by Ryan Works on January 16, 2020
For a nationwide company like Apollo Retail Specialists, a call center is a crucial department. In fact, many of Apollo’s services rely on the diligence of its call center’s Customer Service Agents, otherwise known as CSAs for short. This is why Apollo’s CSAs are taking calls from and making calls to hundreds of customers every day. But what are they talking about?
REPLACEMENT PARTS
Well, a large portion of these calls are about replacement parts. If customers receive items with damaged, defective, or missing parts, Apollo’s CSAs are likely to hear about it. These are CSA Heber Morales’ favorite kind of calls because they’re “short and straightforward.” Usually these calls come from techs ordering parts or customers verifying the status of those orders. In either case, Apollo’s CSAs take great care during these calls, so replacement parts can be logged, ordered, tracked, and replaced. This way, the CSAs reassure customers that Apollo’s actively resolving the issue. But before anything is even scheduled, most customers need some answers.
INQUIRIES
The second largest amount of calls Apollo receives are general inquiries. The call center receives inquiries when prospective customers realize their furniture’s more complex than they’d anticipated. During inquiries, customers may want to determine the first available date, evaluate the assembly cost, or discuss the assembly process. “Inquiries are important for two reasons,” according to CSA Joanne Rowlands. “Firstly, inquiries regularly become orders; and secondly, inquiries are Apollo’s first impressions.” This is why the CSAs handle inquiries with professionalism and courtesy. Other than inquiries and replacement parts, most calls are about something more fundamental.
SCHEDULING
Apollo’s CSAs spend hours scheduling and re-scheduling assemblies. According to call center Manager Lynn Wade, “These easily make up more than half of all inbound and outbound calls.” Whether they schedule assemblies through the call center or another resource, customers regularly request different dates. They may prefer sooner dates, later dates, or different times on the same dates. Frequently the same customers call back to re-schedule once, sometimes twice more (and sometimes back to their original dates).
On any given day, the CSAs can be found discussing one of these three topics with customers. But calls aren’t always that simple. Between back-ordered parts, misconceptions about the assembly process, and preferences about scheduling, calls can get complicated fast. Especially when the topics intersect. But in the call center, resolving complex issues with customers makes for a “fun and satisfying challenge,” according to CSA Jake Starnes. Since this may not be everyone’s idea of “fun,” Apollo’s grateful that its call center is staffed by can-do CSAs dedicated to assisting customers.