It’s been a big year for customer service thanks to job growth, new and innovative technologies, and increasing demands for improved interactions with service reps. Customer-facing organizations are wise to use the early days of autumn to lay the groundwork for what’s to come. After all, about a quarter of all sales are typically made in the period from October to December. And it’s not just retail that usually sees a boost in action around the holiday season.
1. Preparing Customer Service Reps for Boosts in Calls
As the end of the year approaches, there is reason to expect a few more callers a day – and to prepare to handle their requests accordingly. But too many organizations start filling their call centers with unqualified or insufficiently trained agents in November, not understanding that a poor call experience is all it takes to chase consumers to your competitors. That’s why more strategy is going into how to troubleshoot problems during the ebbs and flows of calls this year.
2. Use of Remote Call Centers to Access Services
Remote call centers are becoming more attractive to organizations that struggle to handle their customer service in-house at peak hours. New technologies and a diversity of solutions are making it easier to streamline modern call center models so that the same level of service can be handled by an outsider than in previous years.
3. Holiday Customer Service Preparation Focusing on Quality, Not Just Quantity
Companies need to do more than hire additional staff to handle larger call loads. They need to identify when calls precisely when calls will come in and ensure they can access the necessary information to address customers’ needs with quality service. They are finding more streamlined ways to scale their communications services – often by keeping a minimum of staff on site while hiring professionals who are experts at resolving conflicts and diffusing high-stress situations with callers.
4. Plans for End-of-Year Healthcare Industry Spikes in Callers
Retailers aren’t the only ones that deal with ebbs and flows throughout the year. Healthcare is one of the most call-intensive industries around. This is because patients under plans such as Medicare typically have until the end of the year to file their claims. Healthcare companies will need to prepare for the rush from consumers wanting to file claims, schedule last-minute appointments, and handle other medical issues.
5. Flexible, Cost-Effective Ways to Manage Staffing Fluctuations
One of the smartest moves that growing businesses are making is finding more flexible ways to manage the unpredictable nature of their communications needs. Companies that aren’t flexible in their approach to staffing will find they risk either wasting resources or losing out on important transactions. Therefore, they are relying on custom reporting that will allow them to adjust in real time, supported by outsourced IT help and a pricing model that won’t stick them with extra fees or superfluous services.
6. Increased Training of Service Industry/Call Center Agents
As more organizations outsource some or all of their customer service calls, they also have more options at their disposal. This puts more onus on the company to research their options before settling into any new partnerships. One area they will be taking a closer look at is the training practices of remote customer service providers. That will enable them to explore the ongoing education provided by places like Lighthouse Enterprises as a key factor in creating new customers and building brand loyalty.
7. Streamlined Processes to Reduce Redundancies and Conserve Resources
Whether through call centers or staffing agencies, communications services are helpful in implementing new strategies. But organizations are also reconsidering their in-house processes and looking for ways to eliminate redundancy and inefficiencies – for example, ensuring departments use the same processes to schedule appointments, manage calls and clear payments.
8. Determining Whether AI Is Helping or Hurting Business
Companies are experimenting with AI and other alternative platforms, and that’s a good thing. But as the hype dims and reality sets in, they are also approaching AI solutions with some skepticism, particularly as it becomes increasingly clear that customers miss being helped by real humans on the other end of the line.
Lighthouse Enterprises Provides Flexible Customer Service Solution
Lighthouse Enterprises is an independently run nonprofit that provides remote contact center services to prominent healthcare companies and other large organizations. Our team of exceptional call center agents are well-trained to handle the communication needs in a variety of industries. Why are our scalable solutions so helpful this time of year?
- A better rate of billing resolutions
- Ability to schedule appointments and reminders no matter where you are
- Can verify and register patients promptly, without transferring calls
- Available 24/7
Worried about turnover? Our productive workplace and availability of tools and training all lead to unusually low turnover rates.
Contact Lighthouse Enterprises to start planning your end-of-year customer service needs!