Most contact center employees, after doing their job for several months, will come up with their own tips and tricks to better deal with angry customers. One phrase can have a large positive or negative impact on a customer. Here are 5 possible responses that you could give to customers - and the risks that come with each one.
“Please calm down.”
Your intentions may be good with this one - you really just want the customer to calm down, because what they’re upset about is not as big of a deal as they’re making it out to be. This can make them even more upset than they were initially. Being told to calm down is like being told your problems are irrelevant. After telling someone this, you’re likely to get even more of an ear full than originally scheduled for you.
“Don’t yell at me.”
One thing that is very important to note is that in this job, you’re very likely going to have people yell at you. That doesn’t mean you’re doing your job incorrectly, or should be yelled at, it just means people are more likely to yell when they’re having issues as opposed to when everything is going smoothly. With that said, you need to just listen to your customer yell. After they seem like they’ve gotten it all out of their system, restate what they expressed to you in a calm voice, and then work to fix their problem as quickly as possible. Then after you get off the phone you can take measures to de-stress and prepare for the next call.
“I feel your pain.”
If the person who is calling you wanted to speak to a therapist, they probably would. Whatever situation they’re currently experiencing is probably not physically painful (unless you’re using public safety dispatch software), so a better response would be something like, “I understand.” This way you’re letting your caller know that you recognize their problem - without pursuing your life goal of becoming a shrink.
“What can I do to help you now?”
This may seem like a perfectly fine response at face value, but it gives the caller control of the conversation. To be able to fix their probably quickly, you need to be in control of the conversation and be actively listening to their needs. At this point they should have already told you the problem. If you need clarification, restate what you think you were told in the beginning and ask if that is accurate. This way you’re staying in control of the call and still understanding the problem. There are many different types of call center recording software and employee performance monitoring software that can be used when dealing with customers so that call center employees can be coached after the call about things they could have done better, or things they already did well.
“This is important.”
This is like highlighting your words. When a customer hears this, they will intentionally tune in to hear what you’re going to say. Make sure to not use it too much though, because then it will lose its power. It’s good to use it right before you’re going to offer the caller a solution, or you’re going to ask them a question about their situation to ensure that you have their full attention and that whatever you’re asking is going to get done.
There are many different phrases not mentioned above that can also be positive or negative for your customer relations. Just make sure to stop and think about whatever you’re going to say before it comes out of your mouth. If it would make you feel silly or inferior, saying it is not a good idea, because your customer will most likely feel the same. There are many different types of customer survey software that allow your customers the option of taking a survey after the call to tell about their experience. If you’re interested in this software, contact us, and we’ll get you set up with the software that works best for you.
Did you know that Saturday, May 17, was World Telecommunications and Information Society Day? How does one celebrate such a day?
The purpose of WTISD is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies can bring to societies and economies, and to bridge the digital gap that has developed in different parts of the world.
It is also the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention, and of the creation of the International Telecommunication Union. So in answer to your question, to celebrate this day, 911 dispatchers and contact center workers alike can go to work and do their job!
In 1844, Samuel Morse sent the first public message over a telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington. While this method of communication grew in popularity, it wasn’t used to connect countries, as countries kept to themselves as a way to decrease the possibilities that one could steal the other’s plans.
On May 17, 1865, all that changed. 20 participating countries signed the first International Telegraph Convention as a means to unite regions using the telegraph. The International Telegraph Union was also established this day, as a committee to enable amendments to the agreement as situations changed and called for different precautions to be enacted.
Telecommunication has grown since that day though, and now it is used for many different national and international purposes. Some you might use on a day-to-day basis, both in your work and home life.
Police Dispatch Software and EMS Dispatch Software
Where would you be if you couldn’t call 911 in an emergency situation? Would there be chaos? You don’t know, thankfully, due to the effects of telecommunication. Because of this instant connection, you are able to get help in an emergency. And as 911 dispatchers, not only are you able to get help, but also give it. When you receive a call from someone in need, you are able to connect the caller right away to whomever he or she needs, be it police, EMS, or fire, to ensure their emergency is taken care of immediately
SilentPartner and Other Apps
KOVA’s latest new public safety app, SilentPartner, is a great example of the direction telecommunication is taking in this day and age. One day it was the telegraph, the next the telephone, and now apps are taking up the job.
Apps allow professionals and laymen alike to be in constant communication with the world, to continue the exchange of information, and make tasks happen more quickly and efficiently than when communicating with a phone call - or a telegraph!
Telecommunications have altered the flow of life whether you recognize it or not. Imagine having to send a letter any time you were in an emergency situation! There is a reason people joke that King George III wrote in his diary on July 4, 1776, “Nothing of importance happened today.”
While celebrating World Telecommunications Day this year, think back on all the innovations that have been made in the world of telecommunications. The world we live in today wouldn’t be possible without them.
KOVA is excited to announce the launch of its latest new product: InsightCenter, Remote Edition!
The InsightCenter has always been a vital and valuable element in our Audiolog For Public Safety recording system, allowing users the ability to recreate an incident using audio, video, and even text recordings, all in one place. But now this same functionality is available in the mobile environment!
What Does the Insight Center Remote Edition Offer?
This innovative new management tool allows users to oversee everything going on in the field, all at once, and all within one convenient application on a tablet. Created specifically for public safety use, our Insight Center Remote Edition offers the following capabilities:
These functionalities allow users to completely reconstruct a public safety incident from all angles, by listening to a series of audio recordings, watching recorded videos, and even viewing saved text messages, in chronological order, even if some of them overlap. The timeline provides context for the recordings, and the data grid gives details about each media item recorded. If media items include data on the latitude and longitude of their location, a map will also appear to show the location of each recording.
Even the smallest details have not been overlooked in providing for the needs of public safety officials. Users can zoom in and out, homing in on items that might otherwise have been missed. Recordings can be muted while others play, or played simultaneously for the full effect. Playback speed can be altered for both videos and audio recordings, in order to make speech or images more clear. And recorded text messages can even be read aloud by the application, in order to allow for a completely auditory experience.
The Benefits of the Insight Center Remote Edition
Just imagine the new possibilities that the Insight Center Remote Edition opens up for public safety management! Now, essential data can be reviewed in the field, as needed, instead of only at a desktop, leading to new opportunities for insight and immediate action.
Even in the middle of an ongoing incident, recordings can begin to be collected, organized, and analyzed by public safety officials on-scene, so that they have a clear picture of every aspect of the event, and can make the most informed decisions possible as the incident unfolds.
Vital information can quickly and easily be shared via email with others who need it, but who do not have access to the application itself. The Insight Center Remote Edition is the ultimate mobile communication tool for public safety management.
For more information about this exciting new public safety technology, as well as the Audiolog for Public Safety recording system, contact KOVA today!
The hectic pace of a contact center, not to mention dealing with customers on the phone that may not have your best interests in mind, can make for a stressful workday. While there are many different ways you can de-stress at your desk, meditation can help calm you down in a couple of seconds, not to mention refocus your brain so you can get back out there on the phone. Meditation does not have to be hard; there are many ways to feel less stressed with simple meditation techniques. Here are four different types of meditating you can do quietly and easily at your desk to de-stress at work.
Zen
You may be wondering, “How do I start meditating?” There are several different techniques that can be used to calm down and clear your mind, and Zen is one of them. Set a timer, make sure you’re relaxed in whatever position you’re in, and start breathing. Continue this, just focusing on your breathing, until the timer tells you you’re done. It’s important to note that while quiet background music sounds like a good idea, it’s better left until after you’ve been practicing Zen for a while. If you start with music right away, it’s likely to distract you from your breathing and have less of a calming effect.
Guided Meditation
There are many different apps on the market these days that help with guided meditation - some free, and some you have to buy. Download one of these apps and turn it on when you get stressed. You’ll mentally retreat into your happy place with the app’s help, and soothe whatever stresses or anxieties you have for the day. You may not have an epiphany, but it will calm you down halfway through a stressful day.
Rock Garden
You surely have seen a small rock garden sitting on one of your coworkers’ desks and wondered what that was for. The garden is inspired by traditional Buddhist principles used in Zen meditation. It will both look great on your desk and give you a quick second of meditation whenever you need it. If you’ve bought the rock garden and aren’t sure what to do with it to feel less stressed, here are some tips:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
You may want to use an app to do this as well, or just learn which muscles should be relaxed at what times. Focus on each muscle of the body, starting from your toes, first tensing, then relaxing. Do this three times, and then move to the next muscle. Make sure you incorporate breathing into this practice, as breathing helps the mind and soul just as much as a relaxed body. This can even be done while dealing with a challenging customer - you don’t have to wait until you get off the phone.
Keeping calm, cool and collected can be hard at work, especially when dealing with outside influences, like at a contact center. With these quick and easy at-work meditation tips, though, you should be answering calls like a de-stressed pro in no time. Have your own meditation tips? Leave a comment below!
As a dispatcher in a public safety answering point, you know that there are some seasons when you receive more calls from people experiencing emergencies, like the holidays and the summer. Here are some public safety tips that you can both use yourself, and pass on to the people you know, to prevent summer emergencies, and hopefully reduce the number of calls you receive about them.
1. Know proper water safety
You may have been swimming since you could walk, but freak accidents can happen to anyone. Try to always swim with a buddy, so that if an emergency does strike, you will have someone there to help. Never leave a young child unattended near the water, and if they will be swimming make sure they have the proper protective gear on. Avoid alcohol use and listen to the warnings if you will be swimming during a time when there could be inclement weather. There will always be risks associated with swimming, but when you take the right precautions, you will be doing what you can to ensure your safety.
2. Watch out for the heat
Heat related illness does not just affect children and the elderly; it can take its toll on anyone. If you are going to be outside for long periods of time, make sure you bring an adequate amount of water and try to take breaks sitting down, or inside an air-conditioned or shaded area every once in a while. Also make sure you are applying sunscreen before you go outside to avoid sunburn, and try to not do high energy activities during the hottest part of the day.
3. Know your creepy crawlers
During the summer, you are probably taking vacations or visiting places you have never visited before. In these unfamiliar locations, you may not realize it if the creepy crawler sitting on your dashboard is not a common house spider, but instead the most deadly spider known to mankind. Now, it probably will not be that extreme, but you will want to be able to remember if it’s red next to black or black next to yellow. Being aware of the creatures in an area that do have the potential to harm you will help you be more prepared if an emergency does arise, because you will have read up on how to respond to the situation. Also make sure you are wearing bug repellent when you venture outside to combat some of the creepy crawlers that think stinging you is in your best interest.
By taking these precautions and passing them on to others, you will be ready to stay safe yourself, to help others stay safe, and to help those who may not have been listening to the tips the first time. What are the most common summer emergency calls you receive in your public safety answering point? If you have any summer public safety tips of your own, be sure to visit our Facebook page and tell us about them!
We here at KOVA are excited to be able to say that our groundbreaking new public safety app, SilentPartner, has been chosen to move on to the next level of competition in the National Institute of Justice’s 2014 Ultra High Speed App Challenge: Using Current Technology to Improve Criminal Justice Operations. For more information about this competition and KOVA’s participation in it, check out our previous blog post.
The SilentPartner app is an all-in-one tool that allows emergency responders to capture, organize, and transmit data securely from the scene of a crime using their smart phones, as well as giving law enforcement officers the ability to play the Miranda rights to a subject in any language, while recording the subject’s response.
As the proud creators of this app, we were thrilled to receive a glowing review from the panel of distinguished judges responsible for making the decision that allowed us to advance, and we’d love to share with you what they felt to be its strongest features. A panel of judges evaluated entries based on the following categories:
• Contribution of the application towards improving the effectiveness and/or efficiency of criminal justice services (60%).
• Ease of implementing the application by state and local criminal justice agencies, including considerations of platform, and time and cost requirements (15%).
• Practicality of data set selection in terms of relevance, ease of acquisition, and ongoing access (15%).
• Feasibility of evaluation methodology and impact measurement (10%).
Here’s how SilentPartner did!
The judges recognized the fact that SilentPartner is helpful in multi-lingual situations, as well as in situations where data needs to be recorded for future court proceedings. They declared truly “worthwhile” our app’s ability to drastically decrease the amount of time an officer must devote to collecting crime scene data from disparate sources and then manually uploading it all into a database. They also stated, “The integration of photos, voice recordings, and cases number on a single platform has significant value,” and repeatedly described each aspect of the app as a “good idea” or a “good concept.”
The judges noted SilentPartner’s ability to be quickly implemented by local agencies, and stated that it would “provide immediate benefit to law enforcement” once in place. It also stated how the application considered factors such as platform, time, and cost requirements.
Here is what the judges had to say about SilentPartner in this category: “This is a practical solution and promotes managed data at the user level without the data having to be managed by the user. The information that is to be managed exists today, and this solution provides a mechanism to better document the activities that the law enforcement officer experiences. It may also allow for better use of the law enforcement officer’s time as the documentation of the audio and video data may remove the need for the officer to appear in court and testify to his experience in the field. The documented data from this solution may lead to more patrol time for the law enforcement officer and less time in the courts.”
According to the judges, “this proposal is feasible and can be implemented with direct benefit to the law enforcement officer.”
The judges had an overwhelmingly positive view of KOVA’s SilentPartner app. If you would like more information on the ways in which this exciting new app can help your law enforcement agency, read our SilentPartner FAQ sheet!
Exciting news! KOVA is thrilled to announce that our public safety app, SilentPartner, has been chosen to be one of only ten competition entries to advance to the next level of the National Institute of Justice’s Ultra High Speed App Challenge!
SilentPartner is a ground-breaking new mobile app that allows emergency responders to use their smart phones to capture data ranging from audio to photos to video while on-scene, to organize and classify that data so it’s easily retrievable, and then instantly and securely transmit it to their office database.
In evaluating the SilentPartner app, as well as its competitors, the judges – a panel of experts in the fields of criminal justice, public management, application development, emergency management, and network management – took the following criteria into account:
We here at KOVA are beyond excited to be able to say that SilentPartner satisfied each of these points, and that the National Institute of Justice found our app worthy of advancement to the next level of the competition.
The National Institute of Justice is a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and handles the research, development, and evaluation needs of that department. Their stated mission is to use science to improve the nation’s understanding of crime- and justice-related issues.
Together with the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Institute of Justice promotes the development of criminal justice apps that are compatible with Ultra-High-Speed (UHS) networks. In order to encourage and support organizations who develop such apps, the NIJ created its Ultra High Speed App Challenge.
This challenge calls for organizations to submit their designs for “UHS-compatible apps that measurably improve the efficiency and/or effectiveness of criminal justice and public safety services and operation.”
The National Institute of Justice explains the reasoning behind their competition in this way: “The expansion of UHS networks offers increased opportunity for the development of ‘disruptive’ criminal justice apps – apps that actually change the way services and information are delivered to criminal justice and other public safety practitioners. New UHS apps now have the potential to provide ubiquitous, real-time, individually tailored information and decision-support for criminal justice and public safety practitioners in rapidly evolving emergency situations, and the increased capacity of UHS systems now makes it possible to merge and manipulate data allowing for the development and use of powerful analytical and management tools.”
Apparently, the NIJ thinks that our SilentPartner app is exactly the kind of ‘disruptive’ criminal justice app they’re looking for. Out of the nationwide pool of contestants, only ten were chosen to advance to Phase Two of the Ultra High Speed App Challenge – and KOVA’s SilentPartner app was one of those ten.
For more information about SilentPartner, check out our new video explaining just how this ‘disruptive’ new app works!
People lucky enough to be able to count a law enforcement officer among their friends or relatives know that above all else, members of the police force are a family.
Whether they hail from a small town in Texas or a bustling metropolitan center in New Jersey, whether they’ve ever actually met or not, policemen from all over the country share a strong bond that stems from their shared commitment to keeping the public safe – and their willingness to risk their own lives every day to do so.
It’s that same family spirit that inspired Police Chief Patrick Montuore to create the Police Unity Tour back in 1997 – and that has seen the event grow from its humble beginnings with just 18 officers taking part, to this weekend’s 1,800 participants.
The Police Unity Tour’s motto is “We Ride For Those Who Died.” Participants in this 4-day event ride their bicycles about 70 miles each day, for a total of 300 miles, in order to raise money for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, and honor their fallen brothers and sisters.
Their journey kicked off this past Saturday with excitement and camaraderie in South Jersey, and ended four days later at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum in Washington, D.C., with a somber candlelight vigil and memorial in honor of all officers who have died in the line of duty.
This year, participants were able to raise almost $2 million for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, bringing the total amount raised over the years to a stunning $16 million. But despite the impressive numbers, keeping the memory of the fallen alive is what really motivates riders to put in the extra training, strap on those bike helmets, and join the Tour. Each participant rides in honor of certain fallen officers, and wears blue metal bracelets inscribed with their heroes’ names.
KOVA was a proud sponsor of the event this year, and even prouder that our own Carri Zeck’s husband, Captain Brian Zeck of the Mullica Police Department, was able to take part in the ride – so of course, we all turned out to cheer him on. (In the picture above, from left to right, Chris Silva, KOVA’s President; CJ Silva, Vice-President; Capt. Brian Zeck; and Carri Zeck, Customer Advocate Manager.)
Captain Zeck’s police department teamed up with the Hammonton Police Department to field a total of nine riders, each of whom committed to raising $1750 through various fundraisers in the months before the Tour to honor their fallen brethren. Their slogan as they worked towards their goal? “It’s not how these officers died that made them heroes, but how they lived.”
Nothing expresses the family spirit pervading our nation’s police force better than the eagerness of officers to ride in memory of fallen brothers or sisters they may never have even met. Taking the time out from their already hectic schedules to put in the hours of training and the hours of fundraising beforehand, making the trip to New Jersey from all over the country, and then riding their bicycles for 300 miles, all to ensure that those who have died are never forgotten – and even more, that their memories are held in highest honor at the nation’s capitol. It’s that spirit of brotherhood, of loyalty – and of love – that makes our nation’s police force a true family.
I am a police officer.
I get up in the morning, just like you.
I drink my coffee, just like you.
I hug my spouse.
I hug my kids.
And I say I love you, just like you -
But I never know if I'll come home at the end of my shift.
I am a police officer.
I get into my squad car.
I set my own self-interests aside.
I put myself in danger to keep you safe.
Your security is my responsibility.
I protect. I serve.
I’ll give my life to save yours.
I am a police officer.
I break up gang fights.
I bust drug rings.
I stop murders.
Somebody has to.
I get yelled at and spit on.
I get called names and cussed at.
I get death threats and complaints.
I am a police officer.
I don’t do it for the pay.
I don’t do it for the recognition.
I don’t do it for the peace of mind.
I do it because I believe in the law.
In justice. In peace.
I love what I do.
I deal with the insults.
I endure the assaults.
I suffer the stress.
So you don't have to.
I am a police officer.
I am human, just like you.
I have feelings, just like you.
But where I encounter violence, I bring peace.
Where I meet danger, I bring safety.
Where I see weakness, I bring strength.
I am a police officer.
I am proud to wear this badge.
I am honored to protect my community.
This is my calling. This is my life.
I hold strong the blue line.
My brothers who've fallen I honor each day.
The sacrifice they made, we'll never forget.
This is my duty and the burden I carry.
Everyone, over the course of his or her life, will experience a negative conversation with a stranger. A lot of these happen when working in a career that requires constant interaction with those outside the company. This type of situation is often challenging to deal with because you don’t know what has upset this person or how to make them feel better and alleviate their problems quickly. Here are five ways for contact centers to handle angry customers.
It may be hard to listen to another upset caller during a day that is seemingly one problem after another, so it is important to keep things in perspective. When a customer calls and explains their situation, put yourself in their shoes. This will allow you to focus 100 percent of your attention on the customer to provide a quick solution with great service instead of focusing on the number of minutes left until the end of the day. This will not only make the customer happy and dispel some of their stress, but it will also better the service you are giving the customer as they will, generally speaking, feel like you’re better taking care of them and their problem.
Don’t get caught up in your plans for after work or the weekend and tune out the contact center caller when they’re explaining what’s going on. One way to help ensure that you’re listening attentively is to reword and repeat what the customer is saying. Repeating takes care of two items: First, it ensures that you have an accurate understanding of their issue and second, it helps diffuse the situation because the customer will identify that you are actively listening to their issue.
Repeating also helps prevent the agent from frustrating the customer even more. For an angry individual, having to explain yourself over and over to an individual who is not listen will just increase the anger felt. Your goal is to leave the customer satisfied, not angry.
Let the customer know that you understand their concerns and are sincerely apologetic that the problem occurred. This will help them to calm down because they feel validated. Showing them that their concerns are valid will help you to get the situation fixed more quickly—and will help them to be more understanding towards you, because you’re not the cause of the problem.
Remember it is necessary to apologize (even though the problem is not your fault) because you are the face of the company and therefore when you apologize, you are apologizing on behalf of the company.
Humans tend to feed off each other’s emotions. It is easy to get caught up in the moment of crisis and begin speaking just as excitedly as the customer. To the same effect, do not respond in anger if they are frustrated. Regardless of your response, make sure to take a deep breath before responding and speak at a normal pace and keep your voice level mid-range. Control the situation by maintaining your tone of voice. This will help them to relax, speak more slowly, and understand you have the problem under control.
After offering the solution and taking the action necessary to fix the problem, make sure to take down the customer’s information just in case anything else goes wrong. Then in the next couple of days, follow up to make sure the solution that you offered did indeed satisfy the customer. This may not calm the contact center caller in the moment of their problem, but it will keep them coming back, because they realize you are going to get the job done quickly and correctly—and will check back to make sure.
Only tell the customer you will follow up with them after they give a verbal agreement in favor of the proposed solution to their issue. You do not want to discuss following up on the solution when the customer is already dissatisfied with the proposal.
This video from Myra Golden, a customer experience guru with over 15 years of experience, explains these concepts and more. Here’s what she has to say:
Dealing with angry contact center callers can be tough, but with these tips it will be easier to stay calm, cool and collected and provide great service while doing it. That way your customers will keep coming back and you will help uphold your company’s name, not affirm the mistake that was already made.
