A contact center's primary objective should be to create a positive customer experience (CX). From a strictly customer point of view, metrics are meaningless. When a contact center prioritizes metrics, interactions can become robotic, scripted, and lack the empathy and understanding that customers value.
From an organizational point of view, metrics are invaluable. They allow contact center managers to identify strengths, uncover weaknesses, and make informed decisions based on data-driven insights; but an overemphasis on metrics can lead employees to focus solely on meeting predefined targets, potentially undermining the depth of problem-solving and customer engagement. Employees and organizations may become preoccupied with “hitting numbers” at the expense of resolution or personalization. The disconnect from customer becomes evident when agents adhere rigidly to scripts without considering each customer's situation. This mechanized approach can lead to customer frustration and dissatisfaction, as they feel unheard and devalued. The essence of a successful contact center lies in its ability to connect with customers on a human level, addressing their concerns, and creating a positive impression that fosters loyalty.
The challenge lies in striking a balance between the necessary measurements and fostering genuine interactions. Metrics should be viewed as tools to enhance, rather than dictate, customer interactions. Experienced employees often demonstrate the ability to utilize metrics as guidelines to support their efforts on an exceptional CX journey. While metrics provide crucial insights into performance and efficiency, there is a danger of becoming excessively fixated on these measurements, a direct opposition to the essence of customer interactions. The interplay between metrics and CX is essential for contact centers to grow. A successful approach involves blending quantitative metrics with qualitative assessments. By using metrics that offer a more holistic view of customer experiences, contact centers can remain agile in their strategies and empower employees to create authentic interactions that resonate with customers.
The real value of this balance can be seen from within. Embracing a more flexible and empowering approach to performance measurement can reinvigorate the workforce. The landscape and culture of the contact center is in flux. The changing dynamics of our workforce are placing greater emphasis on internal experience. Employee experience-centered organizations see higher levels of employee engagement, retention, performance, and satisfaction with their jobs. These organizations also report less burnout and frustration. By allowing agents to exercise autonomy and encouraging your workforce to think creatively, results satisfy genuine customer needs rather than metric-driven outcomes, elevating the overall quality of interactions.
The key to a successful workforce lies in maintaining the harmonious balance between performance, metrics, and strategy. As an organization, once you’ve trained your workforce, and outfitted them with strategic methods and analysis, the logistics are the missing component. Your WEM solution is the backbone of this solution. Alvaria Workforce™ is the WEM solution of choice for Fortune 500® companies that spans across the globe including businesses in finance, telecom, collections, healthcare and retail, sectors. We’re proud of the evolution of this software and we’re excited to share upcoming enhancements in the latest version – v23 – that will help workforce planners more efficiently forecast, schedule and track their employees in the front and back-office.
Register now for What’s New in v23 for Alvaria Workforce™, Wednesday, September 20th at 11:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM PDT to learn more about exciting enhancements coming to Alvaria Workforce including features that help you facilitate excellence, not mere end goals.