How Better Data Insights Improve Call Center Operations

You know the saying: insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Some attribute it to Einstein, but in any event, as with most wise sayings, it applies to almost anything. For our purposes today, we are talking about call center business intelligence (BI). Think that’s a stretch? Think of it like this: without BI, your call center spins its wheel and repeats the same ineffective and unproductive processes that lead to high churn and unprofitability. Nothing changes, and operations either lurch forward intermittently or stall out entirely. That is insanity.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Thanks to modern call center technology and the data it produces, you know what is and isn’t working within the organization. You use the information to fine-tune everything, from personal productivity to training goals and staffing needs. Read on to learn how business intelligence in the call center informs and transforms operations for greater profit and success.

Amplify Personal and Organizational Productivity

You cannot “build a business based on faith,” says Zac Carman, CEO of Consumer Affairs. “You build a successful business based on facts and figures that lead to conclusions.”

Zac made the assertion when assessing the productivity of his sales team, recognizing that employees’ stated abilities weren’t producing expected revenue. “When there is no performance review mechanism in place,” he continues, “an individual mistakenly believes their output or performance is much higher than it actually is.”

He solves the challenge with data-rich operations,and so can you. The data can be implemented in two ways. First, it empowers call center agents. By providing a call center dashboard that displays important personal productivity objectives, employees improve performance. Secondly, it offers an overarching view of the call center. You can view, in your own dashboard, organization-wide metrics and data points. You don’t leave the information lying idle. Rather, you use it to adjust day-to-day workflows and eliminate inefficiencies and productivity hang-ups.

See Greater ROI with Data-Informed Training

Customer service representatives perform better with ongoing training and education; however, the fact only becomes apparent with measurement tools and refinement processes in place. Accenture, for instance, discovered that employees with more recent training than their peers tended to succeed with projects more often. The company used the information to improve not only training programs but also employee performance.

You can accomplish the same results at your organization, beginning with an assessment of training effectiveness. Two indicators help define the effort: agent comprehension and engagement. They show where employees continue to struggle, as well as how and when they access educational materials. You can then use the information to improve learning, recall, and interaction.

You can also ask for employee feedback, a critical component of internal business intelligence. Employees’ comments and concerns help continuously hone training and education efforts. The information, coupled with training effectiveness metrics, leads to more personalized learning modules, which, in turn, produces more confident, productive employees.

Address Call Volume Needs

Finally, business intelligence in the call center helps you respond to call volume needs. The number of inbound calls fluctuates for all sorts of reasons, but, without big data, you won’t know them or the measures needed to counteract them.

For example, if your agents see increased calls after a new sales initiative launches, you might think the two are related. But are they? Data tells the firm, factual story. The launch could be the cause, but it could be a historical trend or other factor, such as concerns about public policy or news events and its impact on one of your product offerings or services.

The data regarding increased — or decreased — inbound calls can then be used to ensure accurate staffing. You might need more inbound call center agents for the next three hours but not the next six; with a modern call center technology platform like TCN’s, you can respond to the varying need with a blended approach. Agents can take inbound calls for a certain time period, then automatically switch to outbound. The automation facilitates their workload, drives up productivity, and, most likely, improves customer satisfaction. After all, they’re getting to talk with an actual agent when they need to and almost nothing can beat that.

Builder a Better Bottom Line with Data Insights

If you want to see improved call center operations and ROI, you should invest in big data insights. The information gives perspective to daily processes and procedures and identifies potential pain points, such as an out-of-date training module. You could guess at the problem areas, or, you can take a more informed and proactive approach. Data, if used correctly, is knowledge; knowledge is power; and power keeps you from doing the same things over and over again expecting different results.

Want to learn more about big data’s role in your call center operations? Check out our Big Data one-pager.
Business Intelligence for Call Centers