Call Center Management Featured Article
Declutter Agent Desktops for Speedy Customer Support Experiences
When customers are asked what they want in a customer support experience, the word that comes up most often is “fast.” Customers today like being able to answer their own questions with effective self-service solutions. When they can’t, they reach out for live help. If it’s not all they want –fast, easy and positive – they may go elsewhere with their business.
Companies also want customer support experiences to be fast, but for different reasons: the shorter the calls or chat sessions, the cheaper it is to the organization. The problem is that when customers are rushed by companies to save time (and costs), the quality of service can go down if the company isn’t organized to accomplish “fast” effectively. Many customer-facing organizations today would benefit greatly from efforts to consolidate processes to eliminate errors and redundancy, and boost the speed with which agents can provide resolutions, according to Cisco’s Jeff Campbell in a recent blog post.
“Make every reasonable attempt to consolidate overlapping business functions and processes that impact your customer service,” wrote Campbell. “For example, have you combined separate customer databases you may have accumulated through the years? What about billing systems and support centers? Making these kinds of changes can be expensive, so consider the costs versus the benefits. There’s no one correct answer. You need to strike the right balance for your business and your customers.”
While it’s unrealistic to think you could ever build a single system or database that will solve all customers’ problems, the fewer places agents need to hunt, the shorter the calls and the better the resolutions will be. Frequently, agents already have too many applications open on their desktops: the call, a chat, an internal communications and collaboration solution, a customer relationship management (CRM) system, several knowledge bases, the customer’s record, and even recording and workforce management apps. When it becomes necessary to toggle between eight, nine or more desktops, the longer the call becomes and the more chances there are to deliver erroneous information.
“Customer care agents often need to consult multiple sources to help customers,” wrote Campbell. “Can your agents quickly access the information they need from a single desktop ‘cockpit’? Is their desktop customizable, allowing agent teams to organize for maximum efficiency?”
This customization idea is an important one. Agents may work in different communications channels during the day, which may require different desktop configurations. They may switch between inbound and outbound, or they move from one campaign to another. Ensure your contact center is equipped to help agents use the fewest possible screens for the task at hand.
“Cloud-based context services allow you to keep track of key information across time and channels, enabling agents to help consumers more quickly and accurately,’ wrote Campbell. “This is the promise of ‘omnichannel’ customer care.”
“Fast” is good for everyone: customers, agents and the company’s bottom line. But it’s a reckless endeavor if the agents aren’t properly trained and equipped to move at the brisk pace customers expect today.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi