I’ve said it before: there are countless ways to measure a contact center’s performance.
While each metric means something, the truth is, some are more useful and informative than others. More importantly, no single performance measurement is capable of helping a brand leader understand how well the customer care team is taking care of customers.
Recently, Sharpen CMO, Murph Krajewski suggested that, in order to truly understand if customers are getting what they really want and need, brand CMO’s ask three critical questions of their contact center leadership. I’d paraphrase them this way
- How long is a “typical” customer interaction? (And how is AHT used to identify areas for improvement?)
- Are your agents capable of delivering on our brand promise?
- When my customers reach out, do they find the help they need and have an experience that strengthens the brand relationship?
If you’re not asking your customer care leadership these questions already, it’s time to start. Yes, all of those reports are important. But without the information and context that comes when these questions get answered, no amount of data will help you know how things are really going at the contact center, what needs to change, and how you can change it.
At Skybridge Americas, we assemble our customer care teams around each client’s brand promise. If you’ve been looking for ways to deliver superior customer experience, we would love to learn more about your goals and show you how we can help you deliver on them. Reach out to us! You can read more of Murph Krajewski’s article below.
Three Questions Your Contact Center Leaders Wish You’d Ask Them (And How To Find The Answers)
By Murph Krajewski
The hardest part about working from home has been … my chair. No kidding. Several colleagues got full-fledged office chairs or brought theirs home. I never did. And after a while, I noticed some real wear and tear on my body from sitting in an unsupportive seat.
So, I decided to invest a little in my comfort. I found a seat cushion from a popular mattress maker, and friends, let me tell you: the difference is real. I can stay focused on my work because I removed an active and distracting pain.
It’s not a stretch to relate my uncomfortable experience to that of a customer service agent. When you remove pain for your people, they can give your customers a better experience.
A while back, Avanade and Sitecore research (download required) predicted a $3 return for every $1 companies invest in CX, and the ROI for customer experience has likely only grown. But where do you need to invest? Do you need seat cushions for your teams? Do you need to hire new people? What about training your managers or coaching employees?
Ask your contact center leaders these questions to understand your customer service and make better decisions for your teams.
- How Long Is The Typical Customer Service Interaction?
Your customers want service, and they want it now. In fact, 2020 CCW research (registration required) found that 75% of customers say either efficient or accurate interactions are the most important part of their experience. Take, for example, average handle time (AHT) or how quickly your contact center’s agents solve customer problems.
Why You Care (And What You Can Do About It)
Average handle time is popular in call centers for a couple reasons:
- It’s easy to understand and measure.All you need is a phone system that logs and records each interaction.
- It helps you track cost-per-interaction.The longer the handle times for calls are, the more you’re spending on your agents’ time per interaction.
While AHT gives managers a way to track efficiency, it also uncovers gaps where leaders need more support from you. If handle times are high, it’s often a sign of underlying issues. When you ask leaders about efficiency, you also open up conversations about hiring, streamlining technology and improving training.
Read the entire article here >
