3 Tips for Good Customer Data Management in a Call Center

In this world of hyper-personalization, customer data is very valuable and its management takes care of collecting, organizing, storing and protecting it.

Unfortunately, there are many examples of improper customer data management, some serious enough to make headlines (such as the leakage of personal information from social media users). But these bad practices sometimes just create experiences that can be uncomfortable. For example, the receipt of a monthly newsletter from which the client has already unsubscribed or with his or her name misspelled.

The two examples given above are very different in scope and severity, but both are the result of data management problems.

Managing the massive amounts of customer data that is being produced these days is a complex task. When companies undergo a digital transformation, the biggest challenge many of them face is managing and integrating data from multiple systems.

Deloitte found that “companies have an average of 16 different technology applications that leverage customer data, with an average of 25 different data sources being used to drive user insights and engagement.”

Integrating, managing, analyzing, leveraging and protecting data is essential for organizations that want to deliver personalized customer experiences (CX) and gain insights. In fact, according to one study, nearly 80% of executives surveyed agree that companies will lose a competitive advantage if they don’t use data effectively. Such an important and complex task requires a detailed data management plan.

What Is Data Management?

Data management formalizes control and authority over how data assets are managed. It also provides standards for how they are cataloged, defined, collected, stored, used, protected, and maintained. Effective customer data management not only enables CX satisfaction, but also enables companies to comply with laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, and storage of personal information. This is imperative for call centers, which normally handle large amounts of information on a daily basis.

Practical Tips for Managing Customer Data

How customer data is managed will ultimately affect a company’s bottom line. Data breaches, for example, can result in costly fines, reputational damage, and loss of business. On the other hand, leveraging data to better understand users and anticipate their needs can lead to revenue and significantly higher customer lifetime value.

3 Tips for Good Customer Data Management in a Call Center

1) Universal Unique Identifiers

If you really want to have a unique view of each customer, one of the best data management practices is to assign them a unique identifier, such as a customer ID, and should be used by all systems. This enables analysts to associate each customer data point in any system, resulting in more accurate analysis and a more complete understanding of user behavior.

Additionally, an identifier enables organizations to provide the omnichannel experiences that customers expect. If all contact center systems use the unique identifier, the customer is known everywhere they interact, regardless of the channel. This means they can seamlessly move between channels and receive personalized offers and experiences on each channel.

2) Use the Appropriate Technical Tools to Manage Customer Data

Managing and leveraging so much customer data requires tools that simplify data management and transform it into useful information. For customer service operations that generate and rely on accurate and comprehensive customer information, a unified call center platform and analytics powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) will provide the capabilities necessary to deliver personalized omnichannel experiences.

It is very important that call centers, which often use applications from various providers, are properly integrated so that there are no problems in managing customer data. In this regard, recent consumer research revealed probable symptoms of poorly integrated contact center solutions:

• 64% of customers had to repeat information.
• 59% had to repeat information even though they were communicating with the same agent.
• 70% had to repeat information when changing to a new agent.

A unified call center platform can solve the problems caused by poorly integrated contact center applications. When the unified platform includes applications such as Automatic Call Distributor (ACD), Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Workforce Management (WFM) and digital and voice channels, the systems are integrated out of the box. This cross-channel interaction makes managing customer data much easier, provides agents with relevant context and history, and enables seamless omnichannel experiences.

Additionally, AI provides the power to analyze customer service interactions and provide meaningful information that can be shared with the rest of the business. For example, engagement analytics tools can analyze 100% of them from voice and digital channels and provide insights on customer sentiment, contact drivers, and trending topics. This is useful information for call center leaders, but it can also lead to improvements in other areas that impact CX, such as product features and marketing campaigns.

3) Implement a Data-Driven Customer Success Program

To get the most out of your integrated and secure customer data, you want to implement a customer success program. These programs predict customer needs and questions and address them proactively. “Proactivity” is a key difference between customer success and customer service, which is often reactive. Customer success programs also help customers get the most out of purchased products and services.

The ability to predict user needs is based on your data and requires AI analysis tools. These tools provide an integrated view of operations and customers and allow companies to optimize the CX and quickly adapt to the ever-changing expectations and preferences of consumers. Additionally, data-driven customer success programs allow companies to tailor the customer journey.

Organizations that have successful programs for customer success have effectively embraced data management principles, including:

• Standardize customer data across the organization.
• Establish a single view of customer data by integrating all business systems.
• Leverage data to measure customer experiences at all stages of the customer journey.

Data-driven customer success programs generate significant business benefits, such as:

• Higher earnings.
• Higher lifetime customer value.
• Improved Net Promoter Score (NPS).
• Greater employee commitment.
• Decrease in customer service costs.

In conclusion, managing customer data is important to ensure that data is useful, standardized, and protected. And to get the most value out of that data, companies must implement initiatives that use it to better understand their customers, improve CX and the customer journey. According to Gartner’s 2020 CEO Survey, 80% of companies plan to increase their spending on digital technology. These organizations are positioning themselves to capitalize on the value of customer data.