Dos and Don’ts of Contact Center Forecasting

 

Forecasting may just be the cornerstone of contact center success. The accuracy of forecasting can affect service level, average speed of answer (ASA) time and occupancy. Though contact center forecasting varies by industry, there are some core principles that just about every organization should follow.

3 Dos of Contact Center Forecasting

Do start with a historical baseline.

Your historical data is what you’ll use to predict the future. You’ll get an idea of what your forecast is going to look like. Then, you can start adding in changes as needed, like as you track productivity changes. By starting with a solid basis, you’ll have a better view of how every change impacts the forecast.

Do use forecasting technology.

The old school way of handling contact center forecasting just won’t work anymore – spreadsheets, no matter how detailed, aren’t smart enough to record and manipulate data. The more inputs you have that affect the forecast, the more you’ll need to rely on modern, smart technology that will communicate results in a way that you can act on.

Do understand that accuracy will change with time.

The farther out you forecast, the less accurate your forecast is going to be. A forecast for the next 30 days is going to be more accurate than a forecast for the next 90 days. Accepting that this is a reality and being transparent about it when discussing forecasting with management will give you credibility.

2 Don’ts of Contact Center Forecasting

Don’t create a target based on a blanket statistic.

If an executive says something along the lines of, “At my last contact center, we had 95% accuracy – let’s aim for that,” it’s important to know why that won’t translate to your contact center. A sweeping statistic like that doesn’t account for details like the specific metric measured or the frequency at which it was measured.

Don’t get hung up on averages.

Averages can be misleading because they can make things seem more placid than they are. Forecasting requires information that will help management make real decisions, not information that’s been watered down so that it’s easier to understand.

Contact center forecasting combines science with creativity. Processing data is the easy part. Figuring out how to add subjective changes requires more creative thinking. Knowing what to expect and what to avoid from the get-go is the best place to start.

Why Omnichannel Consumers Are So Valuable

“Omnichannel” isn’t simply a trendy marketing buzzword or a flash in the pan – just ask customers. According to Business Insider and insight from the Harvard Business Review, “Shoppers who engage with retailers across multiple touchpoints are driving boosts in conversion rates both online and offline as they become increasingly reliant on more than one channel to aid in their purchasing decisions.” Multiple touchpoints are necessary for engaging customers and increasing sales, but those touchpoints have to work together in an omnichannel – not just multichannel – strategy. Here are three ways that Business Insider says omnichannel consumers are highly valuable:

1. They spend more money per purchase. Every time the consumer is in an actual store, they spend 4% more. When online, they spend 10% more. This spending is higher than shoppers who interact with brands via just one channel.

2. Customer loyalty is increased. Customers who engage on various channels visit real-life stores 23% more over a six-month period. They are also likely to recommend the brands to their peers.

3. Customers who engage with retailers on four or more channels spend 9% more in a brick-and-mortar store.

Ultimately, the more ways a customer can engage with a brand, the more money they’ll spend. When omnichannel is setup in the contact center, the customer knows that they will get up-to-date support no matter when or how they choose to engage. When self-service fails, they can seamlessly contact an agent who will pick up right where they left off – customer information is synced live so the agent can get all necessary information immediately. In addition to customer support, omnichannel ensures that inventory and product information is the same regardless of where it’s accessed. Inventory is synced in real time. Overall, building trust with the consumer increases brand loyalty as well as sales.

Soon, brands will have to also embrace the Internet of Things as wearable gadgets grow in popularity. These devices are collecting a ton of data about current and potential customers. CRM systems will need to measure analytics that come from the Internet of Things and find contemporary ways to market to those customers with each new platform that emerges. Omnichannel strategies embrace new methods for collecting important customer data, as each channel and device that’s added to the strategy is able to inform and improve the others.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-omnichannel-consumers-are-more-valuable-2017-1

Contact Center Software Features to Improve the Customer Experience

Contact center software should offer features that enrich the customer experience.  The following features should be considered.

Callback or Voicemail from Queue

Instead of waiting for the next available agent, many customers are happy with opting to have an agent call them back when it would normally be their turn in the queue. Once a caller is placed in the queue, they are given an option to continue waiting or to be called by an agent. If the caller also wants to leave a message for a particular agent or department, they can do that as well.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Self-Service Options

The customer experience begins before the customer is even connected to an agent. With IVR, callers are routed to the agent that they need to talk to regarding their specific inquiry. IVR helps improve first call resolution and increases customer satisfaction. Sometimes, a customer doesn’t need an agent at all, but can instead solve their problem with self-service IVR. Hours of operation, directions, and even basic account changes can often be handled electronically.

Warm Transfer and Call Conferencing

Ending all transfers would be great, but it isn’t realistic. Even when IVR does its job and connects the caller to the right agent, the caller may have a second issue that needs to be addressed by another agent. When a transfer is necessary, the warm transfer is the best option. Agent #1 speaks with agent #2 about the caller’s inquiry, which means the customer doesn’t have to repeat themselves. Or, instead of transferring the caller, the second agent can be conferenced in.

VIP Routing and Dedicated Phone Numbers

High value customers are important to a brand. By tagging a customer as a VIP, they can skip the waiting queue and be immediately connected to an agent. It helps to also assign a VIP tag to the contact center’s best agents so that the inquiry is handled as flawlessly as possible. Additionally, VIP customers can be given direct phone numbers to their “personal” agent. When it’s not possible for an agent to answer a VIP call, the customer can leave a voicemail for a specific agent or team.