shut down a [...]
Why A Proactive Customer Service Model Should Be Your Priority
Think about a traditional inbound call center that handles customer service inquiries from clients. Typically this involves agents waiting by the phones for customers to call with problems they need solving, questions they need answering, and issues they need resolving. Depending on the nature of the calls your call center is getting, you may find that this reactive customer service strategy, in which you are waiting for the customer to come to you with their problems, is working just fine. But almost 100% of the time, taking a proactive approach to customer service is going to increase customer satisfaction, [...]
Hot Topics in Compliance Marketing Texts
Using text messages for direct-to-consumer marketing is almost as ubiquitous as emails and potentially more frequently used than print, online or television advertising, depending on the business and the industry. But when it comes to marketing texts, especially in the context of a larger campaign that utilizes different modes of communication to reach customers, there are TCPA compliance rules you need to know. Here, we’re covering the big things you need to know to ensure you remain in compliance if you’re sending marketing text messages. A call is a text and a text is a call. In 2015, the [...]
How to Write an Effective Cold Call Script
These days, many people associate cold calling with telemarketing or scammers. They assume that the person has obtained or purchased their phone number from a lead generator and that there is a good chance they have no interest whatsoever in what the person on the phone is selling. However, this is not the only context in which cold calls are used. In fact, most people have likely received at least one cold call in the last few months that they found very helpful and relevant to their lives. Indeed, the industries that use cold calls most frequently today are [...]
4 Ways to Personalize Your Customers’ Experience
4 Ways to Personalize Your Customers’ Experience When a customer calls your inbound call center, you have literal seconds before they start to form judgements and opinions of your systems, your customer service, and your company. Indeed, the time from when the phone starts ringing to when the customer connects with an agent is perhaps just as crucial to maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction as the actual service that your agent provides. One way to ensure that this time is spent productively and to keep customers happy is by personalizing the call experience as much as possible. Here [...]
4 Ways CallShaper’s Telephone Answering Service Platform Outperforms the Competition
There are certain businesses who need to be accessible to their customers at all times. Even if the exact person or service a customer is trying to reach is not available 24/7, being able to speak to someone offers both peace of mind and a way for a customer to take one step towards accomplishing the goal they had when they contacted the business in the first place. For companies in this situation, having a telephone answering service is critical. And just like any call center, answering services need reliable, functional, and easy-to-use software to support their daily tasks. [...]