By rethinking how your organization approaches customer support, you can transform your call center into a loyalty center that reduces churn and boosts Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV).
Here are four tips for turning your call center into a loyalty center:
1. Prioritize the Experience
Customer support agents are trained to solve problems as efficiently as possible so they can handle the next call in the queue. However, an efficiency-first mindset can create two problems. First, the agent might only partially resolve the issue, and second, they will rush through the call at the expense of the Customer Experience (CX).
The latter can be particularly detrimental to customer loyalty. According to our data, one-third of customers will consider switching companies after one instance of bad service.
Download Part II of Northridge's State of Customer Experience 2023 Research Report for more CX insights!
Furthermore, 60% of customers will contemplate changing companies after two to three poor service experiences. Therefore, your agents must prioritize a good customer experience while efficiently handling calls.
2. Solve the Problem
To nurture customer loyalty, you must turn your team into expert problem solvers. This means more than simply resolving the issue that prompted the call to your service center.
Instead, your agents should take the time to explore the entire scope of a customer’s concern. Is the situation they are calling about the root problem or merely a symptom of a more significant issue?
By helping a customer understand the challenge they are facing, support staff can completely resolve their concerns, reducing the need for the customer to make follow-up calls.
In fact, we recently helped one of the world’s largest travel and financial services organizations improve the Customer Experience and increase loyalty through the identification of business process efficiencies, and agent behavioral and performance improvements.
Further, through recurring agent assessments and systemic business process improvements we were able to ensure both their revenue and customer service objectives met.
3. Fight for the Business
Earning a customer’s business is a huge win for your company. Having made that sale doesn’t mean you can take your foot off the gas. Instead, your call center team must continuously demonstrate that your brand values the customer. By doing so, you can foster feelings of loyalty and maximize the CLTV of every customer.
There are several ways to deliver ongoing value. One approach involves going above and beyond to fix mistakes. For instance, if a customer’s account is incorrectly charged or overbilled, don’t just refund the money. You can empower your agents to offer them a small discount on next month’s service fees as an apology for the inconvenience.
4. Reward Loyal Customers
When customers exhibit behavior that benefits your brand, such as making recurring purchases, reward them. Creating a customer loyalty program can do wonders for client retention rates.
For example, consider developing a referral program that provides a cash incentive to customers to recommend your services to friends or family. This simple tactic strengthens bonds with existing customers and encourages them to be great advocates for your brand.
Loyalty Centers: The Key to Business Growth
Reimagining your service center’s business model will help you reduce churn and increase retention rates, setting the stage for organizational growth. That said, this is a continuous process that requires your ongoing commitment.
As you implement your new strategies, track your progress using modern analytics solutions. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like average customer lifetime value, churn rate, and customer satisfaction.
Analyzing KPIs will help you determine which strategies impact the Customer Experience and which tactics need to be refined. By leveraging the right data points, you can create a loyalty center that propels your business toward its growth goals.
