2 min
In a world where “work from anywhere” has become the norm, how do organizations manage the efficient scheduling and forecasting of their staff while keeping teams connected and meeting service levels?
The growth of digital platforms has simply increased complexity, but not necessarily for the greater good. A survey conducted by McKinsey & Company reveals that during the pandemic, consumers have moved towards digital channels. Additionally, organizations are three times more likely than before the crisis to say that at least 80% of customer interactions are now digital in nature. However, only 35% of consumers are truly satisfied with automated customer experience (CX) solutions and 38% would rather talk to a human.
5 Keys to Keep Call Center Operational Efficiency Simple
The first step in successfully addressing operational complexity in contact centers is being aware of the dos and don’ts. The most common mistakes can be avoided by keeping these 5 keys in mind:
1) Think Before You Digitize
Instead of simply replacing systems and processes with “look-alike” digital equivalents, it is wise to check whether the original ways of working are still fit for purpose for the organization. This will save time and money later on.
2) Add Value
Having the right mindset is critical to success. The usual reaction is to solve operational problems by reducing costs in order to increase profitability. However, this is a fairly common mistake, since customer satisfaction must be taken into account. Therefore, the correct thing to do is to ask how to add more value and obtain good results while achieving a positive business impact.
3) Involve the Right People
To find new ways to serve customers, you have to consider the opinion of the agents and involve them from the beginning of the process. They have a wealth of valuable information and first-hand experience that is vital in selecting the right digital technology to deliver excellent customer service.
4) Learn From Users
When a company wants to introduce a new channel or service, it is key to ask customers if they think it would be useful or not. Doing the right research, design, and testing will prevent costly mistakes and keep customers and employees happy through closer engagement.
5) Evaluate Success Criteria
Too many call centers are so focused on metrics like the number of calls handled per hour or average handle times that customers end up being treated like a statistic rather than a real person. Therefore, it is necessary to implement the correct measures that evaluate the human factor of digital interactions.
Call Centers Focused On The Human Touch
The construction of an operational strategy that starts from a human perspective achieves 7 positive results such as:
- Foster collaboration (to avoid soled thinking, processes, and ultimately costly mistakes as organizations transition to digital platforms).
- Listen to stakeholders (including IT and other senior executives).
- Involve everyone in the process (contact center staff, marketing, sales and operations).
- Create a shared vision for CX and the employee experience (EX) across the organization.
- Identify capabilities and, therefore, by default, where the gaps are.
- Align people, processes and technology.
- Promote the technological roadmap.
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