The data conversation is far from over. In fact, with the evolution of technologies designed to support organisations as they delve into the depths of customer insights and behaviours, data is less asset and more essential business investment.
Companies, as McKinsey points out, have put their money where the data is by investing in tools that give them a more comprehensive view of their customer and their journey through the company.
However, as the research firm also highlights, these systems often rely on ageing measurement solutions that paint a monochrome picture of the customer and contact centre interactions – one that can negatively impact on employee compensation, customer engagement and strategic focus.
Tearing open the paint palette
There are limitations inherent in the random sampling methodology traditionally used to assess call quality in contact centres. They are incomplete and lack depth as they only capture a small percentage of interactions with small teams listening to voice recordings or looking at screen recordings.
Often, they only capture a low percentage of interactions, use third-party service providers for transcription, and use established key performance indicators to assess call quality.
This means the focus is primarily laser-pointed at the agent, not at the customer or the challenges that influenced the quality of call, and this results in a low-quality, handheld camera picture that’s grainy and incomplete.
Sentiment is another opportunity hidden within this level of data gathering and insight understanding.
The challenge is to find more specific information that allows for the business to really unpack the customer sentiment, to discover what issues are causing contact centre delays or influencing call quality, and to find out precisely what specific actions the company can take to improve service or deliver measurable customer benefits.
This requires that the data is unspooled and unpicked intelligently, that the valuable information is extracted properly, and that the sample size isn’t a manual, limited pool.
No, to really see interactions and engagements in high-definition colour, the contact centre must have the ability to monitor for specific keywords and phrases across every touchpoint – from SMS to WhatsApp to calls to social media. This allows for the business to pull on every ounce of data, to really listen to customer sentiment and contact centre interaction.
The opportunity that lies within this full colour picture is that companies can use the information to refine sales approaches, smooth over unexpected bumps in the road, and translate limitations in engagement into conversions and long-term loyalty.
Adding emotion into the mix
Sentiment is another opportunity hidden within this level of data gathering and insight understanding. It can be used to assess how sentiment is shifting through rigorous analysis, and can then catch issues before they become problems.
For example, if the average sentiment around a specific agent is poor, then analysis may highlight they require training, or that perhaps there is an issue with resolution around a particular issue.
It can also be used to assess product sentiment and this is invaluable as it could reveal a competitor product or fee structure that’s more appealing to customers, and allow for the business to adjust its own pricing or product offering in response.
Knowing what’s influencing sentiment means resolving issues in the short-term, not when they’ve embedded themselves into behaviour and long-term problems.
The final impact
The impact of all these metrics, measurements and insights is happier customers, lower churn, improved customer loyalty and potentially a larger share of the market wallet.
If customers are happy with the business and if they feel their concerns can be rapidly addressed, then they are more likely to remain with the company.
Using the right tools, organisations can turn their conversations into meaningful insights that will allow them to achieve measurable goals and open up fresh opportunities in new markets.
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