In the contact center industry, the guiding principal is typically, “If you can’t prove it, it didn’t happen”. Have you ever called into a customer service line for a second time for the same issue, only to discover there is no record of your first contact? How frustrating is that? It makes you question if contact center agents ever intentionally fail to update contact notes when they deliver less than stellar service. Sadly, the answer to the question is an astounding YES!
What system does your company use to ensure proper record of customer interactions? How much money is wasted per year as a result of repeat contacts that could be avoided through the “A” word, accountability? These are huge areas of concern associated with companies with agents handing customer interactions. Many companies integrate Customer Relationship Managers (CRMs) into their IVR and other communication channels to screen-pop accounts once customers are identified. In this process, many companies have implemented a tagging system to automatically post system account notes associating an agent to the customer contact with time, date, and agent ID upon contact routing. This system automatically records the agent name that has accessed the account - which introduces the concept of awareness and accountability. Agents that know their agent ID is systematically posted to an account are more likely to deliver a satisfying level of service than agents with the knowledge that they can’t be traced. Why is this? Well, in my humble opinion, it’s a matter of tolerance.
Is your company tolerant of poor customer service and insufficient follow-up? Or is it constantly making customer experience a priority? Companies that make customer experience a priority hold contact center agents accountable to documenting what has transpired within every customer interaction, with all communication channels, ensuring that the use of notes and contact reason dispositions are entered.
Contact center supervisors and/or quality assurance teams are tasked with the duty of monitoring contact recordings (audio and screen), to measure policy adherence and to assess quality assurance scores associated to customer interactions. This quality assurance process generally includes the review of all account notes entered (or maybe not entered) by the agent. Companies that are committed to customer experience also provide the opportunity for customers to provide agent feedback by sending a survey invitation using the communication channel initiated from the customer interaction. These combined efforts are all great ways of holding agents accountable, coaching and counseling agents that require it, and rewarding agents that delight. Can your agents & customers prove it?
