Should call center agents make customer service decisions?

OABPO Blog Team Published on June 3, 2014

happy-call-center-agents-team
How much authority should you grant your outsourced call center agents? Open Access BPO shares insights that could help you choose the right level of trust that you can put on your employees.


Many call center solutions in the Philippines are carried out by order-taking roles, but it is still inevitable for call center agents to encounter cases where their decision-making skills are put to a test. In these situations, it is commonplace for some firms to escalate the call to a higher-up with the authority to decide on the matter. Companies that practice this do so to ensure that the problems are dealt with properly. The assurance they want, however, can come at the expense of the customers’ time.

The price of indecisive CSRs

Part of the common customers’ definition of good service is having their concerns attended to within a reasonable amount of time. If their problem is not solved immediately, they may take this as a sign that your company doesn t value their time. Being made to wait, as attested by countless cases of customer service failures, can cause consumers to leave the brand they once supported.

happy-woman-holding-a-cellphone

This is the consequence that you may face if your frontline employees who receive complaints don t have the authority to settle concerns on their own. Since customer service representatives must pass the phoned-in problem for it to be resolved, the transfer will lengthen the process, snatching the satisfaction away from customers.

Granting authority

One way of rectifying this problem is to let your customer support agents deal with complaints up to a certain level. For instance, they can decide how much discount can be given to a buyer as long as the markdown is within the 20% limit. You can allow them to make refunds or replace products if the purchase was made during a certain period or if the price is below $100. If they come across graver, more sensitive matters, that’s when team leaders can be called to negotiate with the customer concerned.

happy-female-call-center-agent

You don t have to plunge right in if you feel that your agents are not completely ready to make decisions. They should be trained and tested first, or you may choose to implement the rule temporarily.

If you notice a dramatic increase in customer satisfaction, see a decline in average handle time, and observe that your customer service agents’ decision-making skill is consistent and fair, then it’s time to permanently trust them with their new responsibility.

Authorizing your frontline people to make independent decisions is a sign that you are confident in their ability. Knowing that they are empowered and entrusted with an important role, your agents can boost their morale, which is a main factor behind employee retention.

One response to “Should call center agents make customer service decisions?”

  1. Anonymous says:

    Superb post however I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this topic?
    I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more.
    Bless you!

Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO 2 days ago
#CustomerLoyalty is a privilege businesses strive to achieve.
๐—”๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚'๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ต ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ?

Take a deep look at the stages of #CustomerLoyalty and see how you can shape your customer experience strategies and get your repeat buyers to continue supporting you: https://buff.ly/mNMdlGq

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
Let's create memorable #CustomerExperiences and keep your customers coming back for more: https://buff.ly/0mgDGzC

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerService #CX #CustomerSupport
Open Access BPO 4 days ago
A customer-centric support culture is built on a lucid and compelling vision.
A well-articulated ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ is essential for bringing this vision to life, as it:

โ€ข Communicates the intended #CustomerExperience, fostering clarity and understanding.
โ€ข Standardizes agent interactions, ensuring consistent brand representation and customer engagement.

The following questions will facilitate the creation of a resonant customer service mantra: https://buff.ly/YMTI4r2

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
Get a reliable outsourcing #CX partner with empowered agents who can go the extra mile to deliver exceptional service: https://buff.ly/l4YDYb5

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerService #CustomerSupport
#outsourcing
Open Access BPO 5 days ago
Revolutionize your customer service!
Learn how #improv theater fundamentals with its ๐˜บ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด, ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ principle, can transform #CallCenter interactions into genuine, solution-oriented experiences.

Read all about it and learn how to boost agent adaptability, problem-solving skills, and #CustomerSatisfaction: https://buff.ly/CEbXLoS

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
At Open Access BPO, we train our teams to deeply understand customer needs and provide natural, solution-oriented interactions, fostering trust and satisfaction.

Experience the difference of genuine customer connectionโ€”click and contact our CX experts at https://buff.ly/027ww7m.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerService #CustomerExperience
#CustomerServiceTips #CX #CSat
Open Access BPO 9 days ago
Customer issues rarely emerge from thin air. They often give subtle signals beforehand.
You just need to be vigilant enough to spot them immediately!

By proactively addressing potential concerns, you can significantly boost customer satisfaction, minimize complaints, and cultivate stronger relationships.

Ready to stay ahead of customer needs and deliver an exceptional experience? Learn more from our insightful series.

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
Open Access BPO's solutions are always there for your customers anytime, anywhere, and in any language.

Contact us now and let's chat about your needs and what we can do to support your brand: https://buff.ly/zSgFw5m

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerExperience #CX
#CSat #CustomerSatisfaction
#CustomerService #outsourcing
Open Access BPO 12 days ago
Customer expectations continue to change, and if you fail to keep up, you risk losing your competitive edge. Have you considered driving proactive engagement, personalized interactions, and seamless service delivery this year?

Our latest blog settles on a checklist that could help you rediscover the #CustomerExperience goals worth pursuing: https://buff.ly/oq5XRzE

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
Embracing what the future holds becomes a whole lot easier with the help of Open Access BPO's proactive #outsourcing solutions.

Don't get left behind. Boost your brand's efficiency and #CustomerSatisfaction with our #CallCenter, back-office, and #KPO services

Let's talk about your brand's needs and how we can help: https://buff.ly/9KdB8xQ

#WeSpeakYourLanguage