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Easing Contact Center Payroll Pains: Navigating Through 7 Major Challenges

Easing Contact Center Payroll Pains: Navigating Through 7 Major Challenges

Discover payroll solutions in the customer service industry. Learn about compliance, record-keeping, technology, data security, and more.
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Not Sure Where to Start on Your Job Search? 4 Tips to Help!

Beginning a job search can be frustrating. There are many approaches you can take that lead to variable results. Having a plan of action can increase your odds of success. The less time you spend finding a new job, the more time you have to enjoy your new opportunity. Use these four tips to begin… Read More »

Beginning a job search can be frustrating. There are many approaches you can take that lead to variable results.

Having a plan of action can increase your odds of success. The less time you spend finding a new job, the more time you have to enjoy your new opportunity.

Use these four tips to begin your call center job search today.

1.    Update Your Resume

Make sure all of the information on your resume is current. This makes it easier to customize for each job application.

  • Add your current employment dates and positions held.
  • Include your accomplishments and skills gained at your current job.

2.    Clean Up Your Online Profiles

Ensure your social media profiles present an image that you want employers to see. Most hiring managers look at online profiles to gain insight into candidates before deciding whether to contact them for interviews.

  • Take down any inappropriate photos, videos, comments, or other posts.
  • Maintain a clean image that shows your personal interests.
  • Add your skills, projects, and related information to your LinkedIn profile.
  • Ask your previous colleagues and managers to post recommendations for you.

3.    Reach Out to Your Network

Contact the members of your network who work in your industry. Let them know exactly what you are looking for in your new job.

  • Employee referrals are the best way to land jobs.
  • Your connections may know of job openings their companies are not publicly sharing.
  • A member of your network may introduce you to a hiring manager.
  • You may be able to set up informational interviews to learn more about a job and/or company.

4.    Partner with a Staffing Agency

Work with a recruiter from a staffing agency that specializes in your industry. The recruiter can help you find a job in less time than searching on your own.

  • The recruiter has a vast network of hiring managers with job openings that likely fit your qualifications and interests.
  • The recruiter’s insight into the job market provides clear guidance that can shorten your search.
  • You gain coaching to improve your resume and interview skills.
  • You can learn more about an employer, their hiring process, and the job than on your own.
  • The recruiter can match you with an employer and talk you up to improve the odds of being offered a job.
  • You should be able to finish the interview process in less time than if you applied on your own.
  • If you receive a job offer, the recruiter negotiates the best deal on your behalf.

 

Find Your Next Call Center Job

Salem Solutions is ready to help with your call center job search. Visit our job board today.

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How to Level Up Your Government Call Center for Future Success

When the coronavirus pandemic began, government call centers were overwhelmed by high demand.  This left customers and employees feeling frustrated. Hold times were extensive. Many customers’ questions went unanswered when the customers no longer could wait to speak to an agent. Many agents were upset because they continued to deal with frustrated callers. Thanks to… Read More »

When the coronavirus pandemic began, government call centers were overwhelmed by high demand.  This left customers and employees feeling frustrated. Hold times were extensive. Many customers’ questions went unanswered when the customers no longer could wait to speak to an agent. Many agents were upset because they continued to deal with frustrated callers. Thanks to advances in technology and human-centered design, government call centers are becoming modernized. Due to the shifts already occurring, dramatic improvement is possible for your government call center.

 

The following information can help you update your government call center for increased effectiveness.

 

Components of a Reimagined Government Call Center

Running an effective government call center requires a deep understanding of user needs and the appropriate use of technology. The process should include the following three components:

  • A customer experience hub that provides quality service through multiple channels. Options have to include omnichannel touchpoints and automated no-touch processes.
  • A technology-powered agent cockpit where integrated workflows gather information from all touchpoints. The smart routing options help agents better process the calls.
  • A secure technology foundation that supports emerging tools. This operates from a cloud-based platform.

 

Shifts in Government Call Center Design

There are seven significant shifts impacting the future of government call centers:

  • Changing from a cost center to an experience hub. Rather than getting the callers off the phone as quickly as possible, the agents aim to solve problems and make the customers happy. This increases satisfaction and decreases costs.
  • Moving from a call center to a contact center. The center provides two-way communication through phone, text, email, website, and mobile services.
  • Evolving to automated and automatic self-service. Seamless no-touch and low-touch technology solutions can deliver quality service at low cost.
  • Shifting to technology-supported human interactions. When customers need to interact with a human, the agent has the information and tools they need to deliver a solution.
  • Changing to integrated information and workflow. Customer information is stored in one location for agents to easily access on demand.
  • Providing a better employee experience. Additional training, greater flexibility, and a more satisfying work environment enhance the employee experience.
  • Moving to empathetic technology. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and design combine the efficiency of technology with the warmth of human understanding.

 

Next Steps in Government Call Center Updates

The public leaders responsible for government call centers often have the following four concerns about moving forward with the updates:

  • How can we afford this? Federal COVID-19 funding and surplus state revenues may help with the upgrades.
  • Do we have the skills to make this happen? Understanding the contact center experience from a front-end customer perspective and a back-end agent perspective is helpful.
  • Which underlying technology infrastructure do I need? The cloud is a strong, secure platform that can adapt to agents’ needs. The cloud’s resilience, rapid scaling, and ability to deliver a seamless experience lets agents work remotely. Standardized security certifications help protect private information.
  • How can we pull together the technologies? Use one vendor to help design and manage your call center upgrades.

Having the Right People Is Your Largest Competitive Advantage

The best way to level up your government call center is by being able to find talented candidates when you need them. Trust Salem Solutions to find experienced, qualified and professional candidates to meet your call centers needs. Get in touch today!

 

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The Biggest Threat to Call Centers in 2022: Agent Attrition

The Biggest Threat to Call Centers in 2022: Agent Attrition

One of the biggest threats to call centers used to be artificial intelligence (AI). In 2022, the biggest threat is agent attrition. Although customers can benefit from technological advances of AI, many customers still need to talk with humans to resolve their issues. This is becoming an increasing problem for call centers experiencing agent shortages.… Read More »

One of the biggest threats to call centers used to be artificial intelligence (AI). In 2022, the biggest threat is agent attrition.

Although customers can benefit from technological advances of AI, many customers still need to talk with humans to resolve their issues. This is becoming an increasing problem for call centers experiencing agent shortages.

The increasing levels of agent attrition are drastically disrupting customer experiences, agent morale, and contact center operations. Strategic action must be taken to address these issues.

Discover some current causes and effects of agent attrition and what can be done to reduce it.

 

Definition of Agent Attrition

Agent attrition is when an agent voluntarily or non-voluntarily leaves and the call center does not hire a replacement.

  • The attrition rate describes the percentage of agents out of the total workforce that leaves the call center each year.
  • Attrition differs from turnover, which is when an agent leaves and the call center hires a replacement.
  • Reduction in the attrition rate can be challenging because there is no single cause.

 

Current Challenges Impacting Call Centers

Unpredictability is the main factor impacting call centers this year.

  • How long the hiring challenges will continue is unknown.
  • When the supply chain constraints will stop is undetermined.
  • Pandemic-related work conditions might be here permanently.
  • Call center customers increasingly are losing patience.
  • Customers want more options and high-touch, personalized experiences.
  • Brand loyalty is more at risk than ever.

 

Current Causes of Increasing Agent Attrition

Record-low unemployment in 2022 is the primary reason for the rise of agent attrition.

  • The job seeker’s market is encouraging call center agents to job hop.
  • The growing quit rate shows strong confidence among workers to find a better job with a new employer.
  • Few millennials are willing to replace the Baby Boomers who are retiring.
  • Call center agents are being directed to other industries that offer better compensation, benefits, and perks.
  • The gig economy is attracting job seekers who want flexibility, autonomy, and advancement opportunities.
  • High turnover rates in call centers are likely to continue.

 

Disparity of Turnover Rates Between Industries

Call centers currently are experiencing higher turnover rates than most other industries for the following reasons:

  • Repetitive work
  • Low pay
  • Inflexible schedules
  • Low engagement
  • Lack of training
  • Stressful environment
  • High odds for burnout
  • Uninspiring management
  • Frustrated customers

 

Common Results of High Agent Attrition

Increasing amounts of turnover adversely impact a call center in the following ways:

  • Higher recruitment and training costs
  • Fewer qualified candidates
  • More time needed to fill vacancies
  • Unfilled training classes
  • Reduced productivity
  • Understaffing
  • Missed service levels
  • Subpar customer experiences
  • Decreased revenue

 

Costs Related to High Agent Attrition

The costs of losing an experienced call center agent are more than just salary.

  • An increasing amount of time and money are needed to maintain customer satisfaction.
  • Onboarding, training, and adapting to the job can take close to a year.
  • Many agents find a new job within 6 months of starting.
  • Lower key performance indicators (KPIs) lead to low quality of customer service.

 

Methods to Reduce Agent Attrition

There are steps you can take to reduce your call center’s level of agent attrition:

  • Share creative recruiting campaigns on social media and in online forums to attract millennial candidates.
  • Provide an attractive employer brand and company culture that connect with job seekers.
  • Conduct personality and emotional intelligence tests to identify the best talent.
  • Properly onboard and train your agents to increase motivation and improve the quality of service.
  • Provide coaching on soft skills, including how to speak with customers and address their needs.
  • Offer competitive pay rates, benefits, and perks.
  • Provide a positive work environment.
  • Engage your agents in volunteerism or other company activities that promote camaraderie.
  • Clarify paths for advancement.
  • Ensure supervisors and managers motivate agents to perform well and continuously improve performance.
  • Provide technology to help agents deal with stress.
  • Offer flexibility.
  • Invest in employee development.

Optimization of Workforce Management

The following are higher-level methods to improve your call center agent retention:

  • Implement customer self-service to offload repetitive work from the agents and reduce the need to continuously answer the same questions.
  • Provide real-time decision-making support for agents to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
  • Implement platforms that automatically authenticate customers and provide relevant data that the agents can easily access.
  • Free up time for agents to focus on higher-level calls to improve employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

 

Strategic Implementation of Artificial Intelligence

Some customers like to talk with an AI agent to avoid long hold times for simple problems and would rather talk to agents for more complex issues.

  • Many customers became used to digital interactions during the pandemic.
  • Conversational AI helps customers resolve common issues with simple solutions.
  • Natural language processing, speech recognition, machine learning, and big data can be used to respond to multiple customer intents and changing contexts.
  • Agents have additional time to help customers resolve higher-level issues.

 

Looking for Call Center Agents?

Salem Solutions has the vetted agents you need to run your call center. Find out more today.

 

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What You Need to Know About NPS Scores and How It Helps to Measure Call Center Success

What You Need to Know About NPS Scores and How It Helps to Measure Call Center Success

A net promoter score (NPS) measures how likely a customer is to recommend a brand to someone else. The score runs on an index of -100 to 100 and measures the overall satisfaction and loyalty of a customer. You can use your NPS to improve your products or services and grow your business through referrals.… Read More »

A net promoter score (NPS) measures how likely a customer is to recommend a brand to someone else. The score runs on an index of -100 to 100 and measures the overall satisfaction and loyalty of a customer. You can use your NPS to improve your products or services and grow your business through referrals. This enhances your company’s customer base and long-term success.

 

Learn how to calculate your NPS to enhance your call center’s effectiveness.

 

Create an NPS Survey

Use a customer experience management platform or NPS software to gain a comprehensive picture of your customers. You can use the NPS data to determine which touchpoints have high NPS scores and which have lower scores. This provides a basis for the areas that need improvement.

 

Include as few questions as possible in your NPS survey. You may want to begin with demographic questions about age, gender, or income to create segmentation during your research and analysis. However, avoid these questions if you can gather the data from your customer relationship management (CRM) software, customer database, or other source.

 

After asking the customer how likely they are to recommend your company to someone else, request the reason for the score. This lets you uncover the drivers for promoters and detractors. You may want to save time by using a text analysis tool to create structured data pieces that are easy to manage and interpret.

 

Find out how you could make the customer experience better. This is especially helpful if you plan to do closed-loop follow up and customer ticketing. You will be better able to continue customer conversations and resolve issues by responding to the feedback. As a result, your customers should be more loyal to your company and your staff more satisfied with their jobs. This increases your customer lifetime value, brand equity, and employee retention.

 

Ask to follow up with your customer. Keep in mind that not everyone will want to discuss their issue. If you cannot access the customer’s email or phone number from another system, be sure to ask for it.

 

Calculate Your NPS

Begin calculating your NPS by giving your customers a scale of 0-10 and asking how likely they are to recommend your product or service to a friend or colleague. Then, categorize their answers into three groups:

  • Promoters (9-10) are satisfied with your product or service, likely to recommend your company to others, and should continue their loyalty to your organization. They make up the majority of business referrals and contribute to company growth.
  • Passives (7-8) are somewhat satisfied with your product or service but may buy from a competitor. They are unlikely to refer your company or engage in adverse word-of-mouth advertising.
  • Detractors (0-6) are dissatisfied with your product or service, are unlikely to refer your company, and may impact your brand’s reputation through negative word-of-mouth advertising.

Next, subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. Your answer will be between -100 and 100. This is your NPS.

Find Employees That Positively Impact Your NPS!

The right people can help your company reach new levels of customer satisfaction. Need help finding great employees? We can help! Get in touch today!

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6 Career Paths for a Call Center Professional! Which One Is Best for You? | Salem Solutions

6 Career Paths for a Call Center Professional! Which One Is Best for You?

Have you thought about a career in the call center industry? If you enjoy engaging with customers and helping them get the most from their products and services, this may be the field for you. There are plenty of directions to move your career in for long-term success.   Discover six career paths to help… Read More »

Have you thought about a career in the call center industry? If you enjoy engaging with customers and helping them get the most from their products and services, this may be the field for you. There are plenty of directions to move your career in for long-term success.

 

Discover six career paths to help plan your future as a call center professional.

 

1.    Customer Service Representative

If you enjoy resolving customer issues through various channels in a calm, professional manner, then you may want to be a customer service representative. In this position, you often act as the face of the company. Your duty is to answer customer questions, resolve complaints, process and modify orders. You also provide instructions and information about products or services.

 

2.    Customer Retention Specialist

As a customer retention specialist, you provide proactive support for customers to maximize the use of your company’s products or services. This helps increase customer retention, loyalty, upsells, and repeat business. Additionally, you handle contract renewals and cancellation requests, provide updates on product or service features, and share tips to get the most use from the offerings.

 

3.    Product Support Specialist

Becoming a product support specialist means you are a subject matter expert on the company’s offerings. Because you understand every aspect of how the products work, you can answer complicated questions, troubleshoot problems, and educate on product functionality. You also update customers on long-term fixes and share customer feedback with the product team. Additionally, your role will include recording common problems for product documentation, internal knowledge bases, and agent response templates.

 

4.    Customer Service Training Manager

You may want to be a customer service training manager if you want to create learning and development programs for new and existing customer service representatives. In this role you would also implement and oversee new training processes. This may involve anything from new hire training to management training and beyond. Ongoing maintenance of training materials and innovation in the best training methods are required. Understanding customer service processes, from basic problem-solving to product troubleshooting, is important as well.

 

5.    Customer Implementation Manager

If you are interested in business-to-business technology, you might become a customer implementation manager. This means you are a subject matter expert on your company’s products or services. You help new customers implement your product or service in their organization according to their objectives and timeline. You also work closely with sales, product, and support teams to meet customer expectations and requirements.

 

6.    Quality Assurance Manager

Working as a quality assurance manager involves ensuring that customer service representatives maintain a set of quality standards. In this role, you will also be responsible for making sure representatives deliver the best possible customer experience. These standards are specific to the company and may involve anything from a representative’s tone to their problem-solving ability. You also may be required to create and enforce the performance standards, evaluate agent performance, lead calibration sessions, and work with team leads to ensure they effectively coach their agents.

 

Find a Call Center Role

Work with Salem Solutions to begin or further your career as a call center professional. Visit our job board today.

 

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A Call Center's Guide to Managing Remote Staff | Salem Solutions

A Call Center’s Guide to Managing Remote Staff

The growth of technology continues to make remote work increasingly popular for call centers. This is why more companies are hiring remote employees to staff their customer service departments. Although there are many benefits to having a remote call center, effectively managing one can be challenging. This is why understanding call center management tips are… Read More »

The growth of technology continues to make remote work increasingly popular for call centers. This is why more companies are hiring remote employees to staff their customer service departments.

Although there are many benefits to having a remote call center, effectively managing one can be challenging. This is why understanding call center management tips are so important. Following best practices for overseeing a remote call center can help you maintain high agent performance across geographic locations.

Here are some tips to manage your remote call center employees.

 

Cultivate Strong Company Culture

Create connections among your call center staff in ways that center on your company mission, vision, and values.

  • Discuss your expectations for call center operations. Additionally, include how customers are to be treated and what should be done if a call escalates.
  • Share how your employees should interact with others to appropriately reflect the culture both during and after work hours.
  • Emphasize the value each of your team members brings to your call center. These actions build an environment that promotes loyalty and engagement.

 

Use Remote Management Tools

A variety of technology is available to help you manage your remote call center team.

  • Call center software provides the data and metrics you need to monitor your employees. You can use the information to uncover your team’s strengths and weaknesses and provide constructive feedback and coaching to improve performance. This helps keep customer satisfaction high.
  • You can view agent activity, call data, and call logs to determine the number of calls each agent takes and the length of each interaction. This shows how each staff member’s performance measures against your standards. You can praise your team members for work well done and train them on areas that need improvement. These actions optimize your agent and team performance.

 

Provide Collaboration Tools

Your call center team needs technology to help them work on projects and solve problems together.

  • Implement call center software with agent-centric communication tools. Your staff can share files, message each other, and perform other tasks to complete their work.
  • Include agent coaching tools to assist your team members during a customer interaction. If a conversation escalates, you can monitor the call without the customer’s knowledge and coach your agent in real-time. This helps your team feel confident in their work.

 

Gamify Customer Service

Use recognition and rewards to encourage productivity and positive results.

  • Appeal to your agents’ competitive side by awarding prizes for employees who attain the results you want to achieve. The prizes may include gift cards, company swag, special privileges, paid time off, or other items that appeal to your staff. Make sure the value is strong enough to encourage your team members to take action.
  • Providing motivation for your employees to increase the number and quality of their customer interactions elevates the results of your call center team. Recognizing your staff members’ contributions and results also increases job satisfaction and company loyalty.

 

Create a Hiring and Training System

Clearly define your approach to recruiting and training your call center hires for maximum success.

  • Create a list of the skills and qualities you seek when hiring agents.
  • Include pre-hire assessments, face-to-face interviews either in person or through video conferencing, and targeted interview questions to find what you are looking for.
  • Design a training program that includes having each new agent work with a seasoned teammate who can provide the knowledge, skill-building, support, and other resources necessary for success in the role.
  • Offer a trial period of 3 months for new agents to adapt to their new role and routine.
  • Go over your call center’s processes and policies so your new hires understand them. Include your requirements for working remotely and expectations for their workspaces, work conduct, and participation in team efforts.
  • Train your new staff members on your customer service tools. Show how the technology helps improve calls and outcomes.
  • Have each new employee take training calls with an experienced guide. The guide can walk the new employee through different scenarios and outcomes to prepare for potential interactions with customers.

 

Monitor Your Customer Service Quality   

Pay attention to how happy your customers are with the service they receive. This ensures your call center team provides value to your company.

  • Use quality assurance tools to monitor customer interactions. For instance, use speech analytics to measure customer satisfaction during support calls. Also, check your agents’ calls to make sure they follow call center best practices. Additionally, pay attention to data on first-contact resolutions to see whether your staff members are providing the proper support.
  • Make sure your employees comply with call center regulations and standards. For instance, watch how your team follows the established processes to manage sensitive data. Also, look at your call logs to determine whether your staff are following the DNC list rules.
  • Use call recordings and past interactions to determine whether an agent is struggling. If they are, talk with them about what the issue is and how you can help resolve it. Additional training or coaching may be needed.

 

Request Customer Feedback

Ask your callers and team members for input about your call center.

  • Have your agents request that your customers stay on the line for a short satisfaction survey. Your customers can rate their experiences and suggest improvements.
  • Carefully consider the information you receive, then implement the ideas you feel would improve your call center.
  • The more valued and heard your customers feel, the greater their satisfaction with your call center.

 

Ask for Agent Input

Request that your team members share their ideas about what is and is not working with your policies and procedures.

  • Remote employees need to know their suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
  • Increasing agent satisfaction helps improve your internal processes and customer support.
  • You can find ways to enhance your training program, meetings, and management skills.

 

Need Help Hiring Remote Call Center Professionals?

Salem Solutions has vetted call center professionals ready to begin working for you. Contact us today.

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