Calling All Customers.

• Author: Gdovic, Bob
• Position: Setting up an effective call center - Column

Today's high-technology bank call center has evolved into a hub of Internet as well as telephone communications.

Here's what every marketer needs to know about state-of-the-art customer contact.

Bank call centers used to be nothing more than an extension of the back office--a group of people with fancy telephones whose job was to answer customer questions, provide basic service and leave the "real" work to the branches. Things have changed, making it difficult for banks today to compete using only this kind of service center.

Successful call centers at financial institutions are taking a different approach to managing customer contact. Using the latest technology and robust electronic and telephone-based customer interaction, these companies are redefining the customer experience. These same companies are raising the bar and elevating the expectations of your customers. Today, the two factors most influencing the world of the call center are evolving technology and changing lifestyles.

Customer service and call center staff have long had the ability to provide basic customer and account information, and perform simple transactions. Today, call center representatives are no longer limited merely to displaying information. Representatives can cross-sell, open new accounts and assess the customer's needs for additional products and services.

Customers' lives are busier than ever. One sign of this trend is the fact that the volume of customer telephone contact has grown dramatically in recent years. Additionally, customers are interacting with financial institutions via more channels. They are using branches, telephone, mail, the Web and e-mail frequently and interchangeably. With these usage changes come higher expectations for consistent information and service across all channels.

World-class service organizations have embraced the concept that the call center has become an extension of the front office. The center is not just a way to provide service, but it has become a true interactive sales and service contact center capable of generating real revenue and profit, as well as increased customer satisfaction. This new type of center requires more than just the latest technology: It requires a commitment to hiring and training the right people, changing reporting structure and compensation programs, and doing things differently.

For example, one of the most visible characteristics of today's successful call center is "empowerment." The employees who have direct contact with customers now have authority to decide and act to solve customer issues, within certain limitations. Using technology to provide all the information needed to make good decisions allows...