Call centers were traditionally focused around managing large volumes of telephone calls either incoming or outgoing, whereby today contact centres manage multiple forms of communication including email, web callback, and instant messaging.

How important is Customer Service to your Organisation?
82% of customers would stop using a company or service or product based on a bad experience with a contact center or customer services. The good news is that 76% of customers would continue, or even expand, their relationship with a company based on a good customer experience.

Can you provide your customers with fast answers and FCR?
First call resolution (FCR) rate is an important key performance indicator that is monitored closely. The rates vary depending upon the agent's ability to benefit form customer data during the conversation. The industry rate was around 76% in 2005, and continues to improve as companies save a great deal of money by avoiding additional calls.

For more on First Call Resolution read SQM Group Inc’s write up on FCR findings, click here

Are you able to give your best customers special treatment on a consistent basis?
20% of customers make 80% of your profit. So do they deserve the same treatment as the other 80%? Your agents’ skill set is limited and must be dedicated to your most valuable customers.

Do you know how many calls from your customers are transferred internally?
When they can’t provide an answer, agents are likely to transfer a call in order to try to find someone to help. This is not the ideal solution as it stretches the call duration without any guarantee of success. Real-time collaboration is the right way to address this, as it provides presence information and sharing capabilities. You can quickly benefit from the knowledge that is spread throughout your organisation, while increasing customer satisfaction at no extra cost.

What financial impact do activity peaks have on your company?
Activity peaks are a headache for managers. It is not always possible to plan for these peaks, even when you know they will happen. It can be difficult to accommodate them because of system limitations, leading to extra costs from third-party overflows. We believe that there is a comprehensive and business-oriented solution to this issue.

Do you treat each customer as unique or apart of a customer class?
Personalisation is the most efficient way to get the most out of your customers. You probably have a lot of information about them already. Can you leverage this knowledge to help your customer representatives to be efficient and make your customers perceive that they are unique?

Are you delivering all the interactive media your customers wants?
According to a survey conducted by Datamonitor in 2006, email is the most frequently used form of non-telephone contact in the Mid-sized Contact Centre category. By 2008, email interactions will represent 23% of all interactions. Depending on the enterprise segment, the use of email as a way to interact with the company is far more appropriate.


For example:

• Help desk
Email allows interactions (available) 7/7 Email is free Email structured and written, so it enables detailed interactions (the request and the answer can be detailed: data attached to the email with a picture, screen shot, detailed quote) Email provides interaction tracking.

• Customer care
Provides auto-acknowledgement of the request Email provides “save-the-date”.

• Banking
Multi-touch points: email can be combined with other media (e.g.: request by email answer by phone).

• Travel agency
Email provides a single reply for multiple customers.