How to improve the efficiency of a call center in international real estate?

Introduction

The international real estateagency's trade department shared its strategies for addressing the challenges of different time zones, as well as for interacting with representatives of various cultures and organizing the work of the call center. The goal of these measures was to achieve a 20% increase in the number of successful calls.

The importance of a CRM system

A key element in this process has been the CRM system, which plays an important role in simplifying employees' tasks. Initially, the regulations and scripts that served as standards for communication with clients consisted of a mass of documents that employees had to memorize before the start of the workday. However, this practice turned out to be not the most effective: only half of all calls resulted in successful contacts. Over time, it became clear that employees found it difficult to remember all the nuances, especially when they had many applications and several clients at the same time.

Implementation of a CRM system

To address these tasks, a CRM system was implemented to monitor the call center's operations. It allows for the creation of a call plan that employees are required to follow. This includes not only phone calls but also sending emails and text messages. The system automatically sends reminders about the need to call one client, message another, or prepare a letter with the appropriate text for a third client. The consideration of time zones helps avoid unnecessary calculations, as our clients are located all over the world. As a result, the effectiveness of the call plan execution has increased to 60%.

Optimization of routine tasks

During the analysis of employee performance, it was noticed that routine tasks, such as rewriting phone numbers, consume a lot of time and effort. Therefore, this procedure was simplified through the use of a CRM system. Previously, call center agents spent a lot of resources on rewriting and saving numbers, as well as creating a customer database. Although this may seem insignificant at first glance, every second counts, considering that employees make numerous calls and send messages throughout the day.

One-touch call completion

In response to this challenge, a system was implemented that allows making calls to clients with the push of a button. Additionally, employees can now quickly select the number from which the call will be made, adapting it to the client's country – it could be a number from Spain or Germany, depending on the potential client's location.

Transparency of the reward system

Another important aspect of this approach was ensuring transparency in the conditions of remuneration. We faced the problem where employees did not have a clear understanding of how their salaries were determined, which decreased their motivation. Unclear instructions and uncertainties regarding how their work aligned with established standards also created confusion.

• Clear criteria for remuneration.
• The rewards have become more accessible for employees.
• Increasing employee engagement

We realized that clear and understandable criteria for salary payment play a crucial role in maintaining high employee motivation, which is why the bonus system has been revised and made more accessible. Now our employees understand how their efforts impact their salary, significantly increasing their interest and engagement in work processes.

Implementation of a CRM system

Our organization has implemented a customer relationship management (CRM) system that allows us to track the work of each employee in real time, especially in the context of phone calls and correspondence. This approach enables management not only to observe the successes of their subordinates but also to intervene quickly if they encounter difficulties. The competition among staff, especially among those striving for high achievements, serves as an additional incentive, as they can analyze and compare their results with the performance of their colleagues.

Motivation system and compensation

We have clearly defined the concept of remuneration, where an employee's salary is directly linked to bonus rewards. Recently, quantitative parameters for call attempts have been added to the motivation system:

• Experienced call center employees are required to maintain a call connection success rate of no less than 80%.
• The target for new employees is set at 70%.

We have also implemented a quality service control system, which allows our quality specialists to analyze interactions with clients and gather feedback from both customers and colleagues. This continuous updating of scripts and tables helps to improve the efficiency of the call center. By the end of 2020, it was noted that the call center accounted for about 70% of the total number of leads with contacts.

Problems with foreign clients

One of the challenges we faced was that foreign clients rarely responded to calls, which led to the assumption that they might feel uncomfortable communicating with Russian numbers. To resolve this situation, we purchased SIM cards from other countries, including Germany, Spain, and Greece, as we have established active business connections with these countries. However, we did not notice any significant changes — in some cases, using international numbers even confused our clients. They realize that our business is registered in Russia and that the names of our employees are Russian, which raises the question: why are we contacting them from German numbers?

Customer preferences in communication

Another problem is that many foreign clients prefer messaging over phone calls. We noticed that if a call is not answered, the likelihood of the client calling back is very low. In contrast, sending a message significantly increases the chances of getting a response. Previously, we did not consider the possibility of working with clients without pre-agreed verbal terms through a call.

Stages of organizing video calls

In the process of organizing video communications with clients, we identified three main stages, for each of which we defined optimal time frames and possible scenario options. It is important to consider the specifics of video communication, such as the moment when participants start to lose attention and get distracted from the camera. Additionally, remote call center employees demonstrate results comparable to those who work in the office.

Increase in inquiries and employee adaptation

In 2020, we faced a sharp increase in the number of inquiries, which exceeded previous levels by two times, leading to a staff shortage. Previously, we were concerned that newcomers working remotely would feel isolated and encounter problems due to the lack of an office. However, during the pandemic, we decided to expand our team by adding remote specialists. In the end, our doubts were unfounded: the new employees trained just as quickly as their office colleagues.

If employees working outside the office ask us to provide them with the necessary equipment, we are happy to supply them with computers and headsets to enhance their comfort.

Problems in the call center and time for reflection

Despite our willingness to accept remote employees in other departments, the call center required us to think more seriously. If we had made a decision faster, we could have reduced the time spent searching for new candidates and streamlined the call handling process. We realized that newcomers need some time to adjust to the new working conditions.

Stress and training new employees

There was a problem that working in the call center requires employees to be skilled in using the CRM system and memorizing numerous interaction scenarios with clients. At first, newcomers experienced stress and made mistakes. To help them, we organized a training week for new employees, during which they did not communicate with real clients. Instead, they focused on studying the instructions, mastering the CRM, and preparing for various communication scenarios.

Such a program is especially important for remote workers, as it helps reduce stress levels and positively impacts the recruitment process.

Implementation of a CRM system

We realized that the first step towards increasing productivity was the implementation of a CRM system. This system stores the call schedule for each employee, and it notifies them when they need to make calls or send messages to specific clients.

• Employees do not keep the strategy for working with each client in mind.
• Saving time on dialing a number.

Criteria for employee rewards

In addition, we have established clear criteria for rewarding employees. Each worker, having access to the CRM, can track their personal successes and the results of their colleagues. This allows managers to quickly respond to emerging issues and provide assistance to those who are struggling.

Training for beginners

We allocate one week for training for newcomers so that they can successfully step into their role and become full-fledged members of our team.

Conclusion

In concluding our analysis of the successful operation of the international real estate broker's sales department, I want to highlight the key points that made our call center more effective and productive. We faced various challenges, including time zone differences and cultural nuances in communicating with clients from different countries. However, the implementation ofCRM systemsIt has become the foundation of our strategy. This system not only simplifies the work of our employees but also improves interaction with clients, which, in turn, allows us to increase the quality of our calls by 60%.

Process optimization

We realized that standard scripts and regulations need to be adapted to modern realities, considering that employees are sometimes overwhelmed with information. With the implementation of a reminder system that takes clients' time zones into account, our employees can focus on the most significant aspects of communication without being distracted by calculating the time for calls. This way, we maintain their motivation and productivity.

Simplifying employees' work

Another important aspect has been the simplification of the calling process. By implementing the featureone-button dialing setWe have significantly reduced the time spent on technical tasks, allowing our employees to focus more on clients. A transparent reward system has also become an incentive for achieving high results and setting standards that meet customer expectations.

Adaptation to new conditions

Moreover, adapting to the new living conditions after the pandemic has opened up a new reality of video calls, the necessity of which has also been influenced by our previous learnings about communication. We have reviewed and adapted our processes to meet the new standards, providing employees with clear instructions.

Final results

Overall, by implementing all these strategies and approaches, we achieved a significant improvement in the performance metrics of the call center and increased the effectiveness of our interactions with clients. In 2020, we were able to increase the number of successful leads from 50% to 70%. Understanding that the nuances of communication and technology must become allies in our work has allowed us to build not only a successful business but also strong long-term relationships with clients around the world.