There are so many variables when it comes to measuring success in the call center. At the top of the list is how the customers are being served, but without the technologies to support the agents supporting the customers, there’s a whole mess that is just waiting to happen. But, which comes first? The technology or the service?
The answer is, well, both. Essentially, both have to coincide to keep a call center relevant and successful in a tech-heavy era. Nowadays, customers are more technologically savvy; ergo, we’re seeing an increase in mobile usage, which is now extending into call centers all over. The managers have to make the decision to adapt and evolve with the changing landscape by picking technologies that are scalable, easy to deploy and can offer all of the channels that customers today prefer to use as contact methods.
The multi-channel customer experience process relies on cloud platforms to help implement and maintain the systems by which they work. The cloud is not, of course, the be-all-end-all of call center success, however, it does take the technology factor out of the hands of managers who otherwise wouldn’t know what to do with it. Less IT staff to maintain means more money on the bottom line. The caveat here is that, despite great features, none of it is any good if the call center itself is woefully understaffed.
This is, of course, why both technology and service must work together to ensure call center efficiency and relevance.
One surefire way call center managers can measure how they’re doing with their technologies and staffing is going through a call center certification program. With call center certification, valuable insight, like call center functions, technologies, how call centers grow and keep customers, as well as agent productivity can be obtained.
Organizations like BenchmarkPortal (News - Alert) offer a rigorous certification process that holds managers to certain performance levels and standards that will keep call centers in a competitive position.
The process is done in three steps; first with a survey to compare performance with similar call centers in the same industry, then a customer satisfaction survey, followed by independent agent satisfaction survey. According to the company’s website, it has become mandatory that the call handling process be conducted at best practice standards.
With so many customer criteria and changing technologies within the call center culture, it’s no wonder call center managers can have a difficult time rating and maintaining call center efficiency. Going through a call center certification process takes a lot of the guesswork out of figuring out the whys and hows, and puts the confidence back in the center as well as the customers calling in.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson