{"id":49025,"date":"2020-03-31T23:57:02","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T06:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=49025"},"modified":"2025-03-26T19:57:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T02:57:49","slug":"managing-growth-in-your-contact-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/managing-growth-in-your-contact-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing growth in your contact center"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your contact center<\/a> is on the front lines of your business\u2019 customer service efforts. Since your customer experiences can determine the likelihood of repeat business, you need to develop a contact center with a focus on customer relationship management. High customer satisfaction, however, can only be achieved by first succeeding in several areas of modern contact center management.<\/p>\n

How do you manage a contact center\u2019s growth?<\/h2>\n

Effective contact center management involves balancing and optimizing every process, from end to beginning. As a supervisor, you are responsible for agent performance, contact center software, customer expectations, operations research, and more. Managers make large-scale decisions about contact center technologies and customer data. They are also involved in managing contact center agents, shaping the customer experience, and determining how customers interact with the company. If it affects customer service, it is the manager\u2019s business.<\/p>\n

When managed successfully, contact centers see incredible growth, which is good for the business but more stressful for managers. While contact center management isn\u2019t an easy job, there are many processes and resources available to support your work and improve your efforts.<\/p>\n

\"RingCentral<\/p>\n

1. Use the right customer service tools<\/h2>\n

You are only as good as your tools, especially when managing growth in modern contact centers. Whether you\u2019re responsible for inbound and outbound communication<\/a> or only involved with handling inbound calls, you need contact center technology that helps you reach your goals. Though you need a variety of tools for managing growth in your contact center, every resource depends on one important tool: your contact center platform.<\/p>\n

\u200dChoosing your contact center software<\/h3>\n

From traditional call centers to virtual contact centers<\/a>, the solution you use determines the success of your customer service efforts. There are numerous platforms available, each with its own key features and capabilities, so it\u2019s important to know what you want from your solution. Before you choose your contact center software, make sure you understand which option will best support your growth moving forward.<\/p>\n

\u200dWhat is the difference between contact center and call center software?<\/h3>\n

Comparing call centers vs contact centers is the first step to choosing your solution. The main difference between call centers and contact centers is the channel of communication used when customers engage with the business. Call center<\/a> software uses only a phone system for customer communication, limiting customer interactions to voice calls. Contact center solutions, however, use multiple channels with both voice and data to connect with customers.<\/p>\n

Omnichannel contact centers and call centers have common goals \u2014 such as improved customer experiences \u2014 but vastly different capabilities. The ability to support multiple channels of communication enables contact centers to meet more customer needs, even over virtual call centers. As customer demands for contact through social media, text messages, email, live chat, and more \u2014 along with traditional calls \u2014 increase, the advantage is obvious when comparing contact center vs call center software.<\/p>\n

When it comes to choosing contact center solutions, however, phone calls vs omnichannel capabilities aren\u2019t the only concerns.<\/p>\n

Cloud contact center vs on-premise contact center solutions<\/h3>\n

No matter how many capabilities you want, contact center managers also have to decide between on-premise and cloud platforms.<\/p>\n

On-premise solutions, also known as legacy center solutions, are physical systems and software that are installed at the business\u2019 office. These systems require high financial investments in both hardware and software, as well as installation costs (OPEX). The business handles all maintenance and growth needs, adding and adjusting hardware as needed. Most of the time, adding new capabilities or lines also requires significant time and financial investments. Your contact center\u2019s uptime depends on your ability to keep your system running smoothly and effectively, increasing the stress of your work.<\/p>\n

When running a cloud contact center<\/a>, on the other hand, your business uses hosted contact center software to connect with customers. Your outsourced contact center solution is managed and maintained by your provider, reducing costs and responsibilities. These systems offer increased flexibility, allowing you to adjust your capabilities and scale as needed. Cloud computing also enables unified communications, allowing real-time access to your center\u2019s agents, data, and system from any place, at any time.<\/p>\n

Whether you manage call center agents or an omnichannel contact center, using a cloud-based platform is your best solution for growth management.<\/p>\n

\"Create<\/p>\n

2. Create the ultimate customer experience<\/h2>\n

Today, the contact center experience is more important than ever. In a study by American Express, 33% of Americans said a single bad customer service experience<\/a> would cause them to consider switching to a competitor. A study by Motista also found that customers who have developed an emotional relationship with a company have a lifetime value that is 306% higher<\/a> than customers who aren\u2019t emotionally attached.<\/p>\n

These numbers are just a taste of current customer service demands. Providing an acceptable solution to a problem is no longer enough. Instead, businesses need to meet customers on the channel they prefer and resolve their problems within minutes to create a positive customer experience. Agents play an important role in customer interactions<\/a>, but the ultimate customer experience relies on your contact center solution\u2019s ability to meet customer expectations.<\/p>\n

Minimize call wait times<\/h3>\n

When connecting with a business, specifically when using a phone channel, customers want quick service. To minimize call waiting time, no matter your call volumes, you need to utilize tools that streamline your processes. Interactive voice response systems<\/a>, for instance, use automated messages to reduce the number of callers with frequently asked questions that don\u2019t require human interaction. Queue management capabilities also limit the amount of time your customers spend on hold. By giving callers the option to choose an automatic call-back rather than waiting on hold, you can show that you value their time and are working hard to meet their needs.<\/p>\n

Increase first-contact resolution<\/h3>\n

Few things damage customer satisfaction more than the need to contact a company numerous times for a single problem. Cloud-based contact centers help increase first-contact resolution by giving agents access to effective solutions on a shared knowledge base. Cloud solutions allow agents to serve customers better, but they also improve customer satisfaction if the first solution fails. By integrating your CRM system directly with your contact center solution, your agents gain instant access to customer information with every customer contact, allowing them to understand the situation without further questioning. Without the need to repeat the same questions and waste more of the customer\u2019s time, your agents can stop interactions from escalating and help keep customers happy.<\/p>\n

\u200d<\/p>\n

Streamline customer interactions<\/h3>\n

Every time a customer types into a chat box or sends an email, your processes determine the success or failure of the interaction. To keep both customers and agents happy, build processes that are easy to follow and designed to move quickly. For both a contact center and call center, for example, interactive voice response systems reduce wait and call times. These systems make sure callers connect to the right department while gathering relevant data in the process. If the caller can\u2019t find a solution in the automated responses, your live agents can then use this information to understand and resolve the problem quickly.<\/p>\n

Connecting customers to the right agent is also important for a smooth interaction. A tool like an automatic call distributor uses customer profiling to determine which agent can most effectively resolve the customer\u2019s problem. When your agents are best equipped to handle the calls they receive, their higher workplace happiness can lead to an improved customer experience.<\/p>\n

\"Optimize<\/p>\n

3. Optimize your workforce<\/h2>\n

Your agents are the lifeblood of your contact center. Your results depend on the success of your customer service and your customer service depends on the outcome of every interaction your agents have with customers. When managing growth in your contact center, you are responsible for creating and maintaining a happy and effective workforce. This starts with hiring the right people and continues when you create a great place to work. When a contact center agent is satisfied in their job, this positivity naturally leads to better work and higher customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n

\u200d<\/p>\n

Hire the best center agents\u200d<\/h3>\n

Hiring success requires finding someone who will excel in the job and remain in the position in the long-term. In a study by TLNT.com, research found that replacing an employee in an entry-level job costs the company between 30-50% of the position\u2019s annual salary<\/a>. Rather than spending time and money on high employee turnover, focus on finding applicants with the skills, personality, and work ethic to become long-term assets to your team. Stay transparent and honest about your business and positions to attract the high-quality candidates you need.
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Design an effective onboarding process<\/h3>\n

The best long-term contact center agent relationships begin with a solid onboarding process. These positions come with a lot of responsibility, so it\u2019s vital to equip your agents for success from the start. Pair new hires with your top agents to help them learn best practices. Use a combination of incentives, simulations, and interactive activities to appeal to every learning style. Walk through every step of their work, from customer interactions to software use, during training to encourage confidence and proficiency. Empower your agents by listening to their needs and helping them become the best agents they can be.
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Develop flexible agent training processes<\/h3>\n

Flexibility is a key feature for any contact center solution, but it\u2019s also critical for your agent training procedures. As customer demands and contact center needs change, your agent education needs the ability to adapt as well. Keeping your employees aware and equipped for these changes enables their success and avoids frustrations that can limit productivity. Help agents stay up-to-date by offering training videos, articles, and classes that cover current and new topics. Develop adaptable training processes that maintain agent capability and power through any development.<\/p>\n

Scripting can be a powerful tool to help with your agents on-boarding and continuous training. A good scripting tool will be easy for the Administrator to keep up to date with the needs of the company (new products, new offering, etc), it will be open so that customer specific information can be automatically retrieved when talking to the customers, to achieve a more personalized interaction, and it will be intuitive to use for the agent, like a workflow, easily guiding the agent during the conversation with the customer.<\/p>\n

\u200d<\/p>\n

Improve workforce management<\/h3>\n

Efficient scheduling improves your contact center\u2019s ability to manage high call volumes and avoids agent burnout. With a contact center solution that offers workforce management tools, you can create schedules that meet both your needs and your agents\u2019. By planning your schedules around peak times, you can ensure adequate response times without overwhelming the agents on the floor. This allows you to avoid unnecessary agent downtime and any costs that come with it.<\/p>\n

Workforce management also allows you to carefully monitor performance and quality management. You can build a work atmosphere that remains sensitive to employee needs without sacrificing results. Your supervisors can offer improved leadership to help agents produce even better results.<\/p>\n

RingCentral Collaborative Contact Center<\/h2>\n
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