The implementation of an optichannel strategy, as the next development stage of the omnichannel strategy, aims to check and optimise the efficiency of the customer channels used.
The aim is to offer a more cost-effective service for the company that provides customers with the right channel for their individual needs. That sounds sensible at first. However, it is quite a challenging task and many companies quickly run the risk of ignoring aspects or making hasty decisions.
To maximise efficiency and customer satisfaction, you should avoid five key mistakes that can lead to suboptimal results.
Without a thorough analysis of your current data, you lack the basis for making informed decisions. You should collect and comprehensively analyse detailed data and KPIs across all channels, including calls, emails and chats. It is equally important to know the cost per interaction per channel, as well as the resources you currently need. Identify the areas with the greatest potential for improvement so that you can take targeted action.
Optimisation that focusses solely on efficiency can have a significant impact on customer satisfaction. If you focus solely on fast turnaround times and neglect the quality of the interaction, you risk losing the trust of your customers. To avoid this, you should actively incorporate customer feedback and customer journeys into your optimisation measures and ensure that all changes ultimately improve the customer experience.
Dissatisfied employees often lead to lower productivity and higher turnover. If you focus solely on technological solutions and ignore the needs of your employees, you create a negative working atmosphere. To increase the motivation and efficiency of your teams, actively involve your employees in the optimisation process. Design new processes so that they are efficient and user-friendly.
The efficiency of a contact centre cannot be reduced to a single metric. If you only optimise one metric, such as average handling time, you run the risk of neglecting other important aspects, such as new resource requirements in other channels. It makes sense to define a balanced scorecard with a variety of key performance indicators (KPIs) to get a comprehensive picture of contact centre performance.
At a time when technology is constantly evolving, new solutions offer valuable opportunities to increase efficiency. However, if you're avoiding new technologies for fear of high costs or complexity, you're missing out on potential advances. Find out about current trends and technologies, such as artificial intelligence, chatbots and automation. Choose the solutions that best suit your specific requirements.
By avoiding these five mistakes and implementing these tips, you can successfully optimise your contact centre channels and significantly increase both efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Make sure you define clear goals for your optimisation measures and implement them step by step to evaluate the success of each measure. Flexibility is key as requirements or technologies change - be prepared to adapt your strategy. Regular reviews will ensure that your optimisation remains effective in the long term.
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