Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
How Call Center Scheduling Can Be Used to Improve Customer Care
Do you associate service level goals with your call center scheduling? Companies that are dominating in their industries have discovered the best ways to realize revenue opportunities is through a commitment to continuous improvement. If you think this has little to do with your scheduling activities, it’s time to rethink your approach to quality customer care.
Monet Software, a provider of call center scheduling solutions recently tackled this topic in a company blog. The company is a big proponent of paying attention to service levels and believes the companies who put this as a priority in their quest to always improve will enjoy long-term success. To accomplish this goal, Monet Software suggests that you start with asking the right questions.
First – do you know the cost of your service levels? You have to know the difference in cost between the immediate response and one that the customer has to wait to receive. Plus, you need to know the cost to your organization if the service level assumed is not the service level the customer requires.
Second – do you know how your costs would be impacted if you have higher or lower service levels? It’s easy to get scared of the cost associated with customer service, especially when that care needs to extend beyond the customer self-service channel. Your best agents cost a lot to have on the floor and an attempt to reduce costs could leave the individual responsible for call center scheduling with their hands tied when it comes to performance metrics.
Third – do you know how a change to your service could impact customer satisfaction? This is perhaps one of the most important questions you should ask before making any kind of change. It’s easy to see one number and let it affect your decisions across the board. The problem with a blanket approach is that it ignores other variables that can impact the bottom line. You need to measure the customer experience and understand how all channels play into that experience.
Finally – how do you decide on a service level goal? It’s not uncommon to go with the standard of 80 percent of your calls answered in 20 seconds as so many other call centers have relied on this strategy as it’s attainable and measurable. The problem with keeping to the status quo is that everyone else will do the same and it leaves you blended into the mix. Instead, look at your call center scheduling to get a better handle on how you might be able to do this better than the competition.
The important point is to understand the service levels you need to achieve and how your quality people will help you get there. Blend the resulting strategy into your call center scheduling and the outcome will drive effective results.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi