Workforce Optimization Can Help Bridge the Contact Center/Marketing Gap

Your call center has a lot to accomplish in a given day. From answering calls in a timely manner to completing database information on every interaction, how can you be sure that the information communicated best represents your brand? At the same time, how do you support the efforts of your staff to keep the center running smoothly?

The answer may be found in workforce optimization. This recent NICE blog focuses on a common problem that can exist within the organization that relies heavily on the call center to support its customer-facing efforts: the call center and the marketing department don’t always get along. Why the animosity? The two don’t seem to put forth the effort to support the strategic goals of the other. 

This is a challenge that your workforce optimization solution must try and overcome as any situation that pits two divisions together who should be working toward the same strategic end can hurt your overall success. You don’t want an environment where your performance relies solely on a few exceptional performers. You also don’t want to create a situation where any missed targets are blamed on the marketing department.

It is the responsibility of the marketing department to focus their efforts and attention on key campaigns and activities to attract buyers and persuade them to take action. After all, the marketing department is measured on this ability. The pitfall here is when it is assumed that everything that happens after that is out of their realm of responsibility. One challenge was clearly highlighted by eMarketer (News - Alert).com: 94 percent of all marketing money is spent getting the customers in the door, leaving only 6 percent to work with once they have arrived. This approach ignores the important role the contact center plays in this initiative – capturing the true voice of the customer. 

The marketing department needs to stop talking and start listening at that point as recorded calls offer valuable information on how offers and campaigns can be fined tuned and improved. When you implement workforce optimization solutions within the contact center environment that keep everyone focused on the same goal, you can also extend to your marketing department the valuable information captured in your recorded calls. When these calls are analyzed properly, they offer a goldmine of insight and information. 

To get to that point, there needs to be a healthy, two-way relationship between the contact center and the marketer. Technology solutions such as VoIP call recording and workforce optimization solutions can help to keep everyone moving in the same direction, focused on achieving those strategic goals. The two departments should be working together, supporting the efforts of the other to effectively reduce their own. When this happens, every customer interaction can be optimized for success.

 Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Juliana Kenny