VENDOR ROUNDTABLE
• Improved agent utilization . Universal blended agents can help contact centers to better utilize their agent resources , as agents can be trained to handle multiple types of interactions and channels .
On the other hand , there are also some ( but more limited ) advantages of specialized agents :
• Increased speed . Specialized agents can be trained to handle specific types of interactions , enabling them to respond more quickly and accurately .
• Improved quality . Specialized agents can be trained to provide more specialized support , resulting in higher quality interactions .
• Better agent engagement . Specialized agents may be more engaged in their work , as they can develop expertise in a specific area and feel more valued and fulfilled .
"... CUSTOMERS ARE STARTING TO REALIZE THAT PROVIDING A GREAT EXPERIENCE IN EVERY CHANNEL WOULD TAKE AN EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED EMPLOYEE . IN PRACTICE , THAT IS ASKING A LOT OF ONE PERSON ."
-- DAVE SINGER
For a larger contact center , I would advocate that the cost gains ( through occupancy gains via economy of scale ) of having agents working in a combined queue will outweigh the benefits seen in having specialized agents .
The decision to implement universal blended agents or specialized agents depends on the specific needs and goals of each contact center . From a WFM perspective , it ' s important to consider the impact on scheduling and training , along with the potential benefits and drawbacks of each approach in terms of efficiency , quality , agent engagement , and CX .
DS : There is this idea that with enabling technologies , like knowledge management , companies can attain the " ultimate universal agent ": an agent that can do it all across all channels to deliver excellent CXs .
" WITH THIS SHIFT , IT ’ S IMPORTANT THAT CONTACT CENTERS IMPLEMENT THE RIGHT TOOLS TO ASSIST AGENTS AND MANAGE WORKLOADS AND SCHEDULES ."
-- MITCH TODD
60 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
However , customers are starting to realize that providing a great experience in every channel would take an exceptionally talented employee . In practice , that is asking a lot of one person . The work needs to be shared across employee availability and skillset .
And it ' s not an all-or-nothing either . We ' re seeing organizations lean back into providing a blended environment of agents that handle voice , chat , and email , for example , but not expect one employee to be able to engage across all those channels simultaneously .
For example , email and social channels are more similar than voice . In this scenario , you could blend digital agents and still have a group of specialized voice agents .
Or there could be a blend in an agent ' s schedule that , for instance , manages voice in the morning and digital in the afternoons . There are different ways to slice-and-dice blended versus specialized agents .
Even if you have an agent that can do it all from a skills perspective , there are still challenges with asking one person to shift between writing an email , chatting with a customer on instant messenger , and talking on the phone , which can impact the quality of the service and experience . While technology can optimize for anything , balancing what humans can deliver is tricky .
Organizations must ask themselves even if technology can provide employees with the right tools to deliver customer service , will it be a great experience on every channel in a universal environment ?
MT : As the number of digital channels grows and customers prefer to interact via them , we ’ re seeing more omnichannel , blended work streams with agents working multiple different interactions at once . This is quickly becoming the new standard with contact centers needing multiskilled agents .
With this shift , it ’ s important that contact centers implement the right tools to assist agents and manage workloads and schedules .
This dynamic introduces a layer of complexity to the contact center environment . Customer interactions often span multiple agents and departments . For example , when processing a hotel booking , distinct agents might handle initial inquiries , booking requests , and issue resolutions .
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