Artikkelen er hentet fra CRM Daily.com

This means getting back to the core - revamping the people, processes, and technology your contact center already has available.

For years companies viewed their customer service hubs as cost centers, simply a piece of the organization that tried its best to soothe angry callers, answer their product questions, and keep them happy enough to not leave the company. There was no perceived additional value that the contact center could bring to the organization.

In today's business environment of rampant price and product commoditization, companies and industry pundits alike are starting to proclaim contact centers are taking on a whole new meaning to organizations. More agents are incorporating cross-selling and upselling when applicable, since many organizations now realize the contact center is the primary touch point for consumers.

"The macro trend we're seeing is that customer service is the sole differentiator out in the competitive marketplace," explains Zachary McGeary, associate analyst at Boston-based industry analyst firm Forrester Research. "Not only acquiring new [consumers], but retaining them is that much more important today."

No matter where one may turn, doom-and-gloom news about the state of the global economy has gripped both businesses and consumers with fear about what will happen to their bank accounts and stock portfolios, making customer service more important than ever. "The way we're looking at this is that the economy itself shouldn't really change the way things should have been done," McGeary says.

That doesn't mean contact centers will still have the same amount of money to invest in delivering this quality experience. "Customer service is the last place that most companies will spend," declares Christine Henderson, manager of customer service for Brisbane, Calif.-based IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, an Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment markets. "Being able to be a nonconcern during an economically concerning time is fantastic because it means I know I'm not putting any pressure on my company."

While Henderson's customer service team may be excelling during this time, it is the other contact centers that may have been treading water before the recession hit that need to do some soul-searching. But with tighter budgets, it is becoming harder to invest in sexy new technology or hire more agents to do a better job. Alternatively, many say to do more with what you have. "This isn't the time to be experimenting with new technology," McGeary warns. This means getting back to the core -- revamping the people, processes, and technology your contact center already has available.

People Power
Remember the 80:20 Rule? Eighty percent of total potential value can be achieved from just 20 percent of the effort. General Electric's former chief executive officer, Jack Welch, took a different tack and said 20 percent of the people in an organization simply do not need to be there. To Wendy Hubbard, executive vice president and founder of Charlottesville, Va.-based communications provider Inova Solutions, letting underperforming agents go may be hard but it can reap great benefits. "The most difficult job is to cut people," she says. "Often when there is a downturn, we are forced to do so, and it turns out to be very positive. When you're left with the top 80 percent of performers you can have a more efficient operation."

(continued...)

Vergil.no rett i maiboksen?
Ønsker du et utvalg av artiklene fra Vergil.no rett i mailboksen, kan du abonnere på nyhetsbrevet Vergil Magasin, Ukens Salgstips, Sjekklister og/eller nytt fra Vergil. Tjenestene er gratis, men ved å takke ja aksepterer du å motta informasjon fra Vergil.

.: Klikk her for å registrere deg på mailinglisten

E-postadressen din vil aldri selges eller på annen måte videreformidles til 3. part. Æresord!