3 effective ways to reduce contact centre absenteeism

Level: Intermediate

Absenteeism in the Spanish contact centre sector has reached an all-time high of 14.63%, according to the latest report from the Asociación CEX.

This figure, which has risen steadily over the last three years, highlights the need to protect those who are the voice of the brand and work tirelessly to take care of our customers.

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT AGENTS?

1. IMPLEMENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ASSIST AGENTS

AI in contact centres cannot handle customers with the same emotional intelligence as agents. However, it can still add value if we programme it to assist agents during conversations or to perform After Work Call (AWC) tasks.

In fact, according to a Microsoft survey of contact centre agents, 75% of respondents want AI to help them find the information they need.

That’s why the most advanced customer service software on the market incorporates AI that can translate conversations in real time, so agents can serve customers of different nationalities or provide instant answers to questions operators may have during a call.

2. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES USED IN THE CONTACT CENTRE

Did you know that 45% of agents feel overwhelmed by the number of tools they use every day? According to recent research from Gartner, one way to keep frontline teams productive is to simplify the number of tools agents use on a daily basis or, if that’s not possible, integrate them to minimise the number of times they have to switch between programs and automate the synchronisation of information.

Adopting omnichannel customer service software helps centralise all service channels on a single platform, eliminating the need to monitor email, WhatsApp or social media for new messages.

Similarly, native integration of voice with CRM allows you to automate the customer record pop-up when a call comes in, synchronise the contact list on both platforms, log call history in the customer file, initiate and answer callswithout leaving the customer manager, and more.

3. ENCOURAGING HYBRID WORKING

The CEX study mentioned at the beginning of this article shows that absenteeism is almost 5% lower in companies that allow hybrid working.

While it’s true that we need a cloud contact centre to be able to work from anywhere in the world, home internet connections are now powerful enough not to affect call quality.

In addition, customer service software with advanced monitoring can show the status of agents in real time and activate them remotely if they are absent.

However, integration between internal communications software and contact centre software may be the ultimate solution to ensure teams can continue to collaborate without barriers despite working remotely.

FINAL CONCLUSIONS

While it may seem that technology doesn’t play a major role in agent absenteeism, and that it’s perhaps more important to adopt strategies that foster team cohesion, it’s important to remember that the quality of software and hardware has an impact on those in roles where they spend eight hours in front of a computer.

Growing consumer demands and increasingly stringent regulations aimed at reducing response times mean that having the right customer service tools in place is essential to reducing absenteeism in the sector.

In this context, artificial intelligence is emerging as a key technology to support agents throughout their working day, helping to resolve queries and streamline processes without the need for constant supervisor intervention.

Customer experience should not come at the expense of agent wellbeing. Therefore, the industry must focus on developing strategies that support a complete experience for both customers and agents.

DISCOVER HOW AN OMNICHANNEL CONTACT CENTRE CAN HELP AGENTS DELIVER THE BEST POSSIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE