Boosting Customer Satisfaction: The Role of Technology in Improving Agent Performance

In today’s fast-paced business world, customer service is more important than ever.?

With the rise of social media and online reviews, customers have the power to make or break a company’s reputation.?

This is why call centers must have high-performing agents who can provide exceptional customer service.

But how can call centers ensure their agents perform at their best? The answer lies in technology.

In this TechFindr edition, we’ll explore the role of technology in enhancing agent performance and how it can help call centers improve their overall customer service.

The Importance of Agent Performance

Poor performers impact both top and bottom-line business KPIs, including poor customer satisfaction.?

And the negative impact of poor performance on business scales exponentially.?

According to a recent study by Observe.AI , they asked 300 contact center leaders, “What is the business impact of agents who are bottom performers?”.

The business impact of bottom agents on customer satisfaction is larger in larger organizations.?

For example, 42% of surveyed contact center managers at organizations with more than 500 employees report their bottom performers negatively impacting customer satisfaction, compared to 27% of organizations with fewer than 500 employees who report the same.?

So here are questions you can ask...

• What if you could shave off 30 seconds of your live agent phone calls by gathering basic information upfront through voice or chatbots?

or

• What if you could reduce agent attrition and training times within your organization?

Before diving into technology's role, let’s first understand why agent performance is so important.

Customer Satisfaction

The main goal of any call center is to provide excellent customer service. This means resolving customer issues quickly and efficiently and leaving a positive impression on the customer.?

High-performing agents can handle customer inquiries with ease, resulting in higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Cost Savings

High-performing agents are also more efficient, which can lead to cost savings for the call center.?

When agents can handle calls quickly and effectively, it reduces the need for additional staff and resources. This can result in significant cost savings for the call center.

Employee Retention

Agent performance is also closely tied to employee retention. When agents feel confident and successful in their roles, they are more likely to stay with the company.?

This reduces turnover rates and saves the call center time and money on recruiting and training new agents.

The Role of Technology in Enhancing Agent Performance

Now that we understand the importance of agent performance, let’s explore how technology can help improve it.

Agent Performance Dashboards

One of the most effective ways technology can enhance agent performance is through the use of agent performance dashboards.?

These dashboards provide real-time data on agent performance, including metrics such as call volume, call duration, and customer satisfaction ratings.

By having access to this data, agents can see how they are performing in comparison to their peers and identify areas for improvement. This can motivate agents to work harder and strive for better performance.

Automated Call Routing

Automated call routing is another technology that can greatly enhance agent performance.?

This technology uses algorithms to route calls to the most appropriate agent based on factors such as language, skill level, and availability.

By ensuring that calls are routed to the most qualified agent, call centers can improve the overall customer experience and reduce the time it takes to resolve issues.?

This can also help agents feel more confident in their abilities, leading to improved performance.

Speech Analytics

Speech analytics is a technology that uses artificial intelligence to analyze customer interactions and provide insights to call center managers.?

By analyzing calls, speech analytics can identify areas where agents may need additional training or coaching.

This technology can also help identify trends in customer inquiries, allowing call centers to proactively address common issues and improve the overall customer experience.?

By providing agents with this valuable information, they can better understand customer needs and improve their performance.

Gamification

Gamification is a popular technology used in call centers to motivate and engage agents. This involves turning agent performance into a game, with rewards and recognition for top performers.

By using gamification, call centers can create a fun and competitive environment that encourages agents to strive for better performance. This can lead to increased productivity and improved customer service.

How to Improve Call Center Agent Performance

Now that we’ve explored the role of technology in enhancing agent performance, let’s look at some specific strategies call centers can use to improve agent performance.

Provide Ongoing Training and Coaching

One of the most effective ways to improve agent performance is through ongoing training and coaching. This can include regular training sessions on customer service skills, product knowledge, and call-handling techniques.

Coaching can also be beneficial, as it allows managers to provide individualized feedback and support to agents.?

By investing in training and coaching, call centers can ensure that their agents have the skills and knowledge they need to perform at their best.

Set Clear Performance Goals

Call centers need to set clear performance goals for their agents. This can include metrics such as call resolution time, customer satisfaction ratings, and sales targets.

By setting clear goals, agents have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and can work towards achieving those goals.?

This can also help managers track agent performance and identify areas for improvement.

Use Performance Incentives

Performance incentives can be a powerful motivator for agents. These can include bonuses, rewards, or recognition for top performers.

By offering incentives, call centers can create a culture of healthy competition and motivate agents to strive for better performance.?

This can also help with employee retention, as agents are more likely to stay with a company that recognizes and rewards their hard work.

Invest in the Right Technology

As we’ve discussed, technology plays a crucial role in enhancing agent performance. Call centers need to invest in the right technology that can help improve agent efficiency and effectiveness.

This can include agent performance dashboards, automated call routing, speech analytics, and gamification tools.?

By using the right technology, call centers can set their agents up for success and improve overall performance.

Leverage AI to Improve Agent Productivity

AI AI-powered agent assistants can work with sentiment analysis software and can provide real-time guidance to human agents interacting with customers through various channels.

Some examples include on-screen messages advising agents to slow their rate of speech or real-time answers to questions versus spending time researching an answer to a customer question. Now that's pretty cool!

Agent Assist software can also help with training new agents and ongoing coaching and development of existing agents.

Since most organizations spend the majority of their budgets on human agents, ongoing training and development can reduce agent attrition while improving customer satisfaction during their journey.

Real-World Examples of Technology Enhancing Agent Performance

Example 1:

One company that has seen success with using technology to enhance agent performance is American Express.?

They implemented a speech analytics tool that helped identify areas where agents needed additional training and coaching. This resulted in a 15% increase in customer satisfaction ratings and a 20% decrease in call handling time.

Another example is T-Mobile, which used gamification to motivate its agents and improve performance. They saw a 50% increase in sales and a 20% decrease in call handling time as a result.

Example 2:

One organization highlights a Contact Center platform from 8x8 with flexibility and ease of use that lead to improved staff productivity.

"The ability to jump from a call on your desktop to your phone, especially when you have to leave the building, is always nice. The 8x8 desktop and mobile applications provide that level of flexibility." -says the Customer Experience Leader

8x8’s customizable dashboards offer the ability to monitor key metrics and get insights to improve contact center performance.

Conclusion

In today’s competitive business landscape, call centers must have high-performing agents to provide exceptional customer service.?

By using technology, call centers can enhance agent performance and improve overall customer satisfaction.

By providing agents with the right tools, ongoing training and coaching, and clear performance goals, call centers can set their agents up for success and achieve their customer service goals.

For a FREE copy of our CCaaS report highlighting technology and industry trends impacting the customer experience over the next 6-12 months, send a request to Ryan Carter at [email protected]