Magellan Inbound Call Center

Customer service on the web is possible, if not more geared up because of its 24/7 + 365 capabilities.

However, many small businesses with an e-commerce web site are still floundering whether they are doing it correctly or not.

While your inbound call center is buzzing with calls, the online business must be properly fueled to serve customers who prefer using your web site for product purchases.

If you are selling on the web, here are some of the things you need to remember or refresh:

1.    Telephone numbers (we recommend 1 800 numbers) should be highly visible in the home page and possibly in ALL pages. Customers cannot miss them.

2.    Live chat should be working and be manned by one of your inbound call center agents. If a customer is in middle of a research, it would be good to help him or her through the buying process especially that live chats can be opened as a separate window.

3.    Indicate your office hours. Let the customers know your schedules especially during holidays and vacations. If customers are expecting answers within a specific timeframe, they will have an idea how soon they can expect a feedback.

4.    Great and persuasive call to action statements hyperlinked to your Contact Us page for easy contact. Even if your Contact Us is a mail-to form, it is wise to indicate your e-mail address.

5.    Update your product offers. If your web site is an e-commerce type, make sure that the status of a particular item is updated. If the item is out of stock and sold out, update that part ASAP. This is where complaints occur if the customer finds it and confirms to your call center.

6.    Have a quick and easy check out process. No long and complex steps to follow. Keep it short and simple.

7.    Send notification e-mails. Update your customers through e-mail confirming your receipt of their payment or status of delivery.

8.    Immediate shipment. Deliver in 3 to 5 business days if possible. If delivery has a slight delay, offer something like a free item of the same or lower price.

9.    Clear returns policy. Be explicit about indicating your company’s guidelines on returned items.

10.    Privacy policy. It should be found as one of the footer links in your web site.

It is the ultimate goal of small business owners to adequately serve customers and knowing how positive they are with the product or service offers. There is a renewed sense of energy that drives us to move our enterprise a notch higher and we may need professional assistance to achieve this. To serve your customers powerfully, consider 2 choices: Setting up or outsourcing your online customer service to an inbound call center.

Organizations with online businesses can be at risk of losing thousands of money if they fail to effectively manage their e-mails. Voice-based servicing can be tough but it may be tougher if you miss out on an unanswered inquiry found buried in your inbox.

In a previous marketing study made with some Fortune 500 companies and small businesses, it is found that the reply rates of smaller businesses are much higher than their large counterparts with a failure rate of 69%. Why? It is because out of 1,000 e-mail inquiries sent to these big companies, almost 700 were ignored. Another study made in the past year revealed 75% of online businesses not returning their e-mail.

Without a doubt, poor customer handling particularly on the e-mail department can hurt business and lose a good reason to post growth. You are in luck if the customer would try calling your inbound call center if their e-mail has remained unanswered after 48 hours. As much as possible, let us make this a rule of thumb: Leave no room for complaints about our service approach. If we are to manage our communication channels whether through voice or online chat, we do so seriously with all bases covered.

On the other hand, we may be the most proactive enterprise with respect to interaction and admittedly, there may be situations when slight delays in our response time may occur but definitely not too long to the point of oblivion! Customers have the right to know how soon and what manner will they receive written feedback from us.

• As much as possible, inform customers about your “office hours”. Plans for slowdowns like holidays and vacations should be announced too. Advisories like this will somehow give your customer an idea how soon an urgent inquiry will be answered. Businesses have an option to maintain customer service during office hours or 24/7. Regardless, reply time ought to be clear.

• Rely on filter messages to sort out incoming messages. Our inboxes can be littered with different kinds of messages and it is easy to neglect that goldmine mail somewhere. If you do message filtering, use it heavily.

• Always make your replies professional and business-like. No tolerance for grammatical or typographical errors. No procrastination.

Ensuring success in customer communications must be one of your ultimate goals. Help from an outsourced customer call center can reduce the times you delay in e-mail replies. Highly professional call center agents can take care of these e-mails and report them to clients. Business cannot afford missing out on these messages. If your business runs an e-commerce web site, the online channel is your window to the outside world. And the mails you could miss might even be a big contribution to your bottom line.

Establishing relationships with our customers is the heart of what we do as a small business.

We engage people through our brands or services. We create a connection that lasts longer. We deliver an experience worthy of buzz.

Customer service plays a critical role in achieving this. Every time customers deal with our inbound call center agents, they expect resolution to a problem or an answer to a question. They turn to you because they trust you are capable.

Long-term relationships with our clientele is possible, only if we –

Explore the possibility of mutual exchange. Your business is not about a one-time sale or another up-sell offer. It is a place for synergy. When customers start to appreciate the value of a shared relationship, you can expect more referrals or recommendations along the way.

Go the extra mile. We under promise, but over deliver. Always provide something unexpected, something not required but noteworthy. That’s the essence of delighting.

Offer services at a fair price. Consumers choose our product because they know it is worth their money. They do not mind paying a premium if they know they get more than what they pay for. However, so many options are now available. We are not the only business that can fulfill their specific needs. Provide a great inbound customer service while promoting your product or service for a fair fee.

Show resolute integrity. We have to be predictable and reliable in every way. It should be relative to the words we say and the actions we do. Being truthful draws people closer and more loyal.

Customers often perceive businesses as a money-making machine that takes every chance to get more at their expense. By offering outstanding support, we shift their mindsets into something more positive.

This is the reason our inbound call center exists specially for them – it is where you can express gratitude for entrusting their business and at every interaction they know you deserve it.

It is the middle of the year and by now, you should have a good grasp on the performance of your customer service strategies. It is best that you take a quick peek to see if they are going in the right direction. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:

“Does my product or service stand out?”

A great customer experience differentiates us from the rest and therefore makes us stand above the competition.

Customers can easily name companies that provide impeccable service and those that are downright terrible. Just be sure your business does not get bad press. Check if you move your product or service to the point of satisfaction.

“Am I generating referrals?”

There is a book entitled Customers Tell 3 Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000. From the title itself, it’s true. Consumers are more empowered than ever with new channels already made available for them to voice out their opinions.

Businesses need to pay more attention to customers’ needs. Treat each one as if it is the last. Satisfied people tell their feedback to others and same goes with the irked ones. Ask yourself: Are we getting good word-of-mouth marketing from friends, families and individuals both offline and online?

“Do customers repeat business?”

Do we see first-time customers returning to make purchases?

“Do I make customers happy?”

Are we treating them well? Customer service transcends far beyond loyalty. Consumers expect us to be on our toes delivering an experience. They do not owe us anything but you need them to spur business growth.

Our business is only as good as our last performance, and leveraging on consistency is key. Reviewing our customer wins and retention can guide our business and how we can make it flourish in a consumer-oriented world. Whether our requirement is order taking or help desk, our customer service should always be top-notch through and through.

A satisfied customer is a pat on the back for an outstanding customer service we all work hard for. Happy clients contribute to our company’s bottom-line and there is no doubt that they will continue buying from us.

Here are a few strategies we can apply in our current environment:

Be consistent. Every time we perform well, customers will obviously come back again and again. Businesses should set a high standard from the beginning and consistently strive to attain it. Same goes with customer service. If the agents are from an outsourced inbound call center, they have to adhere to the same standards set for your internal employees.

Listen and don’t pass around. Customers reach out to us because they have complaints. These may either be valid or trivial. Make your customers feel they are vital to your growth by listening to their issues and solving them as quickly as possible. Do not pass their call from one agent to another. This only aggravates their irritation. If this happens, give the customer an assurance that you are top of the situation and will be looking for the solution immediately.

Avoid making promises. There is nothing more annoying than a promise not fulfilled. Remember this cardinal rule: Do only what you can deliver. You keep the customers happy by providing them what is achievable from your end.

Keep an open communication. Technology should be to your advantage, not a logistical nightmare.

If your business has a web site, make sure you have a Contact Us form that is frequently monitored by one of your staff. As much as possible, you stay away from voicemail. Studies show that 79% of customers will not leave their message on voicemail especially if they are placing an order for a product or service. This is the reason why we have 24/7 call center support.

Our customers are our reason why we are in business. Our policies should encompass every customer touch point. Both our internal staff and the outsourced team should have a clear understanding of our customer service guidelines. We  have to be on the same page in making our customers happy.

The goal of any thriving enterprise is to satisfy the diverse needs of clients. Companies need repeat customers to expand. Customer satisfaction however is not enough to compute how many people are returning to make business with you as compared with your competitors. They may even have the same feedback ratings as yours!

Customer engagement holds the key to a profitable and sustainable growth. Engaged customers –

1.    Establish affinity with your brand
2.    Continue purchasing from you
3.    Generate the right buzz about you

What can call centers do to see your customers engaged every day?

Make your brand trustworthy. Establishing trust with a company or its brand is a complex process. We hear stories from customers being disappointed with a brand and firm not to buy it anymore. That brand fell short of their expectations. The truth of the matter is – there are no hard and fast rules in building that elusive consumer confidence. Customers can always choose from a variety of options! One of them can easily please them.

Here is a quick tip on building trust: Deliver only what can you can do and avoid promises you cannot keep.

Treat everyone fairly. Customers are reasonable in their decision to give you their business and therefore, they expect to be treated the same way with respect to their relationship, time and effort spent with you. For instance, consumers want to know how you have come up with the discount rates. Professional integrity is one corporate value your call center must safeguard.

Make customers feel good. Your customer service’s role is to reassure your customers think positively and feel right about your brand. To do this, your customer service should be consistent, personalized and engaging. Their job is to ensure customers feel good about their decision to choose you among your competitors.

Businesses can no longer survive in the rapidly evolving marketplace simply by satisfying demands after a day’s transaction. Bring customers something new and something meaningful, and we can guarantee that you will keep them coming back for more.

Customer service agents from call centers are either bullied or defensive when dealing with nightmare customers.

Ask phone representatives about a “bad” interaction they have had, and they can recount the situation in which they have been screamed and shouted at in lurid detail. Even when our best customer service skills are not enough to pacify an upset customer, we can still make the right moves to improve the situation.

Identify the issue, resolve the problem. A good customer service is when you have an understanding of the matter that made the customer angry so you can deal with the root of the problem and solve it. Listen carefully. Once we have a clear grasp of the concern, ask the customer what would make it better. Reassure that you will be working together to resolve the issue. It is also nice to give that irate customer an e-mail or a phone call to see if things are doing well. It makes that customer feel he or she has been heard and is important to the business.

Do not take it personally. Customers expressed their anger over the phone because they have valid reasons why. Customers do not really want to be upset. Something has gone wrong that triggered displeasure. Stay positive and be in control. Focus on the problem and do not get embattled. Let the customer speak. Agents in customer service, help desk or technical support are there to help, not to aggravate the problem.

Seek the supervisor’s assistance. When matters are getting worse to the point of becoming unmanageable, it is best to escalate the problem immediately to the manager or supervisor. They are trained to deal with irritated customers.

Handling angry customers is not easy (for an agent, every second of this encounter seems like forever) but we can manage tempers flaring by showing our empathy to them. Customers are likely to be responsive if we allow them to speak out. Use words like “I understand” or “Don’t worry, we can do that”.  Customer service call centers are properly trained to handle these matters, and for them they are nothing but a big part of the job.

In the world of marketing and customer service, real-world tools can do wonders in enhancing customer experience.

Today, we can never underestimate the potential these tools – customer activity tracking, surveys, after-sales calls, and data imports – can bring to our growing business. They give us a foretaste of that experience too when we see things from the perspective of the customers. They appreciate companies taking that time to further study and analyze consumer habits and preferences to effectively serve them more effectively. Gone are the days of “shot-gun” approach in knowing our consumers. We cannot take that risk anymore.

Push brands in every interaction. When our customer service agents interact with the customers through phone or live chat, the customers actually make an impression about your business and your brand. Are we personal? Slow? Consistent?

We can deliver our brand promise to our clientele through these real-life tips:

1.    Develop our own customer goals;
2.    Establish ways to accomplish those goals;
3.    Identify possible problems at the onset; and
4.    Action plans on resolving problems

Be curious about the customer. Give yourself a more vivid picture of what your customers look like. Demographic research for example helps us learn about their profile. Every year, companies launch their very own customer satisfaction survey. In many cases, they give something useful like short vacation trips, an mp3 player or gift certificate. By knowing, we are also delighting. Whatever activities we do, our efforts in understanding the customer are always rewarded as we continue enhancing them for a better experience next time.

There are now “emerging” tools that can aid us. Social networking is now where both companies and customers meet. Sites like Facebook or Twitter provide a unique opportunity to interact in a more casual environment. Customer call centers can still gather a myriad of stories about interaction that either builds or breaks our brand. New learning can be discovered there as we take them along and apply the right strategies in delivering great customer experiences.

We never liked receiving complaints. They make us think we failed miserably in our service, or have fallen short of our customers’ expectations.

But complaints are not a reflection of our inefficiency as business. As we dig deeper, we then discover new truths not easily unraveled all because we’ve been too preoccupied running the day-to-day operations. Somehow, someone takes notice and calls to remind us what is wrong. Complaints take on a new meaning if taken from the standpoint of a consumer, not from a company’s point of view.

Customers (never) really like getting mad. You will never find people extremely happy about a defective unit and when tried calling the company for replacement, have been waiting for over a week without feedback. Businesses have to put themselves in their shoes too: If customers call a technical support or your help desk, they are looking for the right reason for the things that have gone wrong along the way.

Complaints test the quality of our processes. Organizations usually have structured complaints handling management process to better address consumer concerns more objectively. The only way to find out its effectiveness is to test them. It can point your business to areas requiring improvement such as call handling, handling time, problem resolution or status monitoring. Perhaps the agents require additional training to enhance their skills.

Complaints are second chances. A complaint means customers are giving you another opportunity to set things right. They are saying, “Give me one good reason why I should trust you once again.” Businesses ought to be glad for customers that air their concerns. How would you feel if they call your competition?

Customers just want one thing: A quick resolution to the issue. Let us find value on what all their issues represent. They should be viewed as new allies that can help improve our service offerings or our management systems. They actually offer an opportunity to show our customers that we take responsibility and we will do what it takes to resolve it. Remember that customers in these times have a choice – it’s either they call your customer call center or call your competitor’s hotline numbers. Whether you take action to the problem immediately or not is also your choice.

Businesses need repeat clients to grow. These days, customers are identifying the most appropriate channel to choose and to buy a product.

The recent ATG research study reveals that 30% of customers use three or more channels for a single transaction. Even with the convenience provided by the Internet and the emergence of mobile marketing, data still reveal customers employing the most traditional means – store visit and customer service – for their buying decisions. Customers turn to customer support if they cannot locate a store, they have inquiries, or want someone to help them with their purchase.

Call centers, with their set of processes and technology infrastructure, usually offer these common types of customer contact services – Telephone, E-mail and Live Chat. Here are the advantages of each:

Telephone Support
1.    Offers real-time 24/7 support
2.    Personable – customers feel at ease with friendly voices
3.    Builds trust, professionalism and credibility
4.    The best platform for providing detailed information
5.    Provides opportunity to up-sell (if applicable)

E-mail Support
1.    Inexpensive customer support
2.    Provides documented solution to issues or concerns
3.    Recordable
4.    No need for 24/7 support
5.    No need for voice-based agents to answer

Live Chat Support
1.    Inexpensive customer support
2.    Personable – customers do not feel intimidated because of its casual approach
3.    Creates trust and credibility
4.    Saves time
5.    No need for voice-based agents to answer

How your customers reach out to your business depend on their choice of communication. Setting up multiple channels is recommended because you cover the support systems that are considered comfortable and effective for them.