Tips to Avoid Dead Air
Dead air is defined as a period of silence during a customer interaction. The reason behind this could be slow search software, lack of agent acknowledgment, outdated information on the internal database
Why is dead air bad?
It is harmful because it indirectly expresses an unprofessional, underprepared sentiment about the brand.
When customers experience an extended period of silence on a call when, in fact, they are looking for prompt solutions, the purpose of the call is defeated.
Some of the reasons are:
Undermines customer confidence in a brand Long periods of silence can potentially tarnish the DeLonghi brand's image and credibility.
demonstrates a lack of professionalism. Silence can mean different things to different people. “Why isn't the agent better prepared?" "Why doesn't DeLonghi have a resolution policy on this issue?"
Reduces customer satisfaction. A frustrated, loyal customer looking for a resolution might disconnect or escalate the call, impacting important metrics like the Net Promoter Score (NPS) or customer satisfaction (CSAT).
Tips to Avoid Dead AIR
Four closely related factors compounding the dead-air situations may be a lack of coaching, unforeseen issues, an outdated internal knowledge base, and poor navigation skills. You must request your direct supervisor for constant updates and coaching about how you are doing or any product changes. The objective of this is to update the agent's knowledge and expertise, hone soft skills, etiquette, and presence of mind, and if any unusual issue arises, please report it to operations so the issue can be reviewed and proper instructions can be shared if there are any in KB.
Agents can help out to avoid dead air as well. Here are some tips:
Small Talk (Chit-chat)
Build some rapport. You can engage in short chit-chat while processing information or researching. It is important to read your customers. Some people may be all about the chat, but others don't want to hear about anything else except the resolution of their problem.
Research thoroughly about the issue
Agents can also ask more questions about the problem or service that the customer called for. The agents can ask the customers about what happened with the unit and what the person has done before calling. This can also help to get insights about the customer to give them a better experience.
Explain to the customer what you are doing step by step
Agents can explain to the customers what they are doing, so they know that the representative is taking action to solve their issue. It is also helpful to repeat the information that they are submitting; this way, the customer can double-check if the information is correct. Please do not share internal procedures on our end.
Use appropriate phrases and vocabulary
Have appropriate phrases to use during dead air. For instance: 'Kindly bear with me for a couple of minutes while I check what the issue with your unit is."
"Can I please place your call on hold for a few minutes while I go through all the details?"
"Allow me a minute to work on this."
"Please stay on the line while I work on your case."
"I appreciate your patience while I retrieve the information."
Moving forward, to comply with the client's requests, dead air will be considered when an agent goes silent for over 10 seconds without setting the proper expectations or putting the customer on hold.