First let’s define a contact center and their components.  A contact center is where enterprises manage all customer contacts. From the “external” side customers access information via one or more of the following multi channels; emails, e-mail newsletters, postal mail, catalogs, web site inquiries, chats, twits, phone calls, hand held devices and yes, faxes.

 A key point to remember is that marketing is responsible for creating, promoting, and monitoring customer satisfaction programs; thus marketing should understand the key components and functions of a contact center so they can make their customers and others aware of the value propositions and benefits of a contact center.

From the “internal or operational” side the contact center has to match a considerable amount of diverse volume with the ability to route the information, track the customer and their requests, provide the data, and link the requested channel access with the appropriate person or method, and all of this in a very easy and timely way.

 Here are the key components required in today’s environment that are needed to handle these functions:

• PBX/IPPBX or Key System, which is a telephone switching system that handles the phone calls (800 numbers), and internet (if its supports the internet /web site) requests
• Automate call management is system that distributes incoming calls to a specific group of terminals that agents use. Also included in this category are functions such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), Computer Telephony Integration (CTI or Call Transaction Servicer, Internet, and dialers) that all provide interfaces with the computing systems and the telephony systems.
• Data base infrastructure for storage and retrieval of information Here you have your servers; data base management systems and integrated directories.
• Internet web site for internet and two way interactions
• Specialized software for applications like text to speech or speech recognition that allows customers to input requests via voice or text and hear or read responses.
• Agent pools, those people you eventually talk to that  handle the phone calls
• Recording and quality control systems  usually for legal and regulatory reasons
• Other media server (A dedicated computer appliance or to a specialized application software) providing for such things as faxes, digital voice and video
• Security functions for the protection of the customer information and your data
• Self Serve function ways for customers to resolve their problem themselves

A couple of critical issues that must be addressed for any contact center:

One is the overall is the integration of these functions.  This integration can be the difference between a world class contact center and one that causes nothing but customer frustration.  One example of this integration is the following: Have you even called an 800 number and one of the input requests is your social security number and then you get transferred to someone or another directory and the first thing you are asked is please input your social security number? Sometimes this request happens numerous times before you either get a person and or your answer.  This lack of integration does not support customer satisfaction.

Second, customers want options and want to access information via their favorite media; therefore a contact center must have multi channels of access.  This multi access must be such that a customer can access his information from home or anywhere else at anytime.

Bottom line is that customers are in control and thus any barriers or obstacle that you put in their way will lead to trouble (customer dissatisfaction) and potentially lost customers and revenue.

Have you analyzed your contact center to see if it is current with the new technologies?

RHL 9/28/10

Now I realize that 800 numbers (one channel into a contact center) is a cost effective way to handle customer’s requests, but let’s put some logic into the script that these companies are providing.

Here are some actual 800 number responses that I have encountered.

 Hi, for account balance, press one, for payments press two, for loans press three, for change of address, press four.  Well, I wanted to dispute a transaction.  So like everyone else I pressed ZERO, and here is what I got; to replay the messages press 5, to talk to a customer representative press 6.  You got it, I press 6 and I get,   to hear an account balance press one……

This is a great one, Hi, welcome to XXX Company, please key in your account number, (well I am traveling and I have a paperless account, so I don’t know the account), so I key in 00000,  reply that account number is not valid, try again,  after several tries, I get, we will connect  you to a customer representative;  ring, ring, ring,  to talk to a customer rep, please key in your account number,  key in 0000, that number is not valid, after several tries,  thank you for calling XXX Company, good bye!

Does anyone at these companies think about why customers might be calling and have a script that addresses these issues OR at least one response that will take them to a customer representative?

Some things to consider about 800 numbers and the contact center software.

First, the software is as only good as the scripting that is developed for each type of business.  Therefore, companies need to understand what they will be offering and what will be the likely reactions. Make sure that the scripts do not have closed loops in them and after a customer tries the same pattern X number of times, there should be some trigger that takes them to a real person.

Second, I think companies should reevaluate the cost savings of automated answering systems versus a real living person answering the phone.  Depending on your type of business, it might be far better for customer relations as well as cost effective to have an agent at the other end.  If goodwill is your main asset, then real live people should be on the answering end of the phone.  If you have very basic and limited “transaction” then an automated system will probably be well suited for your company.

Third, if companies are going to use voice inputs versus number selections, then they better have specific examples for guidance; If not you will run the risk of further irritating your customers.

Fourth, while I realize security is a big issue, companies need to understand that not everyone has memorized their account handle, their passwords, their PINS, their favorite color, their first grade teacher.   And to make matters worse, these vary depending if you are calling about your web account versus your billing account versus your bank card.   If a person doesn’t have the information needed, live secure solutions exist.

Fifth, Outsourcing contact centers and agents was a big thing a couple of years ago, now the trend seems to be reversing.  Seems like quality and customer satisfaction were taking a hit.

Given these issues, if one considers that customer satisfaction is becoming the key differentiator for some companies and their competition, then they should definitely consider evaluating those parts of their automated system that cause customer dissatisfaction and if necessary consider increasing the number of customer representatives.

I have a suggestion on how to improve automated systems.  It goes something like this:  1-800 Insane, Hi thanks for calling YYY Company.  Press one for account balance, press two if you want to go around in circles for 20 minutes, press three if you want to go around in circles for 30 minutes, if you want to speak to the president, enter the square root of 35.7B,   goodbye. 

OR re-evaluate your contact center and agent strategy.   I would prefer the later approach!

RHL 9/21/10

The following are five areas that one should consider in either upgrading or enhancing your call center.

1-      Multiple media support:    In today’s environment people have a choice of how they prefer to communicate and if one does not meet these needs  you are not only going to lose customers but will also be viewed as laggers not an  innovators or a leading- edge company.  With the growing acceptance of technologies like VOIP, mobile phones and the Internet in general, your call center should be supporting multiple communication channels.  While the good old telephone is important, it is being replaced with the following methods:  Mobile/cellular phones, Web interfaces, email, and chat (SMS), twitter and VOIP communications.  So is your call center capable of supporting these diverse media and if so, have you surveyed your customers to find out what they prefer?  If your call center currently does not support these media, what is required to upgrade it?

2-      Web Base Self Service is practically a necessity given that the consumer is now in control. What I mean by that is the consumer wants to be able to access information about the product or service they are thinking about buying or information about the product or service they currently own.  From the enterprise point of view, self service contributes to reducing costs and therefore resources can be applied to other services or applications. A question we often get relates to the management of this function and content…Customer Service or Marketing. Bob has written in the past about how Customer Service is moving more under the Marketing organization.

3-      Reporting and Analytics: the world is evolving from mass merchandising to one on one merchandising.  In order to get to one- on- one connections, analytics and reporting are needed.  It makes no sense to gather data and then just let it “sit” in a data base. Reporting and analytics are required to turn data into information.   Analytics not only help convert data into information but give you guidance on potential trends, consumer preferences, geographic buying and insight on potential features.  As for reporting it is very beneficial to continuously run customer surveys for inputs into your customer satisfaction programs.

4-      Integration with other application platforms: to have a universal view or what others call a 360 degree view, your call center needs to be fully integrated with other service and or communication applications. Applications such as ACD, CRM, IVR, call routing, customer satisfaction data and escalation reporting provide this full view and therefore unique value propositions which will differentiate you from the competition.

5-      Survivability/security: considering the call center is the critical interface between the customer and your enterprise, you need to make sure it is available 7 X24 and if there is a glitch, the call center can recover seamlessly.  If access by the customer is difficult or time consuming, you are several clicks or phone calls away from losing them. As for security, we all have heard incredible stories about stolen information.  If this happens to your enterprise, the number one factor that will be destroyed is goodwill, which could be gone forever.

To summarize, you first must have an overall strategy and then make sure that you match your customer needs and habits with the type of products or service you are offering.  Part of the equation to accomplish this is a call center. So make sure you have the correct capabilities within your call center and the major factors of multiple media, self service, reporting and analytics, survivability/security and integration with other customer facing applications.  

One last thing, make a call yourself to your own call center and see what kind of experience you have!

RHL 6/08/10