5 Best Practices for Call Center Management: Trends & Top Providers

Senior Writer: Supriya Bajaj

Date: March 22, 2024

Call center management is crucial in driving business growth as it helps deliver excellent customer service. From a business perspective, call centers are the common communication interface between the company and the customer.

Naturally, the better the interface, the higher the customer satisfaction level. This matters, especially especially when 88% of consumers agree that customer service is as important as the product or service offered by the company.

Effective call center management is no easy task. It requires meticulous planning, a long-term vision, and an in-depth understanding of the various call center metrics. In this blog, we have compiled everything a call center manager needs to know to streamline the process.

From what is call center management and its best practices to the impact of AI on the future of call center management, we have covered everything in great detail. Also, you cannot miss out on our list of top 5 call center management software providers at the end.

So, let’s start from the very beginning by diving into what exactly is call center management.

What Is Call Center Management?

Call center management covers multiple call center operations, like performance monitoring, employee training, workforce management, customer service quality assurance, and technology implementation.

So the process of tracking and optimizing these call center operations to ensure effective and efficient customer interactions is referred to as call center management.

For example, call center management entails forecasting call volume, scheduling agents, and monitoring agent performance to ensure sufficient staffing levels and optimal productivity. A call center manager also needs to track key center performance metrics, such as average call handling time, customer satisfaction score, and first call resolution rate, to identify key improvement areas.

Expert Advice

"A mismanaged call center leads to agent burnout, dissatisfied customers, monetary losses, and reputational damage. And no growing business can afford that. That’s why adhering to call management best practices and optimizing the right metrics is non-negotiable. Also, the call center management landscape is evolving rapidly, especially in reference to AI, and businesses must be quick to adapt to the welcoming transformations. Efficient call management software can help you ace the center management game and stay relevant minus the hassle."

Call Center Management Best Practices

The key to running a successful call center is hiring the best call center team members. The call center manager should invest their time in finding employees with a natural flair for dealing with customer complaints and providing solutions. Beyond the hiring process, here are the center management practices to help you improve your contact center management strategy.

1. Detailed onboarding process

Implementing a detailed onboarding procedure is a crucial best practice for call center management. This process involves providing training and support to new agents so that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver exceptional customer service.

A successful onboarding procedure includes clear communication of job expectations, thorough training on call center tools and systems, role-specific guidance, and shadowing experienced call center agents. It should also encompass coaching and continuous feedback to help call center agents improve their performance and adapt to the call center environment.

By prioritizing a detailed onboarding procedure, the call center manager can set a strong foundation for success, empowering agents to confidently handle customer inquiries, maximize productivity, and contribute to overall customer satisfaction.

2. Use advanced technology

Leveraging call center management software with advanced features such as intelligent call routing, interactive voice response (IVR), and speech analytics can significantly enhance operational efficiency and customer experiences.

• Advanced call management technology enables intelligent call routing, connecting customers with the most suitable call center agent based on their needs.
• IVR systems offer self-service options, which reduce wait times and improve customer satisfaction.
• Speech analytics helps monitor and analyze customer-agent interactions, providing valuable insights for training and quality improvement. (Know about the benefits of speech analytics in detail.)

By incorporating advanced call management technology, the call center manager can streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences. These tools automate processes, increase call center agent productivity, and enable personalized and efficient customer interactions. All of this ultimately leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

3. Proper scheduling for effective management

Call centers can ensure optimal staffing levels to handle customer demand by accurately forecasting call volumes and scheduling agents accordingly.

Proper scheduling involves analyzing historical data, considering peak call times, and factoring in call center agent availability and skill sets. By aligning workforce management with call volume patterns, an effective call center manager can minimize wait times, reduce customer frustration, and improve overall service levels.

Additionally, real-time monitoring and schedule adjustments can help optimize call center agent productivity and address unforeseen fluctuations in call handling. Implementing proper scheduling as part of effective call center management ensures that call centers always meet service-level goals and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

4. Give targeted feedback

The call center manager should offer targeted and detailed feedback to help center agents improve performance and enhance customer interaction skills.

Targeted feedback as a center management strategy involves regularly monitoring contact center operations—call center employees’ calls, adherence to call scripts, customer handling skills, and resolution techniques.

The call center manager should provide personalized feedback that focuses on the strengths and improvement areas of a call center agent, enhancing employee engagement. This enables other call center employees to understand their performance metrics, identify areas where they can enhance their skills, and make necessary adjustments to deliver exceptional customer service.

Remember, the center supervisor or manager must foster a growth culture that encourages the employees to have a learner mindset. In addition, effective call center management also involves boosting agents’ morale, encouraging better working hours, and elevating the overall customer experience.

5. Make data-driven decisions

Call center management also includes leveraging data analytics and performance metrics to gain invaluable insights. These insights streamline operations and improve overall customer experiences.

Data-backed decision-making involves analyzing key (center) performance indicators such as average call handling time, customer satisfaction scores, and first-call resolution rates. These call center metrics provide a comprehensive view of call center operations, highlighting improvement areas and identifying trends or patterns.

Using data to drive decision-making, call center supervisors can make informed choices regarding agent training, process improvements, resource allocation, and technology investments. This approach enables them to address challenges proactively, increase efficiency, and deliver a superior level of service that aligns with customer expectations.

You May Also Read : Discover the 12 Best Call Center Software Solutions

Assess Call Center Management Using These Metrics

Managers must be acquainted with a few critical metrics to make data-driven decisions for the call center. Here are the four highly used key metrics to evaluate the performance of a call center.

1. First Call Resolution (FCR) rates

The First Call Resolution (FCR) rate is a key performance metric for evaluating call center management. It measures the percentage of customer inquiries or issues resolved during the first interaction without the need for subsequent follow-up. The average FCR rate is around 70%. Therefore, any call center with a lower rate needs to take a deeper dive to understand its loopholes.

A high FCR rate indicates effective call center management, demonstrating the ability to promptly and efficiently address customer needs. It signifies optimized processes, well-trained agents, and a focus on delivering quality customer service.

By monitoring and analyzing FCR rates, call center supervisors can identify areas for improvement, such as agent training, knowledge base enhancements, or process streamlining. They can then implement targeted strategies to increase FCR rates, resulting in improved customer satisfaction, reduced call volumes, and enhanced operational efficiency.

2. Average Handling Time (AHT)

Average Handling Time (AHT) is a vital metric for evaluating call center management effectiveness. It measures the average duration agents spend on each customer interaction, including talk time and any after-call work.

Monitoring AHT allows call center managers to gauge operational efficiency and agent productivity. A low AHT signifies streamlined processes, well-trained center employees, and effective call-handling techniques. The industry standard rate is 6 minutes and 10 seconds.

Managers identify opportunities for improvement by analyzing AHT trends and comparing them against targets, such as agent training or process optimization. Decreasing AHT helps you reduce customer wait times, increase call center capacity, and improve customer satisfaction.

Assessing call center management through AHT provides valuable insights into enhancing customer experiences, optimizing resource allocation, and driving overall operational excellence.

3. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

The Net promoter score is another valuable performance indicator call center managers use to gauge customer satisfaction levels. In simpler terms, NPS measures the willingness of the customer to recommend your company’s product and services to others.

But how can you get these scores?

Conducting post-call or customer feedback surveys allows call center managers to capture the NPS. A high NPS signifies satisfied customers likely to promote the brand, while a low NPS signals areas for improvement. A sustained NPS score of 50 is considered excellent for call centers.

The main aim of NPS is to gather actionable insights directly from the customers. It enables you to identify trends and implement their findings in call center management strategies to increase customer satisfaction levels. Focusing on the factors that contribute to a positive NPS, such as agent performance, problem resolution, and service quality can drive continuous improvement and foster customer loyalty.

4. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSat)

Lastly, the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a vital tool for evaluating the effectiveness of call center management in meeting customer expectations and delivering exceptional service. CSAT scores measure customers’ satisfaction levels during their interactions with the call center.

75% Customer Satisfaction Score means that 3 out of every 4 customers were satisfied and gave you a positive score instead of a negative or neutral one.

Like NPS surveys, managers also gather post-call surveys to get the CSAT score. This metric provides valuable insights into customer satisfaction levels, identifying areas of strength and improvement.

CSAT scores also help call center managers drill deeper into their management styles. How?

Well, unlike the NPS score, call center managers use CSAT scores to understand call center agents’ responsiveness, knowledge levels, and problem-solving skills. And continuously monitoring these helps managers refine their strategies to achieve better results.

Use of AI to Improve Call Center Efficiency

Currently, AI is the talk of the town and is already being adopted by multiple industries. Call center management is no different. Features like virtual agents, intelligent call routing, speech analytics, and predictive analytics are rapidly gaining traction in this industry. Let’s have a closer look at them.

1. Intelligent call routing

AI-powered call routing algorithms analyze customer information, such as past interactions and preferences, to direct calls to the most appropriate agent. This ensures faster resolution and reduces call transfers.

2. Virtual agents and chatbots

Virtual agents and chatbots handle routine customer inquiries, enabling human agents to focus on more complex issues. Chatbots use machine learning algorithms to easily identify common customer grievances and try to address them.

These automated systems provide instant responses, 24/7 availability, and consistent service, improving efficiency and reducing wait times. Only if a customer is dissatisfied, the chatbot connects them with a real agent.

3. Speech recognition

AI-powered speech recognition technology transcribes and analyzes customer conversations in real time. It enables you to identify keywords and assess agent performance. This data helps identify training needs, improve call quality, and enhance overall call center efficiency.

4. Predictive analytics

Using predictive analytics, organizations can analyze historical data to predict call volumes, peak hours, and customer behavior patterns. This enables call centers to proactively allocate resources, adjust staffing levels, and ensure optimal agent productivity, improving efficiency and reducing costs.

Don’t Miss To Read: Call Center Quality Management System: Everything You Need to Know

Future of Call Center Management

Technology is evolving rapidly, and so are call centers. Managers are constantly finding newer ways to address customer concerns and improve their experiences. Here are some features that organizations can expect to see in their call centers in the near future. And some that are already being applied.

1. Personalized customer interactions

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), call centers are heading towards delivering highly personalized customer interactions. For example, natural language processing and sentiment analysis enables call centers to better understand customer needs and provide tailored recommendations. Proactive issue resolution and personalized experiences are set to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Omnichannel integration

Call centers are embracing an omnichannel approach, seamlessly integrating voice, chat, email, social media, and other communication channels. This integration allows customers to have a consistent experience across multiple touchpoints. Agents, too, get access to a unified view of customer interactions, enabling them to provide efficient support regardless of the channel used.

3. Automation and self-service

Chatbots, virtual agents, and self-service options are becoming increasingly sophisticated in call center management. These technologies automate routine inquiries and transactions, reducing the workload on human agents. By automating repetitive tasks, call centers can provide faster response times and empower agents to focus on more complex customer issues, improving efficiency.

4. Advanced analytics and insights

Call centers are leveraging advanced call center analytics tools to gain deeper insights into customer behavior, agent performance, and operational metrics. Real-time dashboards and predictive analytics enable managers to make data-driven decisions. These insights help identify trends, anticipate customer needs, and continuously improve call center efficiency.

5. Remote workforce optimization

The rise of remote work has significantly impacted call center management. Cloud-based technologies, collaboration tools, and workforce management software facilitate remote agents’ coordination, training, and performance monitoring. Optimizing the remote workforce allows call centers to tap into a wider talent pool and adapt to changing work environments.

Top 5 Call Center Software Providers for Better Management

No matter how experienced a call center manager is, they cannot be omnipresent and monitor every aspect of the contact center. However, solid call center management software enables them to oversee the various operational and performance indicators of the call center from a single interface.

Thus, we have compiled a list of the top 5 call center management software to simplify your call center management.

1. CallHippo

CallHippo is a well-rounded call center management software that offers unmatched data analytics features. A call center supervisor can use it to closely monitor the performance of their contact center agents. CallHippo’s advanced call center features enable organizations to vastly improve their productivity and automate their workflows.

Features

• Real-time call tracking
• Interactive voice response
• Queue management
• Automatic call distribution

CallHippo Pros and Cons

CallHippo is simple to set up and smooth to transition.

The software provides quick notifications for all new upgrades.

It offers an all-inclusive, gamified dashboard, motivating center employees to be more active in their workspace.

The trial period is very limited.

CRM integration can be rocky.

Pricing

Basic– $0

Bronze– $16 per user/month

Silver– $24 per user/month

Platinum– $40 per user/month

2. Nextiva

Nextiva is another powerful call center software. Its true power lies in its simplicity. The user interface is highly intuitive and helps managers simplify their convoluted workflows. Managers can also access its easy-to-use tools to improve customer experience and productivity.

Features

• Automated greetings and announcements
• User role and access management
• Call waiting
• Intelligent call routing

Nextiva Pros and Cons

This center software is highly cost-effective compared to other contact center management software.

Nextiva’s customer support is known for minimal hold times.

Its workflows are easy to create and edit.

Adding or removing users to the account is complicated.

The dashboard lacks some essential features.

Pricing

Essential: $18.95 per user/month

Professional: $22.95 per user/month

Enterprise: $32.95 per user/month

3. Zendesk

Zendesk, a call center software, is all about enhancing call interaction to deliver exceptional customer experience. The all-inclusive, centralized portal and reporting aim to increase agent productivity to deliver nothing short of the best. Also, its self-sufficient ecosystem eliminates your need to rely on or manage any new vendors.

Features

• Automated chatbots
• Smart workflow editor
• Embedded call back within web widget
• Customized integration builder

Zendesk Pros and Cons

Zendesk is simple to set up and completely cloud-based.

Lower latency makes Zendesk one of the fastest platforms.

This call center management software is completely customizable for all businesses.

Zendesk's knowledge base lacks some crucial features.

Creating a view option is laggy.

Pricing

Suite Team: $49 per user/month

Suite Growth: $79 per user/month

Suite Professional: $99 per user/month

Suite Enterprise: $150 per user/month

4. RingCentral

RingCentral is one of the best call center software. Its dashboard is targeted to help managers improve the efficiency of their call center operations. The dashboard can be used to manage the call center without any challenges. Finally, the analytics features allow the organization to better understand customer behavior.

Features

• Call recording
• Smart call forwarding
• Call queueing
• Call analytics

RingCentral Pros and Cons

RingCentral is easy to use for both the center agent and manager.

Its communications line is highly secure.

It eases the process of feedback collection.

The application often crashes, making it difficult to offer a seamless experience.

No free trial is available for the software.

Pricing

Core: $20 per user/month

Advanced: $25 per user/month

Ultra: $35 per user/month

5. Five9

Five9 is one of the leading cloud call center management software. The main goal of Five9 is to increase customer engagement by offering excellent customer service. Professionals with a deep understanding of the call center management industry create the contact center software. This experience is reflected in their intuitive UI design.

Features

• Shared call inbox
• Custom filters
• Activity feed
• Advanced analytics

Five9 Pros and Cons

Five9 makes supervising agent’s performance incredibly easy.

The software is easy to learn via its elaborate documentation and classes.

It offers immense flexibility to users—customizable reports, for example.

It consumes a lot of internet data.

This software has limited call customizations.

Pricing

Digital– $149 per month

Core– $149 per month

Premium– $169 per month

Optimum– $199 per month

Ultimate– $229 per month

You May Also Like To Read : Fundamental Rules of Workforce Planning in Call Center

Wrapping Up

Efficient call center management directly translates into improved agent performance, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction, increased customer retention, and high customer loyalty.

However, you cannot achieve optimum management without polishing each of your call center operations. Call center management software does exactly that. It provides tools targeted to strengthen the positives and identify and improve friction points in call center operations. This massively boosts the productivity of your call center team without sacrificing any other resources.

Thus, a call center supervisor can rely on such software to craft successful strategies and drive overall business growth.

FAQs

1. What are the different types of management in the call centers?

Call center management is an umbrella term that covers various managerial branches.

Here are a few of them.

• Operations management
• Performance management
• Quality management
• Training and Development management
• Workforce management
• IT management
• Human Resources management
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

2. What are the 4 types of call centers?

The 4 major types of call centers are inbound call centers, outbound call centers, multichannel call centers, and omnichannel call centers.

3. What is the role of call center management in customer retention?

Effective contact center management ensures the quality of customer services stays consistently high. And excellent customer service is one of the leading propellers for increased customer retention rates.

4. How do you measure call center quality?

You can measure the quality of call center processes using performance metrics like average handle time, first-call resolution rate, customer satisfaction score, customer effort score, and net promoter score.

Supriya Bajaj

Supriya is a highly skilled content writer with over 8 years of experience in the SaaS domain. She believes in curating engaging, informative, and SEO-friendly content to simplify highly technical concepts. With an expansive portfolio of long-format blogs, newsletters, whitepapers, and case studies, Supriya is dedicated to staying in touch with emerging SaaS trends to produce relevant and reliable content.

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