Call monitoring can help firms monitor customer satisfaction

Date: 22/12/2011

Companies may be more focused on retaining their client base than ever before in the current economic climate and may recognise the importance of keeping customers happy.

Investing in technology, training and regular feedback monitoring could help organisations to ensure they are delivering the best service possible to their consumers.

Small companies and entrepreneurs specialist Tony Featherstone explained in an article for Business Day how "consistently measuring and tracking customer service is the key" to a successful organisation.

Listening to customer feedback, as well as assessing areas of common complaint and regular problems could help firms to better their processes.

Companies that use 0800 numbers as a means of interacting with their clients may want to invest in call management systems that allow them to analyse details of the calls they receive.

Helen Murray, director of Verint Consulting, recommended recording conversations between phone handlers and customers in order to note trends, as well as client "behaviour indicators and vocal processes".

She claimed this would help businesses to "start to really understand why customers are or aren't happy", so they can "do more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff".

It was noted that 90 per cent of interaction between customers and an organisation tends to happen via "calls, emails and chat".

As a result, Ms Murray claimed companies have to look for insight within these conversations if they want to discover how they can better their customer service.

Although many firms invite feedback by advertising 0800 phone numbers, according to the specialist, many will fail to listen and respond to comments unless a formal complaint is logged.

"Traditionally, customer feedback surveys are used to gather a net promoter score, but getting underneath the root cause of the problem and working with the customer to resolve that doesn't seem to be what organisations are focused on," Ms Murray claimed.

However, it was noted by Mr Featherstone that the only way for a business to build "a great service ethos" is to make the prime focus of a company its clients, while ensuring staff are trained to handle situations effectively.

"Combine the two and you get that magic DNA, which rarely lasts, where companies listen to customers and let their comments drive product and service innovation," he remarked, adding this is a "truly valuable asset that is hard to replicate".

Firms that purchase non-geographic numbers from Commsready will automatically be provided with call statistics software that can help them to monitor their calls.

Through this service, organisations will be able to see how many calls were answered, any that were misses and when the busiest periods are for receiving customer contact.

Using such software could help a firm to enhance its marketing and adapt its phone handling to better suit the needs of clients.

For example, a company may wish to implement a call diversion system so that customers are still dealt with out of office hours.

Enquiries can be picked up on the go, which is likely to show dedication to customer service and help a business to be viewed more favourably compared with competitors.