How Call-Back Systems Can Increase Customer Satisfaction Scores (CSAT)

Guest Post by Joanna Jones of MHI Global

With customer service trends changing at lightning speed it is sometimes easy to miss the straight forward task of delivering excellent customer experiences. Take for instance call-back systems. It doesn't matter how much money is invested in infrastructure and training agents if your customers are abandoning their calls out of frustration because of long wait times.

There can be any number of reasons that customer hold times increase throughout the day. Perhaps it is the holidays and call volume is at an all-time high, maybe a number of contact center agents are out sick, or it could simply be the typical peaks and valleys of your center's call volume. The bottom line is the customer doesn't care what the reasons are behind long wait times, they simply want a resolution.

One of the surest ways to minimize customer frustration and to increase customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) is to implement a call-back system in your contact center.

In a study conducted by Corvisa and uSamp it was found that 32% of customers will hang up after more than five minutes on hold. If your customers are routinely waiting longer than five minutes then a call back system is a wise investment.

Call-back systems give customers the opportunity to receive a call back from the next available agent without losing their place in a call queue. This service helps reduce customer abandon rates and customer frustration. A study conducted by Forrester for Virtual Hold found that companies with call-back systems improved the level of service for customers without having to hire additional agents. Additionally, the costs associated with toll charges dropped as did the number of abandoned calls. Employee satisfaction increased as a result of dealing with less frustrated and hostile customers.

When evaluating whether implementing a call-back system is right for your organization, keep in mind that some of the associated costs can be offset by using fewer staff and creating more satisfied customers, which tends to drive costs down. With enough studies confirming customer satisfaction associated with call-back systems and the added benefit of happier employees, now might be an ideal time to consider this service.

Joanna Jones is a professional copywriter and marketing strategist who has partnered with MHI Global for five years. As a marketing professional, Joanna works closely with customer service teams and helps companies improve their B2B and B2C communications and strategy. joanna@jonesandquinn.com