CRM Tips

CRM is much more than just getting your call centre database sorted out, so that you have a single view of the customer. CRM is more about how you can develop a better relationship with your customers.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

CRM is much more than just getting your call centre database sorted out, so that you have a single view of the customer. CRM is more about how you can develop a better relationship with your customers.
Here are some ideas about how you can quickly improve CRM in your call centre. 

1. Throw away the scripts

I know that this may sound like heresey to some people. There may be some times when you are obliged to have a script, e.g. for security or for compliance reasons, but otherwise you are best without them. They sound very obvious to the caller and frequently stilted and frustrate your agents who would like the chance to develop a realtionship. They force the conversation in one direction, even though it may be much better for you to go in antother direction. It is much better to train your agents to be able to ad lib and go with the flow of how the conversation develops. 

2. Build empathy with your customers

If you really want to improve customer relationships, or if you want to sell more to your customers, then you have to build empathy. This is where you have a genuine understanding of the reasons behind why the cutomer is calling. Listen to a few of the calls in the call centre and determine how much true emapthy you are building with your customers. If you need help in building more empathy in your call centre then we would highly recommend Empathy Solutions www.empathy.co.uk 

3. Set up a VIP line

Develop a dedicated line for your best cusomers. Assign a high priority to it so that the callers go straight to the top of the queue. You should also use your best agents to answer these calls. 

4. Recognise callers based on their telephone number.

These days the telephone number of the caller travels ahead of most calls. this is known as Calling Line Identity (CLI) or by BT as Caller ID. You will probably most often see this when someone calls your mobile phone. You can now link your telephone system with your database using Computer Telephony Integration (CTI). This allows you to Screen Pop your callers details up on the agent’s screen when the call connects.
Altough this can be quite an expensive facility for the large call centre it can be very cost effective for the smaller call centre. Connecting and ACT database to an Avaya IP office can cost less than 2,000 and can pay for itself in a matter or months. 

5. Set up a call routing database.

A quick way of delivering customised service is to set up a call routing database for your top 100 customers. Frequently this will not require you to buy any additional hardware. It works on very much the same principle as programming names into your mobile phone. It could be done of in the ANI routing table of an Aspect CallCenter or as an application in an Avaya Conversant or most IVR systems. As well as giving calls a label it is also possible to route calls to different applications or vectors. 

6. Set up a ’secret’ line for customers to call back

There is nothing more frustrating for callers who have been through your menu system and have had to wait in queue to get through to you, than to have to do it again a few minutes, or a few days later to report back on a open or recently closed problem. Set up a prioritised line for your customers to call back into and route these callers to the top of the queue. You will find your callers less stressed which will in turn reduce the stress levels on your agents. 

7. Get some professional help

CRM can be a very complex issue and one that can have a large impact on the IT department. It usually pays to get some professional help. If you would like some assistance then please drop us a line and we can put you in contact with an appropraite consultancy company.