Telephone systems are the primary point of contact for many businesses. They also offer insights that can improve customer satisfaction, retention and business performance.
Zendesk’s CX Trends 2023 Report found that 59% of consumers believe businesses should use the data they collect to personalise customer service. And seventy seven percent of business leaders recognise that deeper personalisation increases customer retention, the report notes.
John Woollam, CEO of Euphoria Telecom, comments: “Call recordings, call duration monitoring, call frequency metrics and other data points provide insight into customers’ preferences, needs and pain points.”
Customers that call all the time
A McKinsey report based on a survey of a large American-based energy producer found about 20% of the calls it receives are repeats. The report estimates that eliminating these would save about $40-million a year.
Customers who took part in the survey cited a few reasons for repeat calls. One reason was that the business didn’t have — or they were reluctant to use — online contact platforms. The report found part-time agents were more likely to have higher repeat call rates. It also found that the more time a supervisor spent with an agent, the lower their repeat call rate was.
Part-time agents with less training proved ineffective at resolving calls the first time around. This indicates a potential skills gap, which affects the customer experience.
Customers that never call you
Customers who rarely or never reach out to the business either need little help or have disengaged or moved to a competitor.
Says Woollam, “Take proactive measures – like courtesy calls or strategic marketing activity – to engage them, understand their needs and prevent customer churn.”
The data goldmine
Every call produces a wealth of valuable customer service data that often goes untapped. Organisations can uncover trends, identify areas for improvement and make more customer-centric decisions by analysing this data.
Says Woollam: “Identifying trends and patterns in customer behaviour – like commonly asked questions or recurring issues – allows the company to address customer concerns, streamline processes and develop targeted solutions.
“For instance, if a particular product or service generates frequent enquiries or complaints, you can take steps to improve it or provide extra support and guidance to customers.
“You can go deeper than that, too. By monitoring customers’ tone, language and emotions, you can gauge customer satisfaction in real-time and address issues.”
Business telephone systems also facilitate effective customer segmentation. “By analysing call data and other customer information, businesses can categorise customers based on their preferences, buying behaviour or demographics. You can then target these segments with customised offers, promotions, and communication strategies.”
He concludes: “Data provided by business telephone systems empowers businesses to offer personalised customer service experiences. By understanding customer preferences, resolving issues and tailoring their offerings, businesses can cultivate strong customer relationships, foster loyalty and drive business growth.”