1. Identify your goals

A reduction in response time alone isn't sufficient. An automated "We've received your email and are working on it" reply may drive that support tickets number down very quickly, but that is not the point. Instead, the goal should be to improve the overall customer experience. Focus on knowledge and accuracy instead of speed - did the customer receive the right answer, and were all their questions answered? How about empathy and helpfulness? Did the customer's feelings and needs get recognized?

2. Pay attention to your first response

If a customer contacts your support team, they will likely have never dealt with your team and may have bad experiences with other firms. Your first response time is more important than any subsequent response time. When you provide your customers with an initial helpful and efficient response, they are more likely to trust you and your product. Your answer will create a positive first impression that you can reinforce throughout the conversation. Because you were helpful and responsive early on, your customer will be more understanding later on when you take some time to get back to them.

3. Establish your quality standards

A purely speed-based evaluation of a team can lead to manipulating the system. Having your call accidentally disconnected or transferred to the wrong department may result from a narrow focus on speed. It is essential to match speed targets with a quality standard and consider the entire service interaction. You may want to create a checklist of what a good support answer should contain. Peer feedback is an excellent way to develop and maintain quality.

4. Address your points of delay

Analyze your closed conversations to discover when the first response was sent and the time received. During which period did they spend the most time? Find out what caused the delay and fix it.

Listed below are a few scenarios and suggestions for improvement:

1. A delay may be caused by another team that is slow to respond.
   • Together with the other team, develop a plan for delivering an excellent first response.
   • Consider putting in place a system for tracking open conversations. Check out our DSM Suite 2.0+ Omnichannel Support and Helpdesk.
2. A delay due to the need for specific expertise that isn't always available.
   • Provide your customer with a helpful "first response", explains why there may be a delay and asks for any additional information you may need.
3. A delay caused by the team avoiding picking up complex cases.
   • Develop troubleshooting skills as a team to build confidence in handling such cases.
   • When a complex issue is resolved, document it and share it with the team.
4. A delay is caused by individual reps who struggle to write it clearly and quickly.
   • Providing examples of high-quality answers, accompanied by explanations of why specific phrases and words were used, will help the team to work more efficiently.
   • Utilize a system that allows you to save all your "Canned Responses" so your team has their most frequently asked questions ready.

Final thoughts

Experience and speed should be balanced.

Spending time monitoring and tweaking your response times is well worth the effort. Your customer service representatives mustn't just focus on speed; they should also be taught how to represent your company well. Respond to customer needs in a timely manner while keeping the customer experience in mind – balance is the key.   

Grow better with Zooloo, we are happy to help you get started with digital transformation, please contact us at sales@zooloo.asia.

• Read about The Digital Transformation Journey
• Learn more about our “Digital Backbones”

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