It’s said a picture paints a thousand words. We help clients craft “elevator stories” about their contact centers (with associated visual images) so company leaders fully understand the centers’ value and needs. We also help them prioritize projects and investment opportunities into clear calls for action focused on a few recommendations with the greatest returns.
We use our Efficiency and Effectiveness Evolution (E3) Spectrums®1 assessment to paint the picture. A recent engagement with a large, multi-site center in the property and casualty insurance industry provides a case in point. Three key challenges drove them to request our support:
- Contact center initiatives (such as Knowledge Management) landed on the budgetary “cutting room floor” year after year
- Agents had to access many systems to address customer billing inquiries
- The shift from a dual sales/service center to a service only operation provided the impetus to examine practices to deliver service excellence
The E3 Spectrums® assessment initially drove out 55 recommendations. Working with the client, we prioritized eight recommendations and consolidated them into three primary initiatives to deliver maximum impact on customer satisfaction, center efficiency and effectiveness, and agent retention.
The 2014 priority picture was painted with just three slides: current state summary across 16 contact center categories; a consolidated, prioritized Essential Paths to Best-in-Class; and, the Headcount Impact in Path to Best-in-Class.
Clarity on priorities enabled the entire management team to focus on achieving a manageable list. The tool facilitated collaboration on priorities between Supervisors, Managers, Site Leaders, and Support teams. A clear picture and story for their path to Best-in-Class enabled greater value discussions with finance and the executive committee, allowing the client to get budgetary approval.
Forward progress has been made on all fronts. Initial results are showing improvements in recruitment, training, coaching, and change management communication. Equally important, previously delayed initiatives, such as KM, now have resources available to assist with development, system implementation, change management rollout, and monitoring for effectiveness and continuous improvement. The net result: improvements in both customer and employee satisfaction adding to the contact center’s value to the organization.
1 Efficiency and Effectiveness Evolution Spectrums® is a registered trademark of Strategic Contact, Inc.