Call Handling: Taking Control

The most popular question I am asked is how to get CSRs to improve their call handling, specifically call control. Listed below are some ideas on how to quickly improve call control:

• Have CSRs take immediate control of the interaction by making a strong "take ownership" statement - "I am glad you called today, I definitely will be able to take care of this for you."
  
• Next, have the CSRs immediately ask permission to ask questions to get more information (remember, the person asking the questions is the person in control of the interaction) - "So that I can get this resolved for you as quickly as possible, would it be okay if I asked you some questions?"
  

If the customer calls and is clearly upset, coach the CSRs to take control by acknowledging the customer's concern by letting the customer know that they've heard the issue and understand the impact the issue had on the customer - "I can't imagine how frightening it must have been to have your car stall in the middle of a busy intersection." And then have the CSR go right into a strong and confident "Take Ownership" statement. Hint:  Just saying, "I'm sorry about that" is not enough.

Hold CSR calibration sessions in which they listen to each other's recorded calls in small groups.  These should be no longer than 1 hour twice a month per group.

If you implement these 4 things in your contact center, you should see a decrease in handle time and escalated calls within a month.  Of course, you still need to coach on a regular basis, both immediate (4x/wk/rep) and deferred.