When the phone rings, what do you do? If it is your job at work, you pick up the phone to answer it. If it is your personal cell phone, you analyze the number and decide whether or not you want to answer it. These are of course the main two responses people will have to this question. When a business or a person is calling your personal line, it is interesting how people process their thoughts about what they want to do with that call. For people who work in, let us say a call center, their job is to answer the phone and deliver a great quality presentation to the person who is on the other line. With that said, how do you know they are giving the customer a great presentation?

It is very important for companies, especially those companies that conduct business over the phone to have some sort of quality check system in place. If they do not, they have no idea what their reps are saying on the phone and that could directly affect how their business is doing. If their phones are not being answered to the best of the ability of the representative, then the business could be missing out on potential revenue opportunities. How a person receives and manages a phone call is very important to the overall success of the company. If this is the case, why aren’t more companies doing quality checks on how the phone is answered?

The answer to that question is simply these companies do not see the potential problems or profits that could be made if the phone performance is or is not stellar. Depending on the business, the phone call and the rep that answers that call could be their only way of making income. If the company is based on sales and the customer calling in to make purchases, then a lot of time should be devoted to ensuring those reps are doing a great job. Every phone call matters and could be a potential money making opportunity. If the rep is not doing what is asked of them, what happens at that point is up to the company. The company cannot a lot of phone calls taken that are not stellar calls. Customers want to be helped and served.

All check and balance systems are different. As long as the company is listening to a fair number of calls either live or recorded, then all can be well. The key is to listen to the sales process and make necessary notes on how that particular call could be better. If the rep did not get the sale, what could they have done better? Typically there is a head trainer or coach that is in charge of the call check system. They will alert the manager if they hear anything out of the norm and will train the rep to perform better.  If the call center has a high volume of calls, then there would need to be a team of trainers or coaches to check the quality of the phone calls. Every bad phone call that is allowed to happen is one less sale you are making. How many sales are you willing to miss?

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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The problem with this is right now most locations are very limited on availability, especially with auto storage. So when trying to determine their needs, I try to ask a lot of questions to determine their needs. So my advice with people calling for someone else ask what all are they storing, when and how long, what is the most convenient location for them and what do they want to spend. This will help the Travis AFB storage manager very much so that they can give you the most correct info for that person. There is not thing worse than getting the wrong information to the customer and they are not able to get the space or service they have been looking for.

If a person is having a friend or family member all the different Travis Air Force Base storage facilities, they must trust them. If the person needing storage does not trust the person that is calling around for them, why would they tell them what they need? That does not make sense. As Travis Air Force Base storage managers you can assume that the person that is calling around has the power to make an informed decision for the person they are calling for. The manager will offer the best service to them and will answer all the questions asked, why not ask for the sale? No matter what a manager at a self storage facility should ask for the sale.

The customers who are calling around for others will sometimes know all there is to know about the person or not that much at all. If you are the one calling around in California for a Travis Air Force Base storage facility, be aware the manager is going to ask you a lot of questions. They want to get you in to the best solution, so you should be appreciative of that. Some people get upset when a manager is doing their job. A person gets frustrated because they do not know the answer to the question the manger is asking. The manager does not just want to give out a bunch of sizes and prices if it does not pertain to what the customer needs. Managers can get frustrated as well because of this process.

Is life so busy that you have to have someone make phone calls for you? Will it be in your best interest to take the time to call around for yourself and find the solutions that you need? The answer to these questions is a most definite yes.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Recently a Prescott Storage facility manager had a call from a really nice man that was helping out his parents. They are moving to the area but have not found a place yet to live. He said they are staying with him but he does not have enough room for all there things as well as the belongings that he possesses. He told the manager that his parents keep everything and there is no way that he had enough room in his place for that. The manager chuckled and told the nice customer that their parents were the same way. In fact they had to build an addition to the house because of it. His parents were storing a lot of things in their garage that they do not want to get rid of and want to bring along with them. Because of this, the customer felt needed at least a garage size unit if not more and that he would like it easy access for them so that if they need anything they can get to it.

The Prescott Storage manager thought that was great and had no problem finding something that they needed. They offered the customer a couple of options and recommended a drive up space so that you can just drive right up to the door. The other part of the equation to assist the customer was that they had great access hours. The manager told them that once you complete your paper work you will have twenty four hour access so that if they need something at any time they can get it. The customer was very pleased with that because his parents kept telling him that they need all there things where they can get to them. That would make them very happy.

The customer felt good about what he was doing. He was helping out his parents the way that they would without a doubt help him.  He said he felt like he was back home and a kid again with his parents moving in. He wanted his parents to feel comfortable and would do what he needed to do for them. The customer was very happy with his decision to reserve a space and rent from his local Prescott Storage facility. They were able to listen to his concerns and help him out with what his needs were.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Oakland storage managers have to deal with people on the phone as well as when they walk in. They have the extraordinary role of ensuring that the customer is taken care of while before they decide to rent and also while renting. They have to get people in to their stores and into an Oakland storage unit. When the customer is ready to rent or to buy they have to pay attention. Most people do not hear the buying signs they need in order to make a purchase.  That is why it is important to try to deal with the caller delicately so you can build rapport with them.  Once you have built rapport, you can give them the buying signs they are looking for.  That way, at the end of the call, they make the choice to buy from you, and you made their day better.

Sometimes a customer will make it extremely easy for the Oakland storage manager to get the sale. They will tell the manager that they need the space right now or sometime today. They will tell the manager that the location is the most important thing to them, following up with how convenient their location is to where they live. The manager just has to be able to catch the lob the customer is throwing to them. They have a lot on their plate as previously mentioned but they have to be aware as well. In California many people are looking for the best deal and the best value. For many others they have specific needs and they want their local Oakland storage facility to satisfy them.

When listening for buying signs you have to pay attention. Most managers feel they have to multitask in order to get things done, but they will end up missing the signs from the customer. As stated before the customer will sometimes make it painfully obvious that they want to rent there, they just want to be asked to so. Managers have to ask for the sale when they hear buying signs. There is nothing left to discuss. They can tie up the loose ends at the end of the call or when the customer comes down in order to rent. There is no reason for the Oakland storage manager to miss out on this customer because they want to hear their selves talk. Be smart, listen, and ensure that you have the interests of the customer in mind when you are helping them with storage.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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It is not always easy to convince a person that they need to reserve a space in order to ensure it will be available. They believe that their space will always be available and they do not have to hurry down to see the space. They believe that no matter what the space they need will be theirs when they come down. This cannot be further from the truth. In this day and age people are finding out that their space is not quite there whenever they need it. Then they want to be upset at everyone because of it.

There is an art to getting the customer to reserve a space. In its basic form you just have to remember that you are trying to help them out. For this reason, you should not be scared that they will tell you no. They need this. When trying to get a person to reserve a unit, it is good to always speak slowly.  There was an instance in which the Miami storage manager talked to a woman who had a lot of trouble understanding what was going on.  While they talked at a decent pace, they soon found people were not catching what was being said.  This particular woman made the manager repeat himself several times. That could be very agitating.

The good thing is that the Miami storage manager was able to keep their cool and help the customer. The customer did not hear it in the voice of the manager that they were agitated. After getting past their own frustration the manager of the facility was able to go ahead and rent the space from the facility. Naturally the manager would go over all the information with the customer again before they signed everything. The manager needs to be able to accommodate the customer when they have questions or if they do not understand something that is being said.

If the customer in Florida decides to grace your facility or grace your phone lines with their presence, then you need to make sure that you are ready to assist them. No matter if you are not in your best mood to help the customer, it should not show in your voice or in your face. The customer will be able to read your face and hear your words when you are helping them. Be sure to leave whatever frustrations you have at the door and put your best foot forward. Reserving a space for a customer is the best thing that you can do for them in their time of need. The customer needs to know that they have one less thing crossed off their list when moving day is quickly approaching.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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When someone calls into the call center and they have an attitude, it makes it hard to be nice to them. However, in the call center, being nice is not an option.  No matter how the other voice on the phone sounds, you must portray the company you are answering for in a positive manner.  When you are new to the call center world, sometimes you get off easy and you do not have to encounter anyone of the sort. You can go for quite a while and not deal with someone with that kind of nature. That of course will not last. You will eventually have to deal with someone that does not quite understand what being nice really is.

A representative took a call from a very rude old man.  The customer even started to yell at because he felt the price was too high.  The rep tried to explain to the customer that we are not the ones who set the prices. The older gentleman then he demanded to speak with my manager. Unfortunately in the call center world, the reps are not always at the facility the customer is calling for. Many times they are not in the same state or even same country. For that reason I could not just hand over the phone to my manager for them tell the customer the prices will be? The customer was told the Key West storage manager would have to call them back when they had the chance.  Naturally the customer did not think that was a great idea. After that remark the phone call somehow ended. The rep did not know if that was the cause of the phones having some issues or the customer being angry. That customer might not rent with that particular Key West storage facility because of the answers they were given. That is a sad thing is that is the case.

Since that call the representative realized the best way to deal with a customer like the one mentioned. He always made it a point to kill them with kindness, which usually brings people out of a bad mood.  However, there are some people you just cannot change the mood of. Sometimes the customer will not know how to get out of their mood either. The best thing that all can do at this point, is do what is necessary to get the customer to come down to the Key West storage facility and the manager can take care of them from there. The call center representative is there in order to answer the phone when the manager at the facility is not able to. They are supposed to get the customer into the facility.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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Here are 8 proven tips to successfully implement quality monitoring in a customer support call center. Although all these tips have been acquired from true success stories of different call centers, this list is by no means the entire list – it is more of a great starting point to running a good call center.

1. Be very clear about the reasons behind adopting a call recording system for quality monitoring – Get a clear outline of how this change would benefit the agents, customers and the company in the long run. It is a good thing to clarify all details about a new concept and its applications before actually introducing it.
2. Introduce various concepts of quality monitoring after the employees have received sufficient training about the process – If the employees are expected to participate in the quality improvement process, they must be made aware of the defined goals and methodologies. Once employees understand that quality checking would enhance customer service and performance metrics, they can play a vital role in the process of call center quality assurance . Let the staff know that they are a significant part of the quality program and that its results will benefit every employee in the company.
3. Practice rather than preaching about the company customer service targets – Quality improvement must first begin within the staff. Treat every co-worker with the same courtesy shown towards a customer and the workplace will soon transform into a positive environment. After all, it is easier to retain skilled personnel than trying to get new ones. If the employees are happy, the positive feelings will be reflected in their dealings with customers.
4. Encourage teamwork in programs for call center QA  – The most successful companies in the world always feature strong teams working towards a common goal rather than groups of individuals with different approaches to an issue. To instill team spirit, organize team recognition rewards and highlight outstanding examples of team work through internal mails and newsletters.
5. Ensure that the communications and IT teams are aware of their responsibilities and roles in quality improvement program – If the IT experts are not informed about a new plan, there can be unforeseen issues.
6. Educate the call center staff on the specific quality enhancement goals – Goals for call center quality assurance like increasing up sell or new sales must be relayed effectively to the staff members. Better still ask the staff for new ideas on improving quality. Make it clear that to increase profit it is important to empower the customer support techniques within the call center.
7. Let the call center agents be a part of defining self-evaluation criteria – Once the performance metrics have been defined, ask the employees to take up self-evaluation tests. More and more companies now consider self-evaluation as one of the most powerful building blocks to quality improvement.
8. Learn from others – Understand some of the call center QA ideas of another call center that has been engaged in quality monitoring for quite some time and has witnessed considerable improvements. This is a good opportunity to exchange tips, findings and stats and help each other in dealing with common issues that often arise in the call center.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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1. For smooth running of the call center quality assurance module, someone should be responsible for monitoring the calls. He will look into each and every detail of this quality checking program.

2. Each and every employee should be monitored, as because a large sample data will provide accurate result. This will also provide you the information to monitor a group as a whole and simultaneously an individual.

3. A qualitative program should be developed for the employee, to organize their total work time between the computer work and desk work. To evaluate an employee, there should be a monitoring system for his desk work, as well.

4. The employees should have specific objective for his performance. The company should set up the standard of objectives for perfect balance, perfect speed and perfect accuracy. The call center quality assurance  module must be consistent and must be conducted again and again. All employees should be evaluated in same manner and they will be given marks in a same scale of measurement.

5. The quality check program and employee training program will both run hand in hand. This will help the employees to correct their faults or improve their performance. Time to time the managers should sit with the employees for maintaining the transparency of the system. Any confusion on both the sides can be clarified at this moment of interaction.

6. While implementing the call center quality assurance module, do not leave any scope of confusion among the employees. If the employees do not give support for conducting the program, it will be very difficult to implement. The employees should understand clearly about the intention of such program. Without their willingness to join such program, the total effort might turn to a total failure.

7. Make sure that the employees do not underestimate the purpose of this program. The purpose of quality monitoring is not to find out which employee is working and who is not. It is just a way to betterment of the business, the employees and the customers.

8. Using call center quality assurance modules, if you find some of the employees are performing their best, then some type of acknowledgement is a must for them. This will be conducted on a monthly basis. Either there should be reward for the best performers or you could throw a party to encourage the employees for better performance. This will enhance the performance of the employees by focusing them on quality.

9. You can use your employees to review the total system of quality checking. As they are inside the functionality, they will have better understanding of the system. Thus, they can develop a list of items for improving the monitoring system and the evaluation criteria review.

These processes can apply to any business from storage companies to diamond cutting to retail and restaurants and more.

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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