... EVERY TOUCHPOINT NEEDS TO REFLECT THE EX THE BUSINESS IS TRYING TO CREATE .
RESETTING THE EXPERIENCE PRIORITY
Progressive contact centers across the world are finding ways to make experience a priority . They are finding ways to work within the parameters of the contact center roles .
It ’ s essential that contact center leaders and managers create consistent and predictable ways to deliver critical information to agents .
Here are some examples that we ’ ve seen work that can be a low lift .
1 . Focused huddles . Instead of asking agents to miss a company meeting or catch a replay of the presentation , why don ’ t executives come to the shift huddle and do an abbreviated version ? The managers can then give agents 10 minutes before the start of the shift to leave questions on the intranet where executives can go back and respond .
2 . A meeting in a box . Provide a standard playbook for disseminating critical information across the floor . Perhaps every company meeting comes with a short written recap , which gets posted to the intranet with a transcription of the video recording . Instead of missing the meeting to answer customer calls , agents can consume the information when time permits and managers give the okay .
3 . Recognition standup . Most contact centers have customers rate both the experience and the agent . Use this feedback to find examples of exceptional customer service and then celebrate - and reward - agents with cash and other prizes at the standup .
... EVERY TOUCHPOINT NEEDS TO REFLECT THE EX THE BUSINESS IS TRYING TO CREATE .
Public recognition not only helps agents feel valued and appreciated , but it also helps the entire team see how their work impacts the big picture . Tip : Some intranet platforms offer plug-and-play campaign templates that make employee recognition easy for time-strapped contact center leaders .
4 . Intranet . An employee intranet serves as the source of truth for policies , knowledge content , SOPs , etc ., but it also acts as a gathering place for the entire workforce . Employees feel like they have a place they belong , albeit virtually , and can connect with their peers .
The intranet becomes a central place to engage with agents who are working from home . It is their source of truth to find out what is happening in their company and to interact with others . And when disaster strikes , the intranet is the communications lifeline to suddenly dispersed workforces .
When the intranet integrates with an agent ' s tech stack , it ’ s easier for them to engage . They cannot be left searching for where to find information and opportunities , especially in a contact center environment where time is of the essence .
Making information and engagement opportunities accessible , in a place , format , time , and location that works for the agents consistently , is key .
A GUIDE FOR SUCCESSFUL EX STRATEGY DEPLOYMENT
Successful deployment of an EX strategy doesn ’ t stop at launching new communications or a company intranet . It goes even further to tracking adoption and making ongoing improvements based on results and discoveries . Hopefully this article has provided new ideas and hopefully some inspiration .
Now pair that with simple guidelines and best practices , and contact centers will be one step closer to creating a new and better employee ( agent ) experience .
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE
Here are some examples .
1 . Create a consistent experience . From recruiting and hiring to training , onboarding , leadership enablement , internal communications , the physical workspace , tech stack , and even employee offboarding , every touchpoint needs to reflect the EX the business is trying to create .
2 . Align your employees to your goals . The organization ’ s goals should be the employees ’ goals , but keep in mind , knowing and understanding goals are two different things . Employees need to do more than recite the organization ’ s purpose and annual objectives : they need to understand how their work connects to it . This creates opportunities to help them view the business ’ success as their success .
3 . Hire the right leadership and amplify the right influencers . Leadership is a critical component of EX . Those you elect to lead your employees need to have company culture in their sights at all times and be effective communicators . They will be the driving force behind your employees ’ engagement and inspiration . Agents quit people , not companies .
4 . Invest in EX technology . Organizations should be aware of the contact center agents ’ tech stack . How accessible and easy your digital workplace tools are impacts how employees can do their job . If they find themselves blocked by information silos or have to log in and out of multiple apps to access the data they need , they ’ ll become frustrated and disengaged .
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