Improve
Operational Efficiency Of Call Centers While Meeting Business Strategies
By Al Baker, Siemens Global eCRM Solutions
When call centers first came onto the business scene more than 20 years
ago, their purpose in the enterprise was simply to process customer calls
as fast as possible and as economically as possible. Their only strategic
value for the enterprise was telephony cost-cutting and human resource
economy of scale. Call centers provided a method and means to drive
random, uninitiated and expensive customer telephone calls into a highly
managed operations framework. For the enterprise, the ability to manage,
monitor and drive discipline into this area was good news and 'good
enough.' Never mind customer satisfaction, customer retention, providing
great service or upselling for more revenue; just answer the call and move
on to the next call as fast as possible. But as competitive pressures,
cost pressures and market speed have increased in all industries and
markets, so has the need, if not the demand, for a different view of the
call center.
The late 1990s were exciting times for the world of traditional call
centers in most enterprise companies. There was a growing trend to transform
call centers from a necessary operational part, although unprofitable
resource, of the company, into a strategic business initiative. In many
cases, becoming the engine behind a customer relationship management (CRM)
initiative focused on driving long-term customer relationships, leveraging
and enabling the company's business strategies and driving new
revenue-generating opportunities. For some companies, in changing or
emerging industries, the call center has become the 'silver bullet' to drive
back the competition.
How Did We Lose Operational Efficiency?
In general, call center technology responded very well to this new view
and role for the call center in the enterprise. With the introduction of
intelligent screen pops in the late 1980s, skills-based routing in the mid
1990s, CRM software in the late 1990s and now the serious use of e-mail and
Web media for customer interaction in the contact center, there is no debate
on whether call center technology has morphed and matured to meet the new
strategic role of the call center in the enterprise. Sticking to a
retrospective mood, what's being debated at the 'C' level of most enterprise
companies is 'Where's the beef?'
Where is the return on investment (ROI), the reduction in the total cost
of ownership (TCO) and, finally, where did the ability go to optimize the
operational efficiency of call centers? The questions of old are coming
back. Was there something wrong with economy of scale and cost-cutting?
Isn't a dollar saved still a dollar earned? Then why is this new technology
costing me so much to implement and even more after it's installed in
day-to-day operational costs?
Over the past 12 to 15 months, a new generation of contact center
products has emerged designed to drive operational efficiencies while
delivering on business strategies. These products are packaged suites
containing sophisticated routing, robust reporting, computer-telephony
integration (CTI), pre-built CRM integration, multimedia support, agent and
supervisor applications and simple 'single-point' management and
administrative tools.
Suite Success
At the foundation of these suites is a new architecture focused on
improving operational efficiency in much the same way that IVRs streamlined
customer interactions ' by automating tasks wherever possible, freeing human
resources for more complex responsibilities. At the same time, the tools and
applications built into the suite's architecture eliminate the islands of
automation that used to exist when new technologies, such as CRM
applications, e-mail response systems and Web chat, were first introduced
into call centers. In the past, these technologies provided new
capabilities, but actually had a negative impact on operational efficiency.
The reason: they could not be managed with the same proven systems used for
ACD technology (telephone calls) and they required reallocating and
partitioning groups of agents. The company's disciplined operation and
cost-cutting economy of scale went out the window when these disparate
technologies came in the door. This is no longer the case with the new
contact center suites.
These new packaged contact center suites meet both enterprise goals of
operational efficiency and business strategies through suite-based
applications that provide empowerment, software architectures that are
holistic in all functions and media and, finally, by enabling real-time CRM
strategies.
To achieve the highest possible degree of operational efficiency ' and
fulfillment of these business benefits ' begin by asking a single question:
Why have a call center supervisor peer over an agent's shoulder when an
automated tool can do the same monitoring? The answer should be so obvious
as to stimulate an immediate search for a better management approach. These
new contact center suites have tools that empower agents to monitor their
own performance, enable supervisors to become more involved in the
implementation of business strategies, and facilitate integration of new
delivery channels into the fabric of the existing management paradigm.
Empowering Agents
This approach begins with 'adherence tools' that empower agents to
monitor their own performance. These tools compare actual agent performance
against goals established with their supervisor. If, for example, an agent
is expected to respond to 20 calls before 12 p.m., and he or she has not
reached this objective, the agent can delay and shorten his or her lunch
break, without having a supervisor tell him or her to do so. Or, if the
agent is supposed to spend 60 percent of his or her time handling telephone
calls, 10 percent responding to e-mail, 10 percent in Web chats and 20
percent in after-call activity, and the agent sees that he or she has been
favoring e-mail response instead of another work category, the agent can
simply adjust the workflows accordingly.
Besides freeing the supervisor for other tasks, this self-empowerment has
a number of direct benefits for agents. First, it eliminates the specter of
'big brother' that many agents find intimidating and counter-productive.
Instead, it creates an environment in which agents are treated as
professionals, not as unskilled staff who need to be constantly watched. As
a result, agent job satisfaction increases and so too does retention. With
higher retention rates, training costs are minimized and the overall skill
level of agents will be increased. Rising skill levels, in turn, can enable
supervisors to increase performance objectives ' which, of course, improves
operational efficiency and, almost coincidentally, customer satisfaction and
service objectives.
Empowering Supervisors
At the same time, by eliminating the need for supervisors to continually
monitor agents, adherence tools empower supervisors to take a more active
role in converting the call center into a powerful business tool that is
fully responsive to changing business strategies. If a new product is
launched, for example, the supervisor can suggest ways the call center can
assist in marketing, selling and supporting that product. Then, after
appropriate agent training, performance profiles of the adherence tools can
be updated to reflect tasks associated with the new product.
Supervisors are also empowered to leverage call center investments with
other tools that enable all media delivery channels ' telephone, fax, e-mail
and Web chat ' to be centrally monitored, and operationally viewed, with the
same discipline previously only available for telephone calls. With a single
interface to a single set of tools across these channels, call center agents
can be easily deployed, as needed, to any channel. Then, with other
capabilities of the operational tools, they can be re-deployed as conditions
change. A single interface, for example, would enable supervisors to respond
if telephone lines fail and e-mail volume picks up dramatically. Seeing this
situation, all that would be required is to temporarily change routing
parameters ' and performance goals of the adherence tools for each agent.
With all media channels easily integrated into the standard workflow of
the call center, training overhead is reduced because all channels rely on
the same tools. This also eliminates human errors which otherwise would be
likely to occur as agents toggled between different interfaces. Finally,
with no training, and a single interface for all media, implementation times
and costs are minimized.
Tools that let supervisors determine the requirements of those in a queue
at any point in time can also trigger appropriate action. By evaluating the
contact center suite's 'real-time' management reports, for example, a
supervisor may determine that a large number of individuals has serious
problems with a specific product. He may then respond by adjusting skill
routing parameters so that rather than being answered by first-tier agents,
these calls are automatically and immediately escalated to experts in the
contact center until the crunch period passes.
Intelligent Virtual Routing
Some of the new contact center suites have virtual routing engines that
can even automate these responses, adjusting routing parameters and
workflows in response to real-time information about the call center
operating conditions, agents' available skills or specific customer data.
Some contact centers, using this intelligent virtual routing, have seen a 20
to 30 percent improvement in contact volume capacity with the same number of
agents. Additionally many have benefited from the inherent 'real-time'
intelligence in the suite. Take, for example, the scenario of a call center
for an insurance company based in the Northeast, where 600 agents are
equally divided to service homeowners insurance, auto insurance and health
insurance customers. If a snowstorm hits the region and the volume of auto
claims calls increases, the system can automatically divert calls to health
insurance agents who have some cross-training in handling auto-related
inquiries. This functionality allows the enterprise to continue achieving
critical service level commitments as events occur in real-time.
Similarly, these suites have tools that can automatically reach into CRM
databases, assess real-time customer data and determine the value of a
particular customer in the context of this information. If a customer has
called multiple times in a single day about a single problem, for example,
the routing paradigm may be automatically adjusted to give this customer top
priority handling.
Holistic Solutions
Consider solutions that take a holistic approach, serving to join the
various parts of a call center into a cohesive unit. With such solutions,
when a call center is enhanced with a new service delivery channel, such as
e-mail or Web chat, that medium can be operationally viewed as an integral
part of the call center ' and managed, as is any other medium, with the same
tools already being used. The result: no negative impact on agent workflow.
While functionally multivendor solutions may appear robust, integration
may become an issue. Does the agent, supervisor or manager interface work
the same across all media? Are reporting capabilities comprehensive,
integrating transactions and results from all channels? Will there be a
point-the-finger-at-the-partner game when one piece of the solution fails or
when support is needed?
To avoid the need to even ask these questions, let alone contemplate the
consequences of unsatisfactory answers, you may wish to consider looking for
a single 'packaged' solution with out-of-the-box functionality in all areas
of the call center and for all media types ' whether they are currently
being used or not. No custom coding should be required to achieve this
functionality so that implementation time and costs can be minimized, even
while ROI is accelerated. Such a solution can cost as much as 75 percent
less than multiple point solutions or multivendor solutions, and be
implemented in less than 30 days, as compared to the more common 60 days
with the alternatives.
The Bottom Line
What it comes down to is this: by implementing the latest generation of
operational boosting call center suites, you can create the contact center
of the new millennium ' a truly blended resource where all media, and all
types of interactions, can be seamlessly integrated into efficient
workflows. A proven resource, the call center can now be elevated to its
rightful position as a powerful strategic business tool that
cost-effectively meets customer needs and strategic objectives. The bottom
line: with the right tools, call centers can continue to meet the
increasingly common business mandate to meet customer needs by doing more,
faster and for less cost. That's operational efficiency.
Al Baker has global product management responsibility for the eCRM business
unit at Siemens Information and Communication Networks. As vice president
for eCRM product management, he leads a global team that oversees the
product management, product marketing and development direction of contact
center products and partners in the Siemens HiPath ProCenter product
portfolio.
For information and subscriptions, visit
www.TMCnet.com or call 203-852-6800.
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Training Your Agents For The Web-enabled
World With E-learning
By Maria Reece, Rockwell FirstPoint
Contact
Finding and taking the time for education is one of the main challenges
that companies face today. Tight budgets are forcing organizations to be
creative when looking at techniques to keep one of their most valuable
resources ' call center agents ' happy and fulfilled in their positions.
Providing continual learning is one of the most beneficial ways this can
be accomplished, whether through scheduled live training or by giving
agents the tools they need for self-paced learning. In addition to these
traditional techniques, one other tool companies now are considering in
greater numbers is e-learning. E-learning has been much evangelized in the
last several years because of the many benefits companies believe it
brings. As an evolving method of agent training, there are a number of
factors organizations should consider in order to create a successful and
productive e-learning program.
The Case For Agent E-Learning
It is important to note that e-learning technology tools arrived before
the know-how was developed. A good analogy is television. When TV first came
on the scene, the shows were two-dimensional, similar to watching a play on
stage. It took a few attempts before creative people began to see the
opportunities to use the medium in different ways. This is where the
industry is today with e-learning.
Organizations are beginning to see the potential it provides and they are
focusing on creating content that is compelling and useful. While there are
many options for applying e-learning in real-world situations, the
appropriateness of using it to train agents varies from company to company.
It is generally most successful in situations where organizations are trying
to convey knowledge of focused tasks to a lot of people in a short period of
time, or for organizations that have agents located in branch or remote
offices. As e-learning continues to evolve, it has been found that the best
use of this approach is with task-based training. Because task-based
training is generally teaching something very specific, it is possible to
create an e-learning program that can easily convey the information.
Ideally, it is recommended that organizations use a blended approach of
face-to-face and e-learning sessions so that agents are able to understand
key information. They can then make the most of a final face-to-face
session. The benefits of e-learning are numerous. It minimizes costs for
hands-on training, reduces agent time spent training and allows agents to
easily refresh training skills as often as needed.
One of the added benefits of e-learning is that many of the sessions can
be recorded so agents can go back and repeat sessions to refresh their
memories and sharpen their skills. In most circumstances, the content in an
e-learning format can save 40 to 60 percent of the learning time, but the
agent must still have the commitment required to learn.
Put Into Play
Before any type of e-learning program is developed, an organization
should conduct an assessment of its training objectives. It needs to
determine:
' What is the end-result to be accomplished?
' What is the audience for the training?
' What are the specific tasks to be conveyed?
' What is the best method for conveying this information?
Once an organization has determined it can use e-learning to reach its
goal for agent training, it must develop a program. One of the first
decisions should be regarding the type of format it uses; i.e., synchronous
(e.g., Web conference) or asynchronous (self-paced) e-learning or both.
The e-learner generally wants both types of events. However, while many
commit to attend conferences, few people actually take part. It is not just
because of technical barriers, it is often the same time constraints that
inhibit any form of education in the workplace.
Real-world Applications
In today's call centers, there are many areas in which e-learning is an
ideal method with which to train agents. They include:
' Phone training ' covers the features and functionality of the hardware
or PC phone the agent is using.
' Software applications ' provide the agent with the know-how to maintain
customer information in a database or enter data into the ordering and
inventory software.
' Customer service ' soft-skill training on customer service conveying
the standard company policy. This could be blended with a live session
hosted by the appropriate company department.
The Learning Curve
With any new training tool, e-learning has its own learning curve. While
the concept and interest in e-learning is growing, companies are not always
equipped to provide it in the best possible format.
The adoption of new technology will play a key role in the evolution of
e-learning. For example, an e-learning solution that uses voice over IP (VoIP)
may not be easily accessible in some vertical markets where Internet access
is not widespread and headsets are few and far between.
The bottom line is that companies want it, but they are not always ready
to use it. However, because the demand is there, it is just a matter of time
before companies have all of the necessary tools to fully embrace
e-learning. One of the other challenges of incorporating e-learning into the
blended learning approach is the resistance faced by organization
management. Some senior decision makers and managers believe their staff
will not be able to learn anything unless it is in a face-to-face session.
In these types of situations, instituting a pilot program generally allays
many of their fears and the management staff will find that the e-learning
program is a valuable tool.
Another challenge that has contributed to the slow uptake of e-learning
is the quality of e-learning offerings available today. While there are some
good e-learning programs already on the market, there is also a lot of
poor-quality e-learning, where the content of a face-to-face class has been
dumped directly into an electronic format. Managers need to understand that
for e-learning to be successful, they must realize it requires a different
type of program and presentation skill than face-to-face classes.
Documenting the successes and failures in e-learning will help organizations
develop world-class e-learning programs.
Maria Reece is senior manager of global training for the FirstPoint
Knowledge Center at Rockwell FirstPoint Contact (www.rockwellfirstpoint.com),
a worldwide provider of complete call and contact center solutions. |