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Smart Agent Desktop, Smart Agents, A Smart Contact Center

Contact center agents within the financial services industry showed that the average agent worked across 7 applications every day and more than 15 percent of agents worked across 12 or more, according to a recent Velociti Partners survey.

Loading the agent desktop with multiple logons, application interfaces, and forcing infinite alt-tabs and clicks forces an agent to focus on confusing, intricate processes. However, an intuitive, unified agent desktop will streamline agent learning and productivity, and ultimately enable a smarter agent.

A Smart Agent Desktop

What makes an agent desktop smart? An intelligent, unified agent desktop delivers the right information at the right time in the process. The ideal desktop has an integrated backend that taps into various applications and databases, delivering relevant information throughout the customer dialogue. Every second counts in a customer service interaction. When an agent switches to a new application and has to log on, an average of 5-10 seconds are added to the call time.

Here’s how it adds up. 1.2 seconds for mental preparation, 0.4 seconds for every time the agent has to switch from mouse to keyboard, 1.1 seconds to point to an object on screen, and .5 seconds to press and release a single key. (Based on the Keystroke-Level Model)

If an agent has to utilize 3 different applications in a call, between 15 to 30 seconds of downtime will be added to the call, just for switching between applications! What could a company gain by shaving 30 seconds off their average handling time? Shorter agent training cycles? Happier customers? More profitability? A smart agent desktop converts wasted minutes into time spent making a sale, solving a customer problem, or completing an additional call.

A Smart Agent

With a smart desktop, agents receive the right information at the right time in the customer dialogue. If an agent is guided through the right process by a unified agent desktop, they are able to turn their attention solely to listening and interacting with the customer.

A smart agent can focus on what the customer is asking or saying. And with the aid of a unified desktop, the agent will be able to focus on the customer’s tone and inflection, giving an agent greater insight into the customer. Agents who are forced to focus on finding answers and information can get distracted by clicks, keys, and multiple logons. An agent who is distracted by complicated (and unassisted) call processes can cause the agent to miss key cues or comments.

Not only will an agent focus on the customer’s needs with a smart desktop, but an agent will also become more attuned to the customer dialogue, not the next step to take or what to say.

A Smart Contact Center

A contact center powered by smart agents and a smart desktop will be an efficient, productive, and successful contact center. Could you imagine increasing your first contact resolution rate by 25%? How about reducing your average handling time by 10%? What about doubling your conversion rate? Many contact centers have experienced these revolutionary improvements because of a unified agent desktop. Sometimes, the benefit comes down to the numbers.

Running a contact center is a complex matter in the simplest of forms. Don’t add more layers of complexity by clouding the agent experience. A unified agent desktop interface is simpler, and a fraction of the cost of large scale software implementations.

Read our agent desktop case studies to see real-life testimonials on how a smart desktop has improved efficiency metrics (e.g. average handle time, agent training time) and agent effectiveness (e.g. conversion rates, first call resolution). If you’d like to discuss ways to make your agent desktop smarter and more unified, please contact us here.

September 10, 2014 rsadmin Blog Comments Off

Key Metrics Impacted by a Unified Agent Desktop

In general, an average of 25% of inbound calls are a follow-up to a prior interaction. This means that roughly 25% of the calls are happening because the company did not resolve the customer’s issue the first time. Imagine a call center with 5000 inbound calls a month, or 1250 follow up calls. This translates to $4.75 million in direct labor costs (assuming an average salary of $38K year for a 500-seat call center) related to customer follow-ups. A modest 15% improvement in your first call resolution (FCR) would translate to $712,500 in cost savings. (Calculations based off of Cornell University’s research The Global Call Center Report).

A unified agent desktop has the potential to improve FCR by 15% or more while at the same time impacting other key metrics like average handle time and conversion rates.

Last year, we published a research report based on detailed responses from 65 contact center leaders. Not the least bit surprising, the most cited metrics in assessing contact center performance were Average Handle Times (AHT), First Contact Resolution (FCR), and Conversion Rate.

While there are many levers (agent training, campaign variables, etc.) to improving KPIs, the agent desktop can be the greatest inhibitor or catalyst to immediately impacting KPIs. This is the positive customer experience effect that results from agents’ using an intelligent agent desktop.

I’m going to take the top three metrics that contact center leaders use to measure performance and provide examples of how these metrics were improved by consolidating their agents’ desktops.

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

Keep your customers happy by resolving their issues the first time they contact you. Based on empirical research by SQM Group, when there is a 1% gain in FCR it translates into a 1% gain in customer satisfaction.

If you can’t resolve an issue the first time a customer calls, you will increase your chances of losing that customer, and will definitely lose money as you spend more time fixing their problem.

Can a unified agent desktop improve your FCR? Let’s look at the facts: Blue Casa (Telecommunications provider) implemented a unified agent desktop and experienced an increase of 25% in their FCR. Such a definitive, measurable improvement cannot be underestimated. This contact center watched their operation costs decrease as their customer satisfaction increased.

Average Handling Time (AHT)

If you share belief that AHT is an important metric, consider how Service Master took advantage of a unified agent desktop to reduce their centers’ AHT. Their average handling time was reduced by 10%, thus refining a customer service process that was already fairly productive.

Contact center professionals may argue whether or not reducing AHT positively affects the customer experience, but no one can argue that reducing AHT does not positively affect the bottom line and agent productivity.

Conversion Rate

How important is your conversion rate? I know – that’s like asking how important profitability is!

If I could prove to you that the unified agent desktop can improve your conversion rate by a significant percentage, would you be surprised? Maybe you’ve already gathered that if the average handling time and first contact resolution are improved, then your agents have a better chance at making a sale. As it turns out, SQM also found in its research that when a customer call is resolved you increase customer cross sell acceptance rate by 20%.

We checked Service Master’s new conversion rate after implementing our solutions, and their conversion rate had doubled! Bottom line, that’s a lot more profit.

Read our case studies, examine our statistics; I’m excited about the improvements in key metrics that RiverStar has witnessed. If you value your metrics and want to see them improve, talk to us about the unified agent desktop. Justifying the adoption of a unified agent desktop means that there must be bottom line impact, and we would argue that the improvements to the top three metrics in the contact center does just that.

July 23, 2014 rsadmin Blog Comments Off

Are You Losing Customers Because of Your Agent Desktop?

At the recent Customer 360 Summit, analyst firm Gartner stated that 83% of customers are likely to change service providers after a single failed service attempt. In other words, only 17% of customers will stay with your company when their issue is not resolved on the first attempt. Another customer of ours sees a 60% decline in service renewal unless first call resolution is met. Customers are unforgiving when their time and money are on the line. And who’s to blame them?

Given that, it is hard to understand why companies fail to give agents a fully consolidated desktop to help achieve an optimal first call resolution rate. Customer loyalty is affected by things that customers can’t see or influence – such as the agent desktop.

Here is an example of how the customer service process breaks down at the agent desktop level, and why it could be costing you customers. This recently happened to Joe, a friend of mine.

Joe called a customer service line to get help with a mobile phone account. After many layers of an automated IVR script and waiting on hold for several minutes, a polite, cheerful agent answered the phone with the standard intro, “Hi, this is Amy. How can I help you today?” She then proceeded to re-ask for all the data the IVR system already collected to identify Joe as one of the company’s account holders. Why the need to re-ask this information!? Joe had already entered his phone number in the IVR system, and was calling from the cell phone connected to his account.

Getting Lost in a Sea of Windows and Applications

Amy was working with an agent desktop that is not fully integrated with the IVR system. But, that’s not all. She was forced to struggle through multiple application interfaces on her desktop, each containing silos of critical data to assist Joe. She had to put Joe on hold multiple times so she could find a resolution across various systems and databases.

Joe was in a hurry. He had to address a billing dispute from an international trip, but he didn’t have a lot of time. He was asked for the same information and asked to sit on hold too many times. Joe reluctantly ended the call, frustrated that he didn’t get his answer, and that he’ll likely have to go through the entire process again.

Not only did the company not resolve Joe’s issue on the first attempt, but the company wasted the agent’s (Amy’s) time and increased the cost of service. Worse yet, companies that do this systematically damage their brand and customer base.

Stop Losing Customers Due to a Disjointed Agent Desktop

Fragmented desktops are solvable, and you don’t need to spend millions or take 9 months to solve them. In fact, you can solve these problems, even in very complex environments in as little as 3-4 months.

In a previous post, I highlighted the story of an airline customer service interaction that outlined the need to integrate systems to create better processes. Embracing a process-based approach to customer service requires flexible business process management and system integration tools (see RiverStar Studio) to enable an intelligent agent desktop.

July 2, 2014 rsadmin Blog Comments Off

Three-Year Deal Signed with Compass Bank

RiverStar signed a three-year contract renewal with Compass Bank, Milan Italy. Compass is part of GrupoMediobanca. Compass is primarily a consumer focused bank. They provide personal loans, credit cards, etc. to their consumer base throughout Italy. With more than 3.000,000 customers and 150 branches across Italy, Compass is a leader in Italian consumer banking.

Over the last nine years, the Compass – RiverStar team has collaborated to implement a comprehensive enterprise business solution for Compass that manages the interactions with their consumers. The solution was built using RiverStar Studio, a platform used to rapidly create web applications using a graphical drag and drop interface that doesn’t require traditional programming.

For Compass Bank, the RiverStar Agent Desktop framework, built using RiverStar Studio, has been configured to provide a unified agent desktop for telephony, chat, SMS and inbound email.

RiverStar supported key business activities through:

Embedded call control in the desktop for telephony, chat and work items,
Process based workflows within the desktop,
Searchable, data-driven reference information, e.g., FAQs, Reference Documents, Reference Links, and
Rapid integration with enterprise systems embedded in the workflows
Business process management functionality to manage customer facing business processes

The solution provides a wide range of functionality to support interactions with the customers, such as:

RiverStarAgent Desktop
Activity scheduling, planning,tracking, escalation, andmanagement
Inbound customer service
Outbound customer service
Inbound email handling
Loan application processing
Outbound email campaigns and surveys
Contact management
Case management
Contact history, and
Reporting

For a base of approximately 1800 users, this solution has become the focus for all interactions with the customer.

July 1, 2014 rsadmin News Comments Off

Improving Agent Efficiency with a Single, Unified Agent Desktop

How many application interfaces must your agents navigate in a typical customer interaction? If you said more than one, we’re not off to a good start.

One recent call center survey claimed that the average number of applications for an agent to work with is 6 or 7, while 15% of agents work with over 12! For customer-facing processes, applications are the main tool that agents use to handle the call, resolve issues, and provide answers.

In any company, applications supporting internal business processes are sprinkled around various departments – manufacturing, billing, scheduling, returns, customer service, and marketing, to name a few. Customers are expecting resolutions and answers when they call your company. Access to real-time customer data for the agent is critical to enabling more effective customer interactions. Providing access to the myriad of internal systems doesn’t really help the agent solve the customer’s concern; it simply provides a source of data. The agent must be trained on how to access each system, what data is available within each system, when each system is needed, and how to get to the specific information needed to address each possible request.

Every time that an agent must exit one application and open a new one, it adds about 10-15 seconds to the call and makes them less able to do their job at all, much less deliver an outstanding customer experience. From the agent perspective, complex system and data searching can add stress to the interaction – more time is spent, customers want to get off the phone, and agent metrics are taking a beating. Agents have to learn not just what information is available where and how to get access to it, but when and why they need it. How they address customer concerns is dependent on what they have learned, with no guarantee of consistency across agents.

The easier the process is for the agent, the more beneficial it is for you and your customer. Here are just a few reasons why agents should have a consolidated application experience:

Improved Agent Training

Think about the first time you had to learn to use an application, like your CRM application or ERP system. It takes a while to get familiar with the layout, to learn how to navigate to different areas of the application, and to feel confident using it. The same logic applies to agent training. The more applications the agent has to use, the more time it will take agents to become confident in using them, and the greater the stress on the agent, which also results in a higher probability of user-error.

Improved Agent Experience

Nothing is more tiring for an agent than getting bogged down by searching through multiple applications for the correct data while the customer is waiting for them to answer their question. When information is readily available in one application, agents are more productive, and they can focus on the customer, not the system. If you’re trying to solve the constant high-turnover issue that plagues many call centers, simplifying an agent’s application experience can make a huge difference.

Improved Average Handling Times

Why? Because Agents spend less time clicking and tabbing through various applications. If agents are constantly switching screens and applications, call handle times rise and profitability goes down. Shaving off 10 – 15 seconds for each ‘alt tab’ application transition can translate to a significant reduction in the duration of each call. Thankfully, a consolidated desktop will eliminate that.

Happier Customers

Have you ever called customer service and had to wait while the agent put you on hold to find an answer? I know I have. More than likely, the agent is searching through various screens and applications to find the answer. It’s not necessary, and it’s not efficient. Providing the information to the agent when they need it during the call can give customers an experience that exceeds their expectations, leaving them happier and more loyal.

Does a Unified Agent Desktop Exist?

According to the Gartner “What’s hot in CRM applications 2012” report, an intelligent agent desktop is the second hottest item in the customer service space. Not only does a consolidated agent desktop exist, but they have been around for at least 10 years. It starts with integrating applications into one user interface; it follows by seamlessly weaving application data into the business process-based workflow provided, and it results in an efficient interaction. To see what the ideal unified agent desktop should look like, contact RiverStar today.

May 8, 2014 rsadmin Blog Comments Off

Why ‘Out-of-the-Box’ Can Kill the Customer Experience

Complex customer experiences require a well-thought out process that identifies and optimizes value throughout the customer interaction process. The pace of advancing technology, rising customer expectations, and competitive pressures are all hammering away at companies looking to improve the customer experience.

Customer experience excellence is always a work in process; making it difficult for “out-of-the-box” software (e.g., CRM) to meet the unique needs of customers and businesses. Oddly enough, most of these types of software products are focused on customer data and configured to support internal processes, not customer needs or processes. This is a critical flaw.

Customer journey mapping is one exercise that companies perform to understand the customer touch points requiring attention. Regardless of the method used, companies need to look at each customer interaction from the perspective of the customer’s experience. According to a Gartner, 86% of the customers who changed service providers did so because of a bad customer experience. Eliminating unnecessary tasks and streamlining customer facing processes leads to faster service times, lower call handling times, and a number of other benefits. Customer service software should be built to support or at least be capable of supporting the ideal customer process.

Let’s take a deeper look at why out-of-the-box solutions may have difficulty realizing customer experience goals.

Fitting a square peg in a round hole

Part of the predicament is in how rarely companies actively analyze the metrics around the customer experience as The Temkin Group outlines in this diagram. Additionally, the data shows that only 10% of the companies surveyed are either good or very good at measuring customer experience metrics as an integral part of operations across the organization. The lack of a sound strategy explains to some degree why the inward focus on technology and internal processes (that is common with out of the box software) take precedence over creating an outstanding customer experience. Thus, the square peg called “out of the box solutions” doesn’t quite match up to the round hole associated with the needs of the customer.

The ROI is measurable

There are many moving parts required to gauge the financial impact of the customer experience. Measuring the cost factors and ROI of great customer experiences is not easy, but it is doable.

For instance, a recent study by Forrester Research indicates that the average large bank can increase revenues by about $210 million a year by delivering a better customer experience, quantified in three areas, with over half driven by reductions in customer churn, followed by increased share-of-wallet and word-of-mouth driven acquisition.

Customization is King

In a perfect world, every single customer experience process will be custom to the requirements and needs of the customer. Is it impossible? Maybe. However, getting as close to this state as possible is nothing short of required for businesses to compete. Settling for software that meets up to 70% of the customer service needs of the business is not enough to stay ahead.

Customer service is THE differentiating factor that determines customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

An out-of-the-box solution MAY deliver a lower up front price tag than a custom solution but is likely to cost significantly more when a 3 or 5 year total cost of ownership assessment is performed. Even more importantly is the impact on customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. If you knew that the software you were using meant you would lose 5 more customers, 50 more customers, 500 more customers… would you factor that into your decision to select a product to stop that blood loss? Out of the box software can end up costing an exponential amount to wrangle the software to TRY do what you want it to.

Force-fitting your customer-facing processes into an out of the box solution can kill your customer experience strategy and is a recipe for disaster, unless the product mirrors the needs of the customer. We’ve been engaged by a number of clients for this very reason (read our case studies).

Looking at solutions designed around the process can greatly aid customer experience initiatives. Due diligence will prove valuable to both your organization and your customer.

March 29, 2014 rsadmin Blog Comments Off

Are Inbound and Outbound Calls Really That Different?

The way customer workflows are designed and interactions are handled should be independent of the call’s origin – inbound or outbound. When developing a process, focus on how you want the interaction with the customer to flow, not on how the connection is made.

By driving interactions with repeatable, consistent processes, you are making the entire experience more pleasant for the customer and the agent. Once the connection between the parties is established, there is no fundamental difference between inbound and outbound interactions other than who initiated the contact. Therefore, at RiverStar, we see very little difference between the two when it comes to developing an efficient, effective and scalable process.

People generally think about outbound calling as needing scripts and workflows, but inbound calls also require consistent processes so that agents can easily identify and address customer issues – in other words, deliver great customer service.

With 80 to 90 percent of calls initiated by customers, developing inbound processes provides the greatest return on investment. In one case, we simply implemented efficient inbound calling process, which allowed our client, Blue Casa, to increase first-call resolution by 25 percent. Additionally, this same inbound process was fitted for an outbound call process to help new customers with proactive service issues. Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness on the majority of your calls through a process-based approach will result in happier customers and more productive agents.

The task of addressing inbound call issues may seem overwhelming when compared with those of outbound calls, where you have control of the content. You don’t, however, have to address every possible scenario with a process-based solution. Apply the 80/20 rule to determine the top reasons for inbound calls – for example, placing orders, billing inquiries or troubleshooting – and develop processes for those. Just a few processes will likely cover the majority of your customer interactions. You can also develop a ‘generic’ process to handle the “other” calls. Over time, you can add additional processes as the volume of transactions warrants the effort.

In addition to being an excellent customer service tool, utilizing a BPM platform-as-a-service tool will help you collect data so you have reportable results that describe exactly what occurred during each interaction. Anything that you put in a process – clicks, questions, call resolution, etc. – can be captured, stored and reported on. Integrating data from both the process and from the call transaction – such as length of call, number dialed or number of people contacted – will add value to your reports, providing a complete record of every transaction.

Contact us today to find out how we help you develop integrated processes for any types of customer interactions.

March 15, 2014 rsadmin Blog Comments Off

Deal Signed with Appriss

RiverStar signed a deal with Appriss, Inc., acompany located in Louisville, Kentucky that provides data and technology solutions for a safer place to live and work. Their basic business function is to provide customers access to specific, accurate information in a timely manner. The information that Appriss aggregates covers a broad range of categories to a diverse audience including solutions for public safety, risk& compliance, health information and insurance.

Apprissemploys over 40 agents to provide their services. They need the ability to rapidly provide access to information that is critical to their customers’ safety and security. This requires immediate access to critical informationthat can be provided instantly to their agents when on customer calls. The information provided is frequently sensitive, so quick and accurate authorization of the person seeking information is essential. Additionally, tracking what information is provided to whom is essential.

RiverStar Studio is a rapid development platform used to create customweb applications. It contains a graphical user interface that does not require traditional programming skills. For Appriss, the RiverStar Agent Desktop framework, built using RiverStar Studio, provides a unified agent desktop for these key business activities, such as telephony and chat.

In less than two months, the Appriss – RiverStar team implemented a new contact center solution that:

Introduced a unified agent desktop
Tightly integrated with inContact
Provided process-based workflows
Integrated to several enterprise systems

“RiverStar’s solution is helping us trim time from every call handled, enabling better tracking of key success metrics, and enabling our call center to automate significant portions of script delivery. We anticipate training time to be cut in half once fully implemented as well. Quite simply, a great investment. ”, said Josh Bruner, VP, Appriss.

February 17, 2014 rsadmin News Comments Off

Importance of Integrating Systems to Make Interactions More Efficient

Whether they know it or not, customers generally have four key attributes that they associate with outstanding service:

Recognition: Recognize me and know my services and preferences
Resolution: Address my issue during our first interaction
Efficiency: Make the interaction as efficient and effective as possible, i.e., don’t waste my time and don’t make me provide information you should already have available
Personalization: Gently offer suggestions that are consistent with my known preferences

The issue of systems and process integration becomes critical in addressing each of the four attributes above. Let’s think about how we could use integration capabilities to do so.

For a customer process to be effective and efficient, which are two of the three key elements of process, agents must have access to the right information at the right time. Often this information is located in various places throughout a company’s technology infrastructure. Therefore, the system used during customer interactions must communicate with other systems so they can share information before, during and after calls. The alternative is shifting between systems and manually retrieving the information while the customer waits, which is definitely not an efficient process.

To illustrate this concept, consider the example of an airline reservation line. With an integrated system, the conversation might go something like this:

Agent: Hello, Mr. Smith. Thanks for choosing ABC Airlines today. Would you like to book a trip out of O’Hare?

Bill: Why yes, that’s why I’m calling. I’ll be traveling to Boston from February 10 to the 13. Do you have any morning flights available?

Agent: We certainly do. There is a nonstop flight leaving at 8 a.m. on the 10th. I know that you prefer direct flights, but you can save $50 if you connect in New York. Which would you prefer?

Bill: The direct flight would be perfect. Thank you.

Agent: I will go ahead and book that for you. Would you like your usual window seat? You’ll also be automatically submitted for an upgrade based on your platinum status. You’ll get an email acknowledgment when the upgrade clears.

In the example, the agent had Bill’s preferences on file and quickly assessed his needs without requiring him to repeat information. Having that information at her fingertips, the agent was able to conduct a more efficient and effective – not to mention a more personal interaction.

This is just one example of how integration can improve the four attributes of customer service. Workflows can tie into any number of records to retrieve information. As you design a process, consider the types of preferences your customers have or information from past calls that would guide future interactions. Your company already has a lot of the information agents may need – it’s just a matter of making it accessible when the agents need it.

The importance of integration was a driving force in building integration capabilities into our flagship product, RiverStar Studio. Our philosophy is to make it easy to communicate with other systems so you can pull information into your processes. Therefore, Studio can pull information at the beginning of the call, send information back and forth during the call, and route information to other systems after the call ends. You can build logic into your applications so that it considers the customer’s history and builds offers that are attractive and consistent with how the customer generally likes to do things.The result is an interaction that addresses all of the key attributes of outstanding customer service and the result of that is increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Contact us today to learn more about how you can integrate your systems with RiverStar Studio.

January 24, 2014 rsadmin Blog Comments Off

How the Three Elements of Process Save You Time and Money

At RiverStar, we believe that every customer interaction is fundamentally a process, having a beginning, middle and end that all aim to meet a specific objective. Incorporating three key elements into your processes will save your customers and agents time and, ultimately, your company money.

The three key elements of a process are:

Efficiency – Making the most of time and resources during the process
Effectiveness – Ensuring the result of the process matches the objective
Scalability – Developing a process that can handle anticipated volume within the constraints of available resources

From the company perspective, a process has to be scalable to handle the volume of interactions expected, efficient to minimize cost and save time, and effective in first-call resolution. An added benefit of process is reduced agent training time. Having a structured process dramatically reduces the amount of training required because agents will be led step by step through every interaction. Our clients report a decrease of 50 to 75 percent in agent training time after implementing RiverStar solutions.

While developing processes can certainly enhance any interaction, sometimes it may not make sense to develop a process. This is where scalability and efficiency go hand in hand. If an interaction only occurs sporadically, the time and resources required to develop a process may outweigh the benefits. However, for interactions that occur hundreds or thousands of times each day, process will ensure consistent handling, enhancing customer satisfaction and increasing agent productivity. Every wasted second eliminated by an efficient process amounts to cost savings for your company and increased satisfaction for your customers.

While customers will certainly notice the absence of scalability and efficiency, these elements are not their top priorities. They view effectiveness as the most important element of process – do you give them the information they need at the time they need it without requiring excessive action or repetition on their part? With an effective process in place, the answer will be a resounding “Yes.”

Service Master came to RiverStar with four different systems in place that agents had to navigate for every incoming call. We helped them develop a single, process-driven desktop that became the face of those systems, streamlining agent activity for each interaction. Our solution saved the company 10 percent in average handle time on every single call.

The combination of RiverStar Studio’s capabilities and the expertise of our team can help you build business processes that leverage your existing technology and can be optimized over time to achieve the results you need.

Contact us today to learn more about RiverStar Studio can add efficiency, effectiveness and scalability to your processes.

November 21, 2013 rsadmin Blog Comments Off