An efficient helpline is a crucial component of any contact centre – but how do you make customer service seamless?
Whether you are juggling budgets as you grow your CX team or want to invest in the latest digital solutions, we are here to support you through every helpline hurdle.
1. Identify your helpline’s goals
Your helpline needs a clearly communicated focus to help customers understand its purpose. This ensures your team are equipped with relevant knowledge and resources – and that people get the information they need.
You can do this by aligning your helpline with your organisational strategy. Think about the service you want to provide and make sure this is clearly explained on your website and in any collateral.
The mental health support provided by Mind and the Samaritans are great examples. Mind is very clear that it’s an information and signposting service, whilst the Samaritans is for people who need urgent support.
2. Size up your resources
The secret to success is to start small, instead of trying to do everything at once. Focus on what your initial priorities are, then grow from there.
Think about the kind of support that works best for your organisation. Whilst omnichannel helplines provide various forms of contact for customers, you want to make sure you have enough resources to manage each channel effectively.
Similarly, 24/7 support can be beneficial for customers, but only if you have enough staff to pick up the phone.
3. Analyse your data
Using the right data systems can give you useful insights into all aspects of your helpline. Discover trends in call length, time spent on hold and the volume of calls received at different times of the week.
It’s also a great way to incorporate feedback surveys for customers – and access crucial qualitative data.
These insights will inform efficiencies and help you understand how you can better achieve targets.
4. Invest in the latest phone technology
Ensuring seamless technology solutions is a simple way to improve your customer experience. Customer relationship management (CRM) software can be integrated with your phone technology, providing analytical insights on all aspects of your helpline.
And with advancements in AI becoming essential to the customer experience, you can use technology to understand what customers want and match them to the right advisor. This frees up time and resources for your agents to spend elsewhere.
5. Streamline through self-service
Many calls that come through helplines often concern simple queries that don’t require the specialist knowledge of your trained team.
Instead, these questions can be answered by self-service, such as an information library on your website or AI-powered chatbots. Think about the most common questions your team respond to and whether you can provide this information before your customer picks up the phone.
This gives your staff more time to focus on the more complex calls that come through, as well as those that need a more human touch.
6. Choose between blended and dedicated helplines
There are two main models to consider if you want to outsource your helpline.
The first is blended or bureau helplines, where a large team of advisors handle multiple helplines on behalf of different clients. They provide a cost-effective solution for small call volumes or helplines with routine queries.
Alternatively are dedicated helplines, which are run by a team that work solely on your account. This is ideal for high call volumes, omnichannel services or where more involved support is required.
7. Consider using volunteers
Maybe you need more staff to handle high call volumes, but don’t have the budget to take on new hires. That’s where volunteers can help.
Many prominent helplines are run or assisted by volunteers, including Age UK’s Silver Line Helpline and Cruse’s Bereavement Support. It’s a great way to improve your helpline’s capacity, whilst providing individuals with skills and experience that can go on their CV.
8. Listen to your advisors
Your helpline advisors are the public face of your organisation. They are the ones who hear from your customers directly – and get an insight into the common themes, concerns and issues that are raised.
Include your advisors in your marketing strategy – and factor their experiences and knowledge into your decisions.
You should also keep your team informed about any relevant updates, such as any new service offerings, ongoing campaigns or technology changes, so they can anticipate changes in the calls they might receive.
9. Market your helpline to new users
Meeting the needs of existing users is a crucial part of a helpline – but you also need to attract new customers, especially if you have a low call volume.
Work with your marketing team to identify growth opportunities. Could you target a different demographic or provide an additional service? Look at current customers trends to inform your growth strategy.
10. Help the helpers
A role as a helpline advisor can be demanding – especially if you provide counselling or sensitive advice for individuals. And that can take its toll on your staff.
Prioritise workplace wellbeing by promoting an open culture on mental health, providing relevant training to ensure your team feel equipped to answer calls and making sure everyone feels supported, particularly after more challenging conversations.
You should also ensure your staff have realistic deadlines and targets. Maintain that human touch at all times, just like your advisors do with your customers.
11. Outsource your services
Sometimes your growth goals don’t align with your budget – or maybe your call volume and staffing capacity are mismatched. That’s where outsourcing your CX can make a difference.
We are here to respond to out-of-hour calls, manage peak demand or provide bespoke technological solutions that help your team manage busy periods.
Get in touch to find out how we can transform your customer experience.
