With an increasing number of calls, dropping calls has become one of the biggest problems in the call centre environment. In addition, due to various reasons, customers are inadvertently reaching out to more and more customer support.
The final decision on a product or service is increasingly dependent on consulting experts or support agents. Consequently, consumers are looking for such advice to find meaningful solutions.
Contemporary call centre phone solutions have improved the situation and made it more productive to handle the large number of daily calls that challenge the current state of the customer support system.
Abandoned calls indicate that call centre functionality cannot match customer support environment requirements. Customer waiting time is another factor affected by many variables, such as agent awareness and handling customer queries efficiently.
There are ways to help reduce the call drop rate at your call centre.
1 – Intelligent call delivery
When it comes to minimizing the call drop rate at your call centre, utilizing intelligent call delivery is paramount. This system is designed to reduce the chances of dropping calls by routing inbound calls to the agent best suited to handle the query. This not only improves call quality but also aids in decreasing the high call abandonment rate.
With the advent of the cloud, call centres use automatic call delivery as incoming call centre become busy and unavailable. Automatic call distribution (ACD) is a significant way to create a platform for customers to receive their calls on purpose and get the most out of them.
Helps manage incoming calls by choosing an order to deliver or root calls between agents quickly.
In addition, skill-based call routing is another feature that helps a lot in dealing with customer inquiries as customers get the most appropriate solution in the least amount of investment time.
Skill-based routing is a call assignment method used in many call centre to route incoming calls to the most suitable agent rather than selecting the next available agent.
Since the agent handles many calls, it is vital to root the call to the most appropriate agent who can offer a solution to reduce the chances of a call being abandoned.
2 – Using IVR as a self-assist tool
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an excellent self-help tool to guide customers in a meaningful way.
IVR can be a powerful self-assist tool to help decrease your call abandonment rate. By allowing customers to resolve their issues via a well-crafted IVR system, you can effectively manage your inbound calls without them reaching an agent, thereby reducing the call drop rate.
The IVR can provide step-by-step guidance to help address what causes dropped calls and providing solutions on how to stop dropped calls.
IVR allows computer systems to communicate with callers using DTMF tones, voice, and keyboard input. These systems respond with pre-recorded messages depending on the caller’s information.
The design of the IVR system makes it easy for service providers to use and intuitive. In addition, the straightforward menu helps customers effectively because they can find a solution independently. In any case, if the answer is not visible, the line of direct agents is always open.
With IVR, customers can quickly find solutions on their own, which builds customer satisfaction and trust.
3 – Give your customers the option to call back
The callback option is the best way to get your customers in touch with your business and profitably eliminate waiting.
Customers can receive a callback by dropping their number in the callback.
Implementing an auto callback system is a proactive approach to managing a high call abandonment rate. When call centres are overwhelmed with incoming calls, wait time can increase, leading to a higher risk of call drop.
Offering an auto callback option gives your customers the freedom to hang up and receive a call back when an agent becomes available. This not only reduces the pressure on your call centre but also helps bring down the call drop and call abandoned rate.
After the customer selects the callback option and shares their number in the call centre, the agent receives a notification to call back to the customer with the specified call number. This strategy enhances the customer experience as they do not have to place the call in the queue and will not charge the call.
4 – Change the frequency of messages in the queue
Playing a similar pre-recorded message can annoy customers while they wait. So instead of playing the same statement, you can toggle the message until you contact the proxy. Because with each repetition, customers are moving away from their activities.
The frequency of messages in the queue can play a significant role in the call drop rate. When customers are repeatedly faced with long wait times, they may abandon their calls, raising your call abandonment rate.
By adjusting the frequency and content of your on-hold messages, you can manage customer expectations and potentially reduce the rate of call drop. Informational messages about common issues, such as weak signals or unstable internet connection, can also help customers troubleshoot while they wait.
Also, most people prefer to listen to music while standing in the call queue.
5 – Use integrated CRM software
CRM (customer relationship management) helps monitor call volume patterns based on hours, days, weeks, and months. By analyzing this data, managers can hire call centre agents for peak hours so that queues do not apply and get out of control.
An integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can be a game changer when it comes to managing call drop rates. CRM software allows agents to have all the necessary customer information at their fingertips. This significantly reduces the amount of time spent per call, thus increasing the number of incoming calls an agent can handle.
In addition, a CRM integrated with an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system can effectively reduce the call drop rate by managing call flow, ensuring every call gets the attention it deserves.
6 – Increase resonance time
Increasing resonance time can be key to improving call quality and reducing the dropped call rate. Resonance time is the interval for which the call centres’ system tries to establish a connection before deciding the call is a drop call.
By increasing this duration, calls have a higher chance of connecting, even in areas with poor signal strength. This strategy can be particularly effective in regions where mobile phones are operating in airplane mode or are far from cell towers.
The “ring-ring” sound is more familiar to consumers. Moreover, it reduces the chances of disconnection because it has been psychologically proven that most people habitually listen to rings rather than automated messages.
If you start a call with an automated message, it may annoy the caller. So instead of triggering an automatic transmission at the beginning of the call, create a few rings first. This small change will help reduce your call centre abandonment rate.
Leave every chance of dropping calls
The number of calls increases rapidly, making calls a more challenging environment. However, you can bridge the widening gap between the customer and the call centre by utilizing the resources efficiently and choosing the methods mentioned above to handle the volume of calls.
Whom to contact to reduce the call drop rate?
Intratel provides the best solution to reduce the call drop rate effectively. We utilize our innovation and capabilities to deliver reliable and affordable telephone solutions to your business. Also, we focus on quality. So contact us today and reduce your call drop rate.