How to use call escalation effectively

In theory, "call escalation" can be the key technique in problem resolution. Should a customer have a question a representative can't answer, escalation is a neat way of diverting queries to more senior members of staff. Over many years, Frontline have developed a streamlined and effective escalation process that connects customers with the person who has their answers.

Not everyone has the experience and management enjoyed by staff at Frontline - and that's when the escalation process can throw up problems. For instance, some contact centres do not have the right infrastructure or best practices in place to deal with complex challenges within Funeral call handling context. In these instances, representatives are forced to answer a customer's query as best as they can (possibly incorrectly) because they're confused about what kind of customer issue merits escalation in the first place. 

Call centres with high escalation rates are usually those which have failed to properly train representatives. When answering a call, employees can feel as if they lack the knowledge required to solve a problem, or lack the authority to be able to make a definitive decision. In both cases, a problem is escalated when it could have been answered at first port of call.

Managers in these centres find themselves overwhelmed by redirected customer queries. They're forced to put out fires all day long instead of doing their jobs. Managers cannot pass the call back to the representative and have to solve the query themselves - dragging personnel away from other more valuable tasks. Likewise, customers who receive faulty information may complain about the telephone answering service and refuse to use it again. Frontline supports its representatives with training and guidance to make sure they know when to escalate a problem. 

Considering the sensitive or technical nature of some of Frontline's work, both in funeral services and first line IT support, representatives will occasionally be faced with a query to which they don't know the answer. Our expert call triaging connects customers with the right people, improving a company's image despite having actually outsourced customer service. This is an example of call escalation done right. Contact us today to find out more.

Talking on the Phone by MLazarevski licensed under Creative commons 6