Call Center Management Featured Article
How WFM Software Impacts CX
Delivering great customer experiences is more than a one-and-done effort. It’s a multifaceted journey that touches virtually every aspect of your business.
That’s a big job, and it isn’t an easy one. But it can be well worth the effort, especially considering that those who don’t put the time and effort into CX might not be around for long and those that do sometimes see amazing results.
Just look at Amazon, Apple (News - Alert), Starbucks, and Southwest. All of these companies have built their amazing brands by delivering truly unique customer experiences. And those experiences include everything from their marketing messages to their products and services to their delivery and after-purchase processes.
So how can your business become the Amazon in its respective field?
Well, the first question you’ve got to ask yourself is: What will make for a fantastic customer experience?
While it’s true that customers don’t always know what they want, a lot of times they actually do. So it’s a really great idea to ask them, and to seek input on how you can improve your existing products and processes.
There’s no need to wait to get started. Go ahead and ask them now, or next time they buy a product from you, call your contact center, or cancel an order.
After you’ve collected this information, share both the bad and the good with the appropriate people within your organization. That can go a long way in deciding how to improve less than optimal experiences. And it can help company morale.
But don’t just look outside your organization to improve CX. Look within it as well. For example, consider what you can do to create or reinforce your desired company culture. And create an environment in which your workers know what to do, what to expect, and where to seek assistance if they have questions or concerns.
In call center environments that should include training team members on what to do and not to do, and how to use the technology they need to get the job done. Don’t forget to update them on the details of any new campaigns, processes, and technology along the way.
Providing call center agents and managers with enough work so they don’t get bored but not so much that they feel really overloaded can also go a long way in building a good culture and creating an environment in which workers are most likely to be helpful, kind, and caring to callers while doing their best to meet call center key performance indicators.
Using forecasting software can help you create the perfect balance of supply and demand in your call center. That way you’ll be able to set schedules based on past experiences and other relevant parameters. And the latest and greatest scheduling software can give you the flexibility to let agents have a say in their own schedules and even make changes to those schedules – like swapping a shift with a coworker – when needed.
In the end, this kind of flexibility and positive environment can led to happier employees that stay with you longer (meaning lower recruitment and training costs, and more experienced workers, for you), more satisfied customers, a stronger brand, and better financial returns.
Edited by Mandi Nowitz