Staffing, scheduling, call forecast, queue management, exceptions and reports. This is just some of the stuff that workforce personnel go through on a daily basis. They are considered as the backbone of any call center because they ensure service levels are met and calls are managed effectively.
I recently spoke to some of our personnel driving the queue and asked if they considered customer satisfaction in their planning and processes. Surprisingly, I got a definite “NO”. I was shocked! They always pointed the finger to either Operations or more often the Quality group. I just stared at them with disbelief.
Workforce Management (WFM) isn’t just about crunching the numbers and meeting service levels. Believe it or not, it is critical to customer satisfaction as well. How?
The group has to manage effective scheduling so there are people on the phones to answer the phones as soon as possible. Long wait times in the queue will impact overall customer experience. It will only make it worse because you expect them to complain to an agent and talk time will be longer.
We need to schedule in exceptions because the agents need time for coaching with their supervisors, both in operational metrics and call quality. This includes training to be scheduled for any updates or improvement in call handling. If this isn’t managed effectively, then we end up with bad customer service.
Lastly, let’s not forget that the agents are our internal customers. If these basic processes are done correctly, not forgetting they need our support, then we will have happier agents and less attrition.
Once again, Jam, you've knocked it out of the park (at least someone is - my Cubs can't hit a homerun to save their lives - but what else is new? Anyway, I digress). All WFM initiatives should be undertaken with a clear understanding of the impact it ultimately can and will have on customer sat. Too often, I've found call centers trying to match "best practices" and "benchmarking" against other call centers with no regard to what their actual customers want and expect.
Posted by: Tom Vander Well | May 18, 2006 8:05 PM | Permalink to Comment