No business can succeed without keeping its customers happy and loyal. And much of that responsibility lands directly on the frontline employees—the Customer Service Representatives.
At a third-party call center firm such as VSA, the pressure on Customer Service reps to excel is even greater. Not only do we have to satisfy the needs of the customers we’re interacting with, but we also must live up to the expectations of the clients we’re representing. Certain agreed-upon metrics (abandon rates, wait times, etc.) and performance standards must continuously be met to keep the programs financially viable for our clients and sustain the partnership.
It can be a stressful job, but VSA’s experienced, empathetic, highly trained, U.S.-based agents repeatedly rise to the challenge, while representing a diverse range of private businesses and government organizations.
An entire branch of VSA is devoted exclusively to handling customer service inquiries for a city-wide transit system regarding its keycard system. Separate groups of reps, meanwhile, handle inbound customer service for multiple clients with complex offerings, including a large municipal health services system. For this client, VSA is tasked with fielding benefits questions for hundreds of thousands of city and county employees and retirees, including during the fall open enrollment season, when call volume is at its highest.
VSA appreciates our Customer Service reps year-round, but since the first full week of October is National Customer Service Week, we thought this was an especially apt time to recognize them for their hard work, dedication, and passion.
The week was established in 1984 to celebrate the contributions of Customer Service employees. As stated on the official National Customer Service Week website: “Customer Service isn’t just about resolving issues; it’s about building relationships.”
Building relationships with customers and prospects is at the heart of everything VSA does, for both our outbound and inbound clients. And that starts with the people handling the phones.
Here are three of the ways VSA fosters a positive environment for our Customer Service agents and maximizes their opportunities for success:
Ongoing communication and collaboration: Customer Service reps can sometimes feel like they’re alone on an island, especially in our remote work environment. But VSA works hard to ensure all employees feel connected, through weekly team meetings and consistent communication. This creates a supportive environment where everyone feels like their voices are heard.
In-depth training materials and continuous coaching: Our reps are never assigned to a program without extensive preparation and training. It’s impossible to anticipate every scenario that might occur on the phone, but VSA’s reps are well-positioned to handle all types of conversations. Client-specific materials are shared via Microsoft Teams channels, so all documentation is readily available. And our Program Managers and Quality & Training team continue to monitor, evaluate, and coach the reps, offering constructive feedback and quickly identifying areas that need improvement.
Elevating employee morale: It’s always nice to feel appreciated for your hard work, and VSA does this through regular feedback and recognition, including an Employee of the Month award and weekly “Shoutouts” in the in-house newsletter.
“Our Customer Service reps are truly the frontline of our service with customers, and they make up a huge piece of the VSA puzzle,” says Holly Romond, one of VSA’s Program Managers, who oversees several of our inbound programs. “We deeply appreciate their hard work and dedication to providing the most exceptional customer experience possible.”
If you’d like to see if VSA’s call center operations can benefit your business, give us a call.
And happy National Customer Service Week!