The scene is set. A contact centre fades into view, a sense of apprehension reverberating around the room, each team member transfixed on the ticking clock as the minutes count down to opening time. Hands hover over the desk phones with the same tantalising energy as the classic stand-off in a popular western film, waiting for that first call of the day.
Welcome to customer service at, and after, Christmas.
It’s widely reported that the biggest challenge for contact centres during this festive period is the inability to scale up to meet the skyrocketing demand. Agents across the country are all faced with the same expectation: maintain quality customer service while responding to the rising influx of queries.
Customer demands know no bounds during this period, so efficiency is the name of the game for contact centres. Here are my three top tips for driving productivity and quality this Christmas – and beyond.
1. Invest in omnichannel
A rising trend within the contact centre space is the integration of omnichannel solutions; a way of delivering seamless connections between telephone, email, social media, and whichever additional communication channels are offered.
This approach allows agents to assess each customer through a single pane of glass, where all previous communications are recorded across all channels. Voice agents can see past emails, and social media agents can view all the call history. Not only does this make the agents’ jobs easier, but it also means each customer is given a far more personalised and tailored experience.
The choice delivered through omnichannel is critical as it provides customers with the option to interact with agents in a way that they feel more comfortable. It also means that queries can be seamlessly transferred across channels when needed.
Higher quality service often translates to stronger customer loyalty, which delivers value well beyond the festive period.
2. Deploy automation
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in contact centres, but teams mustn’t lose sight of the fact that these tools are enablers, nothing more. Emotional intelligence sits at the heart of customer service; technology is simply deployed to streamline processes, boost productivity, and support agents in their positions.
Having said that, the value that technology holds must not be undersold – especially in times of increased demand.
Artificial intelligence and automation are the perfect tools to help agents manage the higher influx of queries throughout the festive period. Different types of requests require varying levels of engagement from contact centres.
For example, confirmation of opening times or receiving information around specific deals are queries that could be handled by an automated system, rather than taking up an agent’s valuable – and limited – time. Customer complaints or other more complex queries, however, do require more agent engagement, so it’s important that teams are given the bandwidth to respond as necessary.
In most instances, automation should be used to capture the crucial information from customers as soon as possible so that should the query need to be elevated to an agent, it can be done so in a swift and efficient manner.
Not only will this reduce the time spent on each call – so more requests can be answered in a day – but it also means that customers have their queries answered with minimal disruption and effort.
3. Champion your agents
My final, and arguably most important, recommendation for contact centres this Christmas focuses on the pool of valuable resource that remains critical to business success – the people.
All too often, attention is placed on the new shiny tech that promises to ‘revolutionise’ contact centres; but all that means nothing if your agents aren’t supported. Having a friendly voice on the other end of the line is incredibly reassuring for customers, especially at this time of year when stress levels are high. This is therefore where the majority of business focus should lie.
Both automation and omnichannel solutions should be implemented with the intention of supporting agents in their roles, alongside boosting customer experience. For example, omnichannel supports the unique skillset of each agent, so allows them to operate through the communication channel that best suits them - as well as the customer - whether it is through the phone, email, or social media.
Empowering your agents with the right tools and a supportive environment to offer the best customer service possible will only strengthen your business – across the festive period and beyond.
Customer service isn’t just for Christmas
Without a doubt, the period around Christmas is one of the busiest times for contact centres. However, their role remains critical all year round. Any efforts made to boost customer experience during this period will deliver huge value to the business even once the baubles and tinsel are all packed away.
Adopting an omnichannel approach – combining both voice and digital channels – that holds agents at the centre of all business-critical activity, will trigger a contact centre evolution. And only with the right balance of technology can personalised customer experience be achieved.
Maybe this Christmas will be the platform needed to launch contact centres to a more efficient and dynamic future.