Managing A Bank Call Centre During A Pandemic
Managing a bank call centre during a pandemic can be inundating, yet customers remain the fulcrum for business sustainability.
Recently, I initiated a call to the callcentre of a leading commercial bank in Lagos for an urgent enquiry. I was welcomed by the IVR. “I am sorry we are busy at the moment it might take up to five minutes.” Bla bla bla. I waited patiently. Before the end of five minutes, I was directed to more options and finally to a WhatsApp number to send my request via text. I desperately needed to speak to a live agent on that day. I was very frustrated. After the tortuous experience, I held off for sometime and tried again, yet they were unresponsive.
Finding answers to the following service lapses will help improve efficiency and restore customer confidence.
- Are inbound calls to callcentres truly free?
- Is it not unprofessional to keep customers on call queues when in fact service reps are not available to attend to them?
- Are channels of communication up to speed and available for interaction at peak periods?
- When last did you conduct a customer satisfaction survey to assess your own performance?
- How do other banks manage their call centres and leverage opportunities presented by this pandemic?
Reflect on these and leave your comments below.