Turning Customer Issues into Trackable Metrics: Using a Trusted Tool to Support Your Customer Experience Initiatives
by Susan Saldibar , Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Centergistic Solutions, email: ssaldibar@centergistic.com, voice: 949 222-4505
Today we are taking customer experience and loyalty more seriously than ever before; how to better understand our customers and pave the way for them to buy more from us and stay with us longer. There is an abundance of software available to provide a variety of views of that customer, from their buying history to preferred transaction media. So we can now look at our customers from all directions. It can be a daunting task to sort through the reports and performance models. And it takes time. While you’re working your way through those reports, there may be a tool you can put to use right now.
Most call centers have some version of real time metrics tools, whether these metrics are shown up on a reader board or at the supervisor desktop. Unfortunately these tools are often used with very little imagination, and with the broad assumption that showing a few metrics off the ACD will provide enough information to keep the team headed in the right direction. Check that box and move on. Well, not so fast.
Take another look at your real time performance metrics and revisit the data sources you are tapping to produce them. Remember, now most software can tap other sources of data, including databases, and there is potential to get a much richer display of information. At the very least, it is a way to augment your new customer centric policies and marketing initiatives. Consider creating a table such as the one shown below. Sit down with some key staff members and create a list of common issues that you need to resolve. Don’t make the assumption that these issues can’t be turned into measurable metrics. There may be a metric that can measure, in real time, your progress towards your customer satisfaction goals.
|
Customer Issue |
Measurement |
Metrics |
Source |
|
Agents not responsive; don’t care about my problem |
Communications etiquette needs work; quality monitoring system |
Greeting; voice intonation; adherence to script; match to caller pace |
Quality monitoring system |
|
Impatient; wants to get rid of me |
Agents may be watching talk time and try to wrap up too quickly |
AHT/ATT Maybe thresholds are set too tightly; is your team reacting to a red alert on Talk Time? |
ACD |
|
Takes too long to resolve issues |
Training; empowerment to handle issues; poor scripting, FAQ software |
Agent desktop utilization; scripting software and FAQ database |
CRM; contact management database; help desk software; utilization tracking software (yes, you can get metrics out of these) |
|
Web response is slow |
Are pages loading correctly? Bandwidth problem? Where is the greatest load? Pattern? |
Page response time, target load, transaction completion times, concurrent users |
Web surveillance/
diagnostics tools |
|
IVR is confusing; takes too long |
Look at IVR self service; where are the callers getting hung up; could be script/menu/access problem |
IVR answer time; response time; prompt error; data look up delay |
IVR surveillance/
diagnostics tools |
|
Put me on hold for 5 minutes |
Training issue? Database incomplete; FAQ? |
Agent application screen time/desktop utilization issue; FAQ database loading issues; content issues |
CRM; contact management database; help desk software |
|
Wait on hold is too long |
Speed of answer; calls waiting too long |
ASA, LCW |
ACD |
|
Transferred my call 3 times |
First call resolution needs work; track FCRs |
Transferred calls; First contact resolution |
Help desk software |
We don’t pretend that these metrics will tell the whole story, but they are a key part of the story. You will need to review reports, monitor trends, use agent scorecards and performance management tools to put together a meaningful customer experience program. Just remember that real time displays are in front of your team all day. Make sure you are maximizing the potential of them.
Centergistic Solutions is a provider of performance analytics software for contact centers. More information about Centergistic is available by visiting www.centergistic.com.
Author:
Susan Saldibar
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Centergistic Solutions
email: ssaldibar@centergistic.com
voice: 949 222-4505