Some larger banking companies' call centers need improvement in sales and service to make a better bottom-line contribution, a mystery-shopping report concludes.
O'Connor & Associates evaluated 15 banks in its survey, having mystery-shoppers place 100 calls to each of the banks' call centers and ask for information on deposit products and personal loans.
Overall, the centers received poor marks from the Ponte Vedra, Fla., research firm. Just 41% of representatives asked for the customer's name, and only about half sought the customer's business on the product they called about. Only one in five reps tried to cross-sell the customer a product.
"It's a tough atmosphere out there, and there are a lot of challenges as call centers look to turn into profit centers from an expense item," said Anthony Viggiano, an executive vice president at O'Connor, which does the mystery shopping twice a year. He said the biggest hurdle is turnover - a third of call-center employees last less than a year.
In some ways the O'Connor report, which came out Tuesday, mirrored a mystery-shopping report that Citigroup Inc. published last month about
SunTrust Banks Inc. of Atlanta was No. 1 in the O'Connor survey. It asked for the caller's business 89% of the time, and 96% of its representatives thanked the prospect for calling. It also received high marks for professionalism and customer reception.
The Citigroup report did not speak so highly of SunTrust. The branches visited showed "poor execution" and a "lack of hunger," it said.
A SunTrust spokesman said the company is "equally focused on quality across the spectrum of delivery channels" and that the O'Connor study was "a gratifying indication that our focus and investments are paying off in a very tangible way."
Comerica Inc., Citigroup, Bank of America Corp., and Huntington Bancshares Inc. rounded out the O'Connor survey's top five performers. (B of A had the highest rating for product knowledge.)
Commerce Bancorp of Cherry Hill, N.J., had the lowest rating in the O'Connor study. Commerce, which prides itself on customer service, was among the top performers in the Citigroup report.
O'Connor's Mr. Viggiano said that only 24% of Commerce representatives asked for the caller's business.
A Commerce spokesman said that its call centers generally emphasize existing accounts rather than prospective customers, and that Commerce's cross-selling strategy largely involves letting customer service "speak for itself" rather than aggressively pitching products..
Representatives from the other four banks that made the top five said their performance reflected a dedication to quality service.
"We are thrilled that our customer service representatives have received recognition for all their hard work to help Citibank provide a superior customer experience," a Citi spokesman said.
The Detroit-based Comerica said it was happy to see that a focus on training and culture was working, and a spokeswoman for Huntington, of Columbus, Ohio, said, "We think our call centers are one of the things we do well."
A B of A spokeswoman said the Charlotte company "continues to be highly focused on delivering a superior customer service experience through all channels."
