When a customer needs to get a hold of a business or facility urgently, time is of the essence. No one wants to wait on hold for long periods when the situation they are facing is already stressful enough. And the longer they wait, the higher the chance is that a customer will end the call and find another way to have their needs met.
For a business that offers 24/7 availability, this is all the more important. If time is lost because of slow calls transfers, long wait times, or worse, no answers at all – then their reputation is on the line in more ways than one.
On-Call Two Step
Our client, a large power station, was faced with such a problem – urgent calls from customers in need paired with a slow and outdated system of relaying these calls to their On-Call Duty Managers. A customer would call into our client’s 24/7 line and have to wait until the scheduled On-Call Duty Manager could be found. Then their call would be manually transferred to a secondary and separate phone that the manager would have on hand.
In addition to this, all of the power station’s On-Call Duty Managers would have to play catch up in an attempt to manage the calls and keep up to date on any follow-up with the customer’s issues. This was because the details of the call as well as who took it and when they took it were not immediately available for all managers, both on and off duty, to review.
The Re-Route Strategy
Knowing full well the importance of quick customer call transfers and resolution when it comes to escalations in a 24/7 setting, we came up with a strategy that would address both issues and make the switch-up seamless.
We analyzed our client’s flawed dual-phone call relay and delayed staff communication and resolved to integrate our client’s current lines into the Symphonia OnCall automation routing platform.
By programming all of the Duty Manager’s mobile phone numbers into Symphonia and utilizing the platform’s web-based interface, each manager’s work schedule and designated mobile lines were readily accessible in one database - which means no more ‘whose line is it anyway’ separate phone call transfer system. It also took the guesswork out of which of the On-Call Duty Managers were available for a call.
Additionally, our client was able to assign the number of times Symphonia OnCall would attempt to call each manager, which mobile number to try next, and when to leave a voicemail should a call go unanswered.
With each routed call, Symphonia provided SMS text messages with the details about the customer’s call and what it was about. It also noted which manager took the call and included any dispatch instructions. This allowed our client to keep all of their management staff up to date as to what the call was about and any further follow-up that might be needed.
The Route to Success
Operating any service where you advertise 24/7 availability means having the ability to connect with your customers quickly and effectively is vital. Now, when a customer reaches out to them, our client is well equipped to immediately assign the call and address their customer’s needs at any time, day or night.