Blog Archives - Page 35 of 37 - Etech Global Services

Importance of Customer Feedback: Reasons to Amend your Brand!

Receiving customer feedback is like judging the pulse of the market. Customer feedback is of significant value as it signals the needs and requirements of the customers from the products. It provides a way for the customers to present their genuine opinions, judgments, feelings, like and dislikes about the product or service. Customer feedback lets customers feel valued and generates a feeling among them that the company concerns about their opinions about their experience of using the product. Customers feel that they are also actively involved in the improvement of the product. This significantly reduces customer turnover to the competitor products thus reducing revenue loss. Customer feedback brings to forth just the right concerns or requirement felt by the customers that they encounter in their daily life while using the product. This requirement may be small but if company solves that it leads to significant growth in customer satisfaction. If customers receive what they want from the product they are willing to open their wallets. With customer feedback, companies can significantly improve the quality of the product by adding innovative features, enhancing existing features and removing features that are contributing less to the overall quality of product. Customer Feedback can help businesses create highly efficient products and build a robust brand loyalty in the market. This will help improve customer satisfaction and create a strong loyal customer base that will keep returning again and again. Make strategic decisions Customer Feedback provides vital insights into the behavior of the customers about use of the company’s products and what are the distinct features that give them competitive edge over the competitor products. Customer feedback enables companies to make strategic decisions that can give them competitive advantage by adding new features or improvising on existing features. A recent report from Forrester Research shows that many companies now aim to be driven more by customer experience and 2014 will see a year in which many companies will increase customer experience management. Customer Feedback provides a platform for the customer to express and share their views and ideas. This enables companies to provide customers with exact features that are important to them. These views and ideas from the customers can be leverage by the companies to increase the acceptability of the product in the market and reduce the chances of failure. One essential element of the customer experience is enabling consumers to provide feedback. Compare to last year, three-quarters (76%) of the 2,000 consumers noticed an increase in the number of companies asking for feedback on their customer experience – eDigitalResearch report. Another important aspect of customer feedback is to find ways to improve the customer experience. Company can receive a lot of positive as well as negative comments. Company can learn from any type of feedback and let the customers know about it. Customers are taking up the offer to provide feedback – over half of those surveyed (51%) have already given feedback on their experience of which 82% did so to report a positive experience, 11% reported a negative experience and 7% shared their ideas- survey by eDigitalResearch. The feedback must be shared with the staff members as it will help them improve on their performance and discard any useless practices to improve the quality of service. It is also highly important to act on the feedback and contact the customers who shared their valuable feedback. Contacting the customers will send out a positive signal that you have genuine concerns for your customers. This will build a strong loyal customer base that will continue to return for purchases as well as spread a positive word of mouth among their circles. Contacting the customers will quickly establish a bond with them and they are more likely to continue send genuine feedback in the future. According to survey by eDigitalResearch, companies are acting on that feedback with almost half (49%) of those who made a complaint being contacted. Of those, 75% said that that contact changed their opinion of the brand into a more positive one, demonstrating that it’s not just the collection of customer experiences that matters but also acting on that feedback. Customer Feedback forms or surveys are a great way to judge how your customers feel about your products or services and what all changes need to be done to improve their experience. Businesses can receive both positive and negative feedbacks from the customers. But rather than just replying to the customers who have sent negative feedback and solving their concerns it is very essential to contact customers who have spared their valuable time to send their positive feedback. According to survey by eDigitalResearch , among consumers who left positive feedback, just 18% were contacted. Companies should not present any excuses in acknowledging the efforts taken by customers who provided positive feedback. Tackling challenges in feedback process Although feedback forms or online surveys are a great medium to get valuable feedback from customers, there are times when feedback sent by customers is not clear and does not portray valuable information. Lack of Focus – Many times feedback lack focus on what they want to convey to the companies. They can be lengthy and time consuming and with hundreds of feedback to go through, it can cause significant time loss for the company. Inconvenience– Customers at times may feel reluctant to send the feedback due to lengthy or complex feedback forms or due to time shortage. They may be busy in other work and may not find it useful to fill the feedback form. Incomplete information – Many times customers send incomplete information in the feedback. It becomes difficult to act on such incomplete information. Feedback forms or online surveys may not turn out to be resourceful medium for some organizations. Many firms are turning to benefit from the QA services that audit the interactions between agents and customers and extract valuable and insightful information from it. This will serve a dual advantage as QA services will monitor the quality of customer

Keeping Pace with Technology and People in a Rapidly Changing World

Global Strategy Series 2014 I read recently, that this technological/information age we are living in, in this, the early part of the twenty-first century, is very reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the twentieth century. One may wonder how that can be, but simply put, the Industrial Revolution completely changed how people lived their lives at the time…… much like this “Information Revolution” is completely changing how we, in the twenty-first century, live our lives. How so? The ways are endless. Consider, for example, how everywhere we go now, people are on their phones. If not talking on their phones, they are looking at their phones for some reason: e-mail, news, games, Facebook. Our smartphones are our constant companions. It’s only been within the last decade that we’ve seen this phenomenon take hold in our society. The same holds true for us in business. Let’s take the fairly new platform of Social Media. In the last 5-7 years, Social Media has gone from being a virtual “unknown” to the majority, to now being an absolutely integral part of every company’s marketing plan. Think about that: what started out as a means for our teenagers to communicate and connect with friends has grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise that today’s businesses are remiss if they don’t embrace and use on a daily basis to keep their online presence visible and within the top three finds of search engines. Then there’s the entire “mobile technologies” platform. Since 2007, when the first iPhone debuted, mobile technologies have seen a meteoric rise! Now, whatever platform is available for desk-tops, one must also be developed for the mobile platform. These two platforms alone have brought about phenomenal change in the way we communicate, keep in touch, and do business. We can connect instantly with anyone in our circle of friends, even with one who lives half way around the world. What has become second nature for us now, was not even in our consciousness a decade ago. That is profound change in a relatively short amount of time that has required society both personally and professionally to adapt and change quickly. These technological changes and advancements bring with them a unique set of challenges. Primarily, how do we keep up with all of these rapid changes? These changes that are designed to “connect us” more quickly and easily with PEOPLE, without losing sight of the very people we are serving? I’ll be exploring this question in my upcoming blogs. I hope you’ll join me. This blog was written by Dilip Barot, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Etech Global Services, and founder of Creative Choice Group, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Etech employs 2,500 team members across the US, India and Jamaica. If you would like to learn more about Etech, contact info@etechgs.com for more information.

Global Strategy for 2014 and Beyond: People

My team just returned from the annual PACE National Conference and Expo. PACE stands for Professional Association for Customer Engagement. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of companies that use a multi-channel approach to engage their customers. Every year this conference proves to be packed full of information about upcoming trends in our industry as well as changing laws and regulations that we are expected to know and implement. However, this conference is also incredibly fun! Why, you may ask? Because of the people. Yes, PEOPLE. When you get right down to it, everything we do, everything that anyone does, is really all about PEOPLE. We live in an age where technology allows us to do so many things that even a decade ago, no one could have imagined. Yet, in the process of learning to use new technology, it’s very important to keep in mind the very fundamental fact that it’s really all about PEOPLE. This past week, I was reminded of that as I had the opportunity to meet and speak with many people who make their living dealing with people in what we call, the Call Center Industry. It struck me: although I love technology and what it allows me to do, there is nothing that can compare with face-to-face or as in our industry, voice-to-voice human contact. Out of all of the phenomenal sessions we had the opportunity to hear this past week, a favorite was: Science Hour: The Power of Engaging Conversations. Why? Because this particular session dealt with the human condition. The importance of having engaging conversations that lead to higher customer satisfaction, loyalty and repeat buying. Do you notice that? What leads to customer satisfaction and loyalty? Conversations!Engaging conversations. Engaging conversations require that human connection. When a customer has the opportunity to connect with a real, live human they feel valued, they feel they’ve been heard and they tend to come back because they’ve made a connection. Here at Etech, as we continue through 2014 and beyond, we will stay on top of new and emerging technologies, we will keep up with changing regulations and new laws that affect our industry but the most important aspect of our strategy going forward will continue to be PEOPLE. It’s PEOPLE that we serve, it’s PEOPLE that we deal with every day and it’s PEOPLE who will continue to be at the center of everything we do. That is the best Global Strategyfor 2014 and beyond.

Contact Centers: A Place for Young Employees to Gain Real World Experience

In today’s rapidly growing, fast paced world, the younger population entering the workforce is at an all time high. Businesses are looking for those young, energetic, dynamic personalities and in turn the younger generation is looking for stability and growth opportunities in their career. Most career paths are generally restrictive in regards to growth within the respected company. Whether the company is outside hiring or choosing only employees with senior level experience, having the opportunity to grow and gain valuable, real world experience, can be a very rare opportunity for the younger generation entering the workforce. However, this is not the case for our employees at Etech Global Services. Below we will discuss some of the various positions young professionals would experience working for our Call Center on their path to a successful career. Agents Since the Call Center is often the first point of contact between a company and their customers, it is imperative that the agents be well trained to handle a variety of customer questions and issues. Having the opportunity to interact with the customers directly allows our employees to learn and appreciate the value of efficient customer service, sales, tech support, or any other type of service we offer. This experience has proven to be an excellent learning tool for young employees looking to begin working in an exciting atmosphere. Team Leader The initial experience and knowledge learned in an agent role can often be what springboards our employees into a fulfilling managerial career. Once an employee has gained experience as an agent, they can begin to move through the ranks of the Call Center. Our centers offer the position of Team Leader which gives the employee a chance to manage a small group of agents by overseeing call center quality assurance to the customers being served. Team Leaders work closely with the agents which gives them the first hand experience of what it’s like to manage a team of their peers. This hands-on experience equips our Team Leaders with invaluable life lessons and managerial knowledge. Account Leader The next step up from Team Leader is that of the Account Leader. The Account Leader oversees all of the Team Leaders and agents on a specific campaign and has the ability to work directly with our clients. The Account Leader role is one with great responsibility and is one that comes with great experience and knowledge in the Call Center industry. We have seen some of our most successful and satisfied employees start as agents and move up to this role with immense success. We ensure that each one of our Account Leaders is fully equipped with all the tools and experience needed to be successful and that we are there for them each step of the way! While all careers have their own unique path, finding one where the company providing the path genuinely cares and invests in their employee’s journey is truly an added benefit. Whether it may be a young professional looking to start their career or an experienced member of the workforce who wants to continue to grow, Etech is the perfect fit for you. We here at Etech firmly believe that our employees are our biggest and most important asset so come apply today and start your exciting career with us!

How to Select A Contact Center

Businesses are growing and their decision makers are constantly on the look out to find how they can have a competitive edge over their competition. One area that is of growing importance due to the burst and global reach of social media, is a businesses Customer Service and overall Customer Experience. While businesses grow, this area tends to be put on the back burners and it can prove to be detrimental to the overall businesses image if the customers are being mistreated in anyway. This is where outsourced Contact Centers step in. When a business is able to successfully select and partner with a third party Contact Center who is able to provide them these services such as Customer Service, Lead Generation, Inbound Sales Calls etc., that business all of a sudden has their competitive edge. While other businesses struggle to meet their customers where they want to be met and fail to provide them with the attention and care that the customer deserves, the business that chose the correct Contact Center is able to experience stellar Customer Service numbers as well as increased time to focus on the continuous growth of their products and services. In this blog we will take a quick look at some of the key characteristics a business should look for in a Contact Center in order to help ensure that they have the best experience possible. Experience Companies should make sure that they choose a Contact Center who has deep experience in Call Center services. Given the dramatic changes in the way we all communicate just within the past 5 years, choosing a Contact Center that has proven successful through these times of change proves that their foundation and processes are secure and stable. Contact Centers with experience are able to meet issues head on and even can help companies see a potential issue before it is on other companies radars. Track Record A look into the previous works undertaken will help give a brief idea about the company that proposes to provide you inbound call center services. Feedback given by previous clients on the quality of service, impact on customers, and achievements prove invaluable when a company is trying to get the most accurate information. Companies should always ask for references by the company providing the service in order to help them increase their knowledge on that Contact Center and the way they do business. The Employees One of the biggest possible set backs or advantages a company could see when working with a Contact Center is the employees. These employees whether they are answering customer questions over the phone, responding to an email, or Live Chatting with a customer, they are the voice and face of your company. When selecting a Contact Center, the business needs to ask in depth about their hiring and staffing process. The ideal Contact Center is one where they work with you to help build out the “ideal employee” based on the requirements of the campaign. Contact Centers who practice this tend to see the most success because they are able to place their employees where they have the best chance to succeed. Efficiency Based on the type of work and type of campaign that the Contact Center would be handling, efficiency can have multiple meanings. Whether it is an inbound voice campaign where the company doing the outsourcing is looking for minimal time spent on the phones, or an online retailer who is looking to implement a Live Chat feature, efficiency is a key characteristic for the Contact Center. The Contact Center must be able to meet the customers need and help resolve whatever issue or concern they may be having on the first contact. After reading this brief blog I hope that this information provided as been able to serve as a starting block for selecting the perfect Contact Center. We here at Etech Global Services feel that we are able to provide companies that competitive edge that so many companies are looking for so stop by our website and see how we can help!

The Importance of Professional Inbound Call Center Services

As businesses continue to grow, key decision makers are finding it increasingly difficult to dedicate the appropriate amount of attention to each area of their operations. Whether it is because they are not sure how to allocate the time or that they simply do not have the man power or resources on hand to meet their growing customer base, businesses are looking for a cost effective and quick response to this growing issue. Companies all over the world are finding that turning to a trusted inbound call center is the best answer to this dilemma. When companies choose to outsource certain services to a trusted third party, this allows the company to really focus on their core competencies. When companies are faced with the decision of choosing a third party contact center, they need to ensure that the company they choose has processes that work in an organized and coordinated manner. The range of services outsourced generally includes technical support, customer service support, inbound sales and essential call answering and forwarding services. In virtually every instance, regardless of the service outsourced, businesses are looking to save money while still growing their business. Contact centers that have professional quality services and documented processes are the ones that are able to provide companies with what they are looking for. Types of Inbound Contact Center Services There is no limit to the number of services that can be outsourced, as long as you have the right vendor! Below we will give brief descriptions on the most common services outsourced: Customer Service: as the name suggests, customer service is providing services to customers to satisfy the various issues they have about the products and services offered. In today’s social media world, having a phenomenal Customer Service experience is at its highest demand. Outsourcing this service to a proven outsourcer can prove invaluable for businesses and the way they are viewed in the eyes of their customers. Help Desk: this includes providing assistance, guidance and troubleshooting services to customers. The help desk service can even provide information about hotel room bookings, ticket fares, service related queries, etc. for customers over the phone or through emails. Technical Troubleshooting: is the advice or guidance for the service provided to a customer over the telephone or email for their IT or computer related issues. Technical troubleshooting requires the agents to handle multiple roles and is quite a bit more in depth as far as skill level is concerned when comparing this to other services outsourced. Inbound Sales: Like most online retailers, there is a number for customers to call and place their order over the phone with a helpful representative. Having someone there to talk directly with the customers has a significant impact on abandoned shopping carts and overall sales. Most consumers abandon their cart because they simply aren’t sure about their purchase. Having an agent there to guide them and reassure them in their purchase is something that every skeptical shopper wants and will greatly improve their overall experience. Contact Centers are being utilized more and more each and every day. Businesses who outsource such services mentioned above are finding that they have much more time and resources that they can direct to their main “money maker” services. Find out what potential your business could be missing out on and contact us at Etech Global Services!

Etech Global Services: A Multi-National Provider of Best Shore Solutions

As the Founder of a large, multi-national corporation, I get asked many questions. Some questions are very specific and deal with minor day to day issues while other questions are much larger in scope and require a bit more to answer. Such was the case when I was posed the question: “How does a company with humble beginnings, become a multi-national provider of Best Shore Solutions?” Before I get to the specifics, let me provide some background information about Etech Global Services. Etech originated as a division of L.M. Berry and Company in June of 1997. L.M. Berry and Company was one of the nation’s leading telephone directory advertising firms, headquartered in Dayton Ohio. Etech acquired Berry Direct from the L.M. Berry Company in June of 2003. Since then, Etech has grown to more than 2,500 team members in nine state-of-the-art solution centers in the US, Jamaica and India. Etech attributes much of its success to the foundational principles that govern our company and define our corporate culture. Those principles are: Integrity, Valuing People, Teamwork, Accountability, Communication, Vision, Adaptability, Humility, Creativity, Teach-ability, Positive Influence and Courage. Not only do we practice these principles within Etech, but we also practice these principles with every company we serve in the area of call center support. We train our employees to understand the processes, and structures of each company we support and we strive to provide seamless 24/7 customer support. In the early days, Etech had one customer to support. This proved to be a great training ground for developing our processes and working out the “kinks” so to speak in providing the services they needed. In 2003, Etech began to expand our market share by acquiring new companies to support. In 2005, we helped one of our clients launch a first voice campaign which proved to be very successful and eventually we expanded into non-voice campaigns such as web-chat services, data cleansing and e-mail services. Today, Etech is one of very few US companies having our own global infrastructure and capabilities on-shore, near-shore and off-shore to meet our Client’s requirements and offer competitive pricing. Our motto of “Playing by the Rules” and adhering to the highest standards as enabled Etech to emerge as the leader in Best Shore Solutions in the contact center world. While there have been challenges along the way, the successes have far out-weighed them. This blog was written by Dilip Barot, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Etech Global Services. Etech employs 2,500 team members across the US, India and Jamaica. If you would like to learn more about Etech, contact info@etechgs.com for more information.

The Success Story of Indian Inbound Call Center Service Providers

With a wide range of services in their arsenal, inbound call center services in India is witnessing overwhelming growth. With their professional expertise and talent pool, call centers are able to service their clients in the best possible manner. Although most of the customer support agencies provide both outbound as well inbound services, inbound services are most preferred due to their convenience of management and appraisal procedures. Inbound call center services are mainly about customer support related to both technical as well as non-technical issues. Customer service executives receive calls from customers located all over the world with questions about the client’s products and services which have to be resolved in the best and quickest possible manner. Since customers can call from any corner of the world, usually inbound call center services hire employees who are proficient in multiple languages as it helps them reduce costs for additional staff for various language capabilities. Corporations Seek Inbound Call Center Service Providers for Cutting Costs It is not feasible for major and large-scale business corporations to set up separate departments for reviewing customer feedback and taking preventive measures. It is here that the inbound call center services come to the rescue with their professional infrastructure of space, personnel and equipment which are ready to take on any assignment of any size to satisfy their client requirements. This makes interactions with customers a cake walk for big corporations which can use their valuable time for other tasks. Inbound call center services provide monthly and periodical reports to their clients stating various figures of customer inbound calls, successive resolutions and even conversion rates of sales. Sometimes calls come into these services with inquiries for other products offered by the client. Hence, inbound call center service providers are able to cut down costs which otherwise would be required for marketing and promotion. Outsourcing Inbound Customer Service Calls India is considered to be the home of inbound call center services. With its mammoth population of English speaking graduates, the country has been approached by corporations across the globe to provide inbound customer support services. Apart from Asia, many western continents are also approaching the country’s widespread call center services for giving high quality customer care services. The quality of staff employed by Indian companies are really the best in the industry and that is the reason why, despite stiff competition from Japan, China and other eastern countries, India has been able to mark a high success rate in this industry within very little time. Since the time outsourcing became a common practice, India has won a large share of the call center market which offer inbound call center services as well as outbound call center services. With its abundant rural space and highly efficient English speaking population, the country is yet to gain more success in the field over its counterparts.

Features that Make a Chat Service Stand Apart

“Bring home the customer”, is a widespread proclamation that we often hear from companies. With numerous options that exist today along with a savvy consumer base, customers are demanding better call center services and don’t hesitate to walk away from a company that does not provide superior customer service. So what makes a call center “stand out” so that customers keep coming back? The ability to have their questions or problems resolved quickly. How does this happen? By a convenient new technology known as web chat service. Chat service or chat support is the latest addition to the Call center function and enables the company to provide instant support to their customers. A “must have” in our highly mobile and competitive marketplace. Chat service is quickly becoming the preferred interaction mode, generating increased levels of customer satisfaction. When we compare chat services, there are a number of things to look at in order to determine if the service is well executed. Let’s take a look at a few: Length of Chat Times– It is important to customers that they feel their issue is handled quickly and efficiently. Chat times can range anywhere from 8-15 minutes but the more quickly the issue is resolved, the better. The Chat rep should strive to solve the customer’s issue in the first interaction. Knowledgeable Chat Team-The chat support team should have the same level of knowledge as other email or phone team members. They should be well versed in all aspects of the company in order to provide quick on-the-spot assistance. Reporting– Your chat service should document all customer interaction without error along with the amount of time taken to support the customer’s need. Reporting should cover the following: Average Handle Time Average Speed Of Answer Concurrent Chat Time Offline Chat Requests Proactive Chat Support– Proactively offering your customer a chance to chat instead of waiting for them to ask can often eliminate customer frustration. Even if the customer initially declines the offer to chat, knowing that the live chat option is there can go a long way in preventing frustration. While this list doesn’t cover everything, this is a great starting point when evaluating your live chat services.

Customer Service Chat Helps Online Stores Reap Profits

Ecommerce is the backbone of online retailers. These companies do not have a brick and mortar set up to attend to customer calls, queries and grievances. They rely on customer service chat for quick resolution of customer questions without having to set up physical offices that need space, time, money and maintenance. Online tech support chat is the trend of today’s way of attending to customer questions and issues. It is easy to establish and very efficient since customers are able to reach out to manufacturers and business organizations directly without the hassle of long lines and endless traffic. It is not easy to provide excellent customer service without having some sacrifices. Highly trained and experienced customer service executives are required to handle hostile customers who are disappointed with the slightest problems with their products. Customer service chat is more efficient Customer service chat is a direct one to one interaction with a customer with the aid of an internet connection. The interaction could be voice based or non-voice depending on the service extended by the company. Usually major corporations seek the service of outsourcing agencies to carry out live chat services. With the help of product manuals and descriptions, executives are able to resolve customer grievances quickly and efficiently. When it comes to business the old saying “The Customer is king” still prevails. In customer service chat, companies have to ensure that enough importance and relevance is given to the problems faced by the customers before jumping to conclusions about the mistakes made by the customer. Difficult customers should be handled with care and delicately since they can potentially tarnish the company’s reputation through word of mouth, whereas, high quality customer service will result in more positive publicity yielding more business. Outsourcing customer service chat assignments It is a feasible business decision to outsource online tech support chat assignment considering the cost, time and labor involved in setting up such an infrastructure. There are many call centers and agencies that provide exclusive services to meet the requirements of clients who want to take care of their customer grievances without having to spend a lot of time and money. Outsourcing live chat services is cost effective in the long run since the company has to pay only a fixed amount without having to incur additional costs for more personnel and equipment. While appointing a customer service chat, care should be taken to ensure that the company has a proven track record of providing high quality services in the industry. Experience and expertise will ensure that the customers are offered the best solutions for their problems without much delay. This will lead to increased business and goodwill as customers see that they are treated in a courteous and efficient manner when dealing with problems. Customer service chat is essentially the best way to hear to your customer’s grievances. It provides a great platform for interaction which can even lead to better products and services.

Enhance Customer Experience and Engagement with Online Tech Support Chat

Customer aspirations are forever increasing with the constant introduction of new and innovative products. We live in an era where the customers are more internet savvy and web oriented than ever before. With the availability of so many options and choices from web stores and retailers now, customers have become more powerful in selecting the products and services of their choice from any retailer. Competition has become stiffer and more new companies are coming into the field with products and services that sweep customers off their feet and rush to the payment portals. Hence, getting customer engagement and enhancing their satisfaction has become more challenging but possible with the help of web tools. Online tech support chat, although old, is the newest trend in the IT sector with the help of communication equipments enabled with internet and telephone lines. The Internet has brought customers and retailers together.Today customers find it easier to approach any retailer and buy goods and services over the internet. However, when it comes to post sales service, not as many retailers show as much enthusiasm for this part of the transaction as they did in getting a product sold. It is here that companies that have enabled live chat services for their customers have gained a competitive edge. Customers appreciate the convenience of having a live interaction with a customer service rep in order to get their product queries solved. More than a recorded voice; a live customer service chat is much more effective in resolving customer questions. It offers the flexibility of solving customer grievances on the spot, without having to make them wait, which can be frustrating for customers and often cause them to turn to your competitor. The following points will ensure that the online tech support chat service of an organization gets the best response and approval from any customer: Proactive support chat request: Online customer support representatives can set up a one-on-one interaction with customers with the help of a chat window on the company website. They can volunteer to start conversations with the site visitors, whose requirements can be understood and service provided accordingly. Address Customers by their names: It is very important to ensure that customer support executives are using the customer’s name in order to make them feel important and valuable by the company. All of us like to be addressed by our names and a customer is no exception to this. Pre-Chat study of customer profile: helps a customer service executive to better understand the requirements of a customer and guide them accordingly. The customer does not have to waste time explaining his preferences and tastes, each time he visits the website. Tracking chat History: Using this feature in a customer service chat will enable chat operators to study the previous problems faced by the customer and help them diagnose the present situation and take suitable actions. They don’t have to rely on additional information from other sources which can make the customer impatient.

The Benefits of an Online Tech Support Job

The internet and information technology sector has opened a wide range of exciting job opportunities for many engineers, artists and businessmen. It has something to offer everyone who wishes to grow their business using its various tools and services. The internet offers jobs on both the technical as well as creative sides and one need only choose the one he or she prefers. Of all the sectors, the technical industry provides the best opportunities for software engineers, technical support executives and even online tech support chat professionals. This is a new branch of internet jobs that is growing exponentially. Online tech professionals extend their valuable services with the help of internet connectivity. They are able to help clients sort out technical issues with computers networks and even peripheral devices through wireless connectivity. Without a face to face conversation, live chat services can help people sort out issues with their computers and get them repaired quickly. Online tech support offers the comfort of working from home Online tech support professionals are considered to be the best and the smartest among IT professionals. They come in the form of system operators, code programmers, hardware engineers and even ethical hackers who can hack into any network and relieve vital information. The working environment of a customer service chat professional is quite comfortable since they have the flexibility of working from the comfort of their home without having to go to the client’s place of business and spend hours commuting. An online tech support chat professional is sometimes known as a systems programmer since they have to use technology and software together to make things work quickly. They bear the huge responsibility of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of any system and to improve it by closing any possible loopholes. The varied roles of an online tech professional The job of a customer service chat professional does not end with giving solutions for system breakdowns and troubleshooting. At times they are also consulted to give suggestions about IT infrastructure, software platforms, hardware recommendations, and sometimes even suggestions on improving an entire program. Hence, it is very important that an online tech professional stays on top of the latest trends and innovations in technology and information technology, other than just basic troubleshooting problems, in order to provide the best possible services to his clients. The qualifications for a live chat services expert may differ from firm to firm. Some might require a college degree while others may value experience and expertise much more. However, the more technical experience a person can gain, the greater the demand will be for your online services.

Live Chat Services Ensures Instant Query Solutions

The internet has begun to dominate our daily lives to a very large extent. The world has become more competitive with the help of internet. Businesses are able to reach out to more new customers and business opportunities thanks to the World Wide Web. Also the customers are able to seek the services of manufactures easily as internet has made the smaller, closer and more convenient. With the help of online tech support chat businesses are able to offer instant and real time guidance and services to customers without having to rely on direct service. Consumers are able to get quick online remedies to complete their shopping requirements and product associated queries. Naturally, the internet is the choice of millions for business and it has also become to be a way of life. Companies are able to showcase their products and services easily with the help of websites and internet domains. Online live chat services to resolve customer grievances If it can gain business it can retain business too. Live chat services with customers are the easiest way of resolving product and service related issues which otherwise have to be dealt in person by technicians and customer service executives. With the help of internet customers are able to engage in a conversation with the company executives face to face and thus resolve any or all of their problems in an easy manner. These services ensure that the customer continues to remain loyal and attracted to the company for its customer oriented services. Customer service chat ensures that customers are given appropriate treatment and consolation for the losses suffered by them due to inferior service or wrong products. They can set right customer grievance by fixing up a replacement or by giving the right guidance to set right things. The outstanding characteristics of live chat services are: Multiple customers can be handled simultaneously without the need to be hooked with a telephone. Customers get interaction in the form of text conversation from where they are able to gain info for resolving their queries. Customers are able to get their grievances attended even after office hours. Since the whole concept is based on the internet people are able to access and obtain information real time without the restriction of any working hours or holidays. Further, there are options where customers can send and receive solutions in the form of an email without having to indulge in online tech support chat. Further, companies are able to attend to a large number of enquiries without having to employ more staff and infrastructure. This cuts down costs significantly and improves the overall profitability of the business. It is also proven that live chat services are able to achieve more sales since customers are getting their queries about future products solved instantly and graciously. Skilled and trained chat agents can lure more customers and make them buy new products without incurring additional expense. It goes without saying that, customer service chat hence is possibly one of the best ways of enhancing customer satisfaction.

Contact Center Outsourcing Trends in 2014

To Outsource or not? That is the question! And a BIG question it is as companies head into 2014. There are many opinions circulating out “there” as to whether or not businesses should continue to outsource the ever-increasingly important part of their business known as The Contact Center. For many businesses, the Contact Center is the first point of contact between a business and the customer, so ensuring a positive customer experience is crucial. In the past, many businesses have seen the contact center as a small part of what they do, turning this part of their business over to outsourced providers as a means of reducing operating costs. However, companies are now thinking long and hard about outsourcing and are thoroughly evaluating outsourcing partners before making a decision. First, some businesses are looking at the cost/benefit of their call center locations. Instead of outsourcing all of their customer service offshore, for example, companies are considering the best locations for each function. Companies are outsourcing different functions offshore, onshore and near shore which provide cost savings and also provide the perfect blend of skills for those tasks. A second major factor driving outsourcing trends is the issue of security. With more devices in use, the risks to personal information increase significantly. Many businesses are finding that having very experienced contact center partners with proven secured environments are a must-have, whether onshore, near shore or offshore. The main issue is finding the most secure environment when it comes to protecting their customers’ personal information. Companies are also interested in having the contact center themselves, or the headquarter location, nearby so it is easier to monitor how personal information is being handled. More devices, along with changes in technology such as mobile apps and social media, are also contributing factors to the current shift we’re seeing. Finally, for many companies, there has been a shift in how they see the contact center. Where as in the past, many saw it as a small part of what they do, the contact center is now shifting to a more “front and center” part of operations. Because it is the first point of contact between the company and the customer, many businesses are seeing the importance of devoting more resources to the contact center. This includes providing a higher level of training to contact center employees, investing in new technology and ensuring their customer service is excellent with a robust quality monitoring program. Companies are also evaluating their internal customer service capabilities closely and determining if relying on an outsourced partner with deep expertise would provide better service to their customers than they can manage internally. Contact centers are emerging as “the emotional hub” of the company, where customers voice concerns, questions and go to solve problems. As technology continues to evolve along with the impact of social media, businesses are finding that keeping the increasingly important contact center with a trusted, experienced, and secure partner who provides offshore, onshore and near shore options, is proving to be the right answer.

Call Center Trends To Look For in 2014

A new year always brings with it the anticipation of new things, and for businesses this is no different. Businesses have to keep up with these changes in order to stay competitive especially since we live in an ever-changing world where technology is constantly evolving. These constant changes provide challenges for all aspects of business, but particularly the Contact Center. So what are some of the changes that Contact Centers can anticipate in 2014 and beyond? While there are many that we can anticipate, let’s take a look at what are likely to be the top four. One of the biggest anticipated changes coming is the use of Voice Biometrics. Voice Biometrics verifies a customer’s identity through unique patterns in their voice and this is proving to be a useful tool in call centers that have experienced fraud and abuse. Not only is the voice a stronger form of identification than the more traditional security questions, but it is also a huge cost saver. According to a recent article released by VoiceTrust.com, U.S. call centers spend over $12 billion each year verifying the identity of their customers. By authenticating a customer’s voice, companies can avoid the traditional security questions and account information saving time and money. A second major change in the contact center for 2014 is Cloud Migration. Expect huge growth in this area in the New Year, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. Cloud-based infrastructure greatly reduces upfront costs for businesses by offering an affordable monthly payment model. Additionally, the cloud based system functions more efficiently now than compared to its infancy, eliminating the functionality gap between on-site and cloud-based hosting. A third change that we can expect to see this year is in the area of Social Media. Twitter and Facebook are rapidly changing the way customers and contact centers communicate. If they haven’t already, call centers across the globe would be wise to adopt these social platforms in 2014. Social media can make or break any business and if call centers are not ahead of the social media curve with both of these platforms, they could stand to lose a lot in the year ahead. Twitter and Facebook are excellent tools for monitoring customer satisfaction, but if your business is lagging behind in this area, one negative tweet or Facebook entry from a dissatisfied customer can mean huge losses for your business, not just in sales but in the ever-important area of Public Relations. This leads to the fourth major change we can expect in 2014 which is The Voice of the Customer. Contact centers are being much more proactive in gaining customer feedback as a means of improving customer relations and over-all satisfaction. This feedback can be gained through many channels, not the least of which is Social Media. While these are certainly not all of the changes Contact Centers can expect in 2014, these are definitely the top four that all businesses, who rely on contact centers, should be ready to move forward with in the New Year.

The Importance of Average Handle Time

Numbers, numbers, numbers. If you have any experience working with, or at a Call Center you know that numbers have a huge role in the success of your Call Center. One of the most important metrics and numbers to measure, regardless of communication channel, is Average Handle Time (a.k.a AHT.) This metric measures the total length of time it takes the call center agent to handle the customer and their issue. Based on the specifics of the campaign and its requirements, some campaigns stress having a low AHT, while others do not put much emphasis on it because they want the agent to engage and carry on a conversation with the customer. In this blog, we are going to look at several questions a company should ask itself to help in deciding whether or not to lower their AHT. What are the benefits of having a low Average Handle Time? One of the most noticeable benefits a call center will recognize in having a low AHT is an increase in productivity amongst the agents. When the agents are encouraged to handle the issue with the customer as efficient as possible, they are able to handle more customers. More customers being handled, means less customers waiting in the queue and becoming irritated. However, this is just one side of the coin. Low AHT can sometimes lead to agents rushing customers off the phone or chat because they are so focused on having a low AHT. When agents have that mindset they can end up leaving customers with unanswered questions. It is vital for companies to find that happy medium between rushing the customers of the phone and having a full on lengthy conversation with the customer. We will discuss this a little more in depth later on in the blog. Do your customers want you to have a low AHT? Every customer wants to be treated special, where their questions are listened too and are resolved immediately. This question is a little tricky because this is really dependant on the type of campaign that is being offered. Majority of the campaigns and people calling in alike, want to spend as little time on the phone as possible as long as the issue is addressed and solved! If the call center is able to properly assess the customer issue and come to a conclusion on the first call, then the customers will be happy with their experience and will be happy that they did not have to spend a chunk of their day on the phone with an agent. In this case, the customers want the call center to have a low AHT. One thing, which we have seen time and time again, is call center agents trying to keep their AHT down so they actually end up rushing the customer off the conversation. While this may look good in regards to AHT, we can almost guaranty that the Customer Satisfaction metric will suffer tremendously. More than likely that customer who was just rushed off the call will have to call back in again and again until all their issues are properly addressed and we all know how frustrating that can be. Are your agents ready to reduce AHT? This last and final question puts the focus on the people who will handle the customers directly, the call center agents. While every agent different and unique in their own way, the call center doing the hiring needs to pay close attention to the agent’s conversational skills and properly place them in the correct campaign. This will help in the overall success of the campaign down the road as nothing is more important than the people working for you. While some agents may have the tendency to chit chat and some may be very skilled at resolving issues right away, it goes back to the call center’s ability to strategically place the right type of agent where they belong. How do we manage to achieve low AHT yet maintain good C-Sat? In this competitive environment a lower AHT with good C-Sat (Customer Satisfaction) is something which every client would like to look at as this shows the efficiency and the quality of people the company has. A low AHT can be achieved through an optimization process of voice or chat through various steps. Through a quality study it is necessary to identify the kind of customers coming in and the questions they have and the answers provided by the agents. There can be tweaks to the answers to get it accomplished is the shortest time. Pre call or chat survey also helps in identifying the customers concern and moving them to the right representative. Modifications on the website to make it more user friendly so that the basic knowledge of the product is imparted to the customer before getting on the phone or chat with the representative. A constant check on the customer behavior and creating a business intelligence data to make the necessary tweaks is a must to efficiently control AHT while maintaining a high customer satisfaction rate. All this can be accomplished through constant calibration sessions with the Client and working as partners to grow the business to create a win win situation for all.

The Big Three

When time is of the essence and a consumer is looking for a response, they used to have to pick up the phone and call in only to be put on hold for who knows how long. Consumers were frustrated and wanted a faster, painless way to talk with a representative. Live chat busted on the scene as a key communication channel and as one that could be utilized across the globe. Regardless of the size of the business, having a live chat agent there to answer any questions the customers may have, not only helps the business cut costs, but also helps the customers stay happy and loyal. Thousands of businesses are offering the same services as your company so how do you stand out from the competitors and really strive? Just like any other aspect of business, you are only effective and successful if you deliver quality. When it comes to improving the communication with your customers, you need to measure the effectiveness of your live chat program, which can be done by measuring it by what we like to call “The Big 3”: CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) “You keep your customers happy, and they will keep you in business.” Customer satisfaction has remained, and most likely will always remain, the biggest aim for every business. A happy and satisfied customer represents a profitable business. In the case of live chat, having an agent there to answer questions in a timely and accurate manner, will do wonders for a company’s CSAT. Customers want to communicate in the mode that they are most comfortable with and according to the latest trends, live chat is where they want to be met. Response Time As mentioned above, the amount of time it takes a company to respond to their consumers is a huge factor in the overall success of the live chat feature. Company after company sees negative results from their live chat simply because they do such a poor job responding to their customers! Having a live chat agent trained and ready to answer any questions as soon as the customer chats in, leaves a positive image and a satisfied customer. Average Chat Handle Time This last factor can be a little tricky but still should be measured very carefully. Having a low chat handle time, meaning the entire time from beginning to end of the chat conversation, can mean several things. One being that the chat agent was able to quickly answer the customer’s question or, the customer did not want to spend their time chatting with you. This is where it falls on the business initiating the chat to keep a watchful eye on this metric to ensure that there is a happy balance in the overall Average Chat Handle Time.

Remarkable Difference: The Comeback! – Part 1

In today’s high performance environment, it is common to find a disconnect between our employees and our management teams. Each company seems to have their own view on why this is the case such as a lack of time or just a lack of resources. I say the blame falls on the management teams. Having this disconnect in a company leads to a constant riff between the employees and the people in charge. If this issue is not met head on, the chances of the business being successful and growing seem to come to an abrupt halt. In a past survey focused on why certain businesses fail, the results were truly staggering. The survey showed that 83% of businesses fail when there is a disconnect between the employees and the management team. With results such as these, I think it is safe to say that employee engagement is crucial to the success of a business. With businesses shifting their focus towards their employees first and their customers second, it has proven difficult to set the correct priority between the two. It is crucial for all businesses to first give priority to their own people. The best way to do this is to engage them with various business improvement conversations or growth initiatives. A successful employee engagement initiative helps create a community at the workplace, not just a workforce. When employees are effectively and positively engaged with their organization, they form an emotional connection with the company. This affects their attitude towards both their colleagues and the company’s clients, which leads to improve customer satisfaction and service levels. Today major businesses have their own ways of engaging employees (both new and old). In order to make employee engagement a success, they have to have a strong follow up plan. In short, this means the companies need to actually respond to the employee’s feedback and suggestions. When companies are able to take this invaluable feedback from their employees and actually show them they are doing something with it, the effect is an enormous boost on the employees moral because they know they were actually heard. This step, even though it may seem simple, can make or break your efforts. If companies do not follow through on their promises for their employees, they can almost without a doubt expect nothing but failed attempts and frustration on both sides. Listed below are several different effective and efficient employee engagement activities to help your organization start feeling more like a single operating unit and not two separate divisions: Communications activities These activities help organizations keep their employees in the loop with what is going on both inside the company and outside. Efficient communication activities also create an open and transparent culture within the organization. A few good examples of communication activities are: Develop communication teams or a group of employees who communicate all updates related within the organization. Such groups should have a good mix of employees from each level as this proves to be the most effective way in engaging all levels of business. In house newsletters or magazines. Intranet tool for all employees where any update or changes can be posted for a quick view. Monthly, quarterly and yearly updates on the organizations goals and achievements. Robust feedback model such as a winning culture survey (half yearly and yearly), quarterly focus group system based on a 360 degree model. Strong follow-up mechanism on any employee feedback with status updates and listed further actions to be taken. A dedicated corner (notice board or communications board) on site where all updates or organizational related information can be posted. Activities to develop the culture of the organization These activities help organizations in creating the sense of ownership within their employees. This sense of ownership and pride in the organization helps create a unified organization. Common approaches include: Clear HR polices Policies should reflect “Employee-first” approach of the organization Driving employees towards corporate social responsibilities Strong work life balance initiatives Developing a transparent and safe work environment All actions and reactions of the organization should reflect the commitment towards the well being of the employees Events and activities which promote the vision and mission of the organization A quick decision making process with transparency throughout Team building activities Creating a team environment plays a huge role in helping businesses achieve a successful employee engaged atmosphere. An organization filled with employees who have the mindset of being a team player is one that is on the fast track to a successful business. When employees feel part of a team, they share a mutual feeling that they belong and that each one of them plays a crucial role in the overall success of the organization. Popular approaches include: Team recreational events or activities wherein a team would be required to participate. Examples can be trips to a movie, team lunches/dinners, or a sporting event. Social activities such as barbeques etc. Community related events like fundraising, organizing blood donations, volunteering etc. Leadership development for the organization to adapt to the changing market, it is important to have people with leadership skills not just a leader with great skills. This helps with consistent performance and creativity. Practices can include: The organization should have clearly defined leadership requirements Effective performance management processes with clear ways of performance evaluation Employee empowerment Openness between supervisors and peers with feedback going both ways Effective coaching and mentoring activities along with a strong culture of self-development Strong Reward and Recognition Programs Reward and recognition practices play a crucial role towards making all employee engagement activities consistent. Studies have shown that, while money in itself is not always the sole motivating factor, the absence of a financial reward system can be a significant demotivator. Reward Programs help: Provide a clear framework for rewarding everyone in the organization for their performance Motivating employees, thereby creating a positive morale in the organization Increasing the satisfaction level of the employees (ESAT) A few good practices can include: Realistic compensation

Tips on Maxing Out Your Chat Services

Companies today are constantly trying to improve their websites to make it stand out and have that “wow” factor amongst its users. Whether it is the amount of information on the site, or how many tabs a company can squeeze onto one page, these features all fall short to the ever important Customer Service. Users want and expect the same standard of Customer Service as they would if they walked into a brick and mortar store. Companies find themselves asking, “How can we provide the same Customer Service through a website??” The answer is, effective Live Chat! Listed below are 4 key steps to take to help ensure your Live Chat services are being used to their full potential: Monitoring website traffic It is essential to monitor website traffic in order to understand peak hours. This allows businesses the ability to gain a deeper understanding of their website and when their “busy hours” are. Monitoring website traffic also allows the company to see when the best opportunities are to increase conversion. Proper identification of these trends ensures the efficient allocation of resources. Award more authority to agents Businesses must grant more authority to their agents to allow them to make the final selling decisions while interacting with potential customers. Companies should want their agents to feel empowered while interacting with the customer. If agents are not properly equipped it can lead to loss of sales and revenue. Agents must be provided with detailed knowledge in relation to providing quality customer service and be given a greater freedom to carry out the interaction with the customer. Agents should be allowed to freely exercise their up-selling and cross-selling skills to close the sale. Know your customers One of the most invaluable pieces of information a business can receive is the customer’s feedback. Feedback provides the company with vital information in regards to what they are doing right and even more so, what they are doing wrong in the eyes of the customer. Knowing this information helps improve your businesses customer satisfaction level and allows you to deliver exactly what the customers desire. The easiest way to get to know your customers is through basic customer surveys that can be offered to the customers at the end of a live chat session. The customer can then describe their experience and give the feedback all businesses long for. Improve efficiency of live chat process Providing live chat services on a company’s website not only improves online sales and customer satisfaction, but it also helps shorten the sales cycle. By providing live chat on the website, it allows customers questions to be answered swiftly and accurately. To improve the efficiency of the live chat process, businesses can use advanced features like canned responses, push URL’s, and also screen sharing. These features allow agents to respond faster and therefore increase the customers overall perception of the interaction in a positive way. To extract the maximum benefits possible from live chat services, businesses must focus on improving their live chat process. This by no means is an easy task, but we are confident that starting with above tips, it will definitely help get the ball rolling in the right direction. Trust us; it is what the customers want.

5 Reasons Insurance Agents Work for Etech

Working as a general lines insurance agent at a call center may provide hesitation or concern in some insurance agents – Etech agents disagree! Etech insurance agents enjoy their job and are excited to come to work. Here are 5 simple reasons why working as an insurance agent at Etech proves to be ideal: Handling Taxing Situations With Ease The recent health care changes provide an interesting challenge to each team leader and agent. Agents know that each change will be handled with accurate information allowing them to feel informed instead of confused. Our agents are the bridge between old and new health care. Job Importance Etech agents gain a great sense of worth because of how important health care is to each customer. Agents are elated to tailor customers’ policies in order to fit their needs to become a healthier American. Leadership Account leaders, sales coaches, and trainers do an impeccable job of making each agent feel like part of a team instead of an employee through continuous development and positive coaching. Agents know that they are never alone in any situation and can call on a leader to assist them through each opportunity. Etech agents place an immense amount of value on how their leaders are experienced in their field and encourage one-on-one interaction. Co-Workers Agents at Etech know that that they are part of an uplifting team with not only great leaders, but great team members as well. Each team provides a unique sense of fellowship among one another causing a work atmosphere of such enjoyment that coming into work is an exciting task. Applying Knowledge Team members rest assured that the information they learn during training and throughout one-on-one coaching sessions is not obtained in vain. Etech agents apply the skills needed to become an outstanding insurance agent on a daily basis, constantly providing the best and most accurate information to each customer. Etech sets the stage for what an ideal insurance agent in a call center environment should be a part of. Etech insurance agents take pride in knowing that they are part of something that does not stop at being an employee, we are a team.

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