If you have kids under 12 years old, chances are you have heard more than you ever wanted to about Minecraft. For the uninitiated, it’s a hugely popular video game about a guy named Steve who has to mine for minerals to help him build a home, grow food and stay away from killer Zombies, Creepers and other nasties. As I learned from my 7-year-old son, one good trick to keep Zombies away from your mine is to aggressively and evenly spread out torches along the walls, thereby casting lots of light in the shadowy areas of the mine. Zombies can’t stand the light and stay away.
So, what do Zombies and Minecraft have to do with managing today’s contact centre?
Well, think of all the tools we have at our disposal in Workforce Optimisation (WFO) suites, like Speech Analytics and Workforce Management, as your torches: Beacons of light that reveal better ways to run the operation and keep you safe. But too often, we find contact center managers sporadically use WFO tools, leaving those shadowy areas where Zombies can attack in the form of costs going up and productivity going down.
Today’s contact centre managers need to constantly evaluate not only the types of tools they are using, but also how they are being used. Below are 3 tips to ward off any Zombies in your contact center:
Make sure you have all the tools you need
A top-to-bottom review is required to make sure your solution is giving you complete coverage. Maybe you’ve been waiting to invest in some of the “hottest” tools in the past like Speech Analytics? Well, Speech Analytics is time tested and proven. You’re just missing out on the benefits and cost savings now. Assessing your contact centre landscape to ensure your customers receive a consistently positive experience across all touchpoints is the first step to identifying gaps and discrepancies, and prioritizing the operational needs of your organization. A speech analytics assessment can pay for itself.
Make sure you are actually using the tools you need
Here’s an all-too-common and frustrating situation: You invested in the software/hardware/service, but you are only using 10-20% of its capabilities. Or even worse, it’s become the dreaded “shelfware” – software you paid for but aren’t using. Actively make sure your team is using the tools you have provided. If not, develop a plan to do so, and invest in training with time and support. If you need help, check out our managed service solution for workforce management or speech analytics.
Look for hidden gems
– Just because a tool is not under the traditional WFO banner, does not mean you cannot use it to optimize your workforce. For example, look at your IVR scripting. Can you offload some data capture to it, thereby lessening the need for longer handle times? Very often we look at the IVR as “not broken, so don’t fix it.” Improving your IVR flow is no longer difficult or expensive. Even some minor tweaks can uncover hidden value. Self-service IVR that is intelligently blended with assisted service drives customer satisfaction and delivers efficiency.
Hey, I know optimizing workforces and keeping Zombies at bay is not easy. But, you may very well have some of the tools you need in your inventory already. Just shine a little light, and you’ll be amazed.
Additional Information
Cris Bjelajec -Genesys – Cris is a Senior Director of Program Management for the Workforce Optimization product suite. Currently, Cris is concentrating on bringing the Genesys Guru service to market, along with Genesys Interaction Recording, Speech Analytics and Workforce Management Commercialization efforts.
For additional information see Genesys’ Company Profile
