Always Be Yourself Unless You Can Be a Call Center Auditor- Anonymous
We found this interesting quote on a social networking site that triggered a deep thought about what factors drive a call center apart from agents, call center software etc.
And after a whole work day spent on such a musing (our boss wasn’t happy!), we finally realized something surprising- the importance of auditing for maintaining business continuity.
We were even more surprised by the low percentage of companies who got auditing right.
Contact centers are the face of the company for customers and can very much break or make their brand image.
Thus call center auditing becomes all the more crucial for ensuring that compliances are being followed and all risks to business continuity are taken care of.
However, auditing a business is not a cakewalk. It involves rigorous rounds of corroborating established guidelines and evidence of the same being followed.
Since there is a degree of complexity involved, you might think you can do away with a quality audit altogether.
NO!
Through this blog, we wish to clear all rumors surrounding call center auditing and address why it is an indispensable part of your business operation. We also discuss-
- Call Center Audit 101
- Why is Call Center Quality Audit Essential?
- What Aspects of a Call Center Audit Assess?
- The Ultimate Call Center Software Audit Checklist
Call Center Audit 101
Call center audit is nothing but a review of all the established frameworks that run a call center.
These can include assessment of all big and small things- from processes followed by agents, workflows used in call center software to the kind of access allowed to employees, fire hazard policy etc.
A quality audit of software for a call center does a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, threat) analysis. You can understand what works and what needs your attention.
Often audits are conducted in two ways.
- Internal audit
Internal audit of call center software and other programs is done by the auditing team of the call center.
Internal audits are usually the first stage of an evaluation and can be conducted even if the company is going for an external audit.
- External audit
External audits are conducted by specialized agencies your clients hire. External audits are usually more time-consuming and complex as compared to internal audits.
Why is Call Center Quality Audit Essential?
All call audits of call center software companies are done with the purpose of identifying lapses and suggesting remedies.
This purpose can be achieved in two ways-
- General Audit - This is done to oversee the functioning of all business processes
- Specific Audit - This is done to monitor a specific business process.
Whether audits are general or specific, they are essential for the following reasons-
🔹 Optimal Resource Management
When the audit of call center software is complete, you get a report explaining the allocation of resources to different departments.
In case a department is lagging behind the others, you can dispatch more resources for that department or area of business.
🔹 Call Center Performance Elevation
Auditing identifies the pain points related to different parameters such as customer service reps, compliances, the effectiveness of call center software etc.
You can obtain optimized solutions to tackle each of these pain points without losing business efficiency.
🔹 Painting the Perfect Picture of the Future
Call audit is not only meant for analyzing what’s happening in your contact center in the present.
It also paints an accurate picture of whether a business would be able to meet its future goals if they continue with the current style of execution.
If not, then organizations know that they need to tweak their operational strategy.
Auditing also looks for risks associated with any new business endeavors the firm plans to undertake.
🔹 Call Center Software Functionality Check
Call center software is a crucial area for businesses as it forms the backbone of your day-to-day customer interactions.
Quality audits check whether the software performs all functions it has been designed for. For example, if the call center agency uses an AI-powered conversational intelligence platform, auditors will check it to see if it records all inbound and outbound calls, grade agents' performance etc.
What Aspects of a Call Center Audit Assess?
When the audit of your call center software begins, auditors will look out for the key performance indicators (KPIs) that can include-
🔹 Inbound and Outbound Calls
This indicator includes inbound and outbound calls. Auditors look for the quantity of both types of calls executed in a particular time period to judge call center agents' performance.
A high or low call quantity percentage indicates whether you can provide a unique experience to customers.
🔹 Calls Resolved by Each Agent
The calls resolved by an agent are an important factor in determining the efficacy of your team.
Although you have to keep in mind that if the number of calls resolved is less than the call quantity, it doesn’t mean a lack of productivity.
It can also indicate that you have a staff shortage and need to hire more customer service agents.
🔹 Handling Duration
The best call center software registers the time spent by an agent on each customer.
A high handling duration indicates that customers have to spend a significant amount of time to get proper assistance.
Hence auditors might suggest hiring more employees or putting existing customer service reps for coaching or training.
🔹 Customers Abandoning Calls
If the customers have to wait too long to get assistance, there is a high chance of the call getting abandoned.
Call abandonment rate can be exacerbated in case multiple customers dial in and agents have to handle more than one call at once.
The Ultimate Call Center Software Audit Checklist
Call quality audit is a taxing process and should be undertaken after thorough planning.
Here’s a checklist for your reference if you are bound to undergo an audit.
1. Establishing Auditing Protocols
It's imperative to define the scope of the audit, the process, end goal etc. In case of an external audit, these protocols should be shared with the agency conducting the audit.
Establishing protocols is important as the overhaul of some business processes might be required as a priority.
In such a situation, specific audits can help quickly identify the risks and compliances associated with these processes.
2. Assign A Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
SPOC acts as a bridge between the client and your call center.
Auditing is an exhaustive task; thus, it becomes important to oversee that all critical processes are included in the ambit of the audit.
Therefore the SPOC needs to keep a check throughout the duration of the audit and provide regular updates to the client.
3. Keep Extensive Record of All Data
A call center software audit is a must-do exercise for all contact centers.
Hence, managers must ensure data pertaining to different call metrics is effectively recorded and stored.
This is easier said than done as a call center is arguably a data hub. Thus contact centers need to employ call center software to have a smooth auditing experience.
Auditing is an essential process to know the exact areas your business is lacking in.
However, the inculcation of suggestions offered by the audit report is more important.
Another area of focus is to become completely compliant with the call center guidelines. Call center software can help you in this regard. They use modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Convin is a platform that uses conversational intelligence to provide you with deep analysis on each call.
You can monitor each agent’s performance and then grade them accordingly. Hit us up right now and let us transform your business!
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