Running a business is never easy, and challenges arise all the time. For many businesses, having an efficient team answering phone calls is essential, not only for the day to day running but to provide excellent customer service. This is particularly important when it comes to funeral call handling when long wait times can add frustration to people who are already experiencing grief, sadness or anger. When employees call in sick, there’s often nothing you can do about it. However, if absence persists it could be damaging to your business and the rest of the team. With that in mind, here are three ways to stop employee absence from affecting customer phone calls.
1. Reward good attendance
People can’t help falling ill, yet taking days off for minor reasons is something you can reduce. Offering a reward scheme for good attendance can see staff striving to get their bonus or reward. Even a simple certificate once a year for 100% attendance gives employees something to aim towards, and incentives like this often have great results.
2. Promote teamwork
Answering customer phone calls is often considered a solo job and while employees may tackle calls on their own, they are still working as part of a team. Making sure staff are aware of this bigger picture can be a really efficient way to reduce unnecessary absences. When someone fails to come into work, the rest of the team suffer as a result and have to pick up the slack. Making sure all staff understand this should encourage employees to come to work and support their team unless it is absolutely unavoidable.
3. Outsource your call centre
Outsourced customer service can be a great way to take away the stresses of managing your own call team. A specialist telephone answering service will adapt to suit your business, and offer professional customer service to the highest possible standard. With staffing issues out of your hands, you can focus on running your business the way you really want to.
If you’re looking to outsource your call handling then contact Frontline today. Our professional team are on hand to answer all your questions and provide a service that is perfectly tailored to your business.