Professional call centers use a support playbook to ensure that they deliver the best possible service. In this article, we discuss what this entails and how to compile this valuable resource for your team.
Create an Overview
Start by defining the mission statement and goals for your support team. Identify the most important components for the guide to contain. Doing this gives you a clear vision of the components that matter for your team.
Create a Company Overview
The next step is to create an organogram of your company structure. Also, list its:
- History
- Products or Services
- Mission
- Values
- Service Philosophy
Doing this allows you to clearly define the role each team member plays in the process.
Team Structure
Now focus on your call center services and support teams, creating a detailed list of key members, roles, and responsibilities. Also include their contact details.
Communication Channels
List all the communication channels that you offer your clients. For example, phone, email, chat, and social media. List the expected response times and availability for each platform.
Customer Service Policies
Next, create a list of your company’s service policies and standards. Carefully define each policy in terms of refunds, returns, warranties, and any other relevant topics. Clarify each section and make sure there’s no ambiguity.
Product/Service Knowledge
Create a comprehensive guide for your products or services. You can draw on your knowledge base if necessary. Include FAQs, product/service manuals, and troubleshooting guides.
Common Customer Inquiries
What are the questions your customers ask most often? Having a list of these and creating a set of step-by-step instructions for handling them makes it easier for your team to deal with matters on the fly.
Having a templated answer speeds up response times and can also come in handy when it comes to developing a service chatbot.
Tone and Language
Customer service operations should always be friendly and upbeat. However, there may be additional guidelines you want to provide. Give examples of professional greetings, common phrases your consultants may need to use, and positive and negative language choices.
The tone of the conversation depends as much on the words your consultants choose as the way they speak. For example, saying, “I can’t help you.” comes across as very negative to the client.
A better way to phrase the statement is to focus on what your consultant can do. So, your consultant will say, “I can do ABC.” The customer still gets the message that the company won’t resolve the issue in the way that they thought, but they’ll feel you’re exploring solutions rather than throwing up roadblocks.
Handling Difficult Situations
Being in a call center means being adept at dealing with many types of customers. Define potentially difficult situations and explain how best to handle them. Provide several tips for conflict resolution and de-escalation. You may, for example, suggest that consultants lower their tone when dealing with an irate client.
Also, account for difficult situations that you might need to identify as being such. For example, a very chatty customer who’s holding up the lines.
Encourage Empathy and Active Listening
Much of the time, the customer will feel better if they know you understand them. Your consultants must understand how important active listening is and also try to put themselves in the client’s situation.
You can, for example, provide some statements like “I can understand you feel frustrated. I would too because …”
Technical Tools and Resources
What software tools and resources will your team use? Write instructions on using these effectively.
Performance Metrics
What are the performance metrics that matter most to your company? Will you focus on response time, resolution time, customer satisfaction, or other metrics? Explain how you’ll monitor these metrics and why they’re important. Finally, define basic expectations in terms of each.
Training and Development
When you take on new consultants, how will you onboard and train them? What additional skills development opportunities will you offer?
Escalation Procedures
How will you deal with issues that the team can’t deal with themselves? You need to make it clear how to escalate complex queries and which departments to send them to.
Legal and Compliance Considerations
List your company’s compliance regulations and explain the consequences of ignoring these. Include mandated by you and by regulatory bodies.
Other Information
You may also wish to attach any appendices that are necessary. However, we recommend keeping the guide as simple as possible.
Conclusion
Professional teams use a playbook because it streamlines operations and improves customer service. However, this document evolves over time, so you must ask for feedback from your clients and team to tweak your guide.
