by Maria Simonton
1. You Don’t Have One
No, seriously. The lack of a solid strategy is what’s most often missing when it comes to a callback implementation. The mistake here is viewing callback as a fix-all instead of as a strategic component of your workforce optimization and reporting processes.
Superficially, callback seems like a surefire way to eliminate queue time and reduce agent headcount. Realistically, it’s a balancing act that relies on having the right amount of agents at the right time to handle those callbacks, and requires analysis and a little bit of sorcery to arrive at the right equation. Which brings us to the next mistake…
2. You’re Not Balancing Peaks and Valleys
Are you offering every customer a callback at the first available time? If so, you’re not leveraging one of the most powerful aspects of callback: scheduling. Every contact center is different, as is every queue within it—each with its own unique call volume pattern. A well-planned callback strategy levels out the surges (and the stress felt by agents) by implementing a schedule that shifts calls to less-busy times of day, effectively flattening the peaks and filling the valleys.
3. You Don’t Respect Your Agents’ Time
Callback offers a wealth of options that will optimize productivity in the contact center, and if you’re not utilizing them, chances are you’re wasting valuable agent time. Is your agent sitting on the line waiting for the caller to be connected? It’s not always wrong to do so, but it is necessary to make sure it’s appropriate for the call interaction. Calls that are more complex and tend to take longer may warrant this type of handling, so agents can be better prepared, and preview data about the call before they take it. The drawback? Possible poor use of agent time in the event of an unsuccessful callback.
4. You’re Not Putting the Customer First
The flip side? Sacrificing caller experience, by making callers sit in queue instead, so that your agents don’t have a second of downtime. If you’re expecting callers to wait on the line to speak with an agent, just so they can pay an overdue bill, revisit your customer service priorities. Weigh the pros and cons of each waiting scenario—customer first vs. agent first—and remember that just because 63 percent of callers prefer callback, it doesn’t mean they want to wait when it’s their turn.
5. You’re Duplicating Effort
You know all those customized callback configurations that you created for every queue, for each day of the week? Did you know that you can reuse them across similar Dialed Number Identification Service groups and queues? Increase administrator efficiency within your organization by understanding all of the configuration options and tricks specific to your callback product.
Need help? Contact INI to find out how you can erase your mistakes and get back on track with a callback strategy that works. For more information about our callback solution, INI SureConnect, visit our product page.