{"id":8729,"date":"2021-10-09T15:57:52","date_gmt":"2021-10-09T11:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/?p=8729"},"modified":"2022-08-26T10:02:28","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T06:02:28","slug":"how-to-increase-customer-service-team-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/how-to-increase-customer-service-team-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Effective Hacks to Increase Customer Service Team Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Slack notifications, new emails, regular meetings, and even sunny weather behind the window – these are just a few of the daily distractions reducing productivity at work. Efficiency is key for every aspect of the business, but when it refers to a customer support team, every minute counts. People turn to the company to resolve their problems with a product or service, and support representatives are the ones who can help them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Productive customer service agents mean happier customers. This result is the most rewarding for every company and leads to other positive business outcomes, such as increasing sales, a positive brand reputation, and so on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to maximize your customer service team productivity? We should admit that it usually doesn\u2019t come easy. However, these ten actionable strategies can help you achieve the best performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Listen to your employees<\/span><\/h2>\n

It all starts with the team and healthy relationships in it. Such relationships are built on a strong foundation, which is respect. To increase productivity, create an atmosphere of mutual respect and consideration by listening to your team members\u2019 opinions and suggestions.<\/span><\/p>\n

They are literally on the front line and the first to know what the customers\u2019 concerns are. Your employees can provide unique insights into your customers\u2019 pain points and suggest ways to address them. Make it a company standard to hold regular meetings with your customer support team, even a <\/span>virtual<\/span><\/a> one, to share information.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make sure, however, that information is exchanged both ways. Listen to your team on the customer issues they are facing and the work organization improvements they suggest. In turn, communicate to them any changes and updates in the company\u2019s strategy and policies, so that they are empowered to resolve customers\u2019 issues properly.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Empathize with customers<\/span><\/h2>\n

Simply put, empathy means stepping into your customer\u2019s shoes and trying to understand how they feel and what they need with you. This is not as easy as it may seem. <\/span>71% of businesses<\/span><\/a> admit that they have a gap between what they offer to customers and what the customers really want.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To close that gap, establish a culture of empathy in your customer relations. That means every point of customer contact – from service and support to marketing and production. And in this context, a truly emphatic support team can make a huge difference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In their contacts with your brand, customers want to be listened to and understood. Such an attitude is especially important for customer support and <\/span>complaint handling<\/span><\/a>. If a customer was treated with empathy and understanding, they tend to be satisfied with the service, even if their issue was not resolved. Through empathy, the level of customer satisfaction with your support increases, thus increasing their productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Build a knowledge base<\/span><\/h2>\n

Knowledge management is a key factor in boosting the performance of not only customer support teams but entire organizations. Knowledge empowers and inspires confidence in any worker.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, while the majority of businesses recognize the importance of knowledge management, only a few of them – 9% according to <\/span>Deloitte\u2019s research<\/span><\/a> – are prepared to implement it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In the context of increasing the productivity of your customer service team, <\/span>knowledge management<\/span><\/a> cannot be overestimated. By providing a comprehensive and informative knowledge base to your agents, you are giving them a powerful tool to use in customer communications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, you can offer customers to use your knowledge base as a self-service resource, too. In this case, it should contain clear answers to FAQs and detailed how-tos to help customers resolve the most common issues. This way, the load on the support team reduces, and their productivity increases.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Explore your product or service<\/span><\/h2>\n

Your customer support agents should be the best experts on your product or service. They are the ones who explain its workings to customers and guide them about using it properly. The support team should have deep knowledge of the product and extensive practical experience of it, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

To achieve that goal, you can offer your team product training and update sessions where they can learn of the new features and get hands-on experience of it. Armed with that knowledge, they will be able to assist customers quicker and more efficiently, raising the first contact resolution rate and the overall team productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, you can provide the same knowledge to customers, too, making your product clearer for them. You can do it through a public knowledge base or an <\/span>ebook<\/span><\/a> that you offer on your website.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Communicate as clearly as possible<\/span><\/h2>\n

Internal communication between customer service agents should be easy, open, and clear. Communication promotes a productive and positive environment for the service team allowing them to exchange knowledge and assist each other in handling customer inquiries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think of the following cases when communication will definitely make the agents\u2019 work more productive:<\/span><\/p>\n