Contact Center Solutions Featured Article

As more traditional call centers have moved from service to sales oriented operations, management focus has shifted from primarily customer service to also driving sales. To gain a better understanding of the challenges that call centers face in such an environment, Best Practices, LLC conducted a Global Benchmarking Council (GBC) Meeting that included a roundtable discussion on making sales happen in the call center.

 

While we previously reviewed critical areas of service to sales that were identified by this panel, it is also important to understand the process from the customer service representative’s (CSR) perspective as well as how to properly manage change in the call center.

 

Many representatives in the call center that has moved from a service-to-sales environment are not sales professionals and are therefore learning how to conduct the duties of their new positions in completely different ways.

 

To ease this transformation, experienced CSRs suggest that the individual ask permission of the customer before beginning the conversation to put everyone at ease; the agent should take the time to ask the important questions to determine the customers needs; learn what the customer has to gain from purchasing the product or service; and find out why the customer said “no.”

 

These experienced CSRs also have advice for the call center manager who is managing this change. First, the manager must be able to convince the agent of the product or service so that they can win the customer. Second, it is important to recognize that incentive plans never satisfy 100 percent of the population and alternative methods of motivation should be considered. Finally, supervisors have to reinforce the new objective of the company and let the agent know that “they are either on the bus, or they are not.”

 

In order to promote complete success in the service-to-sales call center, representatives must understand that they are representing the company. When an issue or problem arises with a customer, they want someone to apologize and then relay how they are going to fix the problem. Every CSR has a certain level of empowerment and when they speak the customer’s language, it will reach further in the effort to retain that customer.

 

When CSRs are provided the necessary tools to perform their jobs effectively, they will be more equipped to plant the seeds or features of a product or service that the customer will likely have an interest in purchasing, thus driving sales revenues for the organization.

 

Making the transition from a service-to-sales call center can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding when it is handled properly. When call center managers pay close attention to what their CSRs need in order to be successful in their new positions, they also promote success for the call center overall.

 

 

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.