How do you make the most of changing customer expectations and ensure that they are being built into your plans and direction? The following are some important rules of the road: First, ensure that your management team thoroughly understands the 10 basic customer expectations. Post them prominently. And make a habit of considering them when making decisions. Don’t guess at …
    
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New technologies are not passive — to get good results, they must be implemented with foresight and good planning. Effective leadership requires a multifaceted approach, and a few important recommendations come to mind: Keep your eyes on the prize. The purpose of any new technology should be to support the governing principles and mission of your organization. Keep it simple …
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Many organizations are learning firsthand that contact centers can play a central role in encouraging and supporting low-cost access channels. For example, the contact center can provide a wealth of information on which contacts can be automated (or handled in customer communities), and what can be done to improve customer acceptance. Further — and paradoxically — providing agent assistance when …
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Excessive turnover costs an organization in many ways: Higher recruiting and training costs; a lower average experience level leading to higher handling times, more transferred calls and lower service levels/response times; the need for more coaching and supervision; and the impact on everyone’s morale when key people leave. The best contact centers continually work on the root causes of turnover. …
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Many contact centers have been through consolidations or restructurings that are really just cleanup efforts for lack of having or using an effective customer access strategy. For example, I recall helping an insurance company with agent group “consolidation.” Their sales team would sell an account to a major client and, if pressed by the prospect, would agree to provide a …
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Adherence to schedule is an important performance objective for agents. It is within their control (when implemented appropriately) and measures if agents are available to handle contacts as scheduled. However, to ensure your approach is supporting the culture you want to establish, consider these suggestions for getting the best results: 1. Educate each person on how much impact he or …
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