{"id":12394,"date":"2020-10-07T10:00:42","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T09:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=12394"},"modified":"2023-01-16T17:31:41","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T17:31:41","slug":"setting-up-a-call-centre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/setting-up-a-call-centre\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting up a Call Centre: The Definitive Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wondering <\/span>how to start a call centre<\/b>? No idea where to begin? You\u2019re in the right place.<\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019ve been around since the 1960s, but call centres continue to play an integral role in building exceptional customer experience<\/a>. Picking up the phone is still a trusted way for consumers to resolve issues and get answers to questions. That’s why call volumes remain high.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s age of digital transformation, call centres need to keep up with consumer trends to maintain high levels of customer service. With the rise of cloud-based software solutions, the remote workforce, and artificial intelligence, the customer service landscape is dynamic, exciting, and lucrative.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this definitive guide, we\u2019re going to give you the full lowdown on setting up a call centre. From outlining your goals, to hiring a team <\/span>and delivering your call centre training, through to <\/span>choosing the ideal <\/span>call centre software<\/span><\/a>;<\/span> we\u2019ll leave no stone unturned. <\/span>We\u2019ll even cover off how to handle <\/span>automatic call distribution (ACD)<\/span><\/a> and best plan your call centre cost structure. <\/span>So grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and let\u2019s get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Call Centre?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

Call centre, contact centre, customer service hub, customer support centre. Whatever you want to call it, <\/span>a call centre<\/b> refers to a dedicated office of company representatives set up to handle high volumes of phone calls to or from customers or potential customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Call centres can be organised to serve several business purposes, whether virtual or physical. These can include inbound and outbound calls for sales and marketing, lead generation, customer service, IT support, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Try to think back to the last time you reached out to a customer support team for help. Did you make a phone call? Did you send an email? Or perhaps you sent a message on social media and had a friendly conversation with a chatbot?<\/span><\/p>\n

Nowadays, most customer support agents and advisors communicate with customers via a range of communication channels, not just through incoming calls. Most businesses allow customers to reach out through email, social media, webchat, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For this reason, the term \u201c<\/span>contact centre<\/b>\u201d has become more commonplace than \u201ccall centre\u201d in today\u2019s digital landscape. However, phone-based customer support remains one of the most popular support channels, <\/span>making call centre agent training more important than ever for providing an excellent service<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, a study by Usabilla found that <\/span>55%<\/span><\/a> of customers prefer speaking to a human agent on the phone over other contact channels. What\u2019s more, <\/span>40%<\/span><\/a> of customers prefer talking to a real person over the phone when it comes to more complicated interactions like payment disputes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Setting<\/p>\n

Why Are Call Centres Important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Did you know that <\/span>96%<\/span><\/a> of customers agree customer service plays a leading role in their choice of (and loyalty to) brands? Perhaps you\u2019re even part of that 96%! With this in mind, it\u2019s easy to see why call centres play an integral role in boosting customer satisfaction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Often call centres to provide a customer\u2019s first \u2014 and sometimes only \u2014 human interaction with a company. Call centre interactions can build a company\u2019s brand image, solve issues, and even result in a healthier bottom line. What\u2019s more, the data that call centres to gather from customer calls<\/a> are becoming more and more valuable. These call centre metrics provide consumer insights that allow businesses to make data-driven improvements. <\/span><\/p>\n

Bad call centre interactions, on the other hand,\u00a0 can cause <\/span>serious damage<\/b> to a company’s brand image. An estimated <\/span>$41 billion<\/span><\/a> is lost by U.S. companies each year following a bad customer experience. In today\u2019s digital age, it\u2019s essential that businesses can meet customer expectations where they are. That means delivering consistent, effective, and personalised customer service at all times.<\/span><\/p>\n\t

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\r\n\t\t\tcloud contact centre technology<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t

Improve customer and employee experience together<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t

RingCentral's cloud contact centre can help you improve first contact resolution and make your customers happier.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\tFind out how<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\n

What are <\/b>the key features of a good call centre<\/b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Setting up a call centre is a big project, and it involves a lot of time, resources, and patience. However, if you\u2019re ready to put in the hard yards and you know good customer service when you see it, then setting up a call centre can be an<\/span> accessible goal.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll give you a nudge (or two) in the right direction. We\u2019ll explain the <\/span>fundamental building blocks of a call centre<\/b>, and the steps involved in setting one up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll be able to use this guide as a checklist to make sure you don\u2019t miss out on any of the essentials. There’s more to it than merely answering a high number of calls, after all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Setting<\/p>\n

[Image by <\/span>Wokandapix<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>Pixabay<\/span><\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Establish the Purpose of Your Call Centre.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

BBefore you tackle the what, where, who, and how questions, you need to understand why <\/b>you\u2019re setting up a call centre. Establishing a purpose<\/b> is the first step in setting up a call centre, and will help you define everything from your call centre cost structure to your training program. Once you\u2019ve got your goals in mind, you\u2019ll be able to plan accordingly and use your objectives to measure results.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, why do you need a call centre?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Are you running a small business or start-up and want to streamline order processing and payment? Or are you a key member of a large business aiming to increase customer satisfaction rates?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve defined your business needs and pinpointed the focus points of your call centre (cold calling<\/a>, customer support, lead generation, etc.), you can determine some <\/span>key performance indicators (KPIs)<\/b> to <\/span>track your call centre performance metrics<\/span>. KPIs are quantitative measures of your call centre\u2019s efficiency and quality of service. They\u2019ll help you to make data-driven decisions to boost revenue and improve your customer satisfaction rates. <\/span><\/p>\n

2. Using Call Centre Metrics to Outline KPIs.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What are good metrics to measure in a call centre? <\/span>Let\u2019s take a look at some critical call centre <\/span>metrics<\/span><\/a> that you should follow<\/span>, which will help you set the right KPIs. <\/span><\/p>\n