Best Ways To Reduce Call Center Wrap-Up Time

A Report states that the median wrap-up time takes 25-30 seconds across various call centers. 

Most customers rely on call centers to have their concerns heard and solved. As a matter of fact, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver interactions and resolution, and 76% of them get frustrated when it doesn’t happen. So, customer service and efficiency is the ultimate goal of any call center.

Call centers and managers always look for innovative steps to improve efficiency and customer experience. One of the best ways to do this is by reducing the wrap-up time without compromising the quality of the customer interaction. 

So, in this blog, we will discuss the best ways to reduce call center wrap-up time. Let’s start with an introduction to call center wrap-up time. 

Explanation of Call Center Wrap-up Time

Wrap-up time in the context of a call center is the post-call work time an agent spends on a call. Wrap-up time is commonly known as post-call processing, After-Call Work (ACW), or wrapping-up time because this is the time when the agents perform various call-related tasks once they have concluded an interaction. 

The wrap-up time usually consists of taking notes and documenting the conversation, updating the details in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, informing the concerned departments of the customer interaction, representing the customer’s concern to the manager, and preparing for the next interaction. 

How to Measure Wrap-up Time?

There is no question that the wrap-up time must be reduced as much as possible. However, it is essential for call centers, agents, and supervisors to know how to measure wrap-up time. Moreover, calculating the wrap-up time does not require any rocket science. So, let’s check it out.

The formula to calculate wrap time is Wrap Time = Total Wrap Time  ÷ Number of Calls

There are various software applications available which can calculate the wrap-up time. However, in case of the absence of the software, you can use the formula mentioned above to measure the time manually. 

Finally, agents and call centers can calculate the average wrap-up time of each individual agent to check the effectiveness and make decisions to reduce the time. 

The formula to calculate the average wrap-up time is:

Average wrap-up time = (Total Handling Time – Total Hold Time – Total Talk Time) ÷ Total Number of Calls Made

Why Is Wrap-up Time Important In Call Centers?

Calculating and reducing the wrap-up time is very important for every contact center for proper utilization of resources, cost saving, and equal workload for all the agents. Let’s cover the importance in more detail. 

• Cost Saving: When there is a reduced call wrap-up time, call centers can manage and handle more calls and customer inquiries with the same staff, which helps save costs. Moreover, it also results in better productivity for each agent. 
• Better Customer Experience: Extended wrap-up time can delay agents in addressing another call, which might be irritating for customers, and rightfully so. Nobody wants to wait to be served in today’s time. Hence, reduced wrap-up time means agents can pick up and handle other customer calls, improving the interaction and customer experience. 
• Proper Utilization of Resources: When an agent takes too much wrapping time, other agents might have to address more calls, which can overwhelm them and reduce the overall efficiency. As a result, reduced call center wrap-up time ensures that the work is equally distributed and resources are properly utilized. 

Ways To Reduce Call Center Wrap-Up Time

1. Agents Training

First, agent training is one of the most effective ways to reduce the call center wrap-up time. You can educate and train the agents about the efficient use of Customer Relationship Management and call center software applications. Moreover, Offer training on documenting a call, making notes, updating customer profiles, and other documentation tasks. 

Remember that the training must include system handling, query identification skills, smart time management, customer handling skills, and system navigation. 

2. Automation

Assess which processes are taking the most time in wrap-up tasks. Determine if these processes can be automated and if the answer is yes, consider automating the process. If the cost and budget are manageable, automation can be a great tool in the long run. That’s not all! Automation will also ensure a significant reduction in human errors.

With automation tools, you can reduce the time and effort spent on repetitive post-call tasks. For example, software can automatically log calls, update customer information, and categorize dispositions in call centers. As a result, manual work is reduced, and wrap-up tasks are sped up.

3. Call Distribution

Most of the extended wrap-up time occurs when the agent is unaware of the customer’s queries. Hence, you can implement a proper call distribution method to route the calls to the right agent based on their skills and expertise to reduce the wrap-up time. Organize your team so that calls can be divided by customer type if possible.

4. Use Latest Technology

Using the latest technology helps in time-saving and management in various steps like problem identification, multi-tasking, improved navigation, and query management. Using the latest technology, like various call centers and CRM software, streamlines the process. 

Furthermore, ensure that all the hardware equipment and software applications function properly before starting the work to ensure smooth operation and reduced wrap-time. 

5. Monitor the Wrap-up time and Reasons

Assess the steps where agents are taking too much time in wrap-up actions. A call center manager can use this data to identify areas where agents may be struggling and improve specific post-call process aspects. Based on this data, decisions and initiatives can be taken as needed. 

Furthermore, you can find out if the agents are just wasting time. For example, in some cases, agents stay on the call when the customers forget to hang up the call or when agents pretend to make notes and documents while, in reality, they are doing something else. Screen recordings and trace reports can be used to detect this case. 

6. Perform Wrap-up Task During the Call

Another way to reduce the wrap-up time is by performing a wrap-up task during the call. Encourage the agents to perform some tasks during the call. For example, agents can register information in CRM during the call, make notes about the call, and enter the queries. 

Although we cannot perform all the tasks during the call, we can save some time by performing one or two tasks. However, remember that these acts should not affect the quality of interaction. 

7. Teach Agents to Use Abbreviations

We often use abbreviations in our personal communication, so why not bring it to work? Yes, you read that right, using abbreviations in call centers can reduce a significant wrap time in note-making, documentation, and record keeping. Remember that the abbreviations should be known to everyone to avoid any confusion in the future. 

8. Using Call Recording Features

Recording features allow agents to refer to specific details anytime during the call. Since the recording provides accurate information, agents do not need to take extensive notes during the call. Hence, encouraging employees to use call recording tools can streamline your process and improve the end result. 

9. Use of Interactive Voice Response

Using the smart IVR system features, you can reduce the time it takes for customers to be placed on hold or transferred to another agent. In this way, call completion times are reduced.  

IVR systems can be used at the beginning of the call to collect basic customer information and preferences. Since the essential data has already been collected, agents can focus on addressing specific customer needs.

10. Break Down Complex Calls Into Manageable Tasks

Breaking down complicated calls into smaller activities is one of the major obstacles to lowering Wrap Up Time. You may ensure that each duty is carried out correctly and swiftly by segmenting a call into parts. This will shorten the time needed to finish a call and boost customer satisfaction.

Assigning these duties to various agents or teams will let them focus on various parts of the problem, cutting down on wrap-up time.

Conclusion

Summing up, reducing the wrap-up time is one of the most important goals of any call center because of the associated benefits like customer satisfaction, efficiency, and cost savings. As customers worldwide demand better service and the competition in call centers increases, it is perfect for you to implement ways to reduce the wrap-up time. 

There are many ways to reduce the time; however, we have listed some of the most effective ones. You can cover the above-mentioned points to ensure minimum call wrap-up time. 

FAQs

How do I reduce wrap time in a call center?

You can reduce wrap time in a call center by following the given steps: 

• Agent Training
• Automation in operation
• Equal call distribution
• Use of the latest technology
• Monitoring the reasons for wrap-up time
• Performing wrap-up task during the call
• Use of abbreviations
• Using call recording features and IVR
• Break down complex tasks into manageable tasks

How can I make my call center time go faster?

As an employee, you can make your call center time go faster by being prepared before the start of your shift, staying focused on the task at hand, being efficient with your time, and finding ways to make your call center job more fun and enjoyable. 

Is wrap time included in AHT?

Yes, wrap time is included in AHT. AHT, or average handling time, measures how long it takes for a customer interaction to be completed. This includes talk and hold times as well as wrap times.

What is the KPI in a call center?

There are many KPIs in a call center, which include Customer Satisfaction, First Call Resolution (FCR), and Average Handling Time (AHT).