In recent years, the hotline has become a widespread form of informing the population about goods and services. It is actively used by large manufacturing companies, retail chains, and representatives of medium-sized businesses. Such events are often organized by state institutions and federal and regional authorities to explain to citizens any topical issue. The essence of a hotline does not depend on the status of its initiator and boils down to the following: a person asks a question over the phone and immediately receives a competent answer.
It is necessary
- - premises;
- - separate telephone number or telephone numbers;
- - staff.
Instructions
Step 1
Determine the time and time of the hotline for your organization. It can be constant, periodic or one-time, round-the-clock or with a fixed time for receiving calls. The duration directly depends on the goals that you want to achieve. For example, an Internet service provider is interested in providing their customers with 24/7 telephone support. At the university, it is advisable to set up a hot line during the entrance examinations and only in the daytime.
Step 2
Choose the method of receiving calls: on your own or through employees of specialized call centers. In the latter case, you will save yourself many technical problems. However, our own "hotline" reduces the time for elimination of deficiencies in work. Customer calls are received by your employees, who are well aware of production nuances and can quickly contact the right specialists to clarify disputes. In addition, starting with any option, over time you will be able to change the mechanism of the hotline to a more convenient one.
Step 3
If you decide to use only internal resources, take care of the allocation of separate telephone numbers for the hotline for the entire duration of its validity. Visit several fixed and cellular operators in your area. Find out the following points: the cost of one minute of conversation, the presence of a monthly fee, the ability to connect a multi-channel number, the presence of easy-to-remember numbers, the amount of discount for long-term cooperation, conditions for early termination of the contract, a zone of reliable signal reception for mobile operators, etc. Sign a contract with the most suitable company.
Step 4
Allocate a separate room for the hotline staff. You need to equip the room with comfortable office furniture and computer equipment. Provide operators with Internet access, provide a separate email address. This will increase the efficiency of interaction between operators and other specialists of the company. If possible, arrange for an electronic registration of incoming calls. If you do not have a special computer program, you can keep records on the basis of any spreadsheet editor, for example, Excel.
Step 5
Train the hotline staff. Choose competent, proactive people with a good reaction and an analytical mind. Consider friendliness and stress resistance as an additional plus. Your employees will have to communicate with different people, promptly resolve complex, possibly even conflict, situations. Think over the work schedule for everyone, clearly define the start and end times of work, lunch break. Be sure to include several additional 10-15 minute breaks during which employees can leave the office and, as they say, "take a breath."
Step 6
Develop guidelines for conducting telephone conversations. The operator should be the first to greet the calling customer, clearly pronounce the name of the organization and his first or last name. Then ask, for example, "How can I help you?" and listen carefully to the person, without interrupting him and asking clarifying questions. Think also about a uniform ending of the conversation.
Step 7
Provide each operator with a list of phone numbers and other contacts of employees of the organization and a list of issues that are in their competence. Try to predict the most sensitive topics that hotline workers may encounter, analyze them in advance and prepare several options for answers.
Step 8
Advertise your hotline. Place ads in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Do not forget about "word of mouth", which is not inferior in efficiency to traditional media: tell your friends, buddies, clients about your plans, ask them to pass the information on to their acquaintances. Print the hotline number on the packaging of your products or on special flyers that can be posted on bulletin boards or handed out on the street.
Step 9
Analyze the work of the hotline one week after its opening. By this time, you will have accumulated enough material to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the event.
