Customer service managers are constantly under pressure to improve performance and the customer experience. With contact center data, they get better insight into enhancing operations. A key performance indicator for many is time-to-resolution. In this article, you’ll learn why it is vital to decrease resolution time and how to do it.
The importance of time-to-resolution
In customer service, Time to Resolution (TTR) measures the average time between when a customer interaction is created and when that interaction is resolved. Other definitions of the customer service metric are Mean Time to Resolution or Time to Resolve, and they all represent the same thing. Essentially, how long it takes for you to resolve your customer’s issue to their satisfaction.
Time-to-resolution is a common KPI for many businesses, as solving issues your customers are experiencing as fast and smoothly is, of course, desirable. Decreasing TTR comes with several benefits, like:
- Faster resolution time is a key to better customer satisfaction and increased internal efficiency.
- You can increase the number of resolved cases without increasing headcount.
- Speedier resolution and reducing backlog improves team morale and decreases the support team's drain.
5 ways to reduce the resolution time in customer service
1. Clear processes and assigned roles
Make sure calls and support requests are going to the right person with the knowledge to handle the issue directly. You don’t want to risk customers being redirected between several colleagues in different departments.
A powerful PBX solution will handle this by distributing incoming calls to several queue members to make sure they’re redirected to the right person.
2. Effective communication within the team
It’s also crucial to know who is best placed to handle certain issues and always have an overview of who’s currently available. For instance, use profiles to let employees easily set their availability. Then everyone internally can see who’s available and who’s away and act accordingly.
3. Having all the information to hand
To decrease time to resolution, contact center agents need to have all information they need available – straight away. A modern contact center gathers all the information about a customer from every channel the customer uses. That means customers don’t have to repeat themselves after being transferred between departments.
With Telavox’s contact center, you can quickly retrieve caller information from your CRM or customer database, meaning agents can help customers faster and provide a more personalised experience. You can also use digital verification tools such as BankID to verify your customer's identity before they even reach an agent, so you always have their information in front of you throughout the call.
4. Use the right channel for the customer
Some customers prefer calls, some rather email, while others use WhatsApp. As there are so many options today, many use a combination of several channels. Meeting the customer where they are reduces the legwork and speeds up the process.
A contact center with omnichannel capabilities is the best way forward to create a unified way of communicating with customers. Omnichannel means the contact center supports multiple communication channels (i.e., voice calls, email, social media, etc.). The agent can handle all customer interactions in one platform, no matter how the consumer chooses to contact you. The agent saves time as the need to switch between different platforms is removed.
5. Reliable technology
Besides a well-functioning contact center solution, your choice of PBX is a key factor. Look for a reliable solution that ensures a clear and reliable connection. This allows your customer service team to resolve issues faster as you and your customers can communicate better. A cloud-based PBX creates better conditions for internal cooperation and higher productivity. Read more about choosing the right cloud PBX.
Summary
If you aim to reduce time-to-resolution in your contact center (because why wouldn’t you?), then focus on solutions that make your agents’ jobs easier. By doing so, the chance of reduced time-to-resolution is far more likely.
Telavox provides a complete communication solution necessary to take your customer service to the next level, including a cloud PBX service and omnichannel contact center. If you have any questions, we’re happy to assist you!
