Rethinking Callback Features in Capacity-Challenged Contact Centers

I believe it's time for most contact centers facing capacity challenges to eliminate callback features. Here are my reasons for why callback strategies in such contact centers are generally flawed. When a client places a phone call, it indicates their availability at that moment. However, offering a callback option when the company is already stretched thin adds unnecessary friction to the customer journey.

When a company lacks the capacity and offers callbacks, it essentially creates a backlog of transactions needing attention in the future. Addressing this backlog requires the contact center to catch a break from its current demands, but such a break is unlikely to come anytime soon if it is capacity-challenged. Thus, the contact center may not return calls for hours. Is it reasonable to expect that the client will still be available several hours after they requested a callback? Probably not. This often leads to a low contact rate when the company finally calls back and the client does not answer. What happens next? The client may call back, endure the wait in the queue, and perhaps choose the callback option once again. This creates a feedback loop, repeatedly taxing the already limited resources of the contact center with multiple transactions for the same client.

What then is a better approach for handling a contact center that is stretched to its limits? There is no simple solution, particularly if the company is operating on a tight budget and cannot afford to hire more frontline staff to alleviate the issue. Another strategy involves a deep dive into segmenting clients and understanding their customer journeys. Some customer interactions do not require immediate responses. In such cases, I recommend directing clients to asynchronous communication channels, setting clear expectations that responses may take days. By establishing these expectations, clients are less likely to repeatedly contact the center for the same issue, thus relieving pressure on the limited resources. 

While redirecting to asynchronous channels can temporarily alleviate pressure on contact centers with capacity issues, it does not address the fundamental problem of insufficient resources. Companies must consider more sustainable solutions that address the root of capacity challenges to improve overall customer service effectiveness. And callback features aren't one of them!