For a CX executive, it’s your #1 problem: a consumer contacts your contact center with a question about a product or service, wants to compare travel itineraries, or needs assistance with a bank transaction.
The agent responding the call does not have the required information or lacks the right people skills. Even worse, the customer is never answered, or after several minutes on hold, the customer hangs up, frustrated. How can you be perceived as high quality and gain customer loyalty when you can’t keep up with your customers’ needs?
Start by taking a closer look at what you consider “acceptable failure.” With a traditional outsourced CX solution, agents are hired locally and pushed through intensive training to convert less seasoned talent into productive workers as quickly as possible. With limited resources, it’s often a challenge to optimize schedules. Unexpected absences or attrition are a fact of life. As a result, contact centers are understaffed. For many BPOs, a good day is when 8 – 10 percent of calls go unanswered. For a traditional outsourced solution, this may be considered an “acceptable failure.”
Brands that want their product or service to be perceived as high quality must deliver a consistent, positive experience across the customer’s entire journey, from product inquiry to ownership.
Turn agents into advocates
As the saying goes, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” Some research suggests that it only takes a tenth of a second to make a first impression1 and to determine traits like trustworthiness and sincere empathy. And that initial impression is long-lasting. While traditional outsourced solutions accept that they will leave some customers unsatisfied, that’s unacceptable for companies in highly competitive markets and for those who prioritize building Brand loyalty.
Gig-CX solutions offer significant innovation in how customer support is delivered, helping companies make favorable impressions—and raise the benchmark from “acceptable failure” to “consistent quality.” Gig-CX offers Brands the chance to hire mature workers with specialized skills, Brand affinities, and other life experiences that can be leveraged to improve customer support and more important, quality.
Our research found that one in four consumers is not satisfied with agent knowledge, and one in five is not satisfied with agent attitude. A Gig-CX solution helps ensure that agents are armed with the proper product knowledge and skillsets to help improve customer satisfaction. Technology-based supports deliver on-demand learning and real-time agent support with on-call subject matter experts so gig workers can outperform traditional outsourcing solutions.
Improving the knowledge and soft skills of contact center agents can positively impact a Brand's reputation.
One financial services leader with specialized software was struggling with speed to proficiency as its busiest months approached. Arise was able to leverage Service Partners capable of answering technical and software-specific questions to handle 158% of the company’s forecasted volume while outperforming internal site metrics. One of these KPIs included the number of times an issue had to be escalated to a more highly qualified agent or subject matter expert.
Equipped to excel
In addition to preparing agents with knowledge and skills, a Gig-CX solution helps ensure that agents who work from home are equipped with appropriate technology and enterprise tools. Today, 77% of service organizations are either adopting or accelerating their work-from-home programs.2 To make this arrangement work, workers need to have an adequate computer and Internet bandwidth. By moving technology center operations to the cloud, agents always have access to the latest information and real-time communications capabilities.
The right enterprise tools enable agents to work seamlessly together. Arise offers a knowledge management toolset that mimics a social media-like experience and on-demand interaction so that gig workers stay engaged and can share knowledge, interact with fellow agents, and connect with subject matter experts when support is needed. Sophisticated agent engagement performance support systems can help to improve average hold time and customer satisfaction ratings. Arise helped one luxury retailer achieve hold times of only six seconds on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, compared with 12 minutes for a competitor!
Softer skills are critical for the agents who represent your Brand. According to Salesforce, 78% of agents say their company views them as Brand ambassadors, and nearly all (99%) say communications skills are very important.3 High pressure and high stress situations are the norm in customer service, and agents must be able to adapt while maintaining a cheerful and helpful attitude. One of the tools that helps them cope and improve performance is artificial intelligence (AI).
AI makes an impact
Artificial intelligence (AI) is viewed as a tool that will revolutionize contact center operations and operations. Research indicates that 79% of contact center leaders plan to invest in greater AI capabilities within the next two years.4 AI-driven enablement systems can help improve agent performance, customer support, and supplement learning and development. For example, one AI application listens in to a call, then suggests follow-up questions or data via screen pop-ups to the agent.
Many Brands are now focusing on delivering a consistent omnichannel experience across the customer journey. Consumers expect to be able to connect with Brands via multiple channels, whether by social media, phone, chat, or in-person, and they want their experience to be seamless. If they connect with a company via its website chatbot, they do not want to have to repeat themselves when transferred to a live agent. As a leading provider of Gig-CX services, Arise helps your Brand optimize the omnichannel experience and keep up with the latest enhancements.
From “acceptable” to excellence
Gig-CX solutions help brands to put their best foot forward with customers. When Arise worked with a Fortune 100 bookseller to improve its contact center operations, Service Partners on the Arise® Platform were able to drive key performance indicators (KPIs) to meet or exceed quality goals, including interactions per hour, answer rate, average speed of answer, and service level.
Learn more about how Gig-CX solutions are changing how Brands think about customer service quality, helping to raise the bar from “acceptable” to “excellent.” Please schedule an appointment to learn how Arise can deliver results for your organization.
Blog Sources:
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2018/06/19/you-have-7-seconds-to-make-a-first-impression-heres-how-to-succeed/?sh=268751a756c2
[2] Deloitte, 2021 Contact Center Survey, June 30, 2021. (press release) https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/press-releases/deloitte-digital-research-determines-contact-centers-will-become-experience-hubs-for-brands-in-2021-and-beyond.html
[4] Deloitte, 2021 Contact Center Survey, June 30, 2021. (press release) https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/press-releases/deloitte-digital-research-determines-contact-centers-will-become-experience-hubs-for-brands-in-2021-and-beyond.html
