For businesses that rely heavily on phone communications with customers and clients, periods of high call volumes can be extremely challenging to manage effectively. When more calls are coming in than staff can reasonably manage, long hold times increase, callers get frustrated and hang up, and potential sales or business can be lost. Having a plan to deal with call spikes is essential.
Call Monitoring and Forecasting
The first step is always having visibility into call traffic patterns and volumes. Implement call monitoring and forecasting software to analyze historical data, identify peak periods, and accurately forecast future call volumes. With this data, you can staff up appropriately before high volumes hit unexpectedly.
Call Routing and Queueing
Sophisticated cloud-based call routing and automatic queueing systems make a big difference during busy periods. Incoming calls can quickly be routed to the next available agent across multiple locations and queues. Estimated wait times can be provided. Callers can request a callback rather than waiting on hold indefinitely.
Self-Service Options
Not every caller needs to speak with a live agent, which helps reduce volumes. Provide robust interactive voice response (IVR) systems and online knowledge bases so customers can get basic questions answered through self-service. Enable automated appointment scheduling and payments over the phone as well.
Back Office Support
When your front-line agents are swamped with high call volumes, have a support team available to manage routine administrative tasks remotely from a back office as needed. They can tackle jobs like data entry, CRM updates, reporting and research so agents can focus solely on customers.
Leverage AI Assistants
Artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot technology are rapidly advancing to provide customer service support. Simple, routine inquiries and FAQs can be handled completely by AI assistants. More complex issues get escalated to human agents, but AI helps reduce overall call burdens.
Outsource Overflow
For spikes in call volumes that far exceed your in-house capacity, consider outsourcing overflow to a professional live answering service like Apello, on a temporary basis. These services have highly trained agents ready to provide seamless customer service as an extension of your team when you need them most.
Cross-Training
Make sure all your in-house agents and staff are cross trained on different types of calls and inquiries rather than siloing responsibilities. This provides more flexibility to reallocate personnel to the highest call volume areas as needs shift over time.
Remote aand Part-Time Agents
Besides your core team, hire part-time remote agents you can call in to help during peak call times on more of an on-demand basis. Taking this hybrid staffing approach maximizes ability to scale up quickly while minimizing idle time.
Simple Processes & Scripting
When calls are flooding in, your team cannot be bogged down with overly complex processes and procedures. Document simple, straightforward call scripts and processes with limited branches to keep things moving efficiently.
Analytics and Coaching
Leverage call monitoring analytics tools to gain insights into areas of improvement. Review call recordings to provide targeted coaching to agents on soft skills like empathy, rapport building, or problem resolution. Making your best performers even better will maximize call capacities.
Conclusion
Managing high call volumes is always a tough challenge, but it’s necessary for providing quality customer experience that drives satisfaction and sales. Having the right technology, processes and staffing resources in place is key to maintaining service levels even during demand spikes.
With careful forecasting, a strategic mix of in-house and outsourced staffing, self-service options, and the smart use of AI and automation, you can ensure calls get answered promptly no matter the volume. Consistently delivering excellent service during the busiest periods will boost your company’s reputation for reliability and responsiveness.
