Leaders in customer service are well aware that every customer contact can impact their contact centres bottom line. It is for this simple yet important reason that call quality is increasingly highlighted and monitored within contact centres. Today’s Quality Monitoring (QM) programs however, do not come without their faults, where some of the processes and corresponding functionalities to support these incentives are often outdated.
In a market that is rapidly changing due to increased customer expectations, Speech and or Interaction analytics can be a technology game-changer.
Here we delve into some quality associated challenges organisations succumb to, and how an analytics orientated programme can help.
1. Small sample, many agents
On average, most QM programs review 4-10 calls per agent per month. A key note to remember here is whether this number represents a valid statistical sample from which you can make accurate inferences. Let’s say for example, you measure 10 calls per agent per month. If your agents are handling a few thousand calls every month (let’s say 1000 calls per agent), then the sample size is just 1% – not statistically significant to base your evaluation on.
Solution: If the number of evaluated calls is limited by available time and resources, then the use of an Interaction Analytics solution can help isolate significant calls for evaluation, among the hundreds or thousands being recorded every day. Larger call samples can be located for analysis by using keywords and phrases that indicate consequential patterns or correlations in agent behaviour.
2. Agent compliance
A small sample size can become an even bigger problem when trying to establish agent compliance, as a large proportion of calls may go unmonitored. This can pose a significant risk to contact centres, particularly those who operate in highly regulated environments.
Solution: Interaction analytics allows you to search through 100% of interactions using specific keywords or phrases, which may indicate a problem or potential risk. Used proactively, the real value of this game changer means it can act as a precautionary mechanism, enabling you to fix a potential compliance breach before it repeats or escalates.
3. Too little, too late
Supervisors or team leaders normally evaluate their agent calls throughout the month. This means the all-important insight which highlights overall contact centre performance, improvement opportunities, and required agent training is being put on hold for a whole month.
Solution: Don’t wait. Stay proactive. An Interaction Analytics solution can evaluate hundreds or thousands of calls daily for valuable business insight. By setting up daily alerts and reports you will be able to take immediate action when a knowledge gap or concern is found as a result of the information you are uncovering.
4. Empowering agents
It’s simple – if your agents feel engaged, satisfied and empowered, they will foster a better experience for your customers. A worthy QM program should not only supervise agents but also empower them. According to our recent survey on the State of Quality Monitoring – 2016, 33% of employees still regard QM as a process to ‘catch employees doing something wrong’.
Solution: Revel in your agents successes – and don’t wait. When an agent has received extremely positive customer feedback from a call, this victory can easily go unnoticed. Interaction analytics, can pinpoint these calls so that management, supervisors and even peers can recognise the successful traits behind a winning call. In addition, agents who receive positive feedback and recognition for their hard work will become more engaged and empowered within their job role. A win-win situation all round.
5. Show me the ROI
Although many organisations may have a quality monitoring program in place, proving its return on investment can be challenging. This leads in limitations to the amount of time, resource and budget that is invested in these programs, ultimately proving even more detrimental to the quality process in place.
Solution: By focusing on specific areas that may be important to the organisation, such as investigating the reasons behind customer churn or repeat calls, quality programs can be focussed on specifically improving these variables. Interaction analytics can then play its part by quantifying these results even further, measuring a reduction in the number of complaints or repeat calls. To analyse further, interaction analytics can also quantify the rise of customer complements, gratification and loyalty, which all add up to a significant ROI business case. Ultimately, this will encourage increased investment and attention to quality programs improving the way they work and the impact they may have on an organisation.
