The Contact Center Simplified: 3 Ways to Turn Theory Into Practice
Workforce Engagement Management
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The Contact Center Simplified: 3 Ways to Turn Theory Into Practice
In our last two blogs, we introduced the concept of simplifying the contact center and outlined the major barriers to success. Along the way, we shared several simplification strategies including how to step-up staff engagement programs and refresh leadership skills. In this final blog in the series, we discuss how to turn theory into practice. Let’s explore how to use the latest Workforce Management (WFM) solutions to simplify your contact center.
Simplify the Contact Center with WFM
In a world of remote and hybrid work, traditional ‘walking the floor’ to spot problems and resolve issues is not an ideal option. Now, the emphasis is on how to diagnose and remedy issues remotely. This a challenge that requires simplification.
Fortunately, the latest advancements in WFM has simplicity built into it’s DNA. The best solutions have many features, including:
- Call recording
- Quality management
- Workforce management
- Multichannel analytics
- Data management
These connect the dots between organizations and changing customer needs.
Three Ways to Turn Theory Into Practice
Let’s explore some ways you can use technology to turn simplification theory into practice.
1. Keep It easy, Personalized, and Smart
It is important to recognize that simplification applies equally across the board. This includes those running the show—operations managers, supervisors and resource planners—as well as customers and advisers. In order to build simplicity in ways that satisfy all stakeholders, contact centers need to adopt technology and processes that are:
- Easy – Begin by removing unnecessary manual tasks to combat complexity. Why spend countless hours searching for data on customer interactions or manually managing internal roles and schedules when you don’t have to? Simplify processes and technology to spend more time on what matters most: your customers and employees.
- Personalized – Think about providing advisers and managers with experiences that make sense for their individual work styles, needs, and goals. When it comes to technology, look for a partner prepared to invest time and effort to tailor solutions to your specific requirements. They should be focused on reducing complexity at its core.
- Smart – This means understanding what your customers need before they even ask. Find ways to better predict customer interactions based on previous data and insights. Then add performance coaching opportunities to help align your agent’s skills with changing requirements.
2. Maximize Omnichannel Capabilities
Too many disconnected systems prevent advisers from focusing on what the customer wants the first time. Meanwhile, resource planners require easy-to-use, dynamic solutions. These solutions need to support fast, effective development of flexible shifts and schedules. Scheduling needs to that accommodate different work-from-anywhere scenarios.
The best technology provides a 360° view of all types of data and interactions regardless of where they happened. It can predict the highs and lows while working across multichannel interactions in terms of planning. It then captures and translates this information into a single source of truth. By creating a truly omnichannel contact center, you can deliver exceptional customer experiences.
3. Aim for All Around Intelligence
The next step towards simplicity lies in capturing data from inside and outside the contact center. Then apply it intelligently in three key areas: customer, employee, and digital intelligence. The latest WEM solutions offer Data Management and enterprise customer experience intelligence (CXI) to provide complete visibility of contact center operations. They aim to ensure organizations have the right data to understand customers, aid decision-making, and make meaningful changes to services and products.
Banish Complexity with Your Hybrid Workforce
Behind the scenes, sophisticated desktop analytics deliver vital digital intelligence. They do this by unearthing any slow or badly designed applications, systems, and processes that make agents’ lives harder than they need to be. It’s time to turn theory into practice and add simplify the contact center. Learn more in our actionable guide to addressing the needs of a hybrid workforce.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Ross is responsible for Calabrio’s global marketing efforts, including digital marketing, demand generation and pipeline marketing, content strategy and creation, customer marketing, partner marketing, and corporate communications. Ross is also responsible for supporting Calabrio’s partners–driving strategic technology and platform partner relationships, channel programs and marketing, and developer and services partners. Prior to joining Calabrio in 2017, Ross spent 18 years at Cisco in roles encompassing product management, product marketing and marketing, including serving as the Senior Director of Collaboration Marketing for Cisco’s nearly $5B Collaboration business. Ross holds a BA in English from Harvard University and an MBA from Babson College.
