BenchmarkPortal

March 29, 2012

Benchmarkportal.com Announces First Ever Study: The Positive Effects of Contact Center Technology on a Company’s Financial Performance

Every year companies spend millions of dollars on technology in hopes of improving customer satisfaction, their competitive position and their operational performance, while reducing costs. Until now, there has never been a statistically valid research study, with data from companies across a diverse set of vertical industries, that clearly indicates whether a relationship truly exists between more advanced technology and better company performance. This report entitled, "The Impact of Technology on Contact Center Performance," can be found here:http://www.benchmarkportal.com/store/call-center-white-papers/impact-technology-contact-center-performance-bruce-belfiore-john-chat

Bruce L. Belfiore, Senior Research Executive at BenchmarkPortal and co-author of the study states, “The key findings in The Impact of Technology on Contact Center Performance report are that advanced technologies are potent enablers of superior performance. By looking at validated data sets from 143 contact centers, we are able to provide CEO’s and senior executives with evidence that investments in advanced contact center technologies reduce costs and increase the quality of service. For instance, we found that a contact center that handles 2 million calls a year could save $707,000 annually by using the right technology to improve an important key performance indicator: First Contact Resolution (FCR).”

The study did not ask contact center managers for their opinions, feelings, plans or experiences regarding technology. Rather, states John Chatterley, Director of Research, BenchmarkPortal and co-author, “We asked them only for their data - data on their center's technology and data on their center's performance. The team used a Contact Center Maturity Model™, co-developed by Cisco (which sponsored the research) and BenchmarkPortal. The model places technologies into six silos corresponding to the flow and management of contacts from beginning to end: Receive, Recognize, Route, Queue, Resolve and Review. The sophistication and advanced capabilities of technology were analyzed for each silo vs. contact center performance.”

Dr. Natalie L. Petouhoff, also a co-author of the study, said, “While most companies still think of the contact center as a cost center, this study finally proves that adoption of more sophisticated technology results in not only improved customer and customer service agent satisfaction, but also in contact center efficiencies and effectiveness. For executives looking to justify management decisions regarding technology acquisition, they now have scientifically‐supported evidence that satisfying customers and enhancing financial performance are not at odds.”

Using a correlation analysis and t‐tests, the study found that technologies that ensure proper staffing, connection and recognition of inquiries; that promote proper routing, queuing and resolution / escalation of contacts; and that provide reporting and analytics to both agents and management are statistically related to superior performance. The study showed that among the many key performance indicators studied, more advanced technologies provide higher FCR, lower Cost per Call, increased Calls Handled per Agent per Hour and reduced Queue Time.

The full report can be purchased here: http://www.benchmarkportal.com/store/call-center-white-papers/impact-technology-contact-center-performance-bruce-belfiore-john-chat

March 13, 2012

BenchmarkPortal Announces a New Show on CallTalk Discussing The Cisco Sponsored Research Ties More Technology To Better Performance of Key Metrics

BenchmarkPortal will air a new online radio show on CallTalk, (http://www.benchmarkportal.com/call-center-newsresources/calltalk-online-radio-show) discussing The Positive Financial Affects Of Contact Center Technology On A Company’s Financial Performance,

The host for this show will be Bruce Belfiore, CEO at BenchmarkPortal. The guest speaker is John Chatterley, senior research analyst with BenchmarkPortal and CallTalk co-host Dee Buell.

The online show will discuss the groundbreaking research that statistically ties technology to better performance of key metrics. Is there a statistically proven relationship between higher levels of technology in the Contact Center and performance metrics? Now there is! This research is destined to be one of this year's most discussed white papers and will give attendees insights into the statistical relationships found during this broad-based study.

Every year companies spend millions of dollars on technology in hopes of improving customer satisfaction, as well as a company’s competitive position and operational performance while reducing costs. Up until now there has never been a statistically valid research study, with data from hundreds of companies across a diverse set of vertical industries, that clearly indicates whether a relationship truly exists between more advanced technology and better company performance.

The free online radio show will air Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 at 10 a.m. PT. Click here to listen to live CallTalk broadcasts and CallTalk archives.

About CallTalk
A fun and exciting online program for education and learning, for the customer service industry. Once a month, broadcast directly over the Internet to your desktop, covers informative and educational topics impacting the contact center and customer service today.

March 1, 2012

BenchmarkPortal Launches Outsourcer Call Center Certification Program

BenchmarkPortal’s Call Center Certification, (http://www.benchmarkportal.com/call-center-certification), helps your company attain world-class call center performance. BenchmarkPortal is expanding its Center of Excellence (COE) program, to offer Certification to Call Center Outsourcers, (http://www.benchmarkportal.com/call-center-certification/call-center-outsourcer-certification).

Having your operations certified as a Center of Excellence shows your commitment to high standards and your interest in leading-edge best practices. BenchmarkPortal’s proprietary “balanced scorecard” methodology focuses on metrics relating to quality, on one side, and to cost, on the other. The statistics are determined through continuous processing of thousands of performance metrics stored in our data warehouse of thousands of call centers, which is the largest of its kind in the world. Those centers with superior performance on both sides of the equation become certified.

The statistics are determined through continuous processing of thousands of performance metrics, from thousands of call centers, which are stored in our data warehouse, the largest of its kind in the world.

Call center managers seeking outsource partners to handle their calls want assurance that these calls will be handled efficiently and effectively. BenchmarkPortal can help outsourcers prove that their operations are both efficient and effective according to objective, industry-based standards. With its database of call center metrics (the largest in the world) and its 17 years of experience in benchmarking and certifying hundreds of Global 500 call centers worldwide, BenchmarkPortal, through its certification process, validates outsourcer services. The outsourcer certification can help outsourcers with their marketing efforts, client satisfaction metrics and bottom lines.

Since companies spend vast amounts of money implementing and operating call centers to ensure a competitive edge in customer service, it has become mandatory that the call handling process be conducted at best practice standards. This need to function at best practice levels has created the need for third-party certification that call centers are operating at this high level of call handling performance.

BenchmarkPortal’s rigorous certification process has the advantage of referencing all performance goals to its best practices database of thousands of call centers. Call center managers will be held to performance levels that will improve their company’s competitive position.

"The certification process is well worth the time and effort. Our management staff learned a great deal through the process and are putting those lessons learned into everyday practice. Our call center staff was energized by earning the Center of Excellence Certification. We all take a great deal of pride in this accomplishment and are eager to keep improving our customer service experiences."
John Harcourt, 2nd VP Client Servicing and Operations, Allied Solutions

Click here to learn more about our Call Center Certification programs.

February 7, 2012

4 Views on Agent Satisfaction for Your Leader’s Intervention!

In our Benchmark toolkit, used to certify Centers of Excellence, we have developed an online survey for contact center agents, which includes 18 topic categories, providing direct feedback on Agent Satisfaction. We study the results to analyze the DNA of the people side of your organization. Findings from Customer Service Representatives show that, overall, only 42%* love their job.*BenchmarkPortal Survey results from 2011, Top Box rating (5 on a 5-point scale) on Agent Satisfaction.

In addition, much detailed information is uncovered from this survey regarding the work-life of an Agent. In fact, we find over 80 items of opportunity to make changes and improve that score over time! Here is a sampling of a few elements that are highlighted in BenchmarkPortal’s Agent Satisfaction survey:

1. The survey asks Agents to comment on whether job expectations are clearly defined. We find that many agents feel that the job that they actually do correlates poorly with what they perceived they were hired to do.

2. The Survey asks Agents to comment on supervisory style. Agents want to feel that their immediate supervisor cares about them as a person. They respond positively to supervisors who listen to their concerns and provide them with one-on-one coaching feedback on a regular basis.

3. The survey asks Agents to comment on the following statement: I belong and feel that I am part of a team. Agents want to feel that they are part of a group in which initiative is encouraged and that they can feel free to address concerns.

4. The survey asks Agents to comment on the following statement: I have pride in the company that I work for. The Agents having pride in their employer is directly and strongly connected to the Agents' perception that they work for a company that treats employees and customers with respect.

Are YOUR Agents satisfied in their jobs? Benchmarking reveals the level of Agent Satisfaction in your center. Agent Satisfaction contributes to the overall success of your operation.

Dru Phelps
Certified Call Center Auditor, CCCE Instructor, Author, Senior Consultant
DruPhelps@BenchmarkPortal.com

January 25, 2012

Contact Center Workforce Management Certification Workshops, 2012 Schedule Announcement From BenchmarkPortal

Indianapolis, IN - Feb. 23-24, 2012
Live Online - April 4-6, 2012
Live Online - Aug. 1-3, 2012
Call Center Campus, Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 5-9, 2012

January 20, 2012

New Year's Resolution - - First Call Resolution! A Multi-Year Look at the Magic Metric

One of the most watched metrics in our industry is First Call Resolution, i.e. the percentage of caller inquiries that are resolved on the first contact and do not require further follow-up. I call it the "magic metric" because it is both a direct performance measure and a divining rod into what is working (or not) in the center.

As a direct measure, it captures both efficiency and effectiveness performance:

Efficiency (or cost control): The more issues that are resolved on the first contact, the fewer the number of contacts overall and the lower the cost to resolve the issue. Bringing up the FCR by a few percentage points can be translated into a financial calculation that your CFO will find very compelling. We have helped many managers calculate the impact of better First Call Resolution, and would be happy to help you with this as well.

Effectiveness (or quality): Customers love "one-and-done" inquiries. They feel gratified when their issue is resolved without having to be in contact multiple times. Therefore, there is a positive correlation between FCR and caller satisfaction.

It should be clear why I call this the "magic metric". When improvement brings you lower costs and higher caller satisfaction, you are really pulling the rabbit out of the hat for your call center and adding great value.

However, what do I mean by a "divining rod" for the center? Well, FCR that is below your industry average is often a symptom of process and technology issues in the center. Performing proper discovery can uncover improvement initiatives that will really make a difference in your center.

For example, a relatively low FCR (when compared with other centers in your industry) can be an indication of any of the following:

Processes:Hiring. Sometimes we simply don't have the right people in the seats. We have all seen these situations. Not all centers take the care they should to properly recruit, screen, interview and hire the best people to meet the needs of the customer. Hiring happens way before the agent gets on the phone; however hiring with care increases the chance that phone interactions will be successful - - the first time.

Training. Both initial training and ongoing training are important to be sure that an agent will be able to handle and complete inquiries on the first go-around.

Coaching. A prime purpose of coaching should be to assist the agent in leveraging training, technology and listening skills to make sure the caller is served and satisfied fully on each interaction.

Technology:Routing. It is remarkable how many systems are not optimized to route calls properly. A close look at your IVR and routing routines can surface important areas for improvement.

Knowledge Management Systems. When agents know that they have a KM system that allows them to find correct answers quickly, they feel empowered to take care of the inquiry on the spot, without having to transfer to an expert of to call the customer back later. A good KM system pays for itself in multiples.

I have seen many situations in which a careful evaluation of FCR has led to important changes in processes and technology which, in turn, have led to impressive improvements in call resolution. The easily calculable financial impact means that investments frequently have a very high ROI, and thus can garner senior management approval.

If you would like to talk more about FCR analysis and improvement, feel free to contact us at Info@BenchmarkPortal.com or at http://www.BenchmarkPortal.com

Bruce Belfiore

CEO & Senior Research Executive

BruceBelfiore@BenchmarkPortal.com

January 17, 2012

BenchmarkPortal Announces a New Show on CallTalk Discussing Contact Center Best Practices

BenchmarkPortal will air a new online radio show onCallTalk, (http://www.benchmarkportal.com/call-center-newsresources/calltalk-online-radio-show) discussing caller satisfaction, agent satisfaction and 20 Contact Center Best Practice ideas in 20 minutes. BenchmarkPortal gathered senior contact center managers and executives in the contact center industry during the 2011 Call Center Campus event. Listen to this rapid-fire series of best practices from managers of leading centers, such as New York Life AARP and Citizens Energy Group.

The host for this show will be Bruce Belfiore, CEO at BenchmarkPortal. The speakers will be call center managers from around the country.

The online show will provide actionable projects that everyone can implement immediately in their center. Many of the tips focus on turning employees into a team of high achievers. One highlight will be Matt Conant from PLATO Learning, discussing how small changes can and did make a big difference to caller satisfaction. However, sometimes the changes people need to make require some careful listening - "Hear how we turned our center around."

The free online radio show will be held Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 1 p.m. PT. Click here to listen tolive CallTalk broadcasts and CallTalk archives.