Call management – what is it?
You’ve definitely heard the term “call management” before if you work in customer service or at a call center for a large company. But in case you haven’t heard, the word “call management” refers to the procedures and tools that companies employ to manage incoming calls.
Call management, which is distinct from call monitoring, which involves listening to and recording calls for quality control objectives, is most effective when combined with call-logging software.
A call management system’s function is to keep track of incoming calls, acquire information from them, and direct those calls to the appropriate party. It plays a crucial role in appointment-based businesses that sell services that customers might not be able to purchase outright in a shop or online.
What is the process of call management software?
Call routing software uses a set of established parameters and rules to route calls via your phone system. Depending on the routing method being used to direct a certain call, the rules that the program employs will change.
Call management software uses a variety of routing techniques, as seen by these examples:
- route based on time. Calls are forwarded based on the time they arrive. Calls received after business hours, for instance, are routed to voicemail or support personnel in a different time zone.
- route based on skills. Calls are routed to the staff member who can assist the caller most effectively. Calls for a specific product or service may be forwarded to the member of your team who has the most knowledge of it, the best close rate, or both.
- Routing by round-robin. Each agent receives a same amount of calls, resulting in an equal number of leads.
These routing techniques can, of course, be combined and are frequently applied in conjunction with one another.
Call management techniques include things like interactive voice menus and “hunt groups,” which are teams of agents who solely take calls. Calls are frequently recorded in order to analyze how agents might later enhance their performance.
Calls must be routed, tracked, analyzed, and processed for effective call management.
Tracking
Every part of your marketing campaign needs its own distinct phone number in order to track calls efficiently. This includes internet ads, radio spots, and television commercials. When customers call, the number they dial is recorded and compared to the other sources to determine which is the most efficient.
In order to categorize each caller according to demographics, the system also records their name, number, and other information. Additionally, the call’s audio will be recorded so that agents can listen to it at a later time and determine whether or not the call went well.
You can learn a lot from monitoring your calls, including the following:
- The success of your online marketing initiatives.
- Information on customer tracking via dynamic number insertion.
- How to listen to recorded conversations to enhance customer service.
- A campaign’s effectiveness, both offline and online.
- What search terms are generating the most calls?
- Which marketing medium is attracting the most customers?
- Data reporting in real time.
- Monitoring for incoming calls.
Analysis and processing
It isn’t practical to have a staff person examine every call manually and log the pertinent information because most businesses—especially large corporations—receive a large volume of calls. Instead, the raw information from each caller, such as their phone number and location, is compiled using call management software.
Calls may even be divided into categories based on whether an agent closed a sale, depending on how sophisticated the software is. Voice-analysis technologies can also automatically listen to calls.
That information can be used later to describe your campaign. Which of your marketing channels is most successful can be determined by the phone numbers that consumers call from. You may find out which agents close the most frequently by tracking which calls move leads to the next stage of your funnel. You can find out where potential clients reside using location-based information.
When all of this information is considered, it may be used to target your campaign more successfully. It can also be used to plan future sales initiatives and assess effectiveness against prior campaigns.
Of course, you shouldn’t rely solely on artificial intelligence (AI) to perform all of your laborious tasks. The majority of the data can be processed by your program, and it can even provide insights on recorded calls, but a human should ultimately examine the finished result. For instance, after the calls have been processed by AI, you may ask each employee to evaluate the calls that had the highest and lowest scores.
What advantages does call management software have for your company?
Beyond providing insight into your marketing activities and facilitating better customer communication, good call management software can help your business in other ways. It can have consequences that are genuinely transforming, such as:
- No missed or dropped calls. Your clients will always be able to contact the appropriate agent thanks to excellent call routing and the logging of customer contact information. Additionally, if they are somehow cut off, the agent can get in touch with the person they were talking to to resume the call.
- Increased staffing. Call statistics can help you identify periods of high call volume and periods of low call volume for your personnel. You may ensure that there is additional staff on hand at busy times by taking it into consideration.
- Improved efficiency of the workforce. Call management software can help you see how each team member is doing so you can reward those who perform well and support those who need it.
- Improved client services. Wait times are reduced when consumers are rapidly directed to the appropriate agents. Additionally, each agent may access that person’s history with your organization to really delve in and assist them with their issue thanks to the detailed record keeping you get from solid software. And all of those elements combine to provide excellent customer service.
- Keeping prices low. Small businesses and startups frequently have to work with tighter budgets. Utilizing effective call management software will boost your productivity and efficiency, enabling you to accomplish your objectives with a little crew.
How to prepare for the launch of your call management system
There are a few things you should do before using call management software once you’ve made the decision to invest in it. You should start by outlining the system’s goals in great detail, along with your strategy for accomplishing them. Create a schedule for them.
If you’re unsure of where to begin, consider your motivation for investing in call management. Will it enhance my customer service? More leads converted? Work backward to build your goals after you are aware of your “why.”
Ensure that everyone on your team is aware of the goals and procedures for using your call management software. Everything will go more easily if everyone is on the same page, and you can address any questions your team may have right away.
Inform your team that any performance evaluations you utilize won’t have a negative outcome. Describe in detail what they may anticipate in terms of feedback and the manner in which it will be given.
Organize a team to teach the “why” of your call management program to the personnel in your call center. Consult with other professionals in the field to see how they, too, are putting good call management practices into practice.
Search Criteria for Call Management Software
Use research before choosing a provider or piece of software. Select the option that best satisfies your demands by being picky.
Your call management provider should be aware of your objectives and eager to support you in achieving them. Look for a business that:
Experienced
You want a company with a solid track record of performance that has been there for a while in the market. Make sure that capability is included in the bundle; just because a company gives you the option to record your calls doesn’t guarantee it can also assist in their analysis.
Reliable
You want to trust a provider that can properly handle your call data since it is vital. Choose a vendor who has the infrastructure to respond to your needs effectively and rapidly. Make sure they have a strong phone presence and efficiently route calls. Look into if they use AI, human processing, or both to assess calls. A trustworthy business won’t struggle to respond to those queries.
Superb in terms of client service
Verify that your vendor has devoted customer care representatives who can uphold a positive working relationship between their business and yours, particularly during the initial onboarding process.
