Keeping Your Customers:

1
Keeping Your Customers

• Lessons to be learned from Call Centers
• Carol V. Trostle
• The Chamber, NW Business Council
• July 24, 2001

2
Whats the Plan?

• Customer Satisfaction
• Customer Loyalty
• Call Center 101- Big Business or Not?
• What Do They Know About Customers?
• What Do Customers Know About Them?
• Top 20 Call Center Tips
• Questions

3
Customer Satisfaction Vs. Loyalty

• Customer loyalty means company survival.
• Long term commitment means success
• New customers cost
• Lower defection rates increase bottom- line
  profit.
• - 5 rate 85 Bain Co (Boston, Mass)

4
Loyal Customers

• Unique behaviors
• Purchase on a regular basis
• Purchase a cross section of items
• Refer others
• Resist competitors
• Have more value - lower maintenance

5
Call Center 101Big Business or Not?

• Call Centers
• Provide Customers easy access to our business
• Exceed customer expectations quickly,
  conveniently cost- effectively.
• Opportunity to link sales with service
• Collect customer feedback and market information.
• Differentiate business from competitor.
• Helps build customer retention and loyalty
• Serve as a profit center

6
What Do they Know About Customers?

• How often they call
• Why they call
• How long they wait and talk
• How many terminated calls
• What they value
• First call resolution
• Needs for additional products
• Satisfied or not
• Cost per call

7
What Do They Know AboutStaff?

• Dependability
• Product knowledge
• Training requirements
• Trend experts
• Process improvement
• Productivity
• Not volume but time management

8
What Do Customers Expect?

• One number to call or on line customer service
• Fast efficient service
• Quality assurance
• Respect and courtesy
• Consistent answers
• Formal training
• Technology features
• Additional products and services

9
Call Center Tips

1. Check your phone listing competitors
2. Check your competitors hours of operation
3. Count your calls
4. Log reasons and prevent them
5. Calculate cost per call Salaries, phone,
   workspace, equipment
6. Identify technology features
7. Mystery Shop
8. Tape and listen

10
Tips continued

• 9. Consider auto attendant
• 10. Web site? Research on line service
• 11. Sales opportunities
• 12. Impact on customers, does everyone
  understand?
• 13. Record calls for management
• 14. Recognition program for customer service team
• 15. Customer service champion as a leader

11
Tips continued

• 16. Monitoring for key factors, knowledge,
  professional image, efficiency, customer
  satisfaction.
• 17. Host monthly customer improvement
  brainstorming sessions. Invite others.
• 18. Customer outreach program, call with a
  reason.
• 19. Alternatives to technology purchase
• 20. Industry Resources www.ptmasa.com

12
Summary

• Customer Loyalty vs. Satisfaction
• Call Center 101
• Know your customers and what they value
• Top 20 Tips ..Homework
• Questions?
• Thanks!