Inbound Calls

Seven Tips for Handling Inbound Calls

Did you know that for 71% of consumers, a speedy response from a service team can drastically improve their customer experience? Additionally, around 76% of customers still prefer to contact customer service over the phone. Needless to say, phone support is far from dead.

In this blog, we will understand everything you need to know about handling inbound calls and how to select a robust inbound call management solution that can cater to your personalized needs at scale.

Let’s get going.

What Is Inbound Call Handling?

Basically, inbound call handling services refers to the process of answering incoming calls from customers who need assistance or have questions about a product/service.

Every customer-focused business today strives to offer quality customer service by being prepared, professional, and attentive to the caller’s needs. This is why they invest a lot of time and effort in training inbound call handlers to be friendly, empathetic, and knowledgeable about the company’s products or services.

Organizations today are also laser-focused on equipping the team with the right tools and resources to empower them to handle customer inquiries or complaints efficiently.

How to Handle Inbound Calls? 7 Useful Tips

“How to answer inbound calls” is one of the most asked questions among teams (and rightly so). The call center is ground zero for a high-pressure environment. There are too many moving parts that agents need to monitor. In this stressful scenario, answering inbound calls can get tiring and overwhelming.

However, handling inbound calls effectively lays the foundation for a robust customer service strategy. Here are seven useful tips to help you handle inbound calls effectively:

  1. Answer promptly and professionally: It is essential that your team always answer the phone promptly and in a professional manner. Plus, make sure your agents greet the caller politely and identify themselves as well as the company.
  2. Listen actively: Engaging in active listening is key to understanding the caller’s needs and concerns. So, you’ll want your agents to pay attention to the caller’s tone of voice and be empathetic toward their situation at all times.
  3. Use positive language: Using positive language can help calm the caller down and reassure them that their issue will be resolved. So, instead of using negative language or sounding defensive, ensure that the team is greeting the customer with greater patience and positivity.
  4. Provide clear and concise information: Providing the caller with clear and concise information is the best way to help them understand the situation and, more importantly, communicate the next steps available to them.
  5. Take ownership of the issue: This strategy works wonders in gaining the caller’s trust. Your agents should hone their skills on demonstrating a genuine willingness to help the caller. If necessary, they should escalate the issue to a supervisor or another department to ensure a speedy and efficient resolution.
  6. Follow up promptly: A strategy that most organizations don’t focus on is following up with the caller–a big mistake. It is critical to follow up with the caller in a timely manner, either by phone or email, to ensure that their issue has been resolved satisfactorily. This makes the customer feel heard, special, and appreciated by the brand.
  7. End the call on a positive note: As a thumb rule, always end the call on a positive note by thanking the caller for their time (and business) and offering additional assistance if needed.

Remember that the end goal of every inbound call is to ultimately improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. By embracing these seven tips, you can set up a winning customer support team.

How to Select the Right Inbound Call Management Solution

As a manager, selecting the right inbound call management solution is critical to ensuring efficient and effective handling of incoming customer calls. Follow these strategies to select the right inbound call management solution:

  • Identify your business needs: First and foremost, start by identifying your business needs and objectives. Think about the following questions:
    • What specific functionalities are you looking for in an inbound call management solution?
    • Are you looking for call routing, call recording, IVR, or reporting features?

Understanding your business needs will aid in narrowing down your options and selecting a solution that meets your specific requirements.

  • Research different solutions: This strategy entails conducting thorough research on the various inbound call management solutions available in the market. Ideally, make sure to look for solutions that are proven to be effective and have positive customer reviews. You must take note of the pricing, features, and compatibility with your existing systems and zero in on two to three worthy options.
  • Consider your budget: The cost of the inbound call management solution plays a vital role in getting stakeholder buy-in. So, determine your budget and look for inbound call management solutions that fit within your budget. Keep in mind that the most expensive solution is not always the best, and you may find a more cost-effective solution that meets your needs.
  • Evaluate the user experience: Other must-have features for your inbound call management solution include user-friendliness and its ability to offer easy navigation. Speak to your team about their requirements and consider the level of training and support they will need to use the system effectively.
  • Test the solution: Before finalizing your decision, test the solution with a pilot program to evaluate its performance. This will allow you to see how well the solution works in practice and whether it meets your business needs.

In Conclusion

To wrap up, remember that a business’s customer service quality ultimately depends on its ability to handle inbound calls effectively.

Here’s a quick round-up of the seven tips we discussed in the blog to improve your ability to handle inbound calls and provide a positive experience for your customers:

  1. Answer calls promptly and professionally
  2. Listen actively and empathize with the caller
  3. Speak clearly and use positive language
  4. Take ownership of the issue at-hand
  5. Resolve issues or escalate them to the appropriate person or department
  6. End the call on a positive note, always
  7. Follow up with the caller as necessary

Creating a lasting positive impression on your customers starts with effective inbound call handling. From building a rapport to positively impacting the bottom line, efficient inbound call handling is key.

Inbound Call Management - FAQs

What is inbound call management?

Inbound call management is basically the process of handling incoming calls in a call center (or any customer service environment, for that matter).

The team helps manage the flow of calls, ensuring that they are answered promptly and routed to the appropriate agent/department.

What are the key features of inbound call management?

Key features of inbound call management include:

  • call routing
  • queuing
  • IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
  • call recording
  • call monitoring
  • reporting
What is queuing in inbound call management?

Queuing is the process of placing incoming calls in a waiting line until an agent becomes available to handle the call.

Queuing is an extremely useful strategy to manage high call volumes and ensures that customers do not get a busy signal or disconnect before speaking to an agent.

What is an IVR system in inbound call management?

An IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system is an automated telephone system that:

  • interacts with callers
  • collects information
  • routes call to the correct agent or department
  • automates simple tasks and frees up agents to handle more complex inquiries
How to handle inbound sales calls?

The key to handling inbound sales calls is to be friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive to the caller’s needs and concerns.

With practice and patience, you can become a skilled sales representative who can convert inquiries into sales and satisfied customers.

Why is call recording important in inbound call management?

Call recording is important in inbound call management because of the following reasons:

  • allows organizations to monitor the quality of customer service and identify areas for improvement
  • can be used for training purposes to provide agents with feedback and coaching on how to handle calls more effectively

Taran, as the Support Manager at JustCall, spearheads efforts to enhance customer satisfaction by strategically collaborating with client-facing teams. He upholds rigorous standards, ensuring JustCall's support services consistently excel. Passionate about superior customer experiences, Taran champions a company-wide dedication to a customer-first mindset.

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