8 Tips for Optimizing Schedules and Enhancing Contact Center Workforce Engagement...at the Same Time We all love a win-win. A two-for-one. A prize in the Cracker Jack box. Getting a little extra can be amazing. Many contact center managers, however, don’t realize how much more value their scheduling activity can deliver to employees, beyond letting agents know when to show up for shifts. An optimal schedule is cost-efficient and good for the bottom line, but it can also be a core part of the employee engagement strategy, if you follow a few simple tips. #1 Start with Data You need to understan ..read more

The lasting impacts of COVID-19 are unknown but the accelerated shift to the remote call center workforce management is likely to endure Is it us, or is the “new normal” starting to feel kind of, well, normal? We’re all adapting since COVID-19 struck, maybe better than we initially expected. But what does the future hold once this pandemic passes? Questions remain regarding how many of the habits and work models adopted during the crisis will endure when the coronavirus subsides. Will remote agents continue to represent a significant proportion of the call center workforce? Or will SMB contact ..read more

Your agents are on the front line of your customer service efforts. When policyholders call with questions or concerns, the agent they reach becomes the voice of your entire company. No pressure there.  Obviously it is incumbent on your insurance call center agents to do their jobs well. But that process starts with managers hiring the best candidates for these crucial positions.  What skills should you be looking for when hiring an agent? Here are some of the most important: Professionalism Courtesy always sets the right tone for a customer engagement. And when that customer is stre ..read more

What is call center shrinkage? One of the most important concepts in schedule adherence is shrinkage. Shrinkage can be defined as the time for which people are paid during which they are not available to handle calls. There are many reasons that can cause shrinkage - and it has to be taken into account when scheduling the required number of agents to meet call volumes. But the truth is that most companies badly under-estimate the sheer volume of shrinkage that besets their call centers. This comes about due to a host of potentially hidden areas of shrinkage. Many managers keep their eye on sev ..read more

How WFM and QM combine to engage an offsite call center workforce and deliver superior CX High-speed internet, cloud-based applications and other technologies have opened a new vista for the call center—the remote agents. Most contact centers have had to quickly transition to working from home as a direct effect of COVID-19. Contact centers will hopefully see the cost savings of shrinking their in-house call center facility. Others will find remote agents better able to meet increasing customer demand for off-hours service. Switching to an entirely remote workforce can solve many staffing chal ..read more

So you’re thinking of moving to the cloud for your customer engagement solutions. According to Digital Journal, over 90% of all enterprises project to use cloud platforms to innovate and improve agility by 2021. In other words, you know that your peers and competitors are moving to cloud to improve the customer experience (CX) and lower costs. If you’re ready to begin innovation in the cloud, what should you consider first? We created an eBook, “4 Questions to Answer for a Successful Cloud Move,” which addresses the following four questions we consistently see: What data d ..read more

How probing questions can shape workforce engagement and where technology fits in “Know thyself” is a Greek aphorism, which turns up throughout literary history from Plato to Emerson to self-help blogs. It’s also great advice for call center leaders seeking to enhance employee engagement. Early on, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) often have a leg up in this regard, enjoying a tight-knit community of hand-selected, committed individuals. But as contact centers grow, it can be difficult to bring new people into the fold and, over time, a once cohesive, highly engaged group can fall prey ..read more

5 Basics Every Call Center Must Get Right Employee engagement is a powerful force. An engaged workforce is associated with better customer retention, lower turnover, greater productivity and among publicly traded companies, even higher stock price. Enticed by these benefits, some contact center leaders dive into employee engagement strategy with motivational speeches and recognition programs to fire up the team—only to find the initiatives don’t move the needle. Employees might give lip service to the mission or participate in “fun” events without energy. Such issues frequently arise when work ..read more

With a WFM solution, responsive scheduling and service-level achievement can combine with ease Many contact center leaders will often feel like Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. Inhabiting one persona, managers strive to make employees happy, adapting to their needs and requests. But then operations feel out of control or metrics drop. In comes another persona, the one focused on Just Getting Things Done, Already! The oscillation can seem endless. One moment you’re obsessing about workforce engagement, an hour later about service levels. Is this a case of “never the twain shall meet”? It doesn’t h ..read more

A sense of purpose enhances retention and performance–but how can it be instilled in the workforce? In the race to build a highly engaged workforce to deliver exceptional customer experiences, contact center leaders are asking some deep questions. That’s because employee engagement isn’t just that age-old survey topic: employee satisfaction. Turns out, being okay with the cafeteria menu, while tangentially linked to overall engagement, is not equivalent to being emotionally committed to a job. And it’s the latter that truly drives excellence. Employee engagement taps into a sense of purpose—an ..read more