Reducing Costs in the Contact Center, Part 2 of 2

For an ideal starting point, I recommend a simple review of Erlang C — a process for calculating and modeling telecommunications queuing systems and the importance of everybody in their seats at the right time. It’s also wise to review the service levels that have been committed or assigned to the contact center. If staffing is an issue or the labor expense is out of line, you may want to rethink your service level.

Using a benchmarking service is vital to the success of your metrics. Incorporate comparisons to others to develop a greater understanding. See if you’re measuring the appropriate standards and achieving a best-in-breed service. Also try to identify an organization that can provide the needed support when benchmarking. For areas that prove too difficult to handle on your own — and these are inevitable — allow for a third party to work with you to ensure success.

3. Attrition. Know when, where and why your staff is leaving. Challenge HR to help get a handle on this issue. Using prehire screening and testing is a great alternative to just taking the first soul with a pulse for the position. It benefits the entire organization to have a well-staffed and well-trained workforce.

4. Training program. Can you make it more beneficial to the agents? Is there waste that needs to be eliminated? It’s vital that your training classes are actually training! On-the-job training isn’t an efficient or cost-effective process to get agents up to speed on your programs. Using an e-learning program for the basics could be very useful. It allows you to train consistently and efficiently. Most importantly, it allows you to focus on role-playing and product-knowledge training.

Most systems training can be automated. Engage a consultant or an instructional designer to assist with training content development. Content is one of the most overlooked and undervalued parts of the process in a contact center. But it ultimately has the most impact on agents’ learning and, as a consequence, their tenures. Spend the time and attention needed to make this successful; it will only benefit the organization in the long run.