How Can Call Centers Help in a Brand Crisis?

Do you believe your company will never face a crisis? Think again.

The disastrous consequences of reputation-damaging blunders have been exacerbated in 2018 by the accompanying complaints and discussions buzzing on social media, demonstrating that they are more common than ever. From Hawaii’s false missile crisis to the death of a French bulldog aboard a United Airlines flight, many corporations have recently found themselves on the defensive, doing their best to minimize negative talk about their brands. “The longer the public has to wait for a reaction from a company or individual after a catastrophe, the tougher it is to persuade them that you’re treating the matter seriously,” says Ashley McCown, president of public relations firm Solomon McCown & Company.

 

A slow response, such as ignoring customer outreach on social media or putting customers on hold for a prolonged period of time, can exacerbate the backlash and harm the company’s reputation in the long run. In addition, call center agents play a critical role in responding to these situations as the public face of your brand. There are various ways your call center may efficiently manage a crisis, whether it is triggered by a technical fault, an unhappy customer who has gone viral, or a data breach.

Incorporate Social Listening 

Monitoring internet discussions is only one aspect of social listening: It’s a mix of qualitative observation and quantitative sentiment and intent analysis. As a customer support representative in the midst of a brand crisis, social listening is a fantastic tool to have.

Social listening can reveal the intensity of the problem as well as the specific reasons for people’s rage. It can also assist you in formulating an apology and providing a tailored solution, as well as ensuring that your agents are well-prepared to deal with angry consumers.

Calls to a different line are routed via a channel.

It’s a good start to separate crisis calls from ordinary customer service contacts. It should help you estimate how many agents you’ll need so you can allocate resources appropriately. This process also ensures that the calls do not disturb the call center’s usual operations.

Empathize with others.

In a crisis, JetBlue’s customer commitment and social media manager looks at “these kinds of complaints as a moment to exhibit our humanity and empathy with the circumstances that customers are going through.”

Empathy is crucial to moving forward. Failure to do so adds fuel to the flames and keeps the crisis narrative alive. Overreaching on behalf of customers is one technique to elicit empathy. In other words, go above and above when it comes to resolving the problem. “Select a hefty remuneration package that will astound your competitors and adversaries,” Unicom advises.

Don’t dismiss your agents.

Allowing your agents to take a break in between “disaster” calls may seem counterintuitive, but it is a wonderful idea. It allows them to let go of the tension that has built up as a result of these exchanges. Otherwise, their frustrations may boil over and negatively affect their customer encounters.

After the initial shock of the brand crisis has worn off, it’s critical that you recognise the additional pressure your agents have been under. Pay attention to their criticism, address their issues, and be sure to commend them for their accomplishments.

Collaborate

Ensure you have a plan in place, and that your legal team is involved if necessary, depending on the severity of the issue. always try to put a human face on the matter and come up with a genuine company-wide response. It’s also critical to keep brand managers up to date on developments and to offer solutions based on customer input.

Request a call-back

Make sure your call center is equipped with call-back technologies. During times of high call volume, the IVR might inform clients in line that they can request a callback. This is a win-win situation for both clients and call centers. Customers will avoid the aggravation of waiting in line, and call centers will be able to handle the surges effectively. As previously stated, it is critical to keep holding times to a minimum during a crisis.

Despite the fact that contact centers are rarely the source of a brand issue, they are frequently left to repair the damage (all while the Twitter masses jeer). It’s a thankless job with a lot on the line. As a result, having specific plans in place to cope with certain events is critical. A contact center can be the hero of the day with the correct strategy.