FCR rate of successful call centers is at least 70 percent. In other words, their agents are master problem solvers.
So, how do you ensure this, too?
The answer: By mastering probing questions in customer service and implementing effective agent questioning strategies.
In this article, we will discuss how effective probing questions reveal the actual problem in customer service.
Let’s begin.
Transitioning from Superficial Questions to Structured Probing Questions
Probing questions may initially seem like indirect questions. Or, your agents might think they are using these questions just to be more polite. However, thinking this way is a major misconception because there are mainly 3 important reasons behind call center conversation techniques that affect call center performance improvement.
- Root Cause Analysis: The right questions reveal technical glitches that the customer is unaware of.
- Prevention of Misunderstandings: Structured probing ensures that the agent and the customer stay on the same page.
- Reduction of Unnecessary Transfers: An agent who correctly diagnoses the problem at the first stage does not feel the need to transfer the customer to other departments.
Structured questions in this manner allow the agent to both confirm the situation and understand the problem’s context. Moreover, because these questions are clearly aimed at identifying the problem, they demonstrate the agent’s mastery of their work and increase the customer’s willingness to participate in solving it.
🎯 Call Center Studio analytics, and especially CX Insights, provide the data needed to reduce repeat calls while allowing you to offer almost invisible guidance to your agents.
Want to learn more?
You can always talk with one of our experts.
Everything Starts with Intent Reading
At this point, customer intent detection (CID), unlike a simple voice recognition system, is a mechanism that understands “why” the customer is calling by combining data, even before they pronounce that word or even if they express it incompletely.
Intent Detection not only gives tips to the agent but also works before the call is even connected to the agent:
- Smart IVR: If the system understands that the customer’s intent is an “invoice objection” (for example, if their last invoice is 50% higher than normal), it transfers them to a senior agent who is an expert in “Billing and Reconciliation” instead of an ordinary customer representative.
When the agent has no data about customers on the line, they usually ask a blind question. For example, when a customer says “I want to cancel my account!”, the agents answer “Can I ask why?”
This type of question increases tension by making the already angry and weary customer explain the whole process from the beginning.
On the other side, the intent detection probing strategy gives the agent a “premonition.” Since the agent knows the customer’s story, they go directly to the solution like:
- Customer: “I’m going to cancel my service.”
- Agent: “I totally understand. Before your cancellation request, as far as I can see in my records, is it the speed drop you’ve been experiencing for the last 3 days that drove you to this decision?”
This approach makes the customer say, “They know me and are aware of my problem.” It shortens the path to the solution by breaking the customer’s defense mechanism.
This system doesn’t just focus on the conversation at that moment. It tracks your customer’s entire digital footprint by recognizing:
- Past Interactions: Has the customer called for technical support 3 times in the last 1 week?
- Website Movements: Did they visit the “Frequently Asked Questions – Cancellation Conditions” page on the customer panel?
- Usage Data: Has the internet speed remained below what was committed for the last few days?
Intent Detection analyzes these data within seconds and drops the following note on the agent’s screen: “This customer most likely wants to leave due to a chronic connection problem.”
Type of Probing Questions
Probing questions are generally classified into 4 main categories according to their structure and purpose:
1. Clarifying Probing
Used to clarify vague or superficial statements made by the customer. For example, when a customer says, “My internet isn’t working,” this type of question comes into play.
Purpose: To eliminate assumptions and reach concrete data.
Examples:
- “When you say connection problem, are you talking about the speed slowing down or a complete disconnection?”
- “Can you describe exactly the color of the warning light glowing on your device?”
2. Exploratory Probing
This question technique is used to understand the context and environmental factors of the problem. It usually starts with “Why,” “How,” and “When.”
Purpose: To find out how often the problem occurs and what triggers it.
Examples:
- “At what times of the day or during which operations does this problem usually occur?”
- “Did you make any changes or updates to the system immediately before the problem occurred?”
3. Impact/Consequence Probing
As the name suggests, these types of questions are used to understand the impact and urgency of the current problem on the customer. These questions also allow the agent to empathize and prioritize correctly.
Purpose: To understand the extent of the grievance experienced by the customer and emphasize the importance of the solution.
Examples:
- “How is this interruption affecting your current workflow or urgent deliveries?”
- “If we cannot solve this problem today, what kind of risk would arise for you?”
4. Non-Leading (Open-Ended) Questions
If you want the customer not to be limited to “Yes/No” answers, then the agents should use open-ended questions. The purpose of these kinds of questions is to catch details that the customer has not yet voiced.
Examples:
- “Can you describe the process you experienced from start to finish?”
- “Can you mention what steps you have tried before to solve this problem?”
When the right questions are asked early, the problem-solving process naturally shortens. If your first call resolution FCR rates are lower than industry standards, it may be because your agents haven’t yet mastered the right agent questioning strategies to go ‘deep’ enough.
From Training to Implementation: Personalized Coaching
When your agents are trained and supported by a strong AI infrastructure: the goal to reduce repeat calls and achieve sustainable call center performance improvement is no longer a daydream.
For this reason, instead of general training, implement data-driven personalized agent development plans. Such training is usually based on two foundations:
- Transcript Analysis: Transcripts of calls that were unsuccessful and caused a repeat call should be examined with the agent in coaching sessions. The question “What question should you have asked here so that the customer wouldn’t need to call again?” increases self-awareness.
- Live Intervention (Whisper Mode): Supervisors can convey the correct probing question by whispering to the agent during a difficult meeting, thus providing training at the moment of crisis.
Use real-time chat monitoring and reporting features for your training program: A new level to focus not only on the “what” question but also on the “how” and “why” questions in your operation
