Call Center / Telephony Assessment
Client Background
A municipal contact center was responsible for providing service to customers with billing questions and complaints of any kind, receiving contact via phone, email, and walk-ins. However, it was receiving an incredibly high volume of calls that far exceeded its capacity to handle them, raising concerns about its efficiency and increasing customer dissatisfaction.
The assessment aimed to determine the root cause of the challenges and to both recommend and implement approved solutions.
The Challenges
Contact center representatives were handling an extremely high volume of calls — approximately 1.5 million calls per year. Despite best efforts, the contact center was experiencing several compounding challenges.
- Long wait times, high abandon rates, and frequent busy signals frustrated customers.
- Monthly call volume far exceeded the expected volume based on the number of customers being serviced, raising questions about operational efficiency.
- A large percentage of call volume was driven by repeat calls from frustrated customers who were hanging up and calling back.
Turnkey's Response
Turnkey Solutions accurately assessed the symptoms and diagnosed one main issue and two subsidiary issues contributing to the call volume. By conducting a traffic study, Turnkey discovered that the primary rate interface (PRI) trunks were being shared with another department, causing both departments to experience service disruptions during peak hours. By reconfiguring the trunks, the team found a more efficient way to handle the call volume without increasing the number of PRI trunks.
Additionally, the interactive voice response (IVR) and automated attendant were reconfigured to provide customers with more user-friendly options and self-service capabilities. As a result, the IVR soon accounted for 63% of automated customer payments.
From a personnel perspective, agents were divided into unique groups of expert agents trained for specific tasks, and calls were routed accordingly. Because these agents focused on specific issues all day, they were better suited to help customers more quickly.
The Impact
Over a period of about a month after implementation, repeat calls from frustrated customers decreased significantly, and 80% of calls were answered within 30 seconds, meeting the industry standard.
By reconfiguring the PRI trunks, enhancing the IVR system, and training groups of agents for specific tasks, the call center achieved greater efficiency without requiring additional resources. These measures not only reduced overall call volume but also improved customer satisfaction and service delivery.
High call volume doesn't have to mean poor service.
Turnkey helps government contact centers diagnose the root causes of service challenges and implement practical, measurable solutions.