Call Recording Featured Article

One of the biggest challenges facing all companies today – but especially those in the contact center industry – is how to fully satisfy customer expectations on first contact.

There’s a reason for the old saying, “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” With so many choices and so much competition available to them, customers can be fickle indeed, and will drop you at the first sign of a perceived slight. So how can you assure that their experience with you is a good one?

One of the best ways is to make sure your employees are on the same page as you; that is, ‘Customers First.’

In a recent opinion piece on ComputerWorld.com, Eric Berridge, co-founder and CEO of Bluewolf -- the first global business consulting firm born in the cloud – took a deep dive into the customer’s world and looked at what motivates them.

“Customers are more empowered with choices, more vocal about their desires, and more tech-savvy in their communication than ever before,” Berridge noted. “Satisfying customer expectations each and every time determines whether today’s businesses rise or fall. To rise, enterprises not only need to maximize the customer experience, but also shift their focus to employee engagement. After all, the more engaged their employees become the more value they can provide to customers.”

Think about that in terms of the contact center. Are you getting maximum ROI out of your staffers? Is everyone on point 24/7, with the information and tools they need to help their callers from the first ring until ‘Goodbye’?

With the expansion of the workforce and the growing of the economy following recent slowdowns, it makes sense to optimize what you have, most easily through the use of Workforce Optimization (WFO) Software. Judicious use of such technology will assure that every team member stays focused and on point. But it also helps give them a sense of worth, and being part of something bigger.

“Companies need to put more accountability, authority and information into the hands of employees who are closest to their products and customers,” Berridge observes. “When employees have access to tools that improve the quality of their work lives, can service clients in the moment, and have opportunities that incentivize and reward their hard work, barriers that prevent deeper engagement at work and with customers are reduced.”

The end result is a team that pulls together for the greater good of the company. That, in turn, will result in a more stable workforce and a growing bottom line.