The heart of customer service is to help and make people happy. When CSRs must react to situations versus being trained and ready to handle them, the customer suffers and so do your employees. Being prepared to handle anything that comes your way in customer service is a long term strategy. It requires a plan, preparedness training, ongoing assessment of your team’s skills and excellent communication between departments. No one is left behind and no one is left out.

Permanent Increase of Call Volume
Acquisitions and new municipal contracts
The size of your residential customer base is what drives call volume. You need to add CSRs and have them trained before the new customers come on-board. If the company you have acquired or the town or city you will now be servicing has any history on past call volume, you can use that to guide you. Keep in mind that for every 100 inbound calls you receive a day you will need 1 CSR. If you are putting in a bid for a new contract, demonstrating that you understand how to prepare for an influx of calls will be valuable. Training needs to be provided on the service rules and proper processes for handling service issues and complaints. The customer service manual must be updated with all the new information and answers to common questions that your CSRs and customers will have.

Temporary Increase of Call Volume
Re-routing
Re-routing can increase your call volume 100%. Although it is a temporary situation, it requires that you have a plan in place each time it occurs. The first and most important step in the re-routing process is to include the customer service department, managers and CSRs, in all phases of the process. They need to know what customers will be affected, what the changes are and the time-frame for implementation. Then, they can update the customer service manual and do some role-playing before the route changes take place. The customer needs advanced notification in several different ways. Newspaper announcements, mailings, phone blasts and your automated message system should all be used to provide answers to your customers. This is one reason why we have CSRs routinely update phone number, mailing address and e-mail address. The timing is important, too. If you do your notification too far ahead of time, your customers will forget. Start your notification 10-14 days before the changes will be in effect with the biggest push a few days before they have to put the trash out. Include your website address with all communications so that a customer doesn’t have to call for answers. Don’t avoid social media. If you are in a market where that is used frequently, you should take advantage of it for getting the word out.
Price Increase
A price increase to commercial customers generally does not generate as much call volume as a price increase to residential customers. Handling the call volume is one challenge and handling angry customers is another. Your team will need a script the gives the recommended wording to explain what the increase is and why it was implemented. Taking the time to practice through role-play will help the CSRs feel less anxious and clumsy with the call.

Temporary Staffing
You will need to staff up for added call volume. That may mean using a temp. agency, part-time worker or a skilled answering service. Consider borrowing a CSR from a sister location. Technology is available that allows a CSR from one office to take calls for another. You can even have a virtual agent who works from home on an as needed basis. The goal of these employees is to give complete answers to the customer and not to take a message for a call back. When your call volumes hit the roof the chances of a customer getting a call back are slim to none.

Ongoing practice drills
The recorded secret shopper calls are a way to give your CSRs practice and the ability to review and improve. Using Tooty for additional over the phone coaching will give extra skills and encouragement in order to handle even the most difficult situations with confidence.

Prepare and train everyone for the challenges that will come. Leave no one behind. Then you will be able to celebrate that you truly are ready, willing and able to serve.