TRUDY CANNON DARYL GONOS DAVE HOEKSTRA DANA SHALEV
Today , the rise in digital channels and the exponential increase in customer interactions are forcing companies to retool their customer service strategies to take a unified approach to customer engagement channels via a single platform .
In addition , work from home ( WFH ) is here to stay . Initially , businesses made accommodations that enabled a work-from -anywhere approach out of the COVID-19 pandemic necessity . Today , with the many upsides to WFH , employees feel it is a disruption worth embracing .
In response , organizations are leaning into digital tools to make the transition a long-term success . This calls on the power of an integrated WFM solution to satisfy today ’ s default remote digital-first culture that both employees and customers have come to expect . WFM features , such as omnichannel forecasting and flexible scheduling , are critical for organizations to ensure adequate shift staffing while meeting these new workforce demands for non-traditional work schedules .
The key is a WFM solution that naturally pairs with your customer engagement platform for a unified approach to customer service . Removing workforce and customer data silos helps provide better visibility and efficiency for customer care , so that any agent anywhere can assist customers quickly and efficiently .
Brands can then consistently deliver great customer and employee experiences with a unified approach .
DARYL GONOS ( DG ): 1 . Workforce management is no longer isolated to forecasting , scheduling , and agent adherence . WFM technology has expanded to help organizations improve the customer experience ( CX ), provide operational efficiencies , and improve agent engagement .
One of the biggest trends is giving agents more control of their work schedules . The number of scheduling options has increased to include new choices such as split shifts and self-scheduling .
2 . Automation is another big trend with WFM . More WFM analysts insist on having automated systems to manage intraday scheduling adjustments and process time-off requests .
They are also looking for an integrated communication platform to engage with agents directly from within the WFM platform . Executing WFM optimization without automation and embedded communication is time-consuming , error-prone , and ineffective .
3 . WFM technology customers are demanding integrations to other systems so that data can be shared across the enterprise . While ACD integration is critical for acquiring historical call data , having integrations to CRM and payroll systems is also very important .
DAVE HOEKSTRA ( DH ): With the dynamic changes in customer service , true omnichannel forecasting , scheduling , and management is now the leading feature in today ’ s WFM solutions .
However , we can ’ t forget to mention artificial intelligence ( AI ) and machine learning as the driving forces behind this trend . A very close second would be agent empowerment features , such as self-scheduling , PTO request automation , and true Gig Economy scheduling .
DANA SHALEV ( DS )
1 . HEIGHTED CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS Customer expectations for instant gratification have soared in the last few years , and with them has come the age of hyper-personalization .
Customers expect information and service on demand — whenever they need it , wherever they are — which has dramatically expanded the use of asynchronous channels that let customers reply and engage on their own schedules .
This also has increased the need for omnichannel support , as customers want the flexibility to leave one channel , like phone , and continue the same interaction in a more convenient environment , like email or chat .
2 . EMPLOYEE ATTRITION The transformation of the workplace over the past two years is contributing to employee restlessness and the Great Resignation .
These changing work-life preferences are placing significant pressure on contact centers to improve the employee experience . Recent adjustments include flexible shifts , hybrid or remote work models , ease of resource access , automation of redundant tasks , and a focus on career advancement .
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