In 2020, customer service efforts have shifted drastically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses have been forced to adapt and evolve, leaning on technology and creative new processes to stay up and running. Public health concerns, lockdown restrictions and social distancing mandates have caused us all to rethink our day-to-day operations.
With the recent surge in mobile transactions, having an effective and successful contact center can make all the difference in business today. While it is essential for customer service, it also functions as a conduit of support with vendors and field operation teams in a nationwide infrastructure. The year 2020 may be the year that your call center makes or breaks your success.
Talent from Within
Customer service must be a business’ top priority today. A call center is the perfect division of your business to focus resources and stay committed to customer needs.
What are customers looking for when they call? It is likely that callers are looking for their problems to be solved quickly, through a personable interaction with a skilled agent. If your company is wanting to thrive, it is vital for your call center to make an impact with each ring.
From January 1st to November 1st, FinishMaster’s Support Center has interacted with customers over 240,000 times. The team of 33 representatives, across the nation, works together to answer calls and ensure there are no disruptions in service. Built from within the FinishMaster network, the team consists of individuals from several departments including, sales, account management, branch operations and technical representatives. Our Support Center agents bring an unmatched level of industry and company experience, averaging over 12 years with FinishMaster. We have guaranteed there is comprehensive institutional knowledge on the other end of the line ready to support each caller.
Both new and current customers call the Support Center with a range of questions and needs. Current customers often call needing assistance with orders, quotes, technical and product questions, and delivery schedules. If a customer is looking for color-match solutions, they can call the Support Center to receive color formulas or system information to help them achieve a match. Designated agents are equipped to handle more unique requests, including powder sales, to ensure customers are met with experienced support. The team is also available to new customers to help set up accounts, create a shopfinishmaster.com login, and place orders.
Lifeline by Telephone
When the COVID-19 pandemic affected activity within the industry, FinishMaster shifted operations to a lean team of branches and team members. With some of our branches temporarily closed, FinishMaster invested in our Support Center to prevent a negative impact on service levels. The Support Center became the lifeline of customer service, allowing us to stay connected with our customers. We were able to keep customers updated on available branches, hours, curbside pick-up and safety procedures, and delivery schedules.
Management teams quickly went into action aligning the team into groups, or pods, of representatives that could work together to take rerouted calls. The pods are grouped by geographic location and time zones and calls are routed accordingly to help balance workloads, personnel shortages, and branch need. In November, our Support Center achieved a 96% service level, a nationwide response time of 10-14 seconds. Service level standards are measured by the percentage of calls that are answered within 30 seconds. This accomplishment, despite high COVID-19 call volumes, proves that we are working diligently to support our customers.
The changes made during the pandemic enabled us to “flip a switch” transferring calls to the Support Center without missing a beat in the field. If there are health concerns with one branch, requiring shutdown and testing, we can immediately transfer calls to the Support Center, keeping customers updated. This feature will continue playing a pivotal role in the future as some geographic locations experience severe weather and power outages.
Leading the Industry
Our team will continue using innovate technology as we strive to create an industry leading customer service experience. We are working hard to implement new notification processes, allowing customers to spend less time following up on orders and deliveries. With the touch of a button, video capabilities will allow us to help resolve technical concerns more quickly by putting our talented Tech Reps face-to-face with customers.
Soon our dedicated Support Center team will begin building relationships with customers, on a unique case by case basis. By learning the business of their accounts, they will be able to deliver personable service. Our goal is to work harder at connecting with all our customers, big and small.
We have dedicated ourselves to providing superior customer service and supporting our customers in every way we can. The FinishMaster Support Center has been tireless in their mission to keep our teams and customers connected. If you are interested in learning more about the services and products FinishMaster provides, call our support center at 1-800-233-9133 and a knowledgeable representative will be happy to help!
This article was sponsored by Finishmaster. For more information, please visit www.finishmaster.com
