Category: Customer Experience

Industrial systems thrive on predictability. It smooths out the supply chain, improves efficiency and makes many of the participants more comfortable.

Tomorrow is like yesterday, but perhaps a little faster or cheaper.

But breakthroughs, creativity and human connection don’t come from predictability. They come from unpredictable interactions with unknown ideas and voices.

Just about all bestsellers are surprise bestsellers. All big ideas come out of left field. But if you spend your time looking at left field, they’ll come out of right field instead.

Chaos is uncomfortable, particularly if you’ve been indoctrinated in the industrial mindset. But if the right people and the right conditions are present, chaos creates possibility.

Do it with intent.

The easy problems are often an illusion. If they were real and they were easy, they’d be solved already.

Difficult problems, on the other hand, stick around until someone with insight, dedication and commitment shows up and gets to work.

Seeking out difficult problems is far more effective than avoiding them.

It’s not high school.

But some of the advice that people are embracing reminds us of those days… Things that everyone tells you that aren’t true:

It’s possible to get rich quickly without taking risks (not really)

Just because someone bought some crazy dog currency or NFT and got lucky doesn’t mean that you will. It’s remarkable when someone beats the odds because, by definition, the odds are always hard to beat.

Every social media platform has stars and if you follow the path, you will become one (not most people)

There are more media stars now than ever before in history. But the nature of the power-law curve is clear: in order for a star to be valuable, most people can’t be one. Doing what the last star did is not likely to get you what the last star got.

The best way to build a following online is to be fully authentic (oof)

Keanu is not Neo. He’s an actor. Youssou N’Dour doesn’t go on stage when he feels like it, he goes on stage when it’s showtime. The world will never know you, but they will judge you. Or at least the you that is presented when you go online.

The hardest part of online commerce is building your website (well, no.)

Actually, it’s simply the part you do before you go live. It’s the clothes you wear, not the way you actually engage with the world. The hard part is finding an audience and earning the benefit of the doubt. The hard part is creating community, leading and building something people want.

Freelancing is like having a job without a boss (alas)

Well, you still have a boss. It’s you. And you might not be a good one. Freelancers spend part of their day doing the work, and the rest of the time earning better clients.

The hard part of the work is doing the work.

Business is an ever-changing aspect of life where you may think you know it all, but there are always lessons to be learnt or old ones to be reminded of. And one of the best ways to learn is through entertainment, such as watching documentaries that will shift your perspective on business. With that, here…
The post Six best business documentaries that will shift your perspective appeared first on Customer Experience Magazine.

What a busy, yet incredible week for CX professionals in the Gulf region! On February 21, the guests at the Conrad Hotel in Dubai were bursting with joy while inspiration flowed in the air.  You guessed it! Awards International organized an unforgettable ceremony for two of its prestigious awards programmes: the GCXATM (Gulf Customer Experience…
The post Who are the winners of the Gulf Customer Experience and Real Estate Awards in 2022?  appeared first on Customer Experience Magazine.

Picture this: you’re packing for an upcoming camping trip. To make sure you have everything you need while you’re in the woods, you check the weather forecast. Depending on the temperature and precipitation predictions, you may pack completely differently than expected.
Take this practical scenario and apply it to a contact center—and what’s the result? Something called call center forecasting. Although we’re not saying you need to check if it’s going to rain in your call center next week, we are 100% certain that it’s best practice to try to predict future events to ensure you and your staff are always prepared to weather the best and worst of conditions.
The Contact Center Guide to Managing Spikes in Call Volume
3 Reasons Why Call Center Forecasting is Important 
There are many benefits to maintaining an accurate forecast, but we’re going to focus on the top 3. Correctly forecasting your volume of calls can help:
1. Significantly cut staffing costs.
Ensuring you have the right amount of contact center agents at the right times means you won’t waste money by accidentally over-staffing on quieter days.
2. Increase agent retention.
When enough agents are scheduled during the busiest times, staff can still take the breaks they need to prevent burnout. They’ll also feel properly supported even when other team members are on vacation or need to call in sick for a day or two. Put simply, forecast accuracy leads to better workforce management. 
3. Improve Customer Satisfaction (CSat) scores. 
Nothing makes a customer happier than having their call answered with hardly any wait time in the queue. Accurate forecasting ensures customer’s queries will be answered promptly, encouraging them to leave higher scores on their CSat surveys. 

DID YOU KNOW:
Another way to improve CSat scores is by investing in call-back technology like Fonolo’s Voice Call-Backs. Customers will be asked if they would prefer a call from an agent when it’s their turn in the queue, giving them the flexibility to continue with their day, and with no waiting required.

How to forecast like a pro
Although there isn’t one simple way to analyze data and forecast for your call center, there are some best practices around setting your contact center up for forecasting success.
Know which numbers are most important for forecasting.
There are three main KPIs you need to keep in mind while forecasting. First is the most obvious one: call volume. This number indicates how many calls you received during any given period. Second, you’ll want to look at average handle time: the amount of time it takes for an agent to complete a call from the moment they answer to the moment they finish their post-call tasks. Lastly, consider your service level goal, or the objective you’ve set for how many calls get answered in a certain number of seconds or minutes. 
The Ultimate Guide to Call Center Metrics
Collect historical data.
To begin your forecasting journey, take a peek at historical data from the last couple years. Go through daily, weekly, and monthly numbers and search for patterns. For example, it’s common to see call spikes on Monday mornings if you’re closed or work limited hours on weekends. Retail contact centers will notice an increase in activity during the months leading up to major gifting holidays like Christmas or Valentine’s Day. Write these patterns down to simplify future forecasting.

TIP:
It may be easier for you to break forecasting down into two categories: long-term and short-term. Long-term forecasting will have you analyzing historical data from the last few years and proactively developing plans based on those numbers. Short-term forecasting will have you looking at the last few months to determine your next steps for the weeks to come.

Choose your forecasting method or model.
A forecasting method is the technique you’ll use to create your forecasting plan. Some common models include:

Averaging – this takes the average number of calls for any given period and applies it to your future scheduling.
Point estimate model – this assumes days will see similar call volumes as they did in the past.
Triple exponential smoothing – this splits forecasting data into 3 components: levels, trends, and seasonality. Then, it “smooths out” or finds the average of each.

Call center managers will often adopt more than one forecasting method—opt for whatever you think best suits the needs of your call center.
Create your forecast.
Now that you have some data and have decided on a single or hybrid model, you can go ahead and start forecasting. You’ll likely be calculating formulas in Microsoft Excel sheets; from there, you can record your findings in a program like Word to save for future analysis. Keep in mind that you’ll need to have collected a minimum of two weeks’-worth of data to properly forecast for the next few days. The farther back you can go, the farther ahead you can forecast. 

FACT:
There’s a myriad of forecasting technology available that can analyze your data in a snap. This is particularly helpful for older and larger-sized call centers that have an overwhelming amount of historical data in their back pockets.

Apply your forecasting to every channel.
Don’t just stop at call forecasting. Now that other channels like online chats are being utilized in most contact centers, be sure to include these in your forecasting and scheduling as well. On heavier volume days, consider having agents who are dedicated to working through online chats only. On quieter days, save some money on staffing by having agents monitoring both the call queue and chats. 
Take action.
Once you’ve created your forecast, it’s time to put your money where your staff is (or should be). Start creating schedules that reflect your forecasted call volume. If you predict that a day or a week will be on the quieter side, schedule less bodies. Quieter days are also great training days for new staff, as they’re less likely to get overwhelmed and trainers will have more downtime to teach. 
If it looks like you’re going to have an extremely busy day, we recommend scheduling a greater number of agents who have a higher level of experience. They’ll be able to get through calls more quickly than newer staff and ensure all the customers leave their interactions feeling cared for as opposed to rushed. 
Continue to refine your methodology overtime.
Your forecasting strategy and methods should always be in a constant state of flux. The more you forecast, the more you’ll learn. Every time you sit down to forecast, take your learnings from previous sessions into account, and tweak your plan of attack.The post Blog first appeared on Fonolo.

You might not get it.

But as you pursue this wish, you’ll change what you do, what you see, who you connect with and the sacrifices you make along the way.

Our wishes change us.

The ongoing supply chain crisis is causing B2B suppliers to split their focus between tackling logistical issues and delivering a seamless customer experience. At the same time, many are in the process of either implementing or optimising their B2B eCommerce presence in a significantly saturated online market.   Suppliers don’t want the disruption to negatively impact…
The post Supply chain resilience lies in advanced technology appeared first on Customer Experience Magazine.

For contact center management, ensuring the safety of customers, call center agents, and all other employees should always be a top priority. Maintaining a thorough understanding of cybersecurity threats and how to stop cybercriminals in their tracks is key to keeping everyone’s data secure and remaining PCI compliant.
A Complete Guide to Call Center Security
Developing a successful call center security strategy isn’t a fast and easy process. It takes time to learn your company’s security strengths and weaknesses and the best methods of protection against the threats contact centers face. But fear not: we have your back with our simple yet comprehensive Call Center Security Checklist. Download it now to see how many essential security measures you have in place—it’ll help you identify key security requirements you’re missing so you can tighten up your tech, training, and procedures. 
How to Use the Call Center Security Checklist
We’ve divided the Checklist into these 3 sections for clarity: 

On-Site Protection – These are security measures that must be taken in-office to help prevent external threats.
Software and Technology – Ensure your IT team is taking care of these tech security measures.
Procedures, Plans, and Training – Sometimes data breaches happen. These security measures ensure you’re ready in case of a cyberattack and train employees how to help prevent sensitive data from being compromised.  To complete the Checklist, simply tick Yes or No depending on whether your contact center is using the security measure in question. If the answer is Yes, then you’re doing a great job in this area. If the answer is No, changing that check-mark to a Yes is your next step.

Note: you may need some help from your IT team to finish off this checklist. Always remember that a strong call center security strategy takes persistent dedication. Even if you’ve checked off every security measure on the list, the work is far from done. Though the Checklist is a helpful tool to ensure you’re headed in the right direction, ongoing updates, refreshes, penetration testing, and training are all essential to the protection of customer data and other sensitive information. 
The Ultimate Call Center Security Checklist Glossary
In case you aren’t clear about some of the security measures on the Checklist, here are a few quick-hit definitions so you can better understand each item before ticking Yes or No. 
Cloud Data Backups
It’s important to back up customer data in case of a system failure, natural disaster, or cyberattack. Cloud backup solution providers use top-notch encryption to help ensure your customers’ personal information stays out of the hands of hackers and cybercriminals and is readily available for you should anything happen.

DID YOU KNOW:
Fonolo also uses cloud technology for our Voice-Call Backs and other services. It’s the safest and most effective way to serve customers while offering the best customer experience.
Cyberattack Response Plan
Having a solid defense against cyberattacks means coming up with a plan in case data is breached. When you know what your next move is ahead of time, you can act fast to block the intruder, recover data, and alert anyone who might’ve been impacted.
Cybersecurity Training Sessions
Your IT staff aren’t the only employees who need to understand the security risks your contact center faces. Every employee should be required to complete security training that goes over the importance of cybersecurity vigilance, how to identify phishing emails, proper in-office security protocols, and more. These training sessions should integrate live presentations, video modules, and recall tests to ensure staff pay attention throughout. 
PCI Compliance
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) are requirements established by international credit card brands which set the standard for the proper handling of customer credit card numbers and other sensitive data. 
Penetration Tests
Often referred to as Pen Tests, Penetration Testing is a method of determining whether a company’s security holds up against cyberattacks. The tester attempts to hack the call center’s systems to expose security vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. Generally, a third-party Pen Testing company is hired to act as the hacker and will provide a full overview of their findings.  
Phishing Email Alerts
Encourage all employees to alert IT when they receive suspicious emails so that your IT team can send out information about it to the rest of the company. If one person receives something nefarious, odds are other team members will too. 
Role-Based Logins
Employees at different levels should be granted specific access permissions with their logins to keep the right eyes on the right data. For example, management will require broader access to information than agent-level positions and you can set up logins to reflect these requirements.

TIP:
Looking for more helpful call center management resources? Check out our Contact Center Scorecard for a straightforward and comprehensive approach agent performance evaluation.

Your Call Center Security ChecklistThe post Blog first appeared on Fonolo.

The producer of a successful product has a choice to make.

If you put a little less in the box, people will run out sooner and have to buy more.

If you give people a little more for their money, they’ll purchase less often, but become more loyal.

It turns out that in most markets where there are easy substitutions, the long-term value of loyalty is far greater than the short-term profit of less.