In the ongoing quest to find the optimal call center efficiency for your operation, new tools that combine the best use of human resources and cutting edge innovations in technology provide the edge you need to compete. One of the techniques that has been gaining a lot of steam recently is blended dialing, a process that automatically transfers agents from inbound to outbound calls as needed. While there are some controversies as it is being implemented, all early studies show blended dialing programs increase agent happiness and productivity overall.
How Blended Dialing Programs Work
By using your cloud calling software designed to evaluate and manage traffic, your system can be set to automatically reassign agents from incoming call tasks to outgoing tasks as needed. This process allows for flexibility as demand for customer service rises, while providing extra help to outgoing calls during times when the incoming demand is low. The result is that more workers are tasked to the call center’s top priorities at any given time, increasing call center operational productivity overall.
Handling Pushback During the Change
As you move your call center to a blended dialing program, it will be natural for agents who feel more comfortable handling either inbound or outbound traffic to voice concerns. While some agents may have the aptitude and assertiveness for outgoing calls like debt collection, rotating them to ensure their skill set remains well-rounded is a good move for both the agent and the company. Studies have shown that agents who are given a variety of challenges throughout the day remain more productive for longer and report higher job satisfaction.
Training and Staff Selection
Since agents who feel equally comfortable with both incoming and outgoing calls are becoming a better and better fit as blended dialing gains in popularity, it is also important to talk to HR about the company’s needs moving forward. That way, future hires will fit well with the program.
For existing employees, a smooth transition is dependent on two things: training and resources. Take care of the training aspect by making sure you test the new system in ways that give each employee the opportunity to get familiar with assignment switching. That also gives you the opportunity to hold calibration meetings, ensuring that all communications through the system and expectations for performance are handled.
Moving Forward
For the best possible call center efficiency, the program needs to be continuously monitored and tweaked, and your cloud calling management software needs to be set up to optimize your traffic and your assigned resources. That means ensuring that your employees get the resources they need when moving from one task to another, and it also means having a system that knows when to switch them.
Benefits
When you put blended dialing in place in your call center, you become more capable of responding to changes in consumer interest and need caused by booms in sales, such as those around the holidays. You also gain the ability to respond to marketing initiatives and to finish calling campaigns more efficiently.
This technique represents the next step in call center efficiency. Finding a way to make it work for your company means being ready and competitive when the demands of future clients require responsiveness.
This blog was first published on LinkedIn.
