Every brand knows that delivering the best service is vital to earning customer loyalty. For this reason, many are sure to measure their QoS, or Quality of Service.
What is QoS or Quality of Service? This refers to the level of service quality offered to customers who interact with the company’s contact center. The QoS can be evaluated using quantitative data, such as the number of calls a contact center or agent handles per day or average handling time per call, or qualitative data, including the percentage of calls picked up in less than ten seconds. A high QoS is directly related to greater customer satisfaction and sales. An American Express study found that 90% of customers are willing to spend more on a brand that offers great customer service. And the satisfaction does not stop there: A Forrester study also found that 77% of customers have recommended a brand after a great customer experience. Companies should also keep in mind that improving QoS is essential to keeping current customers happy. A Harvard Business Review study found that the chances of selling to a current customer are 60 to 70%, whereas there is only a 5 to 20% chance of selling to a new customer. Having a high QoS is key to growing your business. So how do you achieve this? Consider these essential steps.
Evaluate the needs and expectations of your customers for stronger QoS
Your company must first understand what your customers want in order to give them the best quality service. This means taking a close look at both their needs and expectations and anticipating problems before they arise so as to offer proactive service. Using search tools to identify key words that customers use can help you note the most common trends they follow and concerns they have. Studying customer feedback and reviews on surveys and social media channels can also help you understand their expectations. Be sure to keep customers updated on any changes that may affect their service. Let them know proactively if there are any product or service changes, such as product recalls or reduced service hours.
Segment your customer base
Identify the different kinds of customers that support your business. This helps you offer tailor-made service and relevant upselling and cross-selling opportunities. Create detailed customer personas that take into account customer needs, preferences, and behaviors.
Use analytical and monitoring tools
Analytical and monitoring tools are ideal for quantifying aspects of the customer journey. For example, establishing and measuring KPIs such as average handling time, first call resolution, and customer satisfaction scores can help you understand if customers are getting quick and efficient resolutions to their problems. Also be sure to send regular customer surveys to collect important feedback.
Identify pain points in existing processes
Carry out a deep analysis of internal processes to identify customer pain points along the customer journey. For example, you may discover that agents are taking too long to find information, or perhaps sales and customer service teams are not communicating effectively. A Deloitte study found that 62% of companies believe that internal process optimization is a key step to improving QoS.
Optimize complaint management
Implement a clear and easy-to-follow process for handling customer complaints. Handle concerns quickly and efficiently to reduce negative impact such as bad reviews online or customer churn. Customers must feel heard and respected.
Simplify and automate processes when possible
Use tools and customer relationship management software to streamline operations when you can. Automating repetitive tasks to save time and reduce errors helps improve QoS.
Improve internal communication.
Encourage your teams to better communicate with one another. Implement efficient communication channels to foster better coordination between different departments, such as sales and customer service.
Identify the skills and knowledge needed for great QoS
Determine which skills are needed to offer great QoS, such as strong interpersonal skills or effective time management. Then identify any potential skill gaps within your team. Don’t forget to analyze top performers to train less experienced agents in best practices.
Implement a training program adapted to the specific needs of each team and agent
It is essential to develop a training program that addresses the skill gaps of your team and individual agents. Use a mix of internal training, external training, and online resources to offer complete training.
Encourage ongoing training
Be sure to encourage agents to continue their training on an ongoing basis. Give them incentives to work on themselves, such as promotions for achieving certain results. In addition, provide them with regular opportunities for professional development. A Qualtrics study found that companies that provide ongoing training enjoy a 20% improvement in QoS.
Implement a CRM system
Use a CRM to follow interactions with customers, manage requests, and centralize all customer data. Connect your CRM with your contact center solution, such as the Vocalcom Hermes360, for a unified view of all customer channels.
Monitor performance with analytics
With the help of tools such as Hermes Interactions Analytics, you can analyze conversations between agents and customers such as tone of voice, sentiments, silences, semantic, script respect, key words spoken. These monitoring tools can help you evaluate KPIs and measure QoS. This can help your company learn how to improve the customer experience and ultimately improve QoS.
Integrate communication channels to offer a seamless experience
An omnichannel solution enables you to be there for your customers on the right channel, at the right time, and with the right message. Use an integrated contact center solution to manage calls, emails, and chats from a single interface. This helps ensure efficient synchronization among channels to offer a seamless customer experience.
Use adapted communication tools
Tools such as chatbots, direct chat, social media, email, and SMS can help you respond quickly to customer requests and offer QoS. Many of these channels, such as social media and chatbots, can be used to offer 24/7 support for simple customer requests.
Collect and analyze customer feedback
Send out regular customer feedback surveys. These surveys should be designed to obtain specific comments related to QoS. For example, you can ask about satisfaction with a specific product, whether the customer had a timely response, and if the customer would recommend the brand to others. Consider using quick online surveys to make it easier for customers.
Analyze data and keep learning for continuous improvement
When looking at customer feedback, identify the main issues that need to be addressed. Use their feedback to adjust processes and practices for stronger QoS.
According to a Glance Networks study, 78% of customers believe that a high QoS is key to building customer trust and loyalty. For this reason, QoS should be a serious focal point for every company. By improving your Quality of Service consistently, you can keep your current customers happy while acquiring new ones in the process.
