AccessDirect Phone Routing and Call Forwarding Services Help Businesses Handle High Call Volume
Covid-19 has changed the world, and businesses have been forced to adapt. Some are thriving under this new normal. Others are struggling with how to deal with higher call volumes.
Restaurants offering takeout. Packaged food subscription services. Motor home dealers. And boat rental companies. These are just a few of the types of businesses that are benefitting from an uptick of demand during the coronavirus pandemic as consumers dramatically shift their personal behaviors and spending habits to accommodate government restrictions as well as personal safety concerns.
AccessDirect has also experienced an uptick of demand. Existing and new customers are finding themselves scrambling to address high call volumes, and a greater need for phone routing and call forwarding services. The ability to handle that demand has also been impacted in some cases by the need for some staff to work modified hours, or in remote locations.
A Case in Point: Boat Rental Company Addresses High Call Volumes
One primary example is a boat rental company that found its calls increasing exponentially as warm weather, summer months, travel limitations and the desire for social distancing has caused many people to consider new options for leisure time.
This was an existing AccessDirect customer. About 2.5 years ago they approached us to help consolidate all incoming calls from the main office and seven off-site locations to funnel into a single 800-number. A centralized phone tree would link all locations together across two states. Since each location had varying hours and services, they added submenus to help break calls down into Reservations, Hours and Locations, General Information—and the ability to forward calls to an agent for more complex needs.
Having had experience with the system before the virus hit and call volumes suddenly ramped up, this boat rental company was poised to update their automated menu script quickly to address calls from people with basic questions about hours and information. That left on-site staff with more opportunities to provide quality customer service to customers at the docks. By diverting the majority of call traffic to information boxes with recorded information greetings, the rental company was able to spend more time focusing on operating the business and assisting their customers. They’ve been updating hours and their phone menu script almost weekly.
Here’s an example business phone message script:
“Thank you for calling Boat Rental Company. Due to the restrictions in place for the Coronavirus outbreak, our locations are operating with adjusted hours and restrictions. Please visit our website for the most up to date information.” Callers are then provided with various phone routing options to access a specific location or additional information.
The end result: more efficient use of staff time and an enhanced ability to service customer needs, by phone and in person. A professionally recorded automated phone menu can also enhance the image of your business.
Key Takeaways and Best Practices for Others
High call volumes can be a good “problem” to have, of course, but only if your business has the capacity to handle those calls effectively. Calls that go unanswered, time spent on hold, and being routed to multiple different locations without getting access to needed information are all barriers that can not only frustrate callers, but cause them to seek help and services elsewhere.
We learn a lot from our customers and the many ways they leverage the flexibility of our services to meet their needs.
Strategic options to address known demands
This customer quickly reacted to an increase in call volumes by adding and adjusting menus and phone options for callers. New information options helped minimize the call burden on staff while ensuring callers’ quick access to the information and service they needed. They opted for a call routing solution that included routing calls to the appropriate location with a menu to help callers get information without having to talk to a live operator. With AccessDirect, they’re able to forward each location to one number—our technology does the rest.
The ability to learn and adjust
We’re living in uncertain times with consumer demand changing frequently for a wide range of services and products. AccessDirect technology allows businesses to quickly and easily change menu options and messaging based on changing customer needs and requests.
The result: callers are getting the information they need faster and avoiding frustrating wait times—or no response at all.
How are you meeting shifting customer needs? Do you have the right technology to provide flexibility, responsiveness, and reliability? AccessDirect can help.
