Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Customer Experience
Customer
Experience:
Eliminating Ambiguity, Driving Action
There is no denying the business world’s Call Center IQ’s 2016 Executive Report It begins by providing a benchmarking
emphasis on customer experience On The Customer Experience aims to opportunity: what are businesses
improvement. There is also no denying mitigate these factors. By doing so, it will planning to do? Thanks to the
the fact that efforts to achieve that help spur the customer experience action Practicality Guide, it subsequently
improvement have consistently been – and results – organizations have long provides recommendations on those
bottlenecked, if not outright thwarted. been craving. businesses could – and should – be doing.
Ambiguity and inactivity represent two of It begins by investigating the meaning of Featuring commentary from experts,
the most notable culprits. the customer experience. What is the detailed investigations into actual
customer experience? Which business solutions, and analyses of actual case
While businesses and thought leaders functions does it entail? Which business studies, the guides provide a blueprint for
have made clear their interest in departments are involved? taking action.
improving the abstract notion of the
customer experience, they have not It then shifts focus to interactions, which On the whole, this report enables you
settled on a crystallized definition. represent a core tenet of the customer to transition from talking about an
Customer experience possesses experience. How are businesses ambiguous concept of the customer
universal recognition as a buzz word, but interacting with customers? Where are experience to enacting a clear, well-
it does not possess universal meaning they interacting? What should those designed, results-driven plan for
as a specific concept. Absent that interactions entail? achieving actual improvement.
specificity, the challenge of mobilizing an
organization and driving truly significant With context established, the report can
improvement will remain incredibly segue into a discussion about a good
customer experience. It is not enough Brian Cantor
daunting.
to know what the customer experience Managing Director
The combination of that ambiguity and is; success comes from defining the Call Center IQ
inherent business inertia results in parameters of an optimal customer
inactivity. The shift from conception to experience.
action is a notorious rarity in the business
world; making that transition without a Upon painting a picture of the optimal
firm sense of what customer experience customer experience, the report
change – and, specifically, customer investigates tactics for making that
experience improvement – should entail idealized vision a reality.
is especially unlikely.
callcenter-iq.com · 2
Key Findings:
ustomer support/service is
C I nteractions most commonly Improving customer feedback is
the function most commonly occur in e-mail, live agent the most important strategic
associated with the customer telephony, company websites, initiative for contact centers.
experience. It is not, however, IVR, and major social networks. Other priorities include offering
the only function to be universally proactive engagement, improving
regarded as a customer knowledge management, enhancing
experience tenet. Customer self-service, and expanding
ccuracy, quality of resolution,
A
feedback and customer omni-channel capabilities.
consistency across agents,
relationship management also fit
ability to reach a live agent,
the universal bill, while company ustomer feedback will also
C
and friendliness represent the
social media and customer join company social media and
most important elements of an
retention are customer call recordings as a top source
interaction between brand and
experience functions in roughly of voice of the customer
customer.
three-quarters of businesses. insights.
he customer support/contact
T o improve agent performance,
T
center team predictably places usinesses believe a “good”
B organizations will focus on
the greatest level of customer experience comes in one-on-one coaching, improving
importance on the customer many forms. At its core, knowledge management, offering
experience. The C-suite does however, such an experience additional group training,
not care quite as much, but it still provides value for customers. enhancing agent dashboards and
cares. More importantly, it is a optimizing call recording.
key customer experience
decision maker in the greatest ustomer-oriented metrics like
C I n practice, success will come
percentage of organizations. CSAT and Net Promoter Score from focusing on the
will become pivotal “customer journey.” The focus
I nteractions are the heart of performance indicators over the should drive businesses to make
the customer experience. next year, but insofar as emphasis interactions more efficient,
Businesses most commonly on the customer experience is optimize and personalize
interact with customers in regard growing, all forms of metrics – individual experience moments,
to general support and accessibility, quality, efficiency, reduce customer effort and,
information, feedback, billing, resolution – will take on increased ultimately, provide customers
and technical support. importance by year’s end. with more value.
callcenter-iq.com · 3
Methodology and
Demographics
To collect data for the Executive Report support center manager, director of
on the Future of the Contact Center, Call customer experience, co-founder, and
Center IQ surveyed customer experience, head of business development.
contact center, marketing, customer care,
IT, and operations professionals during Invitations to participate were issued
January and February 2016. irrespective of company size, but the
respondent pool skews in favor of larger
Example respondent job titles include organizations. 46% of respondent
CEO, executive vice president, director organizations employ over 1,000, while
of global support, director of customer 57% have at least 500 employees on
care, team leader, national customer their payrolls. Only 19% of respondent
and dealer experience manager, quality organizations staff fewer than 100.
supervisor, senior vice president of
service operations, head of customer Contact center size is more evenly
care, manager of customer service, vice distributed. 32% of respondent
president of customer experience, vice organizations seat at least 250 agents in
president of marketing, director of their contact centers, while 35% possess
customer success, eServices manager, fewer than 50 agent seats.
callcenter-iq.com · 4
Understanding the
Customer Experience
Survey after survey, mission statement Within those varying definitions, however,
after mission statement, and think piece are overlapping ideas, functions,
after think piece identify the customer initiatives, and objectives. A big picture
experience as a paramount business inquiry into the state of the customer
priority. experience – and into the fundamental
steps business must take to improve their
But what exactly does the customer customer experiences – begins with an
experience entail? investigation into that common ground.
callcenter-iq.com · 5
Which functions are part of the customer experience?
Sales 69.9%
Marketing 69.9%
Customer relationship/
journey management 85.5%
Company information/
announcements 65.1%
Pricing 53.0%
Billing/invoicing 61.4%
callcenter-iq.com · 6
How important is the customer experience to the following business units?
Contact Center/Customer
Service 4.64
Marketing/Demand
Generation 3.95
Operations 3.82
IT 3.42
Accounting/Finance 2.93
callcenter-iq.com · 7
Are the following ultimate customer experience decision-makers in your organization?
Contact Center/Customer
Service 42.2%
Marketing/Demand
21.0%
Generation
Operations 15.7%
IT 15.7%
Accounting/Finance 9.6%
callcenter-iq.com · 8
Understanding
Interactions
Common to the five functions most Efforts to improve engagement, naturally,
commonly associated with the customer are a centerpiece of the campaign to
experience – support, feedback, improve the customer experience.
relationship management, social media,
and retention – is the notion of customer The journey to that improved
interfacing. Engagement is clearly the customer experience thus requires
centerpiece of the customer experience. an understanding of why customers
interaction, how they interact, and what
determines the success of an interaction.
callcenter-iq.com · 9
How frequently does your organization directly interact with customers for the
following purposes?
Sales - Outbound 3.22
Feedback/complaint -
4.05
general
Feedback/complaint -
4.08
specific incident
Support - Technical/
3.63
product issue
0 Never 1 2 3 4 5 Constantly
callcenter-iq.com · 10
Does your company engage customers in the following channels?
No Yes, for complete service Yes, for simple transactions only
Telephone - IVR
Chat
Website/FAQ
Mobile - SMS
Mobile - App
Mobile - Web
Video - Web
Video/Messaging (Skype,
ICQ, etc)
Virtual Agents
In-Person
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
callcenter-iq.com · 11
Rate the importance of the following when interacting with customers
Accuracy 4.83
Friendliness 4.48
Personalization 4.39
Personal relationship
between agent and 3.86
customer
Speed/efficiency 4.25
Number of calls/transfers
required for resolution 4.10
Memorability/creativity 3.65
callcenter-iq.com · 12
Assessing the
Experience
Uncertainty is the enemy of progress. businesses require a firm understanding of
Defining the customer experience – what it what they are trying to achieve.
entails and whom it involves – is therefore
an important first step on the road to What are the central components of an
improvement. optimized customer experience? Which
elements of the experience produce
The next step involves identifying the the greatest impact on key performance
qualities of a good customer experience. indicators? How does a great experience
look to customers? What does it mean for
To successfully weigh investments, the business?
construct strategies, and train employees,
callcenter-iq.com · 13
How important are the following types of metrics now (0-5)? How important will
they be in 12 months? Now In 12 Months
callcenter-iq.com · 14
Improving the
Experience
Businesses declare customer experience quality, resolution-oriented interactions that
improvement a top organizational priority, are efficient and accessible.
which means they are seeking a great
customer experience. Achieving all those tenets requires a
comprehensive, determined, multi-
According to today’s businesses, a faceted action plan involving overarching
great customer experience is one that strategic initiatives, customer retention and
provides enough value to drive customer acquisition strategy, voice of the customer
satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy. It acquisition, and agent engagement.
consists of accurate, consistent, high-
Strategic Initiatives
When it comes to driving change, customer Clear alignment exists between the By granting agents better access to
experience leaders have a plethora of initiatives businesses most seriously information, improved knowledge
initiatives from which to choose. Some plan to undertake and the customer management also contributes to that
represent the introduction of new, exciting experience concepts businesses most consistency. More importantly, it
technologies. Others involve the adoption deeply value. drives accuracy, and no element of the
of industry best practices into the contact customer engagement interaction is
center operation. Others still involve Improved customer feedback helps more important.
doubling down on the most fundamental a business more clearly understand
customer experience tenets. what its customers want and how its Every initiative listed in the survey will
customers feel. That information enables be enacted by some organizations, but
All – though some more than others businesses to more compellingly provide several are off the radars for the majority.
– represent pathways to improved value, which is the fundamental tenet of a
customer experiences. All, however, good customer experience. Examples include virtual agents
require a combination of financial (1.46), 24/7/365 engagement (2.24),
investment, training, and shifts in process. Proactive customer engagement, customer loyalty programs (2.28), up-
enhanced self-service and a more robust selling/cross-selling (2.34), and agent
Bound by practicality, businesses will approach to omni-channel provide incentivization and gamification (2.37).
naturally prioritize the most valuable additional value for customers. They may In addition to receiving low average
initiatives. have an auxiliary benefit for the operation, ratings, the initiatives were deemed
but their purpose – first and foremost – is “not at all important” by at least 16% of
Per the survey, those – the ones that to create a more worthwhile experience respondents (agent incentivization) and
received the best scores on a scale of for customers. as many as 31% (virtual agents).
0-5 – include improving the customer
feedback process (3.80), proactively The omni-channel initiative also promises In treating proactive care, self-service and
engaging customers (3.48), optimizing stronger consistency, which represents omni-channel as comparative priorities,
knowledge management (3.47), enhancing one of the most important elements of businesses have confirmed their interest
self-service (3.26), and increasing omni- interactions. in providing an enhanced, more valuable
channel capabilities (3.16).
callcenter-iq.com · 15
To what extent is your business committed to improving the following?
Omni-channel 3.16
experience for customers. That effort to additional sales revenue to create value. the full spectrum of initiatives could
enhance evidently has limits, however, as benefit from improvement.
initiatives like virtual agents and 24/7/365 The comparative disinterest in introducing
care are not widespread priorities. agent incentivization and gamification Respondents were given the chance to
seems unintuitive in a world that note that a specific initiative was “already
Customer retention represents a recognizes the link between happy agents perfect” within their organization. Nearly
conceptual objective for businesses, and happy customers, but the rating none provided such an answer.
but they evidently do not see customer scenario could mirror that of customer
loyalty programs as particularly valuable, loyalty programs. It is not that businesses Agent incentivization and gamification,
let alone essential, means of driving that do not value agent satisfaction; they the initiative most commonly identified as
retention. simply do not believe gamification or “perfect,” earned that label from only 5%.
specific incentive programs are the most The majority of initiatives were declared
Up-selling and cross-selling have productive way of driving that satisfaction. perfect by fewer than 2% of respondents.
historically been positioned as ways for a
contact center to create positive business It may also be a statement of budgetary The conclusion is simple: today’s
value (and escape the cost center stigma), pragmatism. Wanting to improve agent businesses recognize the need for
but it is clear today’s organizations – with happiness does not cause extra money to customer experience improvement. They
a firmer sense of appreciation for the suddenly grow on trees. have no delusions or fantasies about the
value of satisfaction and loyalty – believe status quo: it is imperfect, and forward-
interactions do not need to drive Beyond revealing the initiatives that rank looking business strategy must be
as comparatively high and low priorities, predicated on changing that reality.
the survey data also provides another
compelling finding: businesses believe
callcenter-iq.com · 16
How does your organization currently feel about retention and acquisition?
Customer Retention 4.07
Customer Acquisition 3.90
Rate the effort your organization is currently devoting to retention and acqusition
Customer Retention 3.51
Customer Acquisition 3.50
0 Not At All 1 2 3 4 5 Top Priority
callcenter-iq.com · 17
Do you use the following to acquire the “voice of the customer?”
Will you in 12 months?
Using Using as Key Source Using as Secondary Source
Using in 12 months Using as Key Source in 12 months Using as Secondary Source in 12 months
Analytics/behaviors during
interaction
Call verbatim/recording
Agent feedback
Buying patterns/market
share
Comments on web/social
media
Changes in customer-
oriented metrics
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
callcenter-iq.com · 18
What steps are you taking to improve agent engagement and performance?
Emphasis on one-on-one
80.7%
coaching
Improving base
compensation/payscale 27.7%
Improving incentives/
bonuses 39.8%
Gamification 32.5%
Improving interaction
analytics 42.2%
Improving call-monitoring/
recording 48.2%
Unified desktops
37.3%
Improving knowledge
management system 61.4%
Giving agent more authority
to make decisions 43.4%
Routing customers to
agents based on specific 45.8%
product issues
Routing customers to 16.9%
agents based on personality
fourth-most popular agent strategy. 55% In largely overlooking personality- Organizations would rather focus on
will improve dashboards as a means of based routing and channel-specific honing broader skillsets and providing
improving performance. staffing, businesses are dismissing the broader knowledge.
urgency of specialization. It may carry
Improving call recording – the number some additional value, but it is not a Agent incentivization and gamification
one source of voice of the customer data gamechanger when it comes to improving represent comparatively low-ranking
– is the fifth-biggest agent engagement agent performance – and by extension strategic initiatives. Improving payscale
priority. It is a focus for 48% of businesses. improving the customer experience. and optimizing gamification, accordingly,
represents low-ranking agent initiatives.
Comparatively unpopular options Businesses, interestingly, are also Businesses surely value the role agents
include personality-based routing (17%), comparatively disinterested in developing play in driving the customer experience,
improving base compensation and omni-channel skillsets. On the channel but that value is not manifesting as an
payscale (28%), hiring and training for front, the aversion thus goes beyond the urge to increase compensation.
specific channel experience (31%), and concept of specializing. It is a wholesale
gamification (33%), and hiring and training rejection of the notion that channel
for omni-channel experience (34%). competency is a pivotal driver of success.
callcenter-iq.com · 19
Practicality Guide
callcenter-iq.com · 20
Customer-Centric
Efficiency
For many customer experience thought Efficiency is not, however, a fundamentally their time and effort. It recognizes that
leaders, “efficiency” represents a dirty problematic notion. It is not inherently an efficient experience is not simply a win
word – and an even dirtier concept. oppositional to the concept of customer for the business – it is a necessity for the
centricity. It is not a rejection of customer.
It is a concept imposed by detached “customer-oriented” performance metrics
C-level executives onto contact centers in favor of operational ones. Efficiency metrics do not exclusively
and customer service teams. Those clash with customer-oriented ones; they
employees must then impose the It is, in fact, a necessary ingredient of a actually help to inform them. As long
concept onto customers. successful customer experience. as they do not come at the expense
of quality, quicker calls with reduced
It is positioned as the antithesis of Customers are indeed seeking courteous, wait times will typically increase – not
customer centricity; instead of thinking personalized, wholly resolute experiences, decrease – customer satisfaction.
about what matters to the customer, it but they still expect – and, in fact,
involves thinking exclusively about the demand – those experiences to come With the aim of creating stronger
internal operation. Is the contact center quickly, pointedly, and with minimal experiences (and, yes, more successful
exerting as little effort and spending as effort. Customers certainly appreciate businesses), this section addresses the
little money as possible? a “strategic call” in which the agent tailors notion of customer-centric efficiency.
his service to the customer’s unique issue It reveals what customers expect
Customer management advisors scoff at and unique personality, but they are throughout the entire engagement
the notion of antiquated efficiency metrics absolutely not seeking lengthy calls. process, how businesses can deliver
like average handle time. Customer- those elements, and the benefits that
centric organizations, they explain, are A business that understands and emerge when they do.
guided by customer-oriented metrics like appreciates its customers, in fact,
CSAT score and Net Promoter Score. understands and appreciates the cost of
callcenter-iq.com · 21
Efficacy Meets Efficiency
Upon initiating contact with a business, I t is Easy: Customer experiences I t is Personal – and
customers have a set destination in mind. work for the customer; they do Personalized: A friendly,
There is information they want to acquire. not impose work upon them. A courteous experience is
There is a resolution they want to receive. customer’s path to resolution important. Customers also
There is feedback they wish to share. should require as little effort as expect friendliness to be
possible. Interfaces should be personalized. They expect the
They place pivotal value on reaching that
intuitive, readily accessible, and business – and its agents and
destination, and nothing can distract
created with the customer’s systems – to always know who
from that goal. The friendliest agent
convenience in mind. they are, how they have
in the world becomes an enemy if he
previously interacted, and what
cannot fix the customer’s problem. It Respects the Customer’s they want moving forward. It is
Time: Time is money. Time not the customer’s job to
An experience that brings an agent
wasted is dissatisfaction. communicate this information at
to that destination is not, however,
Customer-centric organizations the start of every call; it is the
an inherently satisfying experience.
recognize the value of time; they business’ responsibility to know
Customers care about the route travelled,
similarly recognize the harm of – and value – its individual
and one that involves roadblocks,
slow agents, lengthy hold times, customers.
detours, and traffic jams is one that yields
and unwanted transfers. To
dissatisfaction.
maximize satisfaction, they I t is connected: When customers
minimize the time burden. engage with a single business,
They seek an experience that
they anticipate a singular, unified
supplements efficacy with efficiency.
I t is on the Customer’s Terms: experience. Fracture points
Their satisfaction hinges on the following
Aiming to create the most should not emerge as customers
factors:
comfortable, low-hassle shift from agent-to-agent or
interactions possible, they honor channel-to-channel; the business
customer preferences related to should maintain a seamless view
timing and channel. Customer- of the customer and his issue
centric businesses do not ask throughout the interaction – and
customers to make sacrifices. throughout all future interactions.
callcenter-iq.com · 22
Sources of Inefficiency,
Causes of Dissatisfaction
Customer satisfaction is the driving force approach is not cohesive.” Without that undue wait times or excessive transfers,
behind the best service experiences. cohesion, businesses are unable to meet customers abandon calls. A signal and
Efficient experiences – ones that are fundamental customer demands. They driver of frustration and dissatisfaction,
consistently quick, convenient and cannot optimally serve the customer on this abandonment also prevents the
effortless – are a prerequisite for his terms; certain channels function more business from speaking to the customer.
achieving that satisfaction. effectively and efficiently than others. Those lost conversations represent lost
They cannot optimally communicate opportunities to improve relationships
By virtue of internal limitations, many across channels; customers thus find and introduce upsells.
of today’s businesses find themselves themselves needing to repeat themselves
unable to deliver this “customer-centric – exerting undue effort and wasting undue They do not empower agents: Few
efficiency.” Some of the bottlenecks are time – as they move throughout the organizations truly entrust their agents
psychological; businesses do not fully experience. to veer from the script and make
appreciate and embrace the factors that autonomous decisions regarding
create optimal experiences. Others are They impose waiting: While virtually all resolutions, but that only represents part
strategic and practical; businesses may organizations can agree that wait times of the agent empowerment problem.
understand what customers want, but are suboptimal, few do anything about In today’s customer management
the contact center they have designed it. They accept hold times as a given environment, the problem manifests at
and developed is incapable of providing it. and expect customers to do the same. the onset of the call. Agents have limited
The aforementioned lack of connectivity, real-time context about the customers.
They often succumb to the following which results in customers needing to Once they begin engaging with one
worst practices: repeat information and establish or re- of those customers, they have limited
establish context upon finally reaching an insight into who the customer is, what he
They are not omni-channel: “The
agent compounds the harm. has been doing prior to the call and what
omni-channel world is challenging for
he wants from the call. The agent’s ability
most businesses today,” explains Wes They drive abandonment: A source of to personalize the interaction and deliver
Hayden of Virtual Hold. “Organizationally, dissatisfaction in its own right, waiting quick outcomes is greatly bottlenecked.
many organizations align by interaction also dovetails into another problem:
channel and design stovepipes; their abandonment. When asked to endure
callcenter-iq.com · 23
Enabling the Effortless Experience
Customer-centricity is a strategic, burden. While completely eliminating Improved Agent Visibility: The
philosophical concept. It involves uniting wait times may be impossible for an interaction process need not begin as a
the business in pursuit of objectives like organization constrained by practical mystery. Unified desktops and improved
customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, resource limitations, creating a more knowledge management solutions can
and customer advocacy. It involves customer-centric hold process is ensure agents have the information they
thinking beyond the products created absolutely possible. Through virtual need the second they commence their
and on factors like how those products queuing, the center can hold the interaction with the customer; instead of
are offered and supported. It involves customer’s place in line and then call him wasting time gathering information, they
managing – and incentivizing – agents back when an agent – preferably one can focus exclusively on solving problems.
based on their success in attracting, already matched to the specifics of his Agent visibility should also extend to the
delighting, and retaining customers. profile and issue – becomes available. queue; they should know who is waiting,
Callback technology can also be used to how long they have been waiting, why
It also involves establishing an operation return the customer’s call at a time and they are waiting, and which agent and/or
that can drive efficient, effortless channel of his choosing. group of agents is best suited to answer
experiences. It aims to foster the the call and manage the issue.
quickest, most seamless, most reliable Bridging Self And Assisted Service: “We
pathway from issue to resolution. don’t think that every call has to have a Customer Outcome Management:
human interaction,” explains Wes Hayden Easy, effective and efficient experiences
The following solutions create this of Virtual Hold, “but when you have a require context. To establish that
customer-centric form of efficiency. self-service issue that doesn’t resolve context, businesses must have the ability
They will ultimately reduce costs and the issue, you have to make a human to know in the moment who a customer
improve workflow and capacity, but they available.” Customer-centric callback is, what they are trying to accomplish
do so as a byproduct of creating better technology does not exclusively serve and what interactions have already taken
experiences for customers – not because, telephony/agent-assisted customers; place. This captured activity that can span
as misguided “efficiency” opponents it also aids customers who began their time and touchpoints enables businesses
suggest, they sacrifice quality. interaction in a self-service environment to understand intent and proactively
but decide they need or want to switch to trigger the next, personalized action so
Satisfaction remains the name of the
an assisted one. Rather than penalizing customers quickly gain the resolutions
game; these solutions provide the forms
customers who reach a dead-end or and outcomes they seek.
of efficiency and effortlessness that drive
run out of time while engaging with a
that satisfaction.
self-service platform, the organization
Virtual Queuing and Callbacks: By captures the customer’s effort and
virtue of requiring the customer to call – information – and then enables them
whether due to a malfunctioning product, to either immediately transfer to
a billing issue, or unclear communication the telephone channel or request a
– the business has already imposed a convenient callback from a specialized,
burden on the customer. Subjecting him qualified agent. In either case, the
to a lengthy call queue exacerbates that agent will be able to pick up where the
customer left off.
callcenter-iq.com · 24
Good for the Customer and Business
Sequence matters greatly when it comes valleys of call volume. It produces marked them, where they will have to wait for a
to the customer experience. reductions in average speed of answer, second agent. Alternatively, they can offer
abandon rate, repeat rate, talk time, to continue engagement with customers
The thirst for profit – particularly when average handle time, and service levels. who require follow ups by proactively
quenched through cost reduction – is offering to set up a callback. Agents’ ability
problematic when sought at the expense Those who choose to receive a callback are to assist with follows ups and transfers
of customer satisfaction. That type not required to wait on hold, and those renders contact center employees more
of profit-seeking is what has made who opt to stay in the queue face lesser empowered and productive. Granting
“efficiency” a dirty word within customer wait times. Both sets of customers receive agents a real-time window into current
management circles. the experience they want when they want wait times for queues improves the
it, which results in increased CSAT and transfer experience and optimizes call
An organization that prioritizes customer NPS as well as holistic improvements to routing and provides context for the
satisfaction will, however, need to the brand and bottom line. next agent, resulting in continuity of
streamline its operations in order to
service for the customer. Agents perform
achieve its objectives. By doing so, it will VHT Conversation Bridge, enables
better, and customers are less inclined to
reduce operational costs and, ultimately, customers who start on the web or
abandon calls due to waiting, experience
increase profit. mobile channel the ability to request a
disconnects on transfers or routing to the
callback providing connectivity between
The business still gets the profit that wrong agent group.
self- and assisted-service channels.
it really wants, but it does so as a Customers are not wasting time or effort VHT Navigator, contributes to an easy,
byproduct of satisfying customers rather repeating information they have already effortless experience across channels.
than as a substitute for that satisfaction. provided, and agents can quickly assist By capturing – and making sense of – a
It has not simply created efficiency; it has callers. Agents handle interactions more customer’s history of interactions and
created customer-centric efficiency. efficiently, while customers gain more behaviors with the business, Navigator
satisfaction. dynamically identifies opportunities
Technology that fosters virtual
queuing, omni-channel callbacks, agent for the next right action regarding
VHT Agent Assist, gives agents currently
empowerment, and customer outcome the service to provide each customer.
engaged with callers the ability to offer
management yields this ideal form of Customers are in the driver’s seat,
and set up callbacks for follow up calls
centricity and the accompanying rewards. deciding when and where to interact,
and transfers. Agents have visibility into
with the business navigating customers
queues and can communicate estimated
VHT Callback, values customers’ time by towards the outcomes they seek.
wait times and offer callers the option of
eliminating hold time for while enabling
a callback rather than blindly transferring
the business to manage the peaks and
callcenter-iq.com · 25
Here are some recent examples of how VHT solutions have driven
customer-centric efficiency:
Solution: Through Conversation Bridge, QSuper was able to offer callbacks to customers regardless of the
channel in which they initiated contact. 28% of customers opt for the callback.
These customers benefit from an experience on their terms. Average speed of answer has fallen by 38%,
while abandon rate is down to just 3.4%.
Solution: Thanks to its strategic use of VHT Callback, FirstEnergy managed to improve customer service,
while lowering operational costs and elevating agent morale in its contact centers.
On average, just over 50% of FirstEnergy callers who were offered the option, would rather be called back
than wait on hold.
Cutting down on customer complaints also helped to reduce call handle times, which when combined with
lower costs, makes for a highly effective solution.
Soon after implementing Callback, FirstEnergy followed up with customers to gauge their opinion of the
improved customer service option. Here is what they found:
• 75% of customers who used it had a more favorable opinion of FirstEnergy because of Callback.
• The median wait time VHT Callback users found “unacceptable” was 20 minutes, compared to just
10 minutes for those staying on hold.
Solution: Through VHT Callback, the organization was able to integrate the support process into its electronic
devices. A button on the controller would request a callback and instantly send account information, serial
numbers, and warranty information to the support team. The agent tasked with calling the customer back,
therefore, would have all the information he needed to begin productively solving the problem.
The shorter verification reduced call times by 2-3 minutes. It also reduced the need for outsourced staff by
8% and drove measurable increases in first call resolution and customer satisfaction.
Those increases, in turn, have led to reductions in customer churn and increases in opportunities for cross-
sells as well as up-sells.
callcenter-iq.com · 26
Bridging Customer
Experience Gaps
“Customer care has been living in a Their profiles, histories, and sentiments They, consequently, have no prayer
fragmented world.” are not consistently recognized by every of delivering the unified, value-driven
agent or system across every interaction. journey desired by customers. They
Delivered by PowerObjects’ Greg Moser, They cannot seamlessly move between also have no prayer of becoming truly
the statement speaks to the heart of agents and/or channels during a single immersed in the company culture.
the customer experience challenge. interaction. They may technically be
Today’s consumers are seeking unified, contacting a single business, but they are Businesses aiming to meaningfully
consistent, omni-channel journeys, forced to endure a multitude of disjointed improve the customer experience
but today’s businesses are often too “experiences.” must tear down these walls. They must
fractured to comply. eliminate these fracture points. They
The backend experience is also crippled must bridge these gaps.
The issue exists on both sides of the by siloes. Agents do not receive
phone – or chat window, mobile device, consistent – and instant – access to With the right tools and mindset, doing
or Twitter conversation. the information they need. Different so is not a particularly burdensome task.
systems and databases, let alone different It does, meanwhile, provide particularly
The interface customers encounter when valuable rewards.
corporate departments, cannot or do not
they initiate contact is a broken one.
actively and productively communicate.
callcenter-iq.com · 27
What Customers Want
Uttered so often by thought leaders, the hannel of Choice: “Being
C and business units and those
notion of a “unified customer experience” where your customers are” is a within different ones – should
may register as hollow rhetoric. requirement of the modern align with the overall customer
customer experience landscape. experience journey. At every
To begin paving the road to improvement, turn, the business, systems, and
It is not the only requirement
it is important to understand what that agents must be mindful of what
when it comes to channel
abstract notion truly entails. What do the customer wants to achieve
preference. Businesses must be
we mean when we say customers want a and how to most efficiently,
wholly effective where the
unified experience? effectively and cohesively
customer is – a customer cannot
be asked to trade between provide that demand.
Speed: While “efficiency metrics”
channel preference and service
like average handle time and Proactive: In accordance with
quality. They must also be
average speed of answer are the journey concept, elite
seamlessly accommodating of
falling out of favor, the notion of customer experiences
where the customer wants to go
efficiency is as important as ever. proactively anticipate – and meet
– as he moves to a new channel,
Time is money, and today’s – customer needs. They
the data and performance
customers object to the cost of anticipate potential problems
mechanics needed to provide a
undue delays or complications and propose potential solutions
satisfying experience should
when pursuing support. before the customer endured
already be waiting at the next
any harm or devoted any effort
igh Quality Interactions:
H destination.
to support.
Speed is a valuable part of the
n Integrated Journey:
A
customer experience, but it
Integration is not a concept
cannot compensate for the other
exclusive to channel strategy; it
components, specifically, cannot
applies to the totality of the
come at the expense of service
customer experience. Every
quality. Great customer
element of the experience –
experiences must also be
those within the same channels
reliably accurate, personalized,
and resolute.
callcenter-iq.com · 28
Costly Gaps
While they speak to different aspects Suboptimal Experiences: When Agent Attrition: When operational gaps
of the customer relationship, the customer and/or internal knowledge emerge, customers are not the only ones
aforementioned five tenets share a is fragmented, the business is who leave for greener pastures. Agent
common requirement: an organization fundamentally unable to meet the churn also emerges.
aiming to meet those customer demands tenets of an ideal customer experience.
must foster complete integration inside Agents and systems endure delays Customer engagement is a fundamentally
and outside the contact center. It gathering the necessary information, demanding and challenging job,
must center its people, processes, and which impacts speed. Agents and but it becomes particularly – and
technologies on one unified customer systems lack consistent access to the unappealingly – stressful and problematic
experience mission. most accurate and useful intelligence, when agents are inherently unable to
which in turn reduces interaction quality. perform. When they do not have the
Customer experience fragments, Siloed contact channels can neither necessary information about customers
therefore, undermine the experience. provide unified, consistent service nor or about the organization, they cannot
Not simply signs of operational accommodate seamless movement provide efficient and effective service.
inefficiency, these gaps directly inhibit the to new touch points. Limitations on They are simultaneously forced to
business’ ability to meet the demands of information prevent the business deal with unpleasant interactions and
the contemporary customer. from optimizing the customer journey. unimpressive performance numbers.
They also prevent the business from They become unhappy. Management
“Very few organizations we interact with becomes unhappy. The relationships fail.
proactively anticipating – and remedying
have the right information in the right
– issues.
centralized agent desktop to provide As these customers leave, the
that superior level of service,” articulates Increased Operational Costs: While organization is burdened with the cost
Moser. “We are still seeing customer different organizations ascribe different of new recruiting, new training, and new
care organizations living in a highly value to customer centricity, all accept onboarding. None of that investment is
fragmented world, which impacts how the importance of the almighty dollar. as productive, let alone customer-friendly,
they can interact with their customers. “ Disintegrated customer experiences as cultivating a team of wholly engaged
are more costly. When interactions are agents who know the business, know the
In his work on the solution provider front, customers, and know how to foster the
slower and less resolute, the cost per call
Moser finds that only 33% of businesses best relationship between the two.
increases. The existing support team’s
he visits possess proper integration.
ability to handle demand decreases.
“Turnover and a highly fragment customer
That means two-thirds of businesses care environment can impact culture
On a longer-term basis, these
possess gaps in their customer and agent satisfaction in a negative
problematic, unsatisfactory experiences
experience operation. Those gaps way, which can correlate to negative
heighten the risk of customer churn.
present numerous costs. experiences for our customers,” adds
Reduced revenue and profit are the
consequences. Moser.
callcenter-iq.com · 29
Building Bridges
The gaps crippling today’s customer Improved Knowledge Management: journey, and the organization cannot
experiences need not exist. Solutions Intelligence – whether related to allow seams to show as they move
and strategies exist for effectively and customer interactions, service procedures, between touch points on that journey.
efficiently bridging those gaps – and or product knowledge – cannot be A singular desktop facilitates this
remedying customer experience clustered into individual islands. It must seamlessness.
weaknesses. be centralized so that all agents can
access the information they need when Integrated Self-Service Tools: When
The bridges directly mitigate the costs they need it. Customers expect speedy, implemented correctly, self-service
articulated in the preceding section. They effortless service; agents cannot provide tools represent a win-win for today’s
directly empower businesses to deliver that service if collecting data is a slow, customers. They enable customers to
the idealized customer experience cumbersome process. quickly solve problems on their own
described in the section before that. terms and reduce costly call volume.
Unified Infrastructure and Processes: The correct implementation involves a
CRM with Global Case Management: The customer experience is a business- combination of user-friendly interfaces
Unifying the customer experience is not wide construction. The processes and omni-channel organization. Each
merely a change in high-level philosophy. and technology used to create that self-service channel should have access
It also means transforming the way experience, therefore, must be unified to relevant insight about the customer
individual interactions are managed. and integrated across all business and his particular issue. It should also
These individual interactions cannot be units. Feedback acquired from a be able to seamlessly pass the customer
viewed as disparate; they cannot be customer support call should be directly – and all relevant information – to live
stored in isolation. The organization’s accessible for the marketing team. agent channels upon request.
CRM must provide all departments Promises made on a sales call should be
and systems with access to all global directly accessible for customer service Predictive Analytics: The customer
customer cases. Each individual employees. experience is not simply about optimally
interaction possesses context for the responding to customer inquiries. It
overall customer journey; all people, Singular, Omni-channel Agent also involves proactively engaging
processes, and technology must have Desktop: Even if an organization customers, remedying potential concerns,
instant access to that context. Where positions specialized, dedicated agents and uncovering new sources of value.
possible, the organizations and systems within each channel, its desktops must Through predictive analytics solutions,
should be able to leverage this global provide agents with a window into all an organization can stay ahead of the
access to automate processes. channels. Customers demand a singular customer – and ensure it is perpetually
able to provide the most fruitful journey.
callcenter-iq.com · 30
Impact of Integration
“Integration” is not a buzzword. It is a better equipped to provide satisfactory efficiency of the experience as well as
prerequisite for customer experience outcomes. More issues are resolved on the availability of operational resources.
elements like speed, contact quality and the first contact, which is valuable for the When barriers to service delivery are
omni-channel accessibility. operation and for customers. removed, the experience becomes more
efficient (without compromising quality)
It is also a pathway to meaningful – and Increases in Customer Satisfaction: and agent bandwidth increases. Each
quantifiable – business rewards. When the contact center operation is agent can handle more interactions –
integrated, customers enjoy a smoother and handle them more quickly – thus
Increases in Performance Visibility: front-end interface free of disruptions improving customer satisfaction and
Before assessing the impact on and delays. They also benefit from more minimizing headcount and overall
performance itself, it is important to note valuable interactions with agents, who internal spend.
the valuable role integration plays in have the information needed to provide
accurately measuring that performance. more accurate, more responsive, more Increases in Agent Retention:
By centralizing data and providing global, personalized, more resolute care. Add “Empowering Agents with information
consistent, seamless visibility into all in the fact that customers have more and an automated and scripted
processes and customer interactions, the autonomy regarding channel – including decision making process, will allow
organization has a markedly better sense self-service options – and you have for a better culture and more satisfied
of how it is performing. The voice of the markedly more satisfied customers. agents, reducing onboarding costs and
customer can be more vividly tracked increasing the customer experience,”
and assessed. The business will know Increases in Agent Efficiency: Modern says Moser. Intuitive, less disjointed
whether resolution truly occurred on the thought leaders may advise against desktops minimize the need for training
first contact. It will be able to determine using metrics like average handle time and the stress that comes with broken
whether agents are truly operating more to quantify the success of the customer systems. Agents perform better and are
productively. experience, but none can downplay their happier, which creates a better scenario
relevance from an operational standpoint. for agent engagement. Immersed in the
Increases in First Contact Resolution: They, when used in conjunction with organization, agents are less likely to leave
When agents or systems have access a customer centric mindset and and more likely to thrive in their roles.
to the necessary information, they are customer-oriented metrics, speak to the
callcenter-iq.com · 31
Success in Practice
By developing – and leveraging – handle time, and at least 5% decreases in Here are some recent
solutions related to Microsoft Dynamics required headcount.
CRM, Omni-Channel, and Agent Desktop,
examples of how the
PowerObjects has helped businesses The benefits carry direct ramifications PowerObjects approach
achieve tangible results in measures that for all stakeholders – customers, agents, has yielded a more
matter. managers, and C-level executives alike.
Integration, therefore, drives undeniable
integrated, more agent-
On average, clients have seen 5-25% improvement. centric, more customer-
increases in first call resolution, 20-40% centric experience:
increases in CSAT and Net Promoter No matter the specific industry or contact
Score, 20-40% reductions in average center structure, solutions exist to bridge
gaps and foster the aforementioned results.
Solution: PowerObjects created a logical, unified interface for agents. Customer information was integrated
into a CRM system. A CTI agent application “listened” for customer calls on the telephony system, which
would then search the CRM for details on the calling customer and provide agents access to those details in
a custom web interface.
Solution: PowerObjects used Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Agent Desktop to create a unified environment
for the contact center. Agents gained access to all relevant customer information, processes like member
search and call segmentation were automated, and KPIs were more effectively defined and reported.
Solution: PowerObjects constructed customized “caller validation” screens. Through a single click, this
validation process compared caller provided information to that stored within the unified CRM. The first
phase focused on policy information; an update provided a 360-degree view of validated customers,
providing agents with all the information they needed to provide quick and successful service.
callcenter-iq.com · 32
Unlocking the Value of
the Customer Experience
The customer journey concept and the be defined by individual interactions; each Customer lifetime value helps a business
customer lifetime value concept are interaction is instead part of a broader, understand a customer’s worth. The
undeniably connected. potentially perpetual relationship journey-oriented experience compels
between brand and customer. a business to develop an experience
Lifetime value is an assessment of an mindful of that worth.
individual customer’s ultimate worth Journey-oriented customer experiences,
to a business. Instead of making a however, require businesses to go one Constructing a great customer
valuation based on specific transactions, step further. experience journey thus involves
it encourages businesses to measure determining the value of a customer
customers based on their totality of what The business cannot exclusively focus to the business, determining what
they are spending now, what they have on assessing the value the customer that customer values when interacting
spent in the past, and what they will will bring throughout the lifecycle of with the business, and creating an
potentially spend in the future. the relationship. It must also ensure unbreakable, perpetual alignment
it is providing the customer with between the two.
The customer journey concept similarly corresponding value at each and every
argues that customer experiences cannot moment of the journey.
callcenter-iq.com · 33
Value: What It Means To Businesses
Journey-oriented experiences are guided When viewed through that lens, behaviors interaction. It must operate with an eye
by customer lifetime value. They are like providing discourteous service, on a longer-term prize.
guided by an emphasis not on individual instituting bait-and-switch promotions,
interactions but on the worth that will and refusing to compromise on minor If someone purchases a pair of sneakers
be generated through an optimized transactional disputes – all of which could at your department store, did your
relationship with a customer. result in the customer departing for a experience make him want to return to
competitor prior to the anticipated exit buy his next pair of sneakers? Will he
For businesses that provide subscription date – are exposed as particularly costly. consider your business when shopping
services, such as cable and wireless for dress shoes? What about socks?
providers, the lifetime value calculation On the other hand, behaviors like
is straightforward. Since they already providing proactive support and offering In today’s world, a customer’s lifetime
know how much the customer will pay customer loyalty promotions – which value principle arguably extends even
per term (and approximately how much improve the likelihood of retaining beyond his own purchases. If a customer
profit each payment will generate), such the customer for the duration of the advocates for your business within his
businesses need only multiply the anticipated lifecycle, if not longer – circle of friends – let alone on social
predetermined term value by the number become exponentially more valuable. media – has he not provided even more
of terms they anticipate retaining the value? Alternatively, if he condemns your
customer. The lifetime value approach reveals business in a public forum, has he not
that exceptional service is not merely a resulted in an even greater cost than his
The subscription model perfectly “feel good” endeavor. It can be a direct own lost business?
illustrates the importance of a customer pathway to considerable long-term value.
lifetime value assessment. The customer relationship is a valuable
While the value calculation is more – and potentially extremely valuable –
Suppose a wireless customer paid $100 difficult for organizations that primarily asset. That value should serve as a
per month for his services, and there offer non-recurring products, the reminder that the customer experience
was no inherent reason why he would principle is simple. matters.
sever ties within the next five years. That
customer would therefore represent the If anything, the lifetime value concept It should also serve as an impetus to
promise of at least $6,000 in revenue. becomes even more important, because ensure every facet of the experience is
the customer’s future purchasing is not providing requisite value to the customer.
Losing his business would, in effect, cost even remotely guaranteed. In order to
the company up to $6,000 in revenue realize the full potential of the customer’s
(and a great deal of final profit, which is value, the business must work to earn
the preferred lifetime value benchmark in the customer’s future business during
many organizations). every transaction and in every support
callcenter-iq.com · 34
Value: What It Means To Customers
In Call Center IQ’s annual customer How can a business communicate a “no” was given out of expediency or
experience survey, respondents nearly its customer-centricity? How does a short-term financial motivation. They
universally defined a good customer customer know he is being valued? should never feel as if an up-sell or offer
experience as one that provides value for is designed to trick the customer rather
the customer. Recognition: Certain industries and than to sincerely improve his experience.
transactions warrant a greater degree A customer who cannot trust a business
What does a customer value? of personalization than others, but all with his time, effort, and money knows he
require the business to demonstrate is not being valued by that business.
Quite simply, he values being valued. recognition of the customer. At no
moment – and at no touch point – should Accuracy: Businesses that value their
Advised that today’s era is one of
doubt emerge about who the customer customers ensure their communications
consumer centricity, the customer is
is, how the customer has previously are accurate. Recognizing the need to
conditioned to believe he represents
engaged with the business, and what the earn trust, they would never dare risk
more than a number. He is more than
customer wants moving forward. misdirecting a customer. Recognizing the
a random customer calling about an
significance of lifetime value, they take
isolated product; he is someone the Appreciation: Customers expect the the time to get it right.
business identifies, knows, and wants to business to know they carry a lifetime
consistently and perpetually delight. value beyond an individual transaction. Consistency: A journey-minded
They expect the business to prove said business – one that recognizes the value
The customer, moreover, expects
knowledge through an unmistakable of its overall relationship with a customer
the business to recognize his worth
degree of appreciation. The business – ensures consistency throughout the
transcends his most recent purchase – or
should consistently demonstrate that it lifecycle. No matter the channel, agent,
the specific product about which he is
wants to retain the customer’s business. or issue, the business operates in
calling.
It should do everything in its power to say accordance of its brand promise and with
“Customers have become more “yes” during customer interactions. cognizance of the customer it is serving.
sophisticated and know that companies
Trust: Customers are not naïve. Aware
have big databases about who they are
that support occurs within the confines
and how much they spend,” explains
of business realities, customers
Eli Fillmore of InMoment. “They expect
acknowledge that not everything will go
them to know their lifetime value. When
their way. They should, however, be
they call or e-mail about a $50 issue, they
able to trust that the business is making
expect the business to know that it is not
every possible effort to act in their best
simply $50 on the line – it is their history
interest. They should never feel as if
of payments and future spend.”
callcenter-iq.com · 35
Creating a Valuable Customer Experience
Customers are valuable to businesses, creating valuable experiences. Customer- support to customers – must be designed
and they expect businesses to centricity is not something a business to consistently provide relevant, valuable
demonstrate that value through merely declares; it refers to the way the information. Inaccurate, impersonal,
customer experience practices. They business must operate. ineffective information produces hassle
expect consistent, accurate, personalized on both sides of the interaction. That
engagement from a trustworthy, Clarity of Purpose: Agents are hassle devalues the experience.
appreciative, customer-centric business. employees reliant on their paychecks;
they are going to operate in accordance Improved Voice of The Customer
If they do not receive that value, they may with the instruction they receive from Platform: It is the great irony of
reduce their level of spend, sever ties management. There consequently can customer management: businesses
altogether, and/or condemn the business be no mixed messages about an agent’s declare their commitment to customer-
among friends and social media followers. role when engaging with customers: it is centricity then construct experiences
All such activities reduce the lifetime to ensure the realization of a customer’s without input from customers. Such
value they bring to the business. lifetime value by providing an experience experiences are never of optimal
of corresponding value. value. In order to create the best
The conclusion is simple. In order to possible experiences for customers,
maximize a customer’s lifetime value, the “Teach employees the ‘why and ‘how’ businesses must actually listen to the
business must provide value throughout instead of black and white instructions,” customers. Using an improved voice
the customer journey. It can do so explains Fillmore. of the customer platform, they can
through a combination of corporate better understand what customers want,
philosophies, best practices, strategic Agent Empowerment: If enforcing a
whether customers believe they are
initiatives, and solutions. policy would be undesirably costly from
getting what they want, and how they
a lifetime value standpoint, the agent
feel about the process of getting it. With
Customer-Centric Leadership: should not at all feel encouraged, let
that information, the business can make
Escaping the short-sighted, transactional alone compelled, to enforce that policy.
the adjustments needed to provide the
approach to the customer experience Clear on the organization’s customer-
experiences that preserve and even
requires a commitment from leadership. centric, value-oriented approach to the
increase customer lifetime value.
Those responsible for setting budgets experience, agents should be permitted
and measuring the success of customer – and entrusted – to act in the spirit of that Predictive Analytics: A fundamental
experience initiatives absolutely must approach when interacting with customers. tenet of the customer journey concept
accept the lifetime value concept. They A business cannot craft a perfectly – and a key way of maximizing lifetime
must recognize that a call with a short- customer-centric experience from the value – is respect for the future. What
term price tag of $50 actually carries confines of the boardroom; it requires can the business do right now to put
the potential to make hundreds, if not front-line agents to tailor experiences to the customer on a more satisfying,
thousands of dollars in long-term impact. real-world, ever-changing context. more valuable course going forward?
How can the business anticipate future
Customer-Centric Culture: While it is “Let the employee become an extension
interactions so that it is ready to quickly,
imperative for leaders to embrace the of the business instead of a linebacker for
effortlessly, and accurately provide what
value-oriented approach to the customer the brand,” advises Fillmore.
the customer wants when he does call?
experience, leadership buy-in alone is
Relevance of Information: Systems – A robust predictive analytics solution
insufficient. That buy-in must spur a
those that empower agents to perform enables a business to successfully answer
customer-centric culture in which every
and those that provide information and those pivotal questions.
facet of the business is committed to
callcenter-iq.com · 36
In Practice: The Value-Driven
Customer Experience
Not simply a pleasing ideal, the value- one that businesses impose into one that InMoment has
driven customer experience is an customers truly value.
attainable reality. Implementing the
partnered with various
aforementioned best practices is Such a customer experience provides organizations that have
feasible for organizations big and small. measurable benefit for the business, leveraged a blend of
A simple mindset shift – combined rendering any concerns about upfront
costs and process shifts – and it is not as
strategy and solution to
with the introduction of the tools and
tactics that support that mindset – can if they are particularly significant anyway – create more rewarding
transform a customer experience from non-threatening. experiences.
Healthcare Provider
Initiative: The organization identified customers who provided low or negative voice of the customer
feedback and initiated a detailed review. It analyzed the individual scores and then called the customers
back to further navigate the challenge.
Value: Customers were ecstatic that someone was not only listening to them but calling back to make things right.
Impact: The organization saw a 5% lift in customer lifetime value. Considering it was a healthcare
organization in which many just default to the cheapest plan, the increase is extremely impressive.
Cable Company
Initiative: The organization mapped out and called back customers who were demonstrating signs – if not
outright claiming – they planned to cancel their service.
Value: In addition to taking complaints and feedback seriously, the business was proactively identifying –
and resolving – potential problems. It recognized and demonstrated its recognition of the significant value
carried by each customer.
Impact: Since contented customers typically stay with cable providers for many years – if not their entire
lives – the business could see increases of up to $15,000 in lifetime value.
Retailer
Initiative: The organization blended voice of the customer insights with predictive analytics to not only
better understand customers – but better understand their sentiment, anticipate their future behaviors, and
identify any problems.
Value: Emphasis on voice of the customer reveals the business’ interest in what its customers want. The
predictive element enables a business to demonstrate its commitment to the customer’s best interest; it can
provide value adds before they are requested and thwart problems before they make an impact.
Impact: The combination of VoC insights and predictive analytics enabled the business to identify and
delight the likeliest repeat customers. It enabled the business to understand differences in how certain
customer segments behave and train agents accordingly. It empowered product development to more
consistently offer items customers actually wanted. Collectively, they enabled the business to develop a
more effective experience while operating more efficiently.
callcenter-iq.com · 37
Making
Interactions Count
The emergence of the customer In a journey-oriented approach, the Essentially, each interaction represents a
journey concept naturally encourages interactions become pieces of a bigger moment of truth – a pivotal, high-impact
a big picture approach to the customer and potentially indefinite relationship checkpoint on the customer’s broader
experience, but it also places the between the brand and customer. journey.
spotlight on individual interactions. Each interaction is an opportunity to
demonstrate the extent to which the The success of the customer experience
In a transactional approach to the business knows and values the customer. and value of the customer journey,
customer experience, each of those It accordingly represents an opportunity therefore, hinges on a business’ ability
interactions is viewed and managed in to either increase or decrease the to make the most of individual customer
isolation. The agent answers the call, customer’s satisfaction and loyalty. experience interactions and understand
responds to the inquiry, and moves onto how those interactions affect future
the next one. interactions and the overall relationship.
callcenter-iq.com · 38
Moments Matter
“Moments matter.” It is a statement of fact They may want information. They may They offer consistent quality:
about the customer experience journey. need assistance with a product. They Consistency is commonly identified as
The big picture, relationship-minded may seek remedy for a problem. To be a central customer expectation, but it is
approach to the customer experience is successful, the interaction must yield that important to understand the context of
not justification to take a relaxed approach desired outcome (or at least an outcome the demand. In demanding consistency,
to individual customer experience relevant to the matter and of undeniable customers are not literally asking for
interactions. It is a reminder that all have value to the customer). the same experience to be offered
lasting meaning. It is a reminder that each each and every time. Different issues,
interaction – positive or negative – affects They do not impose a burden: channels, and customers warrant different
each future interaction, as well as the Customers indeed want their problem experiences; the goal is to personalize
overall relationship between brand and solved, but they do not expect, let alone the interaction, after all. Customers do,
customer. want, to exert significant effort in order however, expect a consistency in the
to achieve that resolution. Successful quality of the interaction. Each interaction
“Moments matter.” It is also a statement interactions are simple and nearly must possess the same commitments
regarding the way organizations must effortless for the customer. The work to accuracy, service level, efficiency, and
approach customer experience interactions. required to produce a resolution is the accessibility. Customers may expect
responsibility of the business and its interactions to differ from others
The interaction is an opportunity for the agents, and it should primarily be done based on context, but they absolutely
business to demonstrate the extent to behind-the-scenes and prior to the actual will not tolerate experiences that are
which it values the customer. Impersonal, interaction. It should never represent a fundamentally inferior to others.
inefficient, inaccurate interactions – visible disruption to the customer.
ones that reflect the aforementioned They spur evolution: In addition to helping
relaxed approach to individual customer They are personalized: Not every businesses develop a better understanding
experience moments – are not acceptable. interaction requires a lengthy, intimate of their customers, interactions help
Moments matter, and it is the job of the conversation about the customer’s businesses develop a better understanding
business and its agents to consistently hopes and dreams, but it does require of their own people, processes, and
communicate that to customers demonstration that the business knows technologies. They provide the business
regardless of the issue that prompted the – and values – the individual to whom it with a vivid sense of which elements of
interaction or the channel in which the is speaking. It requires a cognizance of the experience are working for customers
interaction is occurring. the customer’s profile, behavior, past and which are breeding inefficacies and
interactions, and expectations for future inefficiencies. Using that information, the
Interactions that recognize the value. Journey-oriented organizations business can drive meaningful change
importance of the individual moment do not view the customers with whom and improvement to optimize future
possess fundamental tenets. they are interacting as numbers; they see interactions. Customers want to see that
them as people. evolution; they want to see that the business
They yield a resolution: Customers
interact with a specific purpose in mind. is using past interactions as launching pads
to create stronger future interactions.
callcenter-iq.com · 39
Know, Understand, Improve
Businesses are unified in their declaration While some business leaders may businesses without an automated
that the customer experience matters, possess unwarranted confidence or analytics platform are, in a best case
but their improvement efforts are often inherent aversion to change, they are not scenario, only measuring 1-3% of
thwarted by a simple reality: they do irrational. They certainly recognize that interactions.
not truly know what is happening within the voice of the customer is the relevant
interactions. scoreboard, and they certainly know an If the key to a successful customer
experience is only successful if it optimally experience journey is making each
“Research indicates that businesses satisfies the customer. interaction matter – performing optimally
have an inflated view of how they are on the interaction and leveraging insights
performing in terms of the customer Unfortunately, they have limited visibility from the interaction to craft a stronger,
experience they are delivering,” says into how they are performing – and more personalized long-term journey
Scott Kendrick of CallMiner. “They rate into how customers are reacting to that – such organizations do not stand a
themselves much higher than consumers performance. They are not ignoring the chance!
rate them.” voice of the customer; they simply have
no way of hearing it. In order to escape from that trench,
It is the voice of the customer – not overcome that challenge, and create
the insular confidence of the business They do not have a robust analytics moments that matter and journeys that
– that determines the success of an platform. In turn, they cannot understand satisfy, the organization must revamp
interaction as well as the experience at how the overwhelming majority of its approach to analytics. Businesses
large. If the business is operating with a interactions are flowing, let alone how should know precisely how customers
comparatively more favorable view of its agents are specifically performing and are behaving and feeling – regardless of
performance or a comparatively weaker customers are specifically reacting within when, why, or in what channel they are
standard for excellence, it dooms itself to those interactions. interacting. They should precisely know
underperformance. how agent performance is contributing
“Making significant improvements in to those behaviors and sentiments, also
Suppose, for instance, that the New customer experience throughout the without regard for the interaction forum.
York Knicks were trailing the Golden entire journey is difficult to accomplish
State Warriors by a score of 80-100 but without interaction analytics technology An analytics platform capable of
somehow believed they were winning because, when done manually, providing that level of insight requires
105-95. They would not feel the urgency supervisors are only able to monitor a some key components.
to improve their offensive performance, small fraction of each agent’s interactions,”
they would not make the most of each explains Kendrick, who estimates that
possession, and they would surely lose
the game.
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Automated Quality Monitoring: Interactions will be stronger, and Each of those interactions provides a
Assessing interaction quality – an customers will be happier and more loyal. valuable opportunity to learn about
essential ingredient of a successful individual customer and groups of
customer experience – requires a Real-Time Analytics: To truly measure – customers; that intelligence must then
comprehensive, unbiased, cross-channel and improve -- the quality and value of its be used to inform and optimize the
method of evaluation. Automated quality interactions, a business must understand experience across all future interactions
monitoring enables that optimal form precisely what is happening within in all contact media. A successful
of measurement. Whereas resource those interactions. A real-time analytics analytics platform, therefore, enables
limitations typically prevent companies platform, which enables a business to track a 360-degree view of the customer. It
from manually reviewing more than 1-3% context, behavior, agent performance, and reveals what the customer is doing and
of calls, automated quality monitoring customer reaction during the interaction, thinking throughout the entire journey.
enables them to readily measure all is thus a requirement. In addition to
interactions. Unaffected by human error providing valuable interaction insights, a Comprehensive Customer
or the personality traits of the quality real-time analytics solution also empowers Measurement: All customers count.
managers, it also provides an impartial, agents and supervisors to recognize and All moments matter. Strategy-defining
accurate view of the experience: all address issues as they are happening. The metrics like customer satisfaction
interactions are measured uniformly result will be better interactions, a better scores and first contact resolution rates,
and objectively. Automated quality sense of the voice of the customer, better therefore, should not be determined
monitoring extends to all channels, agent performance and, ultimately, a better only by a limited sample of calls. It
providing the business with a complete customer journey. should incorporate the full spectrum of
sense of its current experience and a interactions across all contexts, agents,
complete sense of what it can do to Post-Interaction Analytics: With a robust and channels, thus giving the business
improve. post-call analytics solution, the organization an undeniably precise sense of where its
can take a deeper dive into its interactions. strengths and weaknesses lie.
Automated Agent Feedback and Specifically, it can also uncover and
Monitoring: Much like automated contextualize trends in behavior and Seamless Data Flow: Data should
quality monitoring, an automated sentiment that, while not necessarily visible capture customer behavior and insights
approach to agent performance within the call, can play an instrumental from across all channels. It should also
management ensures a more accurate, role in understanding and improving the flow seamlessly between those channels.
more useful data stream. It additionally overall customer journey. No matter where the interaction is taking
provides agents with real-time insight place, the relevant agent or system
into their performance and how that 360 Degree Analytics: The customer needs to have a firm sense of the voice
performance tracks against customer- journey is not a linear sequence of of the customer as well as a vivid portrait
centric metrics and the performance of interactions within a given channel; of the specific customer with whom
other agents. Collectively, the benefits it encompasses direct and indirect engagement is happening.
will yield more consistent – and more interactions at all conceivable touch points.
consistently great – agent performances.
Intelligence in Practice
CallMiner produces solutions with the Aggregate benefits include increased greater sales revenues, and better
aforementioned capabilities, and they first contact resolution, decreased wait customer experiences throughout the
truly yield improvements in performance. times, better omni-channel consistency, entire journey.
They truly make interactions matter. improved agent coaching, training and
retention, stronger cross-departmental Individual case studies provide specific
reporting, reduced compliance risk, illustrations of the benefits.
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British Gas
Initiative: Improve chat by creating integration with other channels and introducing real-time analytics.
Impact: Prior to implementing automated analytics, the organization was unable to properly assess the
sales conversions being generated by chat.
Automated analytics which improved the integration between chat and other channels, revealed a clear
link to sales conversions. Using that information, the business could improve its process for turning leads
into revenue.
Real-time analytics also provided supervisors with greater insight into how agents were performing on
chats. Using that information, supervisors could correct aggregate issues and tailor training to the individual
strengths and weaknesses of each agent.
Ultimately, the business became more productive, more efficient, and more profitable. The customer
experience also improved, as indicated by Net Promoter Score rising by 84%.
Trade Global
Initiative: Trade Global used speech analytics to monitor 100% of agent interactions. Reliant on manual
monitoring, it had previously been able to assess only 3-4 of each agent’s calls per week.
Impact: The increased level of monitoring positioned agents for greater success. They had better visibility
into their own performances, while their supervisors had better visibility into the areas that required training.
Trade Global and its agents made the most of the created opportunities, and agent quality scores improved
by 10-15%.
Automating the quality monitoring process also eliminated the need for a manual quality assurance team,
allowing the company to reposition staff
Impact: The revamped approach to agent quality monitoring provided agents and the business with
considerably greater visibility into performance and engagement levels.
The information enabled the businesses to optimize training and coaching, spot potential “problem” agents,
and improve agent loyalty.
These more engaged, more loyal, better-trained agents delivered better experiences for customers.
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