Choosing a phone system isn’t like shopping for jeans. If a phone system is awkwardly tight around your calves, you can’t just return it with the tag still on. You may be stuck wearing that ill-fitting phone system until your contract runs out. This is why your service level agreement is important. It’s an official […]
The future of customer service is certain. Brands will continue to shift away from labor-intensive measures and toward more self-help resources. But if the typical interactive voice response (IVR) system is any indicator, a full transition is still on a long way away. According to one study, 90% of customers who call a company want […]
I’m always asking questions at work (occasionally aloud, frequently in my head), but I’d say Aircall’s 2018 Customer Support Strategy Survey has been the most productive outlet for my curiosity yet. “What do customer support teams see standing in the way of their success?” “Where will they invest their time, money, and attention?” “How do they […]
Building out a customer support department is like settling an uninhabited island. At first, you and your fellow pioneers must use every resource available to its maximum potential. This plant is good to eat, but it can also be used to make rope This blanket doubles as sun protection during the daytime This product manager […]
High customer service attrition rates can sink an otherwise promising business, but this stubborn problem is solvable. Even if repetitive tasks, infrequent breaks, and irrational customers are unavoidable job hazards, understanding why this line of work often leads to burnout is the first step toward creating a sustainable team environment. Fighting Back Boredom Contrary to […]
Today’s customer wants to be treated like the monarch of a small European nation. In the age of multichannel communications, these noble customers are coming at your support staff from the left, right, chat, email, social media, and (of course) telephone. This herculean task is even harder when all these channels act like perfect strangers […]
If you’re managing a customer support team, then you’re as much a coach as you are a supervisor. You make sure your representatives are in the right positions, but most importantly, that everyone is motivated to do their best work. Good coaches make their players better, but great coaches go the extra mile and continue […]
Do you have abandonment issues? Wait. Sorry. I should probably specify what I’m asking here. Do customers abandon your phone support lines more frequently than you’d like? Okay. Good. Now that we all know we’re in the right place, let’s talk solutions. Because unlike some metrics, call abandonment rate is one number managers can influence […]
A customer who chooses to call your support team has already told you one thing before ever opening their mouth. They want a rapid resolution to whatever is on their mind. If a fast and final answer wasn’t their priority, they might be content sending an email, starting a chat, or studying your self-service portal […]
Despite the growing prevalence of alternative channels such as live chat or social media, the phone channel remains a staple. When customers need support, they want it to be easy, quick, and efficient regardless of the channel. Support teams must offer a seamless experience across channels and meet customers exactly where they are. Customers themselves […]
Prologue It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, and it was 2:24 PM when the two customer support calls were placed. They made their way through office phone systems, through two headsets and fell on two sets of ears. Two agents picked up, gave their names, and listened to two […]
We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Kustomer, whose intelligent support CRM now integrates flawlessly with Aircall’s phone system. Kustomer aims to transform the way businesses serve their customers by providing a CRM which streamlines support operations and increases support teams’ productivity. Their software centralizes customer interactions over multiple channels, and empowers support representatives to […]
Nowadays, an ever-growing list of companies and professionals opt to work remotely. The number of remote workers has been steadily rising since the 90’s. This increase is easily explained: a majority of telecommuters report heightened productivity and reduced stress, and their employers notice a lower employee turnover and savings in operating costs. You may be […]
Sales is an incontrovertibly competitive field. So naturally, the competitive people who make up that field are always looking to improve their performance, from first contact to close. This article will detail how the combination of empowered salespeople and effective processes (such as click-to-dial) can light a fire under a sales department’s productivity. Boosting sales […]
A traditional phone installation can be rather fragmented: SIP phones for hardware, disparate software for contacts, call logs, support tickets, task assignment, etc. A collaborative phone solution is a phone setup which unifies communication (both internal and external) across your whole team and your various business tools. How does a collaborative phone solution work? Computer […]
We’ve looked at how to successfully scale your customer support team before. But before you can scale your team from one to five, or ten, or a whole busload, you need to start building it. What about your very first scaling operation, the one from zero to one? This article will explain how to recruit […]
There are many factors which will determine the success or failure of an outbound call effort. Most of these factors can be tipped in your favor with the right planning and preparedness. Approaching an outbound campaign requires a sound outbound calls strategy. Detail your outbound calls strategy Your outbound call strategy needs to be defined […]
When your operation is in its infancy, it’s easy to dispense personal, dedicated, effective customer support. However, as your business grows (and if you offer excellent customer service, chances are, it will), so will your support team. You’ll have to scale customer support, and this is where things get complicated. When your reach is limited, […]
The phone system for modern business
