In a call center, call queue management is of paramount importance. Call queue management involves overseeing call queues to ensure customer wait times are minimized and workloads are distributed fairly to the agents. When done correctly, good call queue management can reduce waiting times and enhance customer satisfaction.
Call queues that are not optimized can result in long hold times, decreased agent productivity, and bad customer experiences. Fortunately, you can gain an advantage over your top competitors by improving your business’s approach to call queue management. Exactly how? Customers say that waiting for extended periods of time to get the help they need is the leading cause of poor customer service interactions.
In such a situation you need to have call queue management. Besides reducing customer wait times, call queue management ensures fair workload distribution to the agents
In what sense is call queue management important and what does it mean for your business? Let us answer these questions in the following article.
Call Queues: What Are They?
Call queues are features of business phone systems that direct inbound calls to a virtual line (queue) based on pre-determined criteria, placing callers on hold until the best agent is available.
This is almost like waiting in line while one waits for assistance, entry, or to be called. When paired with the right call queue management strategy, a virtual queue can be a much more pleasant experience for both agents and customers. During the waiting period, call queues evaluate data from caller IVR input, follow preset rules for call routing, and provide helpful information.
Call queue management reduce hold times, enables call transfers, and reduces the amount of phone calls/talk time needed to solve a problem. Among the features that facilitate this are automated callbacks, shared voice mailboxes, ring groups, etc.
The possibility of a customer having to wait on hold is not eliminated by call queue management. It, however, can drastically reduce the number of inbound callers who end up on hold when properly optimized. Call queue management, therefore improves customer experience.
What are the Benefits of Call Queue Management to your Business?
Managing your call queues involves reducing customer wait times, improving call flow, and improving your business’s call queue management.
Besides monitoring and analyzing call queues at the overall and departmental level, call queue management is also concerned with identifying effective ways to optimize them.
Time Spent Waiting for Customers is minimized
In light of the fact that 23 percent of customers will only wait on hold for a maximum of 2 minutes, it is imperative to maximize the benefit of proper call queue management to minimize wait times.
It is not just customer frustration that is affected by long wait times. Optimizing call queues reduces average call handling time (AHT), making it easier for your agents to sell and provide customer service – which in turn increases revenue and customer satisfaction rates.
Consumers are most frustrated when businesses waste their time, according to over 70% of respondents. Use call queue management to demonstrate your value to your clients.
Rates of First-Call Resolution are improved
First call resolution rates (FCRs) refer to the percentage of issues resolved during the first contact with an agent. Your FCR will be higher if you are able to connect a customer to a knowledgeable, competent, and available agent quickly. This is possible with a call queue management. FCR is important, but why?
The first benefit is that it makes customers feel more loyal. According to studies, if agents had been able to resolve customer issues on the first call, nearly 70% of customers who left the business would have stayed.
Additionally, a higher FCR rate lowers operational costs while increasing overall customer satisfaction. Increasing FCR by 1% correlates to increasing customer satisfaction by 1% and decreasing operating costs by 1%.
Last but not least, higher FCR rates can increase customer spending by as much as 11% and cross-selling profits by as much as 20%.
Reduces Abandonment of Calls
Call abandonment rate indicates how many callers hang up in the middle of a phone call before their issue is resolved, or while waiting to speak with an agent. The reasons for a high call abandonment rate include long IVR menus, unhelpful agents, and long hold times.
Do not assume customers will simply call back after hanging up. Approximately 30% of abandoned calls never contact your business again. The faster the customers are able to connect with the agent most capable of handling their issue quickly, the less likely they are to hang up the phone. Therefore, more deals can be closed, resolution rates can be sped up, and customer satisfaction can improve. This is possible with call queue management.
Enhances Employee Satisfaction and Productivity
Call queue management decreases employee turnover, just like it decreases customer churn. By optimizing the call queue management process, agents will avoid constantly dealing with angry customers upset that the representative they reached out to wasn’t able to help them.
They will also have more time to provide detailed customer service and deliver well-tuned sales pitches, as well as focus on what makes them happy. All of this contributes to higher employee satisfaction, retention rates, and productivity levels.
Conclusion
Upgrade your business communication software quickly to improve your call queue management strategy and stop being reliant on outdated technology that cannot meet your customer’s needs.
Call center platforms like Office24by7 provides call queue management features, such as automated callbacks, remote call forwarding, and CRM integration that make the resolution process faster and optimize call queues.
Check out our popular call center solutions to learn more about the features you need, which providers offer them, and pricing and plans available. Feel free to reach out to us by calling 91 7097171717 or by sending an email at [email protected].