Now more than ever, outbound call centers need to find ways to streamline mortgage operations and provide high-quality customer service. Establishing and refining your outbound call center strategy is one way to stand out among competitors, but there are many options to consider. Below we dive into metrics and strategies to consider implementing in your mortgage call center.
What Is a Mortgage Call Center?
Mortgage call centers are fundamental for assisting customers with the breakdown of their payments, interest rates, mortgage insurance, loan term, and principle. Mortgage call centers are important because they allow customers to have a specialist see them through the entire financial process. Misunderstandings can cause complications in obtaining new leads and referrals, which are vital for the growth and development of outbound call centers.
Mortgage Call Center Metrics To Track
Tracking the right metrics for your mortgage call center is crucial for efficient data collection. Learning to harness the correct metrics can shape customer impressions, help boost sales,, and provide accurate support options. These four metrics will help your mortgage call center fulfill its crucial roles while monitoring things like efficiency, productivity, and ROI.
Customer Experience Metrics
The main goal of customer experience metrics is to measure and evaluate customer satisfaction. These metrics are important for understanding where customers stand with the call center. The most popular metrics include:
- First Call Resolution (FCR) and First Call Close
- Net Promoter Score (NPS)
- Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
- Call quality
Outbound call centers can use these metrics to obtain data on how and when customer problems are being solved, how often conversions are completed, and client engagement levels.
Initial Contact Metrics
Initial contact metrics help call centers monitor ways to improve initial interaction contacts. Customers are constantly evaluating their experience with the companies they interact with. These evaluations can start as quickly as they see the number on their phone or even later during the conversation. Two metrics to analyze these interactions include:
- First Response Time (FRT)
- Average Call Abandonment Rate
It is important for call centers to always analyze the entire interaction process and provide tailored customer experiences. Measuring your contact rate is also a great way for your call center to understand how many customers you are reaching.
Operations Floor Metrics
Managers have more access to their team performance with operational floor metrics. Key performance indicators allow managers to view their agents’ current project status in real-time while viewing overall profitability, performance, and impact. Some key metrics include:
- Calls handled
- Cost Per Call (CPC)
- Call duration
- Callback rate
- Conversions
Operations metrics are valuable for quick action when people or systems start falling off track. Stopping minor issues before they escalate saves your call center from facing negative consequences.
Productivity and Other Agent-Related Metrics
Productivity and other agent-related metrics focus on reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and improving the customer experience. The most popular metrics to track include:
- Schedule adherence
- Average Speed of Answer (ASA)
- Average Handle Time (AHT)
- Transfer rate
Keeping track of agent-related metrics is important to effectively manage and improve performance.
Strategies To Improve Your Mortgage Call Center
Managing a mortgage call center is no easy task. With developing technology and changing consumer needs, call centers are always training and adjusting their strategies. For managers working to create an efficient, productive, and effective team, try implementing these strategies in your call center.
Optimize Scripts
Call center agents must be trained to handle a variety of situations and interactions. Scripts are essential to ensure agents have been trained to give consistent messages and build in-depth product knowledge. They also help companies stay compliant with legal language requirements. However, remember that customers want personalized experiences and do not want to feel like they are just part of another scripted conversation. Here are some tips to optimize your call center script:
- Hire the right agents
- Allow flexibility in the scripts
- Implement call recording to improve training and develop natural-sounding scripts
- Provide real agent-to-caller conversations to establish better customer experiences
Keep in mind that the best customer experiences will stem from agents who are sincere and prepared to handle difficult interactions. Optimizing your script will ensure consistent messaging, reduced errors, proper agent training, and increased confidence.
Avoid Spam Labels
Hiya estimates that the United States alone received around 80.1 billion scam calls in 2021. These scam calls resulted in an average of $567.41 lost by the people who were scammed. Spam calls aim to steal money or sensitive information from customers. Often scammers use algorithms to disguise their calls as local business numbers.
Spam labels are detrimental to call centers. As customers grow wary of spam numbers, they stop answering any unknown calls. Call centers then struggle to relay important information and customer satisfaction drops. Implementing a system like the Hiya Connect ensures your mortgage call center is avoiding spam labels and the decreased trust that results from an influx of robocalls.
Branded Caller ID
Branded caller ID is growing more essential every day. With increases in robocalls and spam calls, customers do not know what numbers to trust. Making your company known to callers is important for relaying important information and building trust with your customers.
Embody the core of your call center by using a branded call as an identification tool for customers. Let them know who you are, what you do, and what you stand for. With the Hiya Connect Branded Call, you can make a lasting first impression while promoting your brand. Displaying your company name, logo, location, and reason for calling ensures customers know the call is legitimate.
Use Hiya Connect
Improve your mortgage call center strategy by using the Hiya Connect Voice Performance Platform. Features like the Secure and Branded Calls will ensure your customers can distinguish your call center from spammers and spoofers.
If you want to learn more about how Hiya helps financial service call centers like yours, download the Mortgage Lenders Case Study.
