#contactcenterworld, @Calabrio

Don’t let technology come between you and exceptional customer service. That’s the message as industry statistics reveal four in every five contact centers are frustrated by technology. Rebecca Philip, Product Knowledge Manager of Teleopti, outlines 5 ways to buck the trend using a winning formula based on WFM.

According to recent research, 79.3% of professionals in the contact center industry are frustrated with their technology. Top of the list is technology that slows them down when searching for contacts (50%) and prevents them from offering clients a personalized experience (43.9%). Other common sources of technology-based frustration in contact centers typically include switching between multiple systems, integrating data from multiple sources and messy desktops.

Ironically, the same survey reveals that over half of contact centers (56.1%) have turned to technology to give customers a more personalized experience. Think how much greater that customer experience could be if technology actually helped rather than hindered the delivery of exceptional customer service at all times?

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WFM: the missing link

It’s time to put an end to technology frustration by embracing a methodology that embraces the proven capabilities of today’s Workforce Management (WFM) solutions. Consider the following:

1. Integrate and educate – while the latest WFM solutions provide a complete package for automated scheduling and advanced forecasting, they still need to link seamlessly with CRM, HR and other business applications. Choose a technology partner that integrates widely and wisely and aims to harmonize your tech landscape. The best vendors are those who truly understand your needs. They can offer out-of-the-box solutions that integrate with any platform and they have the expertise to customize and help you develop your own integrations using a range of sophisticated APIs. Ask about training options. There is no point in having technology if no-one can use it to its maximum potential, therefore increasing the risk of frustration.
   
   
2. Cloud all the way – WFM is a great, low-risk entry point into cloud transformation with minimal disruption. Time saved on IT administration and server maintenance means more time for strategic projects or initiatives that prioritize customer experience aims. Ease of use with modern user interfaces (UIs) smooth the way for an enhanced user experience (UX) and great productivity. The latest cloud WFM solutions also quickly identify the skills required to meet corporate objectives or build effective recruitment and succession plans. They can detect coaching needs and automatically schedule training and one-to-one sessions at quieter times.
   
   
3. Get the big picture - while digitalization has made life easier by automating important business processes, it has also created a world flooded with non-stop data. How do organizations capture what really matters, then tailor it to inspire customer loyalty? Success comes down to controlling data and using WFM to ensure the right number of best-skilled frontline staff are available to deliver a priceless customer experience.
   
   
4. Be a contextual contact center ... by taking data and applying intelligence to it. That way, employees know why a customer is contacting them in the first place, they can pre-empt a customer’s preferred communication method based on the channels they have used in the past and suggest new purchases based on a customer’s previous buying behaviours. In the same way use WFM to contextualize the workforce, creating a ‘go-to’ place for your talents and resources and identifying the employees who have the highest levels of emotional intelligence to add context and real value to customer interactions.
   
   
5. Back to the future – WFM brings control and structure to kickstart longer-term thinking. With easy access to a wealth of historic data and advanced reporting functionality to make speedy predictions, contact centers can use WFM to create and search future requirements for headcount and specific skills to meet growing customer expectations. This is especially helpful when right-sizing during periods of organizational change or to accommodate future growth plans.

Don’t let technology frustrations hold you back from delivering exceptional customer service. Take another look at workforce management to be proactive and integrated and go from frustrated and frazzled to fabulous in just five steps.

#contactcenterworld, @Calabrio