Contact centers spend a lot of time and energy getting everything just right. Using analytics, they can find the best scheduling during times of heavy call traffic and even change how their agents respond to customers’ problems. Having your contact center running efficiently during normal times is a great goal, but what happens when something goes wrong? How can you prevent a disaster when calls spike and your system is overloaded? Here’s how you can be as prepared as possible.

Testing Your Capabilities
You know what your contact center can normally handle, and maybe even a little past that, but do you know what will happen if incoming calls spike far past normal levels? Depending on what business you’re in, your contact center might have annual spikes (possibly due to weather) and you have to be prepared for the worst.

That’s why you need to test that scenario well in advance. A lot can change since the last time you had a surge in your calls, and these tests can help you spot unforeseen problems. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of a huge uptick in calls, only to realize that the new tech you implemented can’t handle the stress. You should always be prepared for the worst-case scenario. That way you can’t get surprised, even when things aren’t going well.

Think About The Customer
With a huge surge in calls comes the problem of delivering great customer service. And if you aren’t getting your customers what they want now, then you’re probably not going to do very well when traffic is at an all-time high. That’s when you’re the most vulnerable for negative reviews from customers online, loss of business, and a damaged reputation. Part of this may include surveying your customers to find out their level of satisfaction and what you can do better. But you can also look at the data from your calls and use analytics to find the areas where you could be doing better. You might not be perfect when that worst-case scenario rolls around, but you’ll miles ahead of where you would have been.

Keep Testing
The best way to keep your contact center out of a disastrous situation is through vigilance. Maybe you know when a spike in calls is coming, and maybe you don’t. The only way you’ll be truly ready is if you keep testing your capabilities, keep updating your software, and stay on the lookout for trouble. A prepared contact center will be able to weather a surge in calls without turning it into a disaster for the company.

The only true way to prevent disasters in your contact center is to stay proactive. You can’t stop everything, but you just might keep yourself out of trouble when the calls begin rolling in. Contact KOVA today if you’d like more information on how you can keep your contact center running smoothly, even during the worst call traffic.