As consumers and businesses, we are producing and sharing more data than ever before, from personal details to information such as when and how we interact with each other.
For businesses, collecting this data is so simple it can accumulate automatically without any concerted effort on the part of the company itself.
How that information is used by the organisation is more complex however, and requires a strategic vision and plan that, if implemented effectively, can significantly improve operational efficiencies.
When it comes to our business telephone systems, we can now find out precisely how our customers interact with us and how we respond to them.
You’ll often have been told your conversation with a call centre or customer service line is being recorded for training purposes.
Such recordings are commonplace and provide an important function for the business by revealing, for example, where some employees may require additional coaching or how customers respond when engaging with staff.
Analysing the number of calls received meanwhile can help to identify any spikes in activity, either high or low, and determine whether these are recurring.
This information can enable managers to amend staffing levels, ensuring adequate call handlers are available during peak times and fewer when they are not needed.
The result is that clients or potential customers are less likely to experience long call waiting times and therefore enjoy a positive service experience.
Call spikes may unearth deeper issues other than staff timetabling however so it is worth not just analysing the time period of the peak but considering the nature of the calls as well.
For example, queries spiking at a certain time of the month or the year may also be found to relate to complaints around delivery times, revealing a potential issue with the company’s chosen courier partner and meaning a change may be necessary.
Similarly, analysing call information at a team level enables businesses to see just how effectively these are being managed and inform where improvements need to be made or indeed, when rewards are appropriate.
The exercise might also reveal certain teams are struggling, allowing managers to see when and where they should redirect queries to other departments through call routing, thereby avoiding extra costs on staffing and creating a shorter waiting time for customers.
Understanding the data at the fingertips of the business can provide a comprehensive overview of how the company actually works and, crucially, how it can operate even better and boost the bottom line.
For information or guidance on how telephone system data can improve your business, contact a member of the Clarity Telecom team on 0800 912 1000 or visit www.claritytele.com/voice-over-internet-protocol-voip/