We are living in a new era- one in which brands and businesses are increasingly defined by the common experiences of their customers. Consumers have long shared advice on purchase decisions, and considered word-of-mouth among the most trustworthy of information sources. But social media and advancing communications technologies have dramatically amplified word-of-mouth. This, along with the fact that the vast majority of these online conversations are happening in public, has forced businesses to become better. The new paradigm is intensely customer-focused: Quality products and services, and attentive customer-service are critical to success.
So, what does this mean for companies that provide customer support through call center services? Well, simply that having teams dedicated to customer support is no longer enough. Quality monitoring within the call center must be a part of the program. Monitoring isn’t just about spotting problems and dealing with them. It’s also about identifying and amplifying positive messages. A simple, “please” and “thank you” can work wonders. Agent feedback and active coaching improves the quality of the calls, and helps provide excellent customer service. Monitoring also increases agent productivity, as well as the chances of customers returning. 
Here are some tips to providing excellent customer service while on a call:
Maintain patience and positive language.
Language is an important part of persuasion, and people create perceptions about you and your company based on the language you use.
- Keep a calm, friendly voice, and smile as you’re talking.
- Tell the customer that you’ll be glad to help them with whatever they need.
- Show empathy towards each customer’s unique situation.
Stay attentive.
The ability to really listen to a customer is a crucial part to providing great service.
- Give the customer your full attention.
- Use the customer’s name.
Practice clear communication skills.
It’s ok to learn more about a customer and build a rapport, but make sure you see to the problem at hand in a timely manner.
- Write down details, so you can easily refer back to the problem.
- Read back what the customer said, or the problem they’re experiencing. This shows the customer that you’ve been listening to them.
From the customer to the agents, quality monitoring can benefit everyone in a call center:
Customers:
- Improved customer service
- Personalized relationships
- Reduced hold times and transfers
Agents:
- Effective training and coaching
- Improved job skills
- Increased motivation
Supervisors:
- Effective management
- Sensitivity to service quality
- Transparent communications
Company:
- Increased loyalty
- Reduced employee turnover
- Improved productivity
- Continuous improvement process
- Reduced training costs
Every agent has different set of strengths and weaknesses. Monitoring helps build on these strengths while improving weaknesses, as well as improving agent performance and customer experience. No mistakes + excellent customer service = happy customers.
