After-Call Work: What Is It, and Why Is It Important?
After-call work (ACW) refers to the tasks completed by a customer service agent once the call with the customer has been completed. Also known as post-call processing or wrap-up, ACW includes tasks such as logging the call’s purpose and outcome, writing notes on actions taken, scheduling follow-up activities, and updating the company’s internal knowledge base.
When done correctly, ACW can significantly impact your customer relationships. However, in many cases, after-call work gets pushed to the side, as many agents have a lot on their plate at one time.
In this article, we discuss the importance of after-call work and offer some approaches to streamlining the post-call process for employees. Keep reading to learn more!
The Importance of After-Call Work
Implementing proper after-call work processes can go a long way toward improving customer-company relationships – for example, taking the time to tag the call, log the details, update the CRM system, and forward customer feedback to the relevant department. This gives the contact center managers, chief experience officers, R&D personnel, and customer journey mappers the necessary information.
When after-call work is executed correctly, overall service levels are improved, and customer satisfaction increases. But that’s not all — we highlighted some of the lesser-known benefits of completing quality after-call work below.
Simpler Quality Assurance
It’s much easier for contact center managers to check that all necessary actions have been taken and that the desired outcomes have been achieved when agents accurately complete ACW.
Strategic CRM Processes
Incorporating after-call work into standard workflows ensures that the company has the data it needs to build stronger customer relationships. If customer service agents capture details that sales reps or other agents can reference when speaking to customers, a whole new level of personalized CRM can be developed.
For example, if a customer calls in to suspend their service package while on vacation and the rep records details about the conversation, imagine the positive impact the next rep will have when he asks the customer how he enjoyed his recent trip to the Bahamas.
Why Agents Often Neglect ACW
financial incentives and the likelihood of them staying in their jobs. One important KPI is Average Handling Time (AHT), which measures the average duration of communications between agents and customers.
Even though AHT is rarely considered in isolation, a low AHT is generally associated with a positive customer service experience and cost efficiency, as it allows agents to handle more calls during a shift. After-call work is considered part of the call, and the time an agent spends on ACW counts toward this KPI. As contact centers seek to reduce AHT, agents may deprioritize ACW to meet their time-based metrics.
However, this disregard for ACW is starting to change. According to Forbes Insights, while only 24% of contact centers measure agents’ ACW performance, 19% say they are making progress. Another 32% are in the early stages of using ACW as a metric for agent performance.
Tips to Boost ACW Efficiencies
While ACW is vital to improving customer relationships, agents who spend too much time on post-call tasks have a lower overall efficiency than the rest of the contact center.
Here are some tips to make ACW activities more efficient:
Improve Agent Training
Offer agents robust training on CRM software and business tools so they will not waste time during or after the call trying to figure out what information goes where. Make it clear that management will evaluate their ACW activities, motivating agents to be as efficient as possible.
Optimize ACW Workflow
Reduce the number of tasks an agent must complete in the ACW workflow. Make it as simple as possible for agents to capture the required information in as few screens as possible.
Encourage Notetaking During a Call
To save time, agents should be encouraged to multitask by focusing on the customer talking and capturing call details simultaneously. This reduces time spent on ACW — when the agent tells the customer that they’re taking notes, it reassures them about the outcome of the interaction.
Offer Incentives
Creating a link between performance and rewards has been proven to motivate agents. This can be accomplished through gamification, cash bonuses, or other incentives such as priority parking and shift preference.
No After Call Work? Expect These Damages
You might think after call work (ACW) is a waste of time, but ignoring it can destroy your customer service quality and efficiency. If your agents don’t follow proper ACW procedures, they’ll miss important tasks that make customer interactions successful.
For example, they might document customer inquiries poorly or inaccurately. That means more delays and unresolved issues in the future. Or they might forget to follow up on pending cases. That means more unhappy customers and more churn.
Not only that, but no ACW can also hurt your agents’ productivity and morale. Imagine how stressed they’ll feel if they have to deal with endless calls without any time to wrap up. They’ll burn out and hate their jobs.
And don’t forget, no ACW can also lead to inconsistent service delivery. Your agents might do different things after each call, depending on their mood or preference. That’s not good for your brand or your customers.
So don’t make the mistake of neglecting ACW. It’s crucial for your customer service operation. If you want to keep your customers happy, your agents motivated, and your productivity high, you need to prioritize ACW.
Implement After Call Work Properly With My Receptionist
You know how important after call work (ACW) is for your customer service, but you also know how hard it is to do it right. That’s why you need My Receptionist. It’s the ultimate solution for awesome ACW.
My Receptionist gives you 24/7 customer support that’s smart and easy. It helps you streamline your post-call workflows, so you can finish your ACW tasks faster and better.
Plus, My Receptionist lets you customize your ACW templates and prompts. That way, you can document your customer interactions, collect relevant information, and follow up on issues like a boss.
With My Receptionist, you’ll never miss a beat on your ACW. You’ll boost your customer service quality and efficiency. You’ll make your customers happy and loyal. And you’ll save time and money on your ACW.
Additional Features After Call Work
My Receptionist’s integrated analytics and reporting capabilities enable businesses to track ACW performance metrics, such as average handling time, resolution rates, and on-track customer service.
By leveraging these insights, organizations can identify areas for improvement in their ACW processes and implement targeted interventions to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
My Receptionist’s flexible scheduling features allow businesses to allocate dedicated time slots for ACW, ensuring that agents have sufficient time to address post-call tasks without compromising service quality or agent well-being.
Businesses can establish robust ACW practices that drive positive customer experiences, improve operational efficiency, and foster agent engagement and satisfaction when they work with My Receptionist.
Expanding After Call Work Capabilities With Always Answer
Always Answer takes after-hours work capabilities to the next level with advanced features and functionalities designed to optimize customer interactions and drive business growth. With Always Answer, businesses can expand their ACW capabilities through innovative tools such as automated appointment setting, recorded calls, and real-time analytics.
These features empower agents to complete ACW tasks more efficiently and accurately, ensuring that no detail is overlooked. In addition to the aforementioned, Always Answer offers seamless integration with CRM systems and other business applications, enabling businesses to:
- Centralized customer data
- Streamline ACW processes
- Optimize the workflow
By leveraging the expanded ACW capabilities of Always Answer, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction, improve operational efficiency, and achieve greater success in today’s competitive market landscape.
Take Care of Your Customers — Before, During, AND After Each Call
Whether you are busy with paperwork or just want to make sure you never miss another call — My Receptionist can handle all your business and customer-related matters! From our virtual receptionists to online scheduling to appointment reminders, our unique service features make running your business a breeze.
Contact us today and see how we can help streamline your business communications at the most affordable prices