Call Handling: Benefits & Best Practices to Improve Customer Service

Call handling refers to managing incoming and outgoing phone calls in a business from start to end. It involves greeting callers/receivers, directing them to the right person, managing queues, providing assistance, and ensuring calls are logged for follow-up, all while keeping the process smooth and efficient.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that each user’s interaction is smooth, professional, and efficient, with clear communication that creates positive customer experiences and enhances business operations.

Inbound call handling is the process of managing incoming calls in a business. The calls could be from existing consumers, potential clients, business partners, or others. It involves answering the inbound calls promptly, directing the caller to the appropriate department or person, and addressing their needs.
 

Inbound Call Handling Procedure

1. Receiving the Call: The agent or an auto attendant system answers the call.
2. Engaging with the Caller: The agent listens to the caller's issue and provides the necessary information, or the call is directed to an appropriate department.
3. Issue Resolution: The agent resolves the problem or provides an answer to the query. If needed, the call is transferred to a specialist or supervisor.
4. Follow-up: If additional action is required, the agent schedules a follow-up, such as sending an email or arranging a callback.

Outbound call handling means the process of managing outgoing calls from your business to customers, business associates, or other stakeholders. Outbound calls are typically made for sales, marketing, and lead generation. Handling such calls involves providing necessary information, offering services, or following up on previous interactions.

Outbound Call Handling Procedure

1. Dialing: The agent initiates the call manually or uses an automatic dialing system to contact a customer.
2. Engaging the Customer: The agents introduce themselves and the purpose of the call.
3. Delivering the Message: The agent provides the required information, presents offers, or gathers feedback as needed.
4. Handling Responses: The agent addresses any questions, objections, or concerns that the customer may raise.
5. Follow-up: The agent schedules further actions, such as sending additional information, making a follow-up call, or processing the next steps.

Here is a table representing the significant differences between inbound and outbound call handling.

Call handling best practices involve staying organized, creating a positive first impression, active listening, effectively addressing the caller’s needs, handling objections calmly, and offering solutions.

1. Create a Positive First Impression: Begin the conversation politely and maintain a friendly, yet professional tone to make a lasting, positive impression.
2. Greet and Introduce Yourself: Always greet properly and clearly state your name and department at the start of the call.
3. Speak Clearly: Always use a calm, steady voice and avoid any complex words, slang, or jargon that could confuse the caller.
4. Active Listening and Empathy: Listen attentively to what the caller says without interruption and express genuine concern for the caller by showing empathy.
5. Be Prepared: Always be prepared to provide the necessary information. If a detail is not available, avoid saying, “I don’t know.” Instead, say, “Let me check,” gather the information, and deliver.
6. Handle Objections Calmly: If the client raises objections or queries, respond calmly and professionally.
7. Identify Clients’ Needs: Listen carefully to what the user is saying or asking for, and ask follow-up questions to ensure you understand their problem or request.
8. Deliver Precise and Reliable Information: Provide simple, clear, and accurate answers to the caller’s questions.
9. Utilize Call Management Software: Leverage call management software with features like IVR and ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) to efficiently route and transfer calls, improving response times.
10. Respect Time: Be mindful of the call's duration. Avoid dragging the conversation unnecessarily.
11. Courtesy: Always thank the consumer for receiving your call or reaching out to you, and end the call on a positive note.
12. Use Script If Needed: For the representative queries, prepare a script for efficiency and ensure you cover all key points.
13. Evaluate Performance: Track key performance indicators, such as a call’s average call handle time and CSAT score, to identify areas for improvement.

Effective call handling boosts customer satisfaction, saves costs, and improves business efficiency. Furthermore, it enhances loyalty, strengthens brand reputation, and drives higher ROI while minimizing call abandonment rates.

Call handling benefits both the consumer and the business. For instance, quickly resolving a customer's issue reduces the need for follow-up calls, saving them time and money. Similarly, for outbound calls, addressing the customer's needs efficiently minimizes the time spent per call, ultimately saving the business operational costs.

Answering calls quickly, politely, and clearly makes customers feel valued and boosts satisfaction. And, resolving issues promptly shows respect for their time and improves their experience. This leads to stronger loyalty and higher retention.

A positive customer experience builds a strong and positive brand image. When customers feel valued and satisfied, they’re also likely to recommend your services to others. It not only strengthens your brand’s reputation but also attracts new customers.

Proper call handling leads to a higher ROI by improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Efficient calls reduce time spent per interaction, allowing businesses to handle more customers with fewer resources. Similarly, satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend the brand to others. It ultimately boosts the business's return on investment.

Call management enables agents to handle more calls efficiently, reducing wait times. This quick response helps prevent abandoned calls, keeps customers engaged, and ensures smoother operations. As a result, businesses can improve customer satisfaction and reduce call abandonment rates.

The must-have call handling skills include the ability to adjust to various situations, managing time well, staying professional during conversations, being patient under pressure, and multitasking to assist callers.

• Adaptability: Each call is unique, so you should be able to adjust your approach according to the caller's personality, the situation, or the type of request.
• Time Management: Effectively managing call time ensures that customers do not have to wait while also handling a high volume of calls.
• Professionalism: Agents must be able to remain polite, calm, and courteous, even in challenging situations.
• Patience: Being patient allows agents to handle frustrated or upset customers calmly, ensuring they feel heard and understood.
• Multitasking: Multitasking is key for handling calls while using various tools, like databases or CRM systems, to provide the right information quickly to the caller.

Business call handling directly impacts the quality of your customer service. Alongside your agent’s skills and expertise, your telephony system plays an equally important role in ensuring efficient call handling.

Calilio cloud business phone system optimizes both inbound and outbound calls. For inbound calls, features like IVR (Interactive Voice Response) and call routing ensure that every caller is quickly connected to the right department or agent. For outbound calls, auto-dialers help agents efficiently manage their outreach efforts, reducing wait times and improving connection rates.

Additionally, Calilio offers call sentiment analysis and call transcription features to help agents understand customer emotions and review past interactions. As such, you get the actionable insights to improve call handling.

The average call handle time for a call center is around 6 minutes. However, it is significantly impacted by factors such as the complexity of the product or service and the nature of the customer's issue.

FCR or First Call Resolution refers to a company's ability to resolve a customer's issue or inquiry on the first call, without requiring follow-up interactions. It is a crucial metric in customer service, as it reflects both efficiency and customer satisfaction.

The five golden rules of call handling are to answer the call promptly, listen attentively, speak clearly, address any issues, and follow up.

The seven Ps of call handling are Preparation, Presentation, Politeness, Patience, Personability, Professionalism, and Positiveness.

Calls Handled refers to calls where the agent provides a solution or answer to the customer's problem, aiming to resolve their issue and satisfy them. In contrast, Calls Answered simply means the call is picked up, without necessarily addressing the customer's issue.

The 3-second rule in telephone etiquette states that calls should be answered within 3 seconds to avoid making the caller feel ignored and to create a positive first impression.