Interactive Intelligence ‘s Dave Paulding discusses how to determine the benefits of implementing contact centre technology
Interactive Intelligence notes that one of the problems, of companies planning to invest in technologies that enhance the quality of customer service, is to determine the measurable benefits of such investments. In a recent report by the independent research firm Forrester Research “Win Funding For Your Customer Service Project”, nearly half of respondents mentioned “measuring results” as one of the top five challenges to gain support for this type of project.
“It’s easy to talk about increasing productivity or greater business agility, but budgetary decision makers in companies typically look for hard financial data”, said Dave Paulding, regional director UK, Middle East at Interactive Intelligence. “While the emphasis on the quality of customer service in companies is growing, contact centre managers often have difficulties writing business analysis convincing enough for the Board to approve the cost of the new technology.”
According to Forrester methodology, the potential benefits of implementing customer service technology can be divided into three categories:
1. Reduced operational costs.
Self-service (via voice menu, Internet or mobile applications) reduces the amount of incoming calls. Work scheduling applications minimise HR costs. Automatic routing of calls to skilled employees reduces the interaction time.
2. Improved agent productivity.
The Forrester survey shows that 64% of technology decision-makers employing more than 50 agents have non-integrated communication channels. This means that the agent is often required to use many different applications during a single customer interaction, leading to frustration and increased staff turnover. Systems integration and a single user interface, the ability to ask your supervisor for advice by chat during a conversation with a customer, and up-to-date and intelligent knowledge base — all this increases agent productivity and consistency.
3. Increased customer satisfaction.
Over 60% of customer respondents in the Forrester survey said that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with high quality service. The customers want the agent to know their problem and the history of the previous contacts from the beginning of the call. They want to interact with the contact centre using the method of their choice and to receive messages in a specified format and time. Implementation of appropriate technology can significantly increase the customer loyalty.
“The business analysis of the project should be short and to the point. It should identify problems that reduce the quality of customer communications and emphasise how they will be addressed by the new technology. Each implemented function should be described in terms of the above mentioned business benefits. It is also advisable to avoid technical language, because it tends to annoy those without specialist training. Writing the business analysis is an art worth pursuing. A well-written document has a much better chance of getting the acceptance of the Board”, concludes Paulding.
For additional information about PureCloud Collaborate℠ and PureCloud Communicate℠ visit Interactive Intelligence’s Website or view their Company Profile
Photograph Caption: Dave Paulding, regional director UK, Middle East at Interactive Intelligence.
1 Forrester Research, “Win Funding For Your Customer Service Project” by Ian Jacobs and Kate Leggett 23rd October 2014
