Tips to Reduce AHT in a Call Center
Some of the most important metrics to measure in a call center are the First Call Resolution (FCR) and Average Handle Time (AHT). The AHT refers to the total amount of time the patient and the respondent stay on the call, including the talk and hold time. You’ll want to keep it at less than 6 minutes, so if your analysis shows a higher rate, then these tips on how to reduce AHT should come in handy.
Use Call Routing Strategies
You don’t want to lose patients because they get frustrated trying to talk to multiple agents about the same problem. Imagine having an Interactive Voice Response, allowing them to receive immediate responses before being handed over to a representative. Thanks to such a system, it is easier to assign calls to agents with the skill sets needed to offer assistance. This will significantly reduce the AHT.
Read more: Navigating the Maze: Overcoming 3 Key Challenges in Integrated Voice Response Systems
Use Call Recording and Monitoring
Thankfully, most medical centers record all incoming calls, which makes it easier for managers and supervisors to conduct assessments. This is effective in how you lower AHT because the medical center can analyze how a patient was handled and detect any issues that could be contributing to high AHT. Feedback guides the team in making the necessary corrections and improving service delivery.
Improve Training and Onboarding Strategies
Sometimes, the reason why AHT is so high is because the agents don’t have sufficient skills to help the patients when they call in. It is important for agents to have the necessary training in operating a medical call center. Onboarding and continuous training methods should be thorough, including instruction in conflict resolution and effective communication.
Provide Well-Structured Scripts
Are you wondering why the customer satisfaction rate has been so low and are thinking about how to improve AHT in your call center? Why not try using scripts? These can work well for agents when used properly alongside thorough training when there is a need to go off-script. This way, the staff can provide accurate information to every caller. They’ll know how to phrase their questions for follow-ups and won’t have to spend a lot of time coming up with answers from scratch.
Streamline Your Call Center With the Help of a Professional
What happens when your staff is handling other matters and there is no one on the phones? You want to make sure your health call center is still running perfectly and at the best AHT rate. Contact Sequence Health to help you with providing comprehensive healthcare solutions.