For those working in contact centers, the term 'call deflection strategy' is likely familiar territory. Companies design a call deflection strategy to redirect incoming customer service calls to appropriate channels, aiming for high efficiency and customer satisfaction. Well executed call deflection strategies create a more streamlined contact center operation that empowers both agents and customers.

In our previous blog, Mastering Contact Center Operations: Key Principles For Successful Call Center Management, we highlighted the key principles for managing these contact center operations, including Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs), Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), and advanced reporting. These are critical components when designing your organization’s call deflection strategy and omnichannel engagement, and it goes beyond that. 

Benefits of Call Deflection

Call deflection offers a multitude of advantages, including:

• Reduced Average Handle Time (AHT) & Agent Call Volume: By automating repetitive tasks with IVA self-service applications or chat applications, customers can perform simple tasks more quickly and easily without having to wait for an agent to pick up the call. This reduces hold times for callers, improves overall efficiency, and significantly lowers call center operational costs.

• Higher Agent Engagement: With IVA automation, agents are now freed to focus on resolving intricate customer concerns and problems, leading to increased sense of achievement, job satisfaction, and improved performance. Agents are now regarded as true customer experience experts and service partners that deliver critical business value. 
• Reduce Burnout: Agents can burnout quickly from performing the same, repetitive, task every day. Simple password resets aren’t stimulating work. Creating self-service solutions for these types of tasks allow agents to focus on more stimulating work.
• 24/7 Availability: Call deflection and automation also ensures consistent support, regardless of agent availability or time zone limitations. With 24/7 support via chat, voice, SMS, and the web callers can be served anytime they need. This also helps businesses navigate through seasonality and avoid high overhead costs due to ebbs and flows of their call volume. 
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: With a variety of service channels, touchpoints and automated processes at the their fingertips, customers are now free to choose the best channels convenient to them and enjoy higher self-service autonomy. This leads to a higher CSAT score.

Call Deflection Strategies and Considerations

A successful call deflection strategy requires careful consideration of your unique goals. How can a call deflection strategy benefit your business? Reduced call volume? Improved customer satisfaction metrics? Clearly defining your objectives requires careful evaluation of trade-offs and practical measurements. No self-service option or deflection strategy works for every customer or business. 

• IVA Self-Service: Consider how many customers contact you for repetitive tasks. Can these tasks be automated while maintaining good customer service? Can you leverage your IVA architecture for these transactions? IVA self-service flows allow customers to complete the tasks they desire with pre-recorded prompts or touch-tone selections. It empowers customers to resolve a lot of issues, such as resetting a password, managing a profile, checking on the status of an order, completing a payment, and more.
• Routing Architecture: What is your organization’s call distribution strategy? Are your customers satisfied with the average wait time today before they are connected to an agent? How much does it cost when a call is misrouted to the wrong agent? An efficient routing system connects customers with the agent or channel for their needs. Factors like account details, agent expertise, past interactions, and customer intent should be considered for optimal routing.
• Omnichannel Engagement: What are your customers’ demographics and persona? Do they prefer to talk over the phone, engage online or via social media? Omnichannel engagement is a key component of call deflection providing multiple service touchpoints, including:
  • Chatbots: Deploy chatbots on websites, social media platforms, and more to answer basic questions and provide real-time support. With new Generative AI powered features, many chatbots today are getting “smarter” and more effective in supporting customers.  
  • SMS: Leverage SMS for 1-way or 2-way engagements. Common features include appointment confirmations, payment confirmations, shipping updates, or quick surveys.
  • FAQs: Develop a comprehensive FAQ section to address common customer inquiries.
  • Community Forums: Foster a customer community forum where users can help each other and access valuable knowledge.
  • Downloadable Solutions Manuals: Offer downloadable guides or solutions manuals for self-directed troubleshooting.
• Predictive Outreach: Proactive customer outreach can address potential issues before they escalate into phone calls. This includes outbound calls, push notifications, SMS messages, and more. These types of messages can include payment reminders, appointment reminders, service interruption notifications, and more. 

Call Deflection Implementation 

Modern-day Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions go far beyond agents, networks, and telephones. It includes a comprehensive suite of technology and process orchestration to ensure service continuity and effectiveness. A well-established implementation plan not only brings your call deflection strategies to life, but also establishes a competitive edge and customer satisfaction over competitors. Listed below are some common best practices to achieve the competitive edge:

• CTI Integration and CRM Access: Seamlessly integrate CTI with your CRM system to provide agents with instant customer information, enhancing the overall customer journey.
• Customization: Tailor your call deflection strategy to your specific business needs and target audience.
• A/B Testing: Employ A/B testing with controlled rollouts (e.g. volume throttle) to optimize the effectiveness of your strategies.
• Governance and Collaboration: Establish a governance board with representatives from relevant departments to ensure alignment and address cross-functional concerns.
• Data-Driven Approach: Leverage reporting tools to continuously analyze customer interactions and refine your deflection strategy for ongoing improvement. To learn more about reporting best practices, check Kenway’s recent article on important metrics and executive dashboards. 
• Embrace New Technologies: Stay informed about emerging technologies and best practices in call deflection to gain a competitive advantage.
• Generative AI: Kenway recently elaborated the potential for Generative AI in Contact Center Innovation in this article. In the Contact Center space, it unlocks efficiency, makes customer experience more personalized, empower agents, and constantly improve Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities. 

A well-designed call deflection strategy benefits both businesses and customers. By implementing a variety of tactics, businesses can streamline operations, empower agents, and boost customer satisfaction. Instead of deploying everything at once, the key to successful call deflection is to continuously analyze, adapt, and leverage the latest technologies to stay ahead of the curve and relevant to business needs. With that, call deflection will continue to remain a powerful tool for exceptional customer service.

Kenway’s Call Deflection Solutions

At Kenway, we specialize in crafting effective call deflection strategies that enhance customer experiences. By leveraging advanced metrics and Intelligent Virtual Assistants, we help organizations reduce wait times and boost satisfaction. Contact us today to learn how we can optimize your call deflection efforts and drive success for your business.