Blog Archives - Page 14 of 37 - Etech Global Services

How To Empower Employees and Ensure a Great Customer Experience

Employee empowerment has many benefits. Empowered employees tend to be more committed to the company, which translates into lower turnover rates, improved processes, and greater customer satisfaction. Customer success is directly impacted by how connected employees are to the vision and believe their strengths and contributions are being utilized. While employee engagement is on the rise in the U.S., there is always room for improvement. Here are some ways you can improve your company culture and customer experience by empowering employees to work to their full potential. Proper Tools To Do the Job To provide fast, efficient service, your employees need fast, efficient tools. Employee empowerment is difficult if your representatives have to struggle to make the technology and resources you’ve provided work for them. The more user-friendly your programs are, the easier it is for workers to resolve customers’ issues. To maximize the customer experience, many companies put the employee experience on the back burner. Unfortunately, the stress caused by neglecting employees’ needs inevitably trickles down to the customer. Shifting your focus to employee experience can increase satisfaction in both. Providing everything the workers need to do the best job they can do lets them know that you have enough confidence in them to invest in their work. Happy representatives pass on that happiness to your customers. High Standards for Performance and Service Setting high standards can contribute to employee empowerment. Communicating well about company goals and how employees fit in the plan can give them a sense of purpose. This is not always as simple as it may look at first. Several key variables must be enacted for this important element of empowerment not to backfire: Hire motivated individuals. When you increase your hiring standards, you can expect that the productivity of those you hire will also be elevated. You can improve your hiring process with group interviews, which not only show how prospective employees act toward management but also how they treat their peers. It is also a good idea to exchange some of your standard interview questions with more open-ended questions that provide specific scenarios and ask how applicants would handle them. Provide clear and continuous training. Starting a new job is itself a big change, so the very beginning of an employee’s tenure at your company may not be the best time to dump everything they will ever need to know on them. Employee empowerment starts with giving new employees an adequate time frame for basic training. Then they can reap the benefits of continuous training as new responsibilities are added or new technologies come into play. Fight the urge to micromanage. If you want to communicate that you trust your employees to be competent enough to do what they’ve been trained to do, you must allow them to make the decisions they’re qualified to make. Set the end goal, but trust employees to use their creativity and resources to achieve it. Employee empowerment is based on action. You can say that you trust your employees all you want, but if you have set clear expectations yet are still requiring them to run their office supply order by you before submitting it, your overbearing actions are likely to drown out your encouraging words. Show a direct link between their behavior and customer satisfaction. Creating a great customer experience depends on the inner workings of the organization as a whole. Show your employees how they affect the customers’ views of the company, and keep them as informed as possible. This is especially important for those employees who are working at the front desk. Don’t put them in the position of being the last to know something when they are likely the first to be asked. Exceptional Professional Development Some employee empowerment strategies can produce the opposite of their intended effect. If employees are entrusted with more responsibilities but are not given the tools or support they need to do them; they are more likely to become overwhelmed than inspired. Some employees respond differently than others to the increased attention that empowering leaders often give. It pays to be sensitive to how your efforts are affecting your employees. One way to do so is to make the empowerment strategies about their professional development. If the extra focus you are putting on them shows a genuine interest in how their career is progressing and how you can help, even hesitant employees may be more receptive to it. By incorporating employee empowerment practices in your business, you build a more cohesive team. As employees become more invested in how well the company does, their empowerment will lead to the improved customer experience. This blog was first published on LinkedIn.

Essential Customer Service Skills for Every Call Center Agent

As the primary point of contact in the customer experience, call center agents to play an integral role in the success of a company. A negative encounter with a service representative may drive a potential long term customer to a competitor, while a positive interaction can result in long-term retention and referrals. Quality customer service is so vital to the bottom line of a business that 81 percent of companies implementing a robust call center agent training program with a heavy focus on an outstanding consumer experience will outperform their industry rivals. However, simply directing your service agents to follow a boilerplate procedure on calls won’t result in the high customer satisfaction rate you need to thrive in today’s hypercompetitive, global exchange. Instead, you need to guide your team in developing a specific skill set that will foster consumer trust and confidence and ensure the longevity of your business. 1. Stress the Importance of Empathy. Your call center agents will regularly encounter customers who are confused, angry, and frustrated. While it’s natural to respond to negative emotions by becoming defensive or dismissive, your team needs to know that such reactions are unacceptable. Instead, they should strive to see a situation from the consumer’s perspective to gain insight and understanding while working to resolve the issue. Train your agents to use empathy statements when handling complaints that will help to build a rapport with the caller, such as “I’m sorry to hear that,” and “I can imagine how upsetting this situation must be for you.” Emphasize that they need to take ownership of a negative customer situation, which means transferring calls to a supervisor or another department only when necessary. Quality customer service begins with respect and understanding, so instill these values into your team training program to elevate the front-end experience. 2. Promote Attentive Listening. Recent studies have shown that 72 percent of consumers will rate their service experience negatively when they must explain their complaint or issue to multiple company representatives before reaching a solution. Therefore, it’s vital that your team of live chat agents understands that outstanding customer service skills entail listening as much as speaking. Encourage them to allow callers to vent about a substandard product or service without interrupting or immediately offering feedback. They can then begin to ask to follow up questions to develop a deeper understanding of the problem while relaying the customer’s responses back to them to ensure clear communication. Above all, make sure your agents understand that a customer should never feel rushed to end a call before their issue is resolved. Allowing consumers the opportunity to detail their frustration while actively listening to their complaints and developing a personalized solution is one of the most effective ways to provide quality customer service. 3. Emphasize Product Knowledge. Since over 66 percent of consumers consider the features, design, and quality of a product or service the most important factor in brand loyalty, ensuring your chat agents can comfortably discuss every aspect of what your business offers is a fundamental element of a seamless customer experience. Initiate thorough training for each new hire that includes a detailed overview of company products, services, warranties, return policies, and shipping procedures. You should also consider administering a written test to service agents before they are permitted to take customer calls to confirm they have a working knowledge of your business and can adequately address product or service related questions and complaints. To keep quality customer service at the forefront of your company culture, institute continuing education in the form of product updates and refresher training courses. When it comes to establishing outstanding customer service skills, knowledge is power, so give your chat agents the tools and support to succeed. While marketing and new customer acquisition strategies are important ways to grow your business, the fact remains that you’re about 50 percent more likely to sell to an existing customer than a fresh prospect. And one of the most reliable ways to retain established consumers while converting new ones is to offer an unparalleled customer experience. Your call center agents are the front line of your company, so it’s essential to provide them with the fundamental communication skills they need to resolve problems and handle complaints. By teaching your team to empathize, employ active listening, and demonstrate product and service knowledge on every call, they’ll be providing the quality customer service that is the lifeblood of your company. With over 20 years of experience in providing superior outsourcing solutions across a wide range of industries, Etech is a world leader in helping companies develop a seamless customer service experience that allows you to compete in a diverse and globalized marketplace. Contact us today to learn how we can help you develop a customized consumer satisfaction strategy. This blog was published on LinkedIn.

Hit your class with a BEAM!

My daughter (McKenna) is in kindergarten and her teacher (Ms. Dee) is an excellent facilitator, experienced in her role, a creative thinker and a real people person. I appreciate the role Ms. Dee has played in both my children’s lives (she has been teaching more than 30 years). I know that she cares and is willing to try even when things get tricky. I would venture a guess that many of us could not understand how stressful a kindergarten teacher’s job is! My daughter makes this situation even more strenuous by testing every aspect of Ms. Dee’s patience, and skill sets just as in the case shared below: The class was doing an exercise, and Ms. Dee was walking around giving some of the children encouragement. Some of the other children needed help getting aligned with the goals of the project. When she came to my daughter, McKenna was sitting there playing with her school supplies with no intention of working on the assignment. She absolutely can and will sit there without even indicating that she is not following along as she should. Even though McKenna had decided that she was not going to participate, Ms. Dee, was not going to allow that as an option. She tried a couple of ways to coax McKenna into doing the work with no success. After several tries, Ms. Dee finally resorted to discipline. She indicated that if McKenna would not comply with the directions, then her name would have to be moved on the wall resulting in a sad face stamp when it was time to dismiss for the day. The power of a “sad face stamp” is real. I have witnessed many kindergartners coming out of class trying to wipe off the ink or hiding it from their parents/guardians. As this is a serious infraction if you are in kindergarten most children would be motivated appropriately to comply with the request. So, what did my McKenna do with this potential threat? McKenna got up and moved her name and then sat down with her arms crossed in defiance as if that settled it. Although McKenna completed this action without saying anything, it was implied that Ms. Dee set the terms and that she was merely complying with one of the options. It was as if McKenna was saying, “We are done, and you can move on to helping someone else now.” As you can imagine that was not the end of the story. Ms. Dee had to escalate her tactics. To bring this story to an end; my daughter finally conceded and completed the assignment. For my little girl, it just had to be the hard way: It seems that on some occasions it just cannot be simple. Thankfully Ms. Dee has the experience, patience, and the desire to work with all types of individuals. McKenna is one of those individuals that for whatever reason we have to change our tactics to gain her “buy-in” to complete some tasks. Today it was riding in the truck with dad versus riding with mom. The day before it was something about cleaning her room. It will be something else tomorrow. It is not a discipline thing nor is it a rebellious thing as it has to do with defining success for her. Some might label her as difficult. Her teacher could have easily written her off as an obstacle not worth investing time in, just marked her and moved on. As in the case of McKenna’s teacher we have choices to make as trainers and leaders that either encourages team members to push themselves to greatness or to give up on them. I think as a leader we often get overwhelmed with the sheer number of obstacles and focus more on the problems than the people. We see people as “a task” to complete. Instead, we need to focus on people as individuals that may need help. You may have heard the statement, “If it weren’t for the people, this would be an easy job!” I can imagine a kindergarten teacher possibly saying similar things. Unfortunately, early in my career, I heard and even used this phrase on many occasions. I have since changed my view on this long-standing “joke” that leaders have used to relieve the stress of interactions gone wrong. Going forward you can hit them with a BEAM! Here is how you can BEAM your team/class and keep yourself centered with the right thought processes: Build Relationships: How you should start (or restart) any team/class. Focus on getting to know your team individually. Learn their learning style and personality traits. What do they need / desire to achieve short and long term? Find and understand what motivates them? How do they like to be rewarded? Establishing Norms: What should training look/feel like. Start / End on time. Respecting others. Avoiding cell phones except in cases in which they are directly used for an exercise. Active participants (participating is key). Be open to new ideas. Note: It’s best to have the class participants determine this list. Make an “agreement” that both trainer(s) and trainees will abide by. Ask Questions: Build the correct learning environment. Act from a place of curiosity to utilize questions that build knowledge. Use the “Socratic Method”. Implement a “Parking Lot”. Know when you want to field questions. Be ready for this and facilitate the class to participate in not only asking but also answering questions. Allow a discussion to take place. This is where some of your best learning can happen. Be upfront when you want the class members to hold questions until the end. Give them the ability to note questions, so they are not working on trying and remembering a question and not listening to you, potentially missing the answer to their question or other important data. Managing Tasks: Building efficiency to spend time with people and behaviors. Know the difference in managing tasks and leading people. Use your time effectively to complete tasks efficiently. Spend more time on people than processes. Now you can BEAM with pride in knowing you are laying a foundation that enables you to respect others. You

The Top 5 Contact Center Trends for 2019

Contacting a company in the hopes of resolving an issue only to receive less-than-impressive service is likely a scenario you’ve personally encountered at least once in your lifetime. It should come as no surprise that negative customer experience with a company’s contact center poses a huge threat to the consumer’s loyalty to that product or brand. Customers have more options than ever, and competition is fierce. Most businesses understand what’s at stake each time a customer needs to reach out, so what’s being done to ensure more positive experiences? While CSAT scores and KPIs still rule for some companies, others are taking a more customer-centric approach that has managed to completely alter the landscape of what contact centers could be. Zappos is a perfect example of this. They’ve eschewed the typical game plan of emphasizing the importance of low call times by instead focusing on the opposite: high call times. Taking the pressure of finalizing customer calls as quickly as possible off the table allows agents to focus on really connecting with the customer and resolving their issues. I call this the “love the one you’re with” approach. While many companies may not strive to recreate the Zappos customer experience model, most want to continue evolving to meet consumers’ needs in a way that builds brand loyalty. Here are five trends to consider employing to elevate the level of service offered by your business in 2019. Pick and Choose Technology and Tools Wisely New advances appear almost daily, so realizing your company’s needs, and which tools will meet them, is key to ensuring the business isn’t left in the dust with outdated systems or weighed down with bloate, technology. Some industries, such as healthcare, are seeing benefits from utilizing newer digital care coordination technologies. Although some industries are reporting increased efficiency from new technology such as this, it doesn’t automatically mean utilizing it would bring the same benefits to your business. Think of what your employees need most to assist customers best, and then seek out solutions that will fulfill your company’s own specific set of needs. Consider your administration staff, clients and overall ease of usability when selecting technology. Don’t Overlook the Importance of Employee Engagement With the customer experience always top of mind, it can be all too easy to overlook those who most directly influence consumer satisfaction. Your agents are invaluable assets with great insight into the needs, wants and frustrations of your customer base. It’s true that the happiness of your employees often correlates with the happiness of your customers. Ensure agents have the tools they need to be successful, including equipment, training, and thoughtful feedback. To have the largest impact, feedback shouldn’t focus solely on KPIs, but rather also on individual experiences that can be discussed. Consider focusing more on coaching effectiveness and ensuring your leaders are equipped to transfer knowledge effectively. Confidence through knowledge makes a world of difference in your people, and you only get it through effective training and coaching. Your people aren’t interacting with your C-Suite every day – they are interacting with your customers! Involve your frontline employees in CX problem-solving. Your employees (and customers) already know everything YOU need to know – just ask them what you can do better and actively listen to the response. Fine Tune System Connectivity In today’s market, many companies want to give customers various outlets for contact. Most brands offer options of connecting via phone, email, chat, social media and SMS. An omnichannel solution is a key contributor to positive customer experience and low customer effort. Best practices for applying self-service options are – Make self-serve effortless, comfortable and inviting Provide multiple options – insure self-serve is not the only option available Content consistency across all channels and refresh content frequently Ask for customer feedback about your self-serve options using surveys or other feedback tools Stop making your customers repeat themselves! Use intelligent, integrated technologies that ensure a frictionless experience and secure information pass-through. It’s frustrating for all involved, hindering the customer experience when the same information needs to be continuously repeated, and the customer journey isn’t fully known or readily available. Efficiencies improve when the systems within contact centers are easily interchangeable and communicate with each other. Fine tuning is not a one-time event – establish a rhythm and a consistent update strategy that’s aligned with your marketing plan to make the most of your omnichannel approach. Consider the Benefits of Remote Work More and more employees yearn for work that can be completed remotely. With the benefits it can bring to a customer-focused environment, it’s in the best interest of many businesses to consider the possibilities. Hiring more remote agents, or allowing those already employed to work away from the typical office environment not only frees up precious space in the contact center and lowers costs, it improves productivity by an average of 24%! Remote employees have 82% lower stress levels and 69% lower absenteeism. Distractions like water cooler gossip, impromptu meetings, and loud colleagues are a non-issue. Happy employees = Happy Customers and nothing have more of an impact on customer experience than agent experience! Invest in the Type of Engagements Customers Want It has long been believed that when given the option, customers do not speak to another human to resolve their issue, even though surveys continue to point to this being untrue. CIO reported that 80 % of customers who pay for TV would prefer to resolve issues via digital channels such as chat or email. This emphasizes that many companies aren’t tuned in to the customer experience and voice of the customer. Even though it seems that most consumers still reach out through calling, other means of communicating such as chat, messaging and text to continue to experience exponential growth. Whether your focus this year will be on inbound, outbound, quality, analytics and experience management or live chat services, Etech has a wide range of solutions meant to elevate the customer experience effectively. Contact us today

Is the Servant Leadership Model Paternalistic?

Imagine this. You are invited to a board meeting, and everyone is getting settled. While putting his cup down, the CEO accidentally spills coffee onto the desk and floor. What is the aftermath your picture? Do you already, through your mind’s eye, see interns and mid-level managers rushing to clean up the mess? Or, even better, do you envision the CEO calling for janitorial to tend to it so that he can carry on with his meeting? According to one Harvard Business School professor, James Heskett, when he encountered a similar scenario at a ServiceMaster board meeting, neither of these outcomes played out. Instead, the CEO asked for cleaning supplies and got down on the floor to clean up the mess himself. While this is a very literal interpretation of what it means to be a service leader, it nonetheless accurately depicts the servant leadership model. What is Servant Leadership? Put simply it is a leadership style defined by giving rather than delegating. In the mind of a true servant leader, organizational success depends on the employees’ ability to do their jobs well. And, in turn, the employees’ ability to do their jobs well depends on the leader’s willingness to provide the tools they need. Thus, instead of commanding employees, a servant leader aims to promote success by asking the question, “How can I help you succeed?” This, in turn, gives employees a sense of purpose and motivates them to be more proactive while building a sense of teamwork. Is It Paternalistic? The complicated answer to this question is yes and no. The servant leadership model does feature paternal overtones, but it is not quite the same as paternalistic leadership. According to a study published by Pennsylvania State University, paternalistic leadership is not very well understood, even within the management community. This is because of conflicting ideas on how it should be applied, and how it has varied across cultures, based on how paternal roles vary. Sociologist and political economist, Max Weber, argued against the practice, stating that it led to bureaucracy and would only further the role of traditional domination. Perhaps because of this sentiment, paternalistic leadership has, in most First World countries, been likened to an autocratic leadership style, which is not at all in-tune with the principles of servant leadership. On the other hand, studies coming out of Asia opposed Weber’s conclusions, instead of painting the paternalistic leader as a caring fatherly figure. Researchers in Asia argued that paternalistic managers operated as a pillar of support and provided care and protection to their employees. This is much more akin to servanthood leadership. A study conducted in Turkey also found a strong positive correlation between paternalistic and servant leadership styles. The values of servant leadership that were perceived as paternalistic include the following: Altruism Empowerment Relationship building Participation Why Choose the Servant Leadership Model? In today’s increasingly individualistic culture, especially in American culture, you don’t come across many true servant leaders. But, when you do, they have amazing stories to share about how their leadership styles have helped to not only grow their business but improve the communities around them. Two leaders that have been named as true servant leaders include Kevin Johnson, the CEO of Starbucks, and Arthur M. Blank, the co-founder of Home Depot. So, if key leaders of household names have built their multibillion-dollar empires from this type of leadership, how can you benefit from employing the servant leadership model in your business? Read on to find out. Increased Social Responsibility Servanthood leadership encourages social responsibility both inside and outside of the office. As a benefit of this leadership style, a corporate conscience comes with many other benefits itself. Here are just some of the main advantages of social responsibility, according to Inc. Increases the appeal of your brand, thereby expanding the potential market size. Modern customers are eco-conscious and are willing to pay a premium price for companies they believe are engaged in social good. Customers are more likely to remain loyal to brands they believe are supporting their core values. Opens up the opportunity to receive financial grants from the government. Investors see a commitment to social change as a long-term positioning plan, thereby making your business more attractive. Stronger Team The servant leadership model focuses more on people than the work process. This helps to humanize the work environment, breaking down barriers and building stronger relationships based on a common goal. In this scenario, everyone plays a different but equal role. This sentiment energizes workers to step up to the plate, be proactive, reach for higher goals, and to see how they too can serve others. Lower Turnover Rates Turnover is an expensive cost of poor management. Every time someone walks out the door of your business, they are taking the knowledge and experience you have provided, with them. To encourage more employees to stay, you must create an environment where they are not only happy to show up at work every day, but also have the opportunity to grow. Managers who embrace the servant leadership model will provide opportunities for employee growth through student programs, on-going training, promotional opportunities, and the opportunity to work on special projects. Lower turnover rates not only save the company time and money but allows it to hold on to its primary investments: its people. Who Does a Servant Leader Serve? Most leadership literature on servant leaders seems to focus on serving employees to help them reach organizational goals. However, servant leaders also work hard to serve their clients and the members of the communities they operate in. One good example of this is Arthur M. Blank who, after helping to select the location of the Mercedes-Benz stadium in downtown Atlanta, then worked to develop the communities around it. Thanks to his efforts, crime has dropped 43 percent in the area, year after year, and he has helped 680 residents to find full-time jobs. At Etech, though serving

4 Employee engagement trends to watch in 2019

Long gone are the days of solely focusing on customer satisfaction. While nearly every company will agree that keeping the customer experience (CX) at the forefront of any business strategy is key to maximizing growth and overall success, it’s certainly no longer the only important factor. In recent years, it’s become more widely known, understood, and accepted that high employee engagement correlates to elevated customer satisfaction and gives a boost to many other signifiers of business success. Maybe it feels as if your company already has a strong handle on employee experience (EE) and engagement, but the truth is that for many, there’s always room for improvement. While even more recent surveys show that employee engagement is on the rise, there’s still significant work to be done. Gallup’s numbers point to 33% of surveyed employees reporting they are actively engaged, leaving 51% of respondents admitting of disengagement in their place of employment. These findings hold weight for businesses, as companies with some of the highest engaged employees enjoyed improvements in several areas, including: A 10% increase in customer satisfaction A 20% increase in sales A 21% increase in profitability If you’re beginning to think that your company should pivot to focus on EE, here are four trends expected to be huge in 2019. Flexible Work Schedules I know what you are thinking, “How can we possibly allow this?” It is not as difficult as it seems and can still fit the needs of the business. The ability to work on their own terms has shot to the top of the priority list for many employees. If business needs allow, this could take the form of employees choosing their own schedules based on the needed time slots throughout the day, thus oftentimes improving the balance between work and professional life. Many employees today appreciate and seek out companies that support the option to work remotely or from home, even if it’s just on occasion. Increased availability and improvements in remote work software cement flexible work schedules as a benefit worth looking into to raise the bar on employee engagement. Going Above Engagement To Focus on Overall Employee Experience Oftentimes, when a company first begins to dig into improving employee engagement, initial plans only manage to scratch the surface of EE. While asking for feedback and administering surveys is certainly a good first step, they do little to raise the bar if they aren’t backed by an effective plan of action. Today’s best course for empowering associates and impacting other areas of business success, including CX, is by focusing on the overall employee experience. This entails diving into and improving several aspects of your office environment, including: Opportunities for development Company culture Programs for recognizing and rewarding achievements Career paths Relationships among teams Opportunities for Professional and Personal Development Many companies have long thought of training and development as tools that simply prepared employees for a new position elsewhere, but this is quickly becoming an archaic viewpoint. Employees yearn to learn and grow, not only within their roles but also beyond them. Employers that provide ample opportunities for associates to spread their wings through training programs and continued learning often employ a workforce that is more content, harbors increased loyalty towards their company, and feels intrinsically tied to the continued success and growth of the business. On the flip side, companies lacking a focus on associate development may suffer from low employee engagement and higher rates of turnover. Simply put, if they can’t find a way to grow with you, they will go somewhere they can. Programs Focused on Mental and Physical Wellness Adding a wellness program to your company’s repertoire, or improving upon an existing one, is a great way to not only increase employee engagement but can also provide returns in associate health, happiness, and even productiveness. It only takes a look into the rise in popularity of wearables and fitness trackers to see that many enjoy taking an active approach when it comes to their health. The key to incorporating a wellness program is achieving buy-in from employees. If you have a solid plan that the workforce can get excited about, your company will be able to reap the rewards of increased health, camaraderie among coworkers, and engagement. You may have heard it said before that if you make and keep your employees happy, they will, in turn, keep your customers happy. Not only will a focus on employee engagement impact overall customer satisfaction, but engaged associates take more pride in their work and often show more loyalty to the company they work for. Not to mention it will create a better working environment for all. Etech understands the importance of engaging both employees and customers. Allow them to ensure your customers are engaged and satisfied while you focus on building engagement within your in-house teams. Reach out to Etech to learn more about their professional and effective customer solutions. This blog has been published on LinkedIn.

Artificial Intelligence: Streamlining Contact Center Technology

It is hard to believe it now, but artificial intelligence used to be nothing more than a futuristic dream. It was portrayed in old movies as the vehicle that would completely change the world and propel our culture to unimaginable heights. Now, artificial intelligence—the stuff of the future—is all around us, and we are still learning just how much it can benefit us. In addition to improving our daily lives by helping us find restaurants, driving us around in our vehicles, and even controlling the lights and appliances in our homes, AI is also improving the world of business in a variety of ways. Automated systems are especially helpful for call centers, and Gartner predicts that non-voice interactions in customer service settings will likely rise to 85 percent by the year 2020. Many contact centers are discovering how artificial intelligence can benefit them and help them turn a greater profit while serving customers’ needs more effectively. If your contact center does not currently make use of AI, you may be spending more than you need to and missing out on your full potential to appease the needs of your customers. Consumers are increasingly desiring self-service options, but they still want the ability to speak with a live customer service agent if needed. When you offer digital solutions that recognize and predict the needs of your customers, you create a seamless user experience. While artificial intelligence should never replace the human component of your contact center, it can be used to help busy call centers handle larger call volumes with greater efficiency. How Artificial Intelligence Drives Effortless Customer Experience With Human Touch One of the most universal challenges experienced by businesses of all types is the constant struggle to improve the customer experience. In fact, 72 percent of businesses list customer experience improvement as their top priority, according to recent data published by Forrester. Call centers that experience a high volume of customer service calls may consistently struggle to deliver a quick and effective customer service experience. Since recent research from NewVoiceMedia reveals that companies in the United States lose approximately $62 billion each year as a direct result of poor customer service, it is imperative for companies to turn the statistics in their favor by taking actionable steps to improve the customer experience for their consumer base. One of the most effective ways to do this is by incorporating artificial intelligence into the call center customer service process. Using AI in the call center can improve customer service operations in the following ways: Improving business agility Achieving operational excellence Providing machine-centric intelligence with human-centric interaction Increasing versatility and flexibility Predicting customer behavior Maximizing available resources and reducing operating costs Delivering a consistent, reliable experience to each customer Meeting customer needs around-the-clock Creating relationship-based interactions instead of transaction-based interactions Speech recognition systems can be implemented to relieve the burden of high call volume from human agents. Such systems can also take care of after-hours phone calls when call center agents are not available. This benefit makes it possible for businesses to take care of customer needs around-the-clock, without paying call center agents for graveyard shifts or overtime. In a digital age, more customers expect businesses to be able to meet their demands 24/7, and implementing a speech recognition into your call center can help you live up to evolving consumer expectations. When integrated into the call center, advanced speech recognition systems, such as interactive voice response (IVR) systems, make it possible for customers to easily navigate through a menu of options by using their voice instead of the telephone keypad. Other call center speech recognition options include speech-to-text, voice search, call routing, and voice dialing. For many businesses, automating the telephone answering system is an efficient way to handle anywhere between 40-85 percent of incoming calls. More and more businesses are leveraging the efficiency and predictability of speech recognition systems to improve efficiency and anticipate customer needs. Achieving the ideal blend between an automated, self-service environment and live agent interaction in the call center is a challenge worth pursuing. Providing customers with the option to navigate self-service systems without taking away their ability to talk to a real person as needed comes with a variety of benefits, including cost savings, more efficient customer service and improved customer experience. How to Use Artificial Intelligence As an Effective Quality Monitoring Solution If you were to ask 10 different companies for the definition of “excellent customer service”, you would probably get 10 different answers. There is no single, universal definition of superior customer service that can be applied to all businesses. For this reason, it can be hard to nail down the standards that you need your call center team to adhere to in order to deliver the highest level of customer satisfaction. The challenge of determining, analyzing, and enforcing behaviors and actions that meet excellent service standards for your business most likely falls on the shoulders of your quality monitoring group. Their task is a monumental one, but it is necessary for delivering a concise, uniform approach to customer service. By using updated Artificial Intelligence software, it is possible to increase the effectiveness of your quality monitoring team. The highly accurate data provided by the AI software can direct your quality monitoring team to changes that may need to be made by call center representatives. The end result is an improvement in your contact center’s processes and methods for interacting with customers. Automating your quality monitoring system can provide some of the following improvements to your business: Reduced agent effort Better sales results Compliance with regulatory requirements Improved customer experience Artificial intelligence, when used correctly in a call center, can effortlessly monitor and gather valuable data from your team’s phone calls, chats and emails. It can also assist management in identifying opportunities to improve customer satisfaction, sales conversions and processes. Speech recognition technology is capable of anticipating customer needs and quickly delivering predictions and solutions that are specific to each

Tips To Improve Quality Monitoring

We monitor calls to ensure that minimum quality standards are achieved. However, call monitoring is not only for identifying problems and agent opportunities but also for detecting what is working and cascading it to the entire team. Social media service is evolving and an increasing number of customers are reaching out through these channels, many more still turn to chat and inbound toll-free numbers for assistance. Omni-channel quality monitoring is an essential process to ensure that customers receive an exceptional customer experience no matter how they choose to interact with your business. Here are a few tips that can help you improve quality monitoring: Ensure you get the small things correct You already know the details of your operations and how your agents perform. To ensure consistent improvement — get the small things right. For example, verify that the agents have correct information about a product or service and responses to possible questions from customers. Also, ensure that agents are comfortable with and following prescribed interaction flow structure. With the small things in place, you can use your time to work on the big issues. Don’t make the employees nervous It’s natural for agents, especially newbies, to be apprehensive about having their interactions monitored. To get your employees engaged, you need to explain why you are carrying out monitoring. Emphasize your intention is to help them be successful and to ensure quality customer service is delivered. Your agents must clearly understand how monitoring benefits them or else you can expect challenges in adaptation. We have all used the acronym “WIIFM” and nothing will motivate people like knowing What’s In It For Me! To help your employees buy into the idea of quality monitoring, make the exercise collaborative and inclusive. Allow the agent to own the solution. It will help your employees understand the process better and what is required of them as they interact with customers. Remember to reprimand in private and praise in public. If you know there is a bad interaction, do not choose to play it in a calibration session that is attended by a large group. Take the agent into an individual coaching session to discuss the interaction whether it be a chat, call, or social media contact. The ideal coaching session takes no more than 15 minutes. Hire third party to monitor When a professional third-party monitors your team, they will produce unbiased evaluations. If you run a large contact center, you will need to have an internal team of quality analysts as well. They should stay calibrated with your third-party quality team to ensure that both groups deliver consistent results. Make sure that your internal team members have the right skills to monitor and provide feedback to agents in order to maintain the company quality standards. Reward positive performance Rewards are a great source of motivation. Come up with monthly awards like “quality agent of the month”. Non-monetary incentives oftentimes work as well as those with a cost to the company. The recognition of a “job well done” motivates employees to excel. Invest in coaching the agents You must invest in training and coaching your agents. In addition to new hire training, ongoing product and soft skill training will enable your agents to continue to grow. The time and resources you invest in training your employees will bear fruits in quality customer service. Also, use technology to guide your analysts and agents through the procedures. It might be costly at first, but in the long run, it will be worthwhile. Gather Feedback It is not enough to set quality processes without a feedback gathering mechanism. Internal calibration meetings should include both agents and supervisors to allow for an open question and answer session. Customer satisfaction surveys often tell the real picture. It can be surprising to learn that sometimes customers do not perceive the same quality of service that the internal team is assured they are providing. Monitor across multi-channels Today’s customer interacts with contact centers via multiple channels. It is advisable to monitor all sales and service channels to make an informed assessment. In conclusion, these seven tips will help you improve your quality monitoring. A quality interaction should provide an exceptional customer experience and showcase high performing teams. Until next time! This blog was published on LinkedIn.

8 Principles That Will Lead You to A Successful Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is or should be the bedrock of all organizations. It is based on the principle of growth through individual recognition and achievement. The idea is that through a particular set of practices leaders can pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and the workforce to better balance efficiency, culture and ultimately profitability and growth. While the philosophy of servant leadership has been around for centuries, it wasn’t until Robert K. Greenleaf put the principles into print in 1970 that the corporate world began to take notice. Before Greenleaf’s writing, the corporate world was organized into a top-down structure – the executives, managers, assistant managers, laborers. As the philosophy grew in popularity, more companies began incorporating a horizontal organizational structure based on collaboration and communication, broadening ideas and understanding while increasing the overall effectiveness of the workforce. Servant leadership is an integral part of modern organizations, and the transition to this type of leadership style rest in the understanding of eight essential principles. Communication When discussing leadership qualities, there is not one more important than communication. Open and honest dialogue ensures clarity and also helps to reduce tension and confusion. When leading through a servant mentality, there are three areas of communicating to focus on. Listening As a servant leader, you should demonstrate a deep commitment to listening. This doesn’t mean to stay silent or avoid conflict, but it does mean that you must fully comprehend and understand the opinions of others before dismissing or condemning their views and actions. The will of the group should always be identified before any organizational decisions. Empathy In the same spirit of listening, empathy is the ability to recognize and understand the reasoning behind someone’s actions. This recognition is not an approval of performance or behavior, only an acknowledgment of understanding. Healing Healing can also be described as conflict resolution. It is the ability of a leader to listen to both sides, understand the logic behind the decision-making and provide a compromise or resolution that suits the best interests of the employees and the organization. Persuasion In top-down organizations, leaders coerce compliance through disciplinary measures and demands. In servant leader structures persuasion is preferred to positional authority, meaning that communication is used as a means of uncovering appropriate actions and convincing the whole as to its rightness. A leader using the servant philosophy understands the importance of consensus in community development. Awareness Successful teachers of servant Leadership know how to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of others and within themselves. This ability to be self-aware leads to balance in the team and the corporate culture. Awareness can be uncomfortable, admitting your need for assistance or lack of skill is not easy, but it is one of the best ways to foster a team mentality. Foresight Beyond communication and team building a leader must be able to drive an organization forward through growth and ingenuity, both of which present risks. Therefore, a leader must develop foresight – the ability to systematically examine and diagnose successes and failures to predict and avoid future mistakes. Conceptualization In the practice of servant leadership, conceptualization refers to the act of thinking or dreaming of further growth opportunities often through the scope of foresight, meaning planning without losing focus on the present or the past. Essentially, conceptualization is tied to innovation and is necessary for modern organizational success. Stewardship Stewardship refers to the responsibility an organization has to not only its contributing workforce but the world as a whole. Many companies are stewards for healthy environmental practices. However, stewardship can also be about fair labor practices, proper resource management or even fiduciary responsibility. Commitment to the Growth of People One of the fundamental principles of servant leadership is the commitment to the growth of people. While the goal of any business is organizational growth, servant leaders understand that profits and people are uniquely intertwined. Without a happy and developing workforce, a company will struggle to maintain and surpass expectations. Community Building Community building is established through a combination of the above principles and practices. However, showing that you are not above the community can enrich and inspire the growth of the overall culture more than any individual element. People are used to top-down structure, and despite the increase in servant led organizations, many still expect the do as I say not as I do mentality, meaning that leaders who practice what they preach can ignite the rapid development of a cultural and corporate change. Servant leadership is a necessity of modern organizations. The core principle of personal growth corresponding to corporate growth is something we sincerely believe here at Etech. We understand the benefits of community and communication. Contact us today. Let’s open a dialogue and see how we can benefit each other. This blog was published on LinkedIn.

6 Tips to Spot Phishing Attack Emails

Phishing attacks could be compared to actual fishing. The scammer creates an email that includes an enticement, essentially baiting the hook. Their next step is to send the email out to thousands of individuals, casting the line. Finally, they wait for an unsuspecting person to take the bait and reel them in, attempting to collect some form of protected information or possibly even payment. This modus operandi or method has been around for a long time as it continues to prove highly successful for the malicious actor. Prior to computers, phishing scams were accomplished through phone calls, direct mail, or even face-to-face contact. However, over the last couple of decades, digital scams have allowed for the casting of a much wider net as well as improved anonymity, which means the criminals are harder to catch. Therefore, it falls on the end user to be vigilant regarding their online activity and email usage. Many internet users in both business and home settings overestimate the ability of their cybersecurity to circumvent the threat of malicious actors. While it is true that internet security can minimize the risk of phishing attacks, it cannot account for human error, which is precisely what scammers will try and exploit. To limit your exposure to these scams, you should follow six simple tips to spot and avoid attacks. Always Be Cautious of Embedded Links While there are many signs of potential email scams, message links may be one of the most prominent. Many fraudulent emails will have numerous links within the body of the message, attempting to entice readers to click at least one. This will usually redirect the system to malicious site/content or simply download malware to exploit the computer system and set it up for the potential attack. Mismatched URLs Phishing emails will often have mismatched URLs, meaning that the web address that is spelled out in the text does not match the URL that appears when you hover your cursor over it. If you notice that the target address is different from the stated address do not trust the message. Redirects There may be times where the URLs in the email match the stated links, but when you click on the link, you are redirected through other addresses and sites. If you are redirected to a strange website, then there is a good chance that the email was a scam, and you should scan your system for potential viruses immediately. Be Wary of “Suspicious Activity” Emails A common tactic of phishing is to claim that there has been a suspicious activity or unauthorized changes to one of your accounts. Clicking on the provided link may even direct you to a site that looks completely legitimate. This is a major tactic for the malicious actor to trick you into entering your credentials. They can then seize control of your account and gain access to whatever information and/or funds are available. They may use the same credentials to gain access to other accounts and systems you have access to. Don’t be tempted to click on links, read or open attachments from these emails, instead of flag questionable emails and let your cybersecurity team worry about the details. Never click on an embedded link to enter your credentials. Exit the email and go to the site through the proper URL. Be Leary of “Urgency to Act” Claims Also, while winning a million dollars or inheriting some foreign prince’s estate would be a dream come true for many people, the odds are not in your favor. You have a better chance of being hit by lighting each day for the next two weeks. Many scams try to entice recipients with promises of lavish prizes and trips. However, they often have a ridiculous time constraint to try and force you into irrational decisions. Don’t think this scam still work? Recently, there have been reports of individuals approaching people in the parking lot of a bank they are entering convincing them to take out large sums of cash promising exponential returns on the funds. Of course, the malicious actors disappear with the cash never to be seen or heard from by that person again. If someone falls for the scam under these circumstances, think about how easy it would be to cast a wide net over the internet to get a nibble. Don’t Fret Over “Severe Consequences” Similar to the suspicious activity phishing attack, many scammers will take an even blunter approach by demanding action through the threat of lawsuits or arrests. The IRS has recently warned of phishing attempts that threatened huge fines. These scams are coercive and despicable. Take solace in knowing that there is no truth to them. The IRS does not communicate this type of information through email or phone calls. If you are being audited or owe money, the IRS will send you a letter via the U.S. Blogal Service. These attacks seek to prey on an individual’s fear of jail time or huge fines. Do not give them the satisfaction of falling for these types of attacks. Watch for Grammatical Errors Another common factor of fraudulent emails is grammatical errors. These aren’t typical typos and are usually overwhelmingly apparent because they are syntax errors, meaning that words are arranged in strange ways. Many scammers are not native English speakers and may struggle with recognizing syntax mistakes. Most reputable companies will have proofreading teams capable of editing spelling and grammar errors. Therefore, emails plagued with bad grammar should likewise be avoided. Don’t Underestimate Minimalism Phishing does not have to consist of a complex, persuasive strategy. Some offenders try to scam unsuspecting individuals by posing as friends or colleagues, sending an innocuous email with a blank body and single attachment. These types of emails should be immediately discarded unless you are acutely aware of the sender and their intentions. Email addresses can be spoofed and appear to come from a friend or coworker when they are actually

How Integrating Artificial Intelligence With Human Intelligence Can Delight Your Customers

Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into your call center quality monitoring can feel like an uncertain prospect. With over 80 percent of businesses already using or planning to acquire automated technology as a customer service strategy by 2020, it’s apparent that AI is quickly becoming a baseline requirement to compete in an increasingly globalized marketplace. However, many business owners still have concerns regarding the effects that AI will have on customer relations. While the efficiency and cost-cutting benefits of automated technology are well documented, there is a widespread myth that consumers will always prefer to resolve issues with a live customer service agent rather than a front-end AI-powered chatbot or interactive voice response system. The truth is that AI, when properly integrated with human intelligence, can vastly improve the effectiveness of your call center quality monitoring. Success depends on aptly assimilating technology into the existing corporate structure and promoting a workplace culture that embraces AI as a helpful resource. By keeping this philosophy in mind, you can use automation to develop an elevated front end experience that will dazzle your customers. Harness AI To Improve Overall Efficiency Surveys have shown that customers place a high level of importance in how quickly their issue with a company is resolved, while fiercely resenting the need to explain their problem to multiple people before reaching a solution. And nearly 70 percent of customers prefer the convenience of a messaging program over a live phone call to resolve an issue. Consequently, the speed and organization of your customer service matter just as much as the quality of engagement. This is where artificial intelligence in a call center can be a game changer. By streamlining some of your most repetitive, low level customer queries to a front-end AI-powered chatbot that consumers can communicate with at their own pace, you’re able to provide an immediate response to a simple question while freeing up time for your live call center service agents to address more complex issues or to speak with older customers who may not feel comfortable utilizing technology. Implementing AI to supply rote solutions to recurrent consumer complaints allows you to offer personalized, consistent service based on the level of engagement required. The result is a more effective system of call center quality monitoring. Use Automated Technology for Enhanced Training When humans are tasked with assessing customer service agent performance, limitations become evident. Most companies without a dedicated AI platform only have the resources to analyze a tiny fraction of recorded interactions. This means that they’re only getting a restricted sampling of vital call centers quality monitoring metrics such as voice analysis, predictive patterns of behavior, and productivity rates. By adopting an automated quality assurance program that can easily track every call, you’ll jump to a 100 percent monitoring rate that gives you the full picture of service center strengths and weaknesses. The analytic capabilities of a good AI quality assurance system also have the potential to transform your training strategies. Automated technology can easily identify hundreds of different variables to a human voice and develop predictive models for emotions that can be applied to specific customer queries and demographics. This data can then be used to formulate standard live agent responses to common consumer complaints, resulting in a higher level of satisfaction. By using AI to enhance the effectiveness of your live service team, you can channel the combined power of technology and human intelligence to provide a superior level of customer support. Ask for Live Agent Feedback on AI Systems While weaving artificial intelligence into call center structure can dramatically improve your customer satisfaction and retention rate, the truth is that no current AI software can operate completely independent of human supervision and interaction. Even the most sophisticated automated call center quality monitoring network will struggle with complex customer queries that require the empathy and emotional intelligence of a live agent. That’s why it’s imperative to develop appropriate escalation procedures with your customer support team in the event that a front-end AI-powered chatbot or interactive voice response system is unable to adequately resolve a consumer complaint. To prevent AI from mishandling customer service interactions, incorporate periodic reviews of call center transcripts to pinpoint areas of weakness in system analytics that may need to be supplemented by live agents. You should also assign a dedicated team to monitor all call center automated functions and make quality control adjustments as needed. Keep in mind that the purpose of AI is to delight your customers, so utilize insight from your live agents to continuously improve your automated systems and avoid frustration and confusion from consumers that may cause them to move on to a rival company. While upgrading your call center quality monitoring system to incorporate AI may seem like a big investment, the truth is that you can’t afford to forego automated quality assurance in today’s marketplace. With over 91 percent of top branded companies that boast superior levels of customer satisfaction utilizing AI, embracing technology is a fundamental strategy for converting and retaining a loyal consumer base. The key to providing the consistent, personalized service that customers now expect is to use AI in tandem with a talented pool of live agents who are trained to view automation as a useful tool, not a competitor. By implementing AI to improve efficiency and provide faster response times to customers, amplify training strategies, and integrate feedback from your call center team, you’ll be offering a premium level of service to consumers that will build long term brand loyalty. With over 20 years of experience in providing superior outsourcing solutions across a wide range of industries, Etech is a world leader in helping companies develop a seamless customer service experience. We offer a variety of artificial intelligence strategies including inbound and outbound call center service, live chat messaging, quality assurance monitoring, tech support, and software application. Systems are customized to meet your individualized needs while allowing you to compete in a diverse and globalized marketplace. Contact us

People – First Culture – The Chant for Developing A Successful Business

The People-First culture is a buzz word in the business world now. Many companies have embraced this culture after witnessing the positive impact it has on the growth and success of various businesses. But what does People first Culture is all about? There is a variation of definition to this powerful term, but for Etech it is treating our workforce the same way we treat our customers. This is clearly reflected in our vision statement. Etech’s Vision To make a remarkable difference for each other, our customers, and within our communities. For a business, the quality of customer experience is directly proportional to customer satisfaction. And customer satisfaction directly impacts the success and growth of a business. Who determines the quality of your Customer’s Experience? The most valuable resource of your company – THE EMPLOYEES! The People-First culture – Benefits Magnet For Talented Workforce Who wouldn’t like to work in an environment where there is growth, creativity, where one’s voice is heard, and hard work is appreciated and rewarded? A People-First culture is a magnet that drives talent into your spectrum and gives them the motivation to stay. Increased Productivity According to one of Forbes articles, happy employees are up to 20% more productive. A People-First culture gives the employees the opportunity to utilize their strengths and platform to put in use what they have learned; this brings a sense of content and happiness among employees. If you have a strong and loyal employee base, nothing can stop your business from achieving its goals. When you put your people first, you are telling your workforce that they are important and their presence is valued. This generates a sense of trust and camaraderie among the people which is very important when it comes to the overall growth of the business. The Three Main Pillars of People-First culture Listen A good company listens to what its employees have to say. Approach your workforce with an open mind and listen to their needs and requirements. Understand what are the challenges they are facing? Make them realize that the company cares for them and their welfare. Communicate Communication gap is a pathway to a disastrous outcome. One of the vital factors that build a successful team is effective communication. Communicate to your people the company’s goals and vision. Effectively communicate with them the win-win situation that it will create when the employees align with the company’s vision. Support Show your employees that you are there for them. There are different ways of supporting your team members like surprising them with gift cards occasionally, setting up company marts system wherein people can buy needful things out of the points they earn, team lunches, fun activities for relaxation, etc. Developing a successful People-First culture takes time and effort. The leaders have to proactively invest and involve in the activities that will help build a strong culture. But, it is worth investing your time, money and effort for the positive results will serve you lifelong.

Five (5) Basic Data Security Protocols Every Call Center Should Have

In a study out of the Clark School at the University of Maryland, researchers found that there is a hacker attack approximately every 39 seconds. A cyber-attack on a private user can be devastating enough, but in a call center that handles sensitive customer information daily, a data breach can be disastrous. Corporate security should be a top priority in every call center. Here are five ways to protect your customers, your employees, and your company. Install Strong Perimeter Security and Protective Software Call center data security hinges on how well your systems are configured and your network’s protection capabilities. You must be able to control what information can get in and out of your infrastructure. You should also have measures in place to thwart malicious attempts to infiltrate your systems and steal or corrupt sensitive data. To accomplish this, you need both a firewall system and anti-virus/anti-malware software. This first Protocol hits from multiple points. Defending the perimeter and defense on the inside of the perimeter. When we discuss perimeter control for the organization, we are discussing the outer layer of the network infrastructure. Think of it in this way; you have a secure building with one entrance. That entrance has a security guard that controls who enters and who leaves as well as what each can bring into the building and what they are allowed to leave with. The building represents your network, and everything inside is what resides within your network (Files, users, computers, etc.) The security guard at the single entrance represents your firewall and how well he/or she performs their task represents how secure your network is guarded. A firewall is a virtual boundary between your network and the outside world. It is your network’s gatekeeper so to speak. It uses a defined set of rules to determine what information is allowed into the network and what information can leave the network. It can also be utilized to control external access for employees through the use of a configured whitelist. It is important to have a firewall to protect the security of the organization, but it may also be helpful to have additional protection for the call center itself, preventing private customer information from leaking even to other parts of the organization where it isn’t needed. No matter how strong your firewall is, there are still ways that a malicious actor can gain access to your systems. Someone introduces a malicious file to your file system (knowingly or unknowingly) is always a consideration. Phishing attempts to employee email causing someone to click on an attachment or link causing malware to be downloaded to your internal systems through their workstation. These scenarios make it possible for a hacker to gain access to your infrastructure still. Malware can infect your network, causing it to malfunction, leak private data, open back doors for malicious actors, etc. Every system (workstations, servers, mobile devices, etc.) accessing your network should have anti-virus software installed to protect against malware that gets past the firewall. Multi-layered security increases the protection of your network and the sensitive data it contains. Ensure employees use Complex Passwords and Understand How to Keep Them Safe A strong password is one of the easiest ways to safeguard corporate security. I have seen so many people use easy passwords that can be easily cracked and yet passwords are the core protection component of our identity security. An excellent password is devoid of information that is easy to obtain, such as your birthday, pet names, etc., and it should not include common words or digits that are together on the keyboard. Passwords can be easy for you to remember but should contain a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. By using a combination of these, it becomes increasingly difficult for the password to be cracked. A single set of credentials should not be used by multiple individuals to access an account and system. Employee credentials should be back traceable to only them, and their respective passwords should only be known to them. Having a unique password for each system limits access in the event of a breach. This practice can protect the main network if only one account is compromised. You can set up rules to ensure that employees choose passwords that are complex and difficult to crack. Several free password managers such as https://.www.LastPass.com/ and https://www.Dashlane.com/ are available for establishing and remembering complex passwords. Rotating passwords at a minimum of every ninety (90) days will greatly reduce the likelihood of your credentials being cracked and can also prevent repeated access to the same account. Encrypt Sensitive Information at Rest and in Transit Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard the quote “There are two types of companies, those that have been hacked, and those that don’t yet know they’ve been hacked.” If this is true, what happens once an organization is infiltrated? We must look at the primary purpose of someone maliciously gaining access. To access and exfiltrate protected information. What if we look at it from this point of view? Even if they access the information, they can’t do anything with it. They have gone through all that effort to gain access to something they can’t even use! If your call center is receiving, processing, storing, and/or transmitting sensitive data, encryption provides an extra layer of corporate security to discourage malicious actors. Encryption turns readable text into a set of numbers or symbols called ciphertext. There are three basic types of encryption: Symmetric – The same key is used to encrypt and decrypt the message. Asymmetric – A public key is used to encrypt the message, and a separate, private key is used to decrypt it. Hashing – An algorithm is used to create a unique hash for each data set to make comparing data sets and recognizing tampering easier. Encryption allows you to protect information classified as sensitive by providing an extra layer of security. Only those who

Ask and Listen to Your Team

Consider this. How well would your company perform if every person on your team was a clone of you? When you hire someone, do you go out looking for someone who has all the same skills as the people you already have on the team? If you answer honestly, you probably have to admit that without variety among your team members, you would lose a great deal of creativity, many fresh ideas, and the ability to see things from different perspectives. Why then would you run your company without seeking input from your team, as if your thoughts and ideas are enough? It seems ridiculous when you say it that way, but Forbes reported in October 2017 that fully 70 percent of workplace initiative falls short of the goal due to a lack of employee engagement. Listening to your team members is the key to effective operation and improved employee satisfaction. Listening in the Workplace: The Challenges Managers who learn to listen see increased employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity. With all those benefits, why is it still so hard to do? In 2016, a report by Deloitte found that one of the most difficult shifts for management to make is going from a once a year “conversation” with employees about their thoughts and opinions to an “always on” approach that listens constantly. The same study found that two-thirds of companies still only evaluate staff engagement once a year. Adding difficulty to the situation, only 22 percent of millennials surveyed felt that management would do something meaningful with their feedback. A lack of listening skills that reduces staff engagement has a significant impact on a company, right down to the bottom line. According to one study by Aon Hewitt, organizations where 70 percent of the workforce are engaged show higher rates of growth than those with lesser engagement. By contrast, the lower the rate of employee satisfaction, the more likely a company is to post a financial loss. Engaged employees are 87 percent less likely to leave the company. The United States Department of Labor estimates that the average company spends one-third of a new employee’s salary to replace the person who left. The Hay Group found that engaged workers are up to 43 percent more productive and make fewer mistakes than others. Listening and the New Ideas Making It Easier For most companies, listening to your employees has historically taken the form of annual satisfaction surveys, group meetings or conferences, and discussions with the Chief Executive Officer. However, in the new world of business, these expensive and time-consuming tasks are simply not enough. New ideas regarding employee engagement are emerging to make it easier to listen to your workplace team constantly. Social media: While most people think of social media as a way to communicate with the rest of the world, businesses can use the concept to keep up with team members’ ideas, questions, and suggestions for improvement. An internal Facebook page has worked well for Nokia, for example. The company also set up something called BlogHub where employees at any level of the company can post a thought or respond to someone else’s. You don’t have to create your tool though. Yammer and Groupe.io are two examples of inter-company communications instruments available on the market that can improve staff engagement. Chief Listening Officer: More and more large companies are coming to understand the value of having a Chief Listening Officer either on staff or contract. Study.com describes this position as someone who “specializes in monitoring both external and internal communications” about the organization. Companies that have chosen this route have realized improved employee morale, improved customer service, and higher staff retention rates. While not every company is large enough to sustain a full-time Chief Listening Officer, even a small company can build the measurement of employee satisfaction into the Human Resources or Public Relations Officer job description. Incorporating Listening Skills Into Management Training: Companies are taking note of the importance of listening to team members and incorporating that knowledge into manager training programs. In distributed environments where in-person training is impractical, virtual classrooms and interactive web-based teaching are utilized. Such staff engagement training focuses on the difference between hearing and listening, asking open-ended questions, and responding appropriately, among other topics. Listening as a Servant Leader The concept of servant leadership as set forth by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s involves leading a team or an organization by being a servant first. Listening is one of the most crucial skills needed to be a true servant leader, signaling that the leader genuinely cares what the team has to say. True listening allows the leader to gain a clear understanding of the team’s thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Once the leader has that understanding, he or she can take action that makes use of that information. Finally, genuine listening shows the team members that the leader can be trusted and respected, which goes a long way toward improved employee satisfaction. Annette Franz and John P. Rees of the Ritz Carlton Leadership Center point out the importance of setting aside time to listen if you are a true servant leader. According to Franz, “If you’re too busy to listen, then you’re not a servant leader.” While some may see listening as an activity that takes away from more “productive” tasks, however, the teachings of servant leadership describe a process of giving and take that can lead to the identification of ways to increase productivity. For example, an open and honest discussion of processes may uncover areas of unnecessary redundancy. Reese advises managers to make a commitment of time to listening and stick to it, seeing it as important as anything else he or she can do to improve productivity and profitability. Since your team members know their jobs best, it’s very common for managers to learn ways to increase profitability from honest conversations with team members. Also, the link between reduced turnover and managers who listen well is clear in the research,

Want to improve Customer Experience? These are the 3 Technologies that you should be aware of!

Customer Experience successfully drives the business to the path of growth and profit. It is the critical competitive differentiation that sets a business apart from its competitors. Here are the three technologies that are imperative for delivering the best customer experience. Said so, it is essential to understand that the technology is just the enabler and a good CX is the outcome of the consolidation of people, processes, and technology. Most importantly the company’s people are the face of CX. “A brand is defined by the Customer’s experience. The experience is delivered by the employees.” – Shep Hyken Live Chat Today’s customers don’t like to wait. They want an immediate response and what can be a better way than Live Chat! Live Chat helps to cater customer needs efficiently. It gives an open-ended platform for offering instant support and timely assistance. Various studies have shown that implementing live chat services has significantly improved customer satisfaction. In one of Inc’s article, it was stated that 92% of customers feel satisfied when they use the live chat feature. WHY? Customers find live chat to be very convenient as they can connect with an agent instantly and get real-time and personalized support. Their issues get addressed swiftly. The other best thing they find about live chat is that they can multi-task while having a conversation with the live chat agent, which they consider to be an added advantage. Artificial Intelligence It’s no secret that Artificial intelligence is flourishing and expanding its horizons every single day. With AI companies will be more efficiently and effectively be able to meet customer’s requirement and needs. HOW? For instance, data insights play a pivotal role in CX enhancement. However, customer experience data comes in the form of messy, unorganized datasets that need to be reformed into rational patterns to derive positive outcome. The tedium of pulling the data sets together and transforming them into no-complex consistent patterns is overwhelming. But for AI this is the prime stomping ground. It does it seamlessly and in a minor time frame. It’s high time that people start looking at AI with a different paradigm; it is not here to replace humans but to assist them. Combining AI and Human Intelligence can lead to seamless customer experience! Big Data Analytics Big data analytics is a game changer of the CX world. The application of this technology is transforming the way the businesses are interacting with their customers. WHERE? Big Data Analytics comes handy while analyzing the data collected from customers, and providing tailor-made solutions as per the expectations and aspiration of the customer. As showcased in a Salesforce survey 57% of customers share their personal data with companies for receiving discounts and personalized offers. Big Data Analytics helps in analyzing this humongous amount of data obtained from customers into an actionable way. It thus, aid in providing personalized services and delivering a better customer experience. Integrating these technologies into your business will help you to meet today’s customers’ expectations and to stay at the top in the battlefield of customer experience. This blog was earlier published on LinkedIn.

Actions and Attitude – Its Time To Align

It is often perceived that leaders gain influence with their team members solely based on how a message is communicated. As leaders, we’re taught the importance of tone fluctuation, being energetic and making direct eye contact, but the truth is there’s more to effective communication than the delivery alone. From performance reviews and quarterly updates to casual conversations by the water fountain, we’re constantly trying to improve communication with our teams, but we neglect one critical factor…our attitude. Attitude is defined as: a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior. In other words, it’s what we truly think and feel, despite the things we say to others. Many leaders do not consider their attitude when evaluating their communication simply because it’s often nonverbal, but nonverbal communication will make or break the effectiveness of your message, with or without your knowledge. Naz Beheshti, a contributor for Forbes Women wrote an article on “The Power of Mindful Nonverbal Communication” where she stated, “If our nonverbal communication is not aligned with our spoken words, then our message will be mixed or muddled, and it will not resonate at all. Our message will be lost in translation.” Has your message been lost in translation? Do you have a solid grasp on how you’re perceived in the workplace or have you assumed based on your “effective communication checklist”? Here are some practical tips on how to adjust your attitude to ensure your message is being received by your team members: Check your intentions – If the perception from your team members is that you’re egotistical, could it be true? Is the underlying tone of your interactions with them, “superiority”? Whether or not you want to admit it, people feel that. This is an opportunity for you to hold yourself accountable for A.) Doing the right thing and B.) Making sure your attitude is aligned with your company’s culture. Have integrity when no one is looking – You may not like someone you manage. You may not like someone you work with and the truth is, you’ll always be presented with opportunities to NOT be your best self towards them. Always choose to be your best self. Always choose to have integrity. Be mindful of your nonverbal communication – Smile, be friendly, say “good morning”, be genuine. It doesn’t cost you a dime. From the facilities department to the CEO of the company, true leaders demonstrate respectful verbal and nonverbal communication across the board. John C. Maxwell says, “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.” As we continue to learn and grow as leaders, it’s important for us to understand that no matter how intelligent we are, we’re not smart enough to hide our true attitude and intentions from the people we must lead.

Selecting the Right Quality Monitoring Solution Can Vastly Improve Customer Satisfaction Rates

If you’re in need of a solid strategy to boost your customer satisfaction rates, one of the best ways to do so is with a quality monitoring solution. Call center quality monitoring benefits customers, call center representatives and businesses, making it a winning situation for everyone involved. Before implementing such a solution in your business model, you should first have a solid grasp of the overall benefits of quality monitoring and why quality monitoring is so effective when it comes to improving overall customer satisfaction. How Business Intelligence Solutions Involve Quality Monitoring When it comes to improving customer satisfaction, you’ve got to act quickly and with automated call center technology solutions that offer immediate results. Without quick and effective solutions, you run the risk of losing customers forever. One of the absolute biggest benefits of quality monitoring solutions is they pave the way toward higher profits, mainly because satisfied customers are more willing to spend time and money on your company and the products and services you offer. Another advantage is your call center agents have a better idea of the steps necessary to take the best care of your customers, something that can go a long way in avoiding trial and error. Rather than wait for your customers to need assistance before they ask for assistance, quality monitoring solutions offer customers prompts when they first arrive at your website. The great thing about this is that customers know exactly where to go when they do have a question, which is undoubtedly preferable to scrambling around on your site in search of a phone number or live chat link. There’s also the fact that taking steps to boost your overall quality helps you to retain customers. Like you’re likely to continuously renew your lease on an apartment in which you enjoy living and feel like you’re well taken care of, the same applies to businesses that take great care of their customers and their needs. You have to remember that no matter the services or products you sell, your customers are the lifeblood of your business. Take great care of them, and it’s that much easier for you to grow your business and fulfill its true potential. Saving time is another great selling point for quality assurance. Even if you make it easy for site visitors to ask for help, there are still a few more steps to complete to take full advantage of your opportunity. For instance, the information gleaned from quality monitoring can allow your call center agents to fully answer any questions customers might have and take care of them faster, saving time for the customer and your agents. Do you have (or have you had) to reduce your number of contact agents for financial reasons? If so, investing in quality assurance could make the situation better for your agents as well as your bottom line. Quality solutions can go a long way in reducing caller and customer wait times, preventing customers from having to talk to more than one agent about the same problem and better managing your need to potentially outsource your call center to agents who might not be easily understood by your callers or who might not easily understand your callers. Additional Benefits of Quality Monitoring You’ll likely find it’s much easier for you to gauge the overall performance of your agents with quality monitoring solutions. While there might be standards you have, and while your agents might adhere to those standards, quality monitoring solutions provide you with more information that can be used to pinpoint further exact areas of agent performance that need improvement, something that better keeps your agents on their toes and can keep them from becoming complacent in their work performance. There’s also the fact that you want to make sure your agents are all offering customers the same experience across the board, meaning you don’t want to send (accidentally or on purpose) mixed messages. Even if a caller or site visitor interacts with a different agent each time she or he reaches out for help, it should still feel like dealing with one individual and one set of standards. With this approach, the quality assurance and monitoring feedback you receive is precise across the board, allowing you to make solid improvements to your call center. Just as quality assurance efforts let your call center agents know where they need to make improvements, they also let you know where you might have areas of improvement within your business structure. For instance, if customers and visitors constantly reach out to you with complaints about how difficult it is to navigate your site, it’s likely you need to give your online home an overhaul, or at least some mild remodeling. On a related note, don’t forget that your agents are another valuable font of knowledge about ways in which you can make your business better, so be sure to listen to them and give them a chance to voice their opinions. Having a constant influx of information on the overall quality of your service keeps you and your agents from settling into a false sense of security, which provides you with an undeniable edge in the modern-day business world as well as your industry. No matter your market or audience, change is inevitable. Not only that, but it’s also better to keep us with those changes rather than struggle to play catch-up, which can result in more than a few avoidable disasters. See what a difference practicing proactivity makes by keeping yourself and your agents on your toes. Going back to how you can save money with call center quality monitoring, it can lower the amount of money you spend on calls and other common operational costs, some of which you might not even be aware are impacted by the overall quality of your customer service. That’s money you can funnel back into your business, giving you the financial resources you need for successful growth and to keep your call

Unwrapping the Gift of Employee Appreciation

How many times do we hear grumblings like ‘my boss doesn’t appreciate what I do,’ or other complaints voicing the need for more recognition and appreciation? It happens all too often in organizations, large and small, and across all industries. It’s not limited to entry-level jobs, but those in mid-level and upper-level positions experience the need for appreciation as well as frustration when it’s not shown. Sometimes our attempts at showing appreciation are less than stellar, and our employees see it. But demonstrating appreciation for your employees can be a gift, not just for them but for you as well. “How is it a gift for me?” you may be wondering. Let’s think about the last time you thanked someone in your workplace. Can you say that on a daily basis you acknowledge your employees’ contributions in some way and show you value them…and would your employees back you up on that? The types of appreciation are many – individual vs. group, personal vs. organized, structured programs, planned vs. spontaneous, tangible vs. intangible, and one size doesn’t fit all – just like a gift. Perhaps it’s time to mix it up a little. If you think this doesn’t apply to you because your company doesn’t have anything “set up” for recognition, the good news is that the ball is in your court! You’re not limited by what your company provides. You can demonstrate appreciation no matter your level within the organization. You can also be an advocate for setting up a more formal program, but even if that’s not you or that takes time to get approved, why not start personally with individual small things? Having a regular corporate recognition program shouldn’t exempt you anyway from providing a heartfelt verbal thank you, surprising someone with a personalized thank you note, leaving a quick thank you sticky note on their desk maybe even with a snack bar or piece of candy or a mint, or even sending them a thank you email while copying their boss (if that’s not you). These may be quite traditional but can still be useful if actually done. Other ideas to be considered include praising them in front of coworkers, treating them to a cup of coffee or even a lunch now and then (or just inviting them to eat lunch together with you in the break room or your office even if you both bring lunch), or surprising them with a lottery ticket. Is there a way you can provide an opportunity to multiply the appreciation that you show? If you took a selfie with a sign that says ‘thank you’ or ‘we appreciate you’ or ‘great job’ (you get the idea) and sent the picture to your employee, chances are your employee may think about sharing that with a spouse, partner, or other family because they’re proud of it, which means even more recognition. Consider a shout out on social media for a great job or simply a group photo of a work event where they participated. The small, yet unexpected gestures can have a big impact. Depending on your business, maybe providing a more flexible work schedule one day or allowing extra time off could be valued options. Is it possible to provide a small company-branded item like a pen, notepad, stress ball, invite them to work on a special project or task force, or provide a designated parking spot for the week? Think about hanging on your office board a small picture of each of your employees or a group picture of the team. This action can show that you’re proud of them and interested in them – you care. Ask your employees individually what you can do for them and how you can help remove barriers. This is fundamental in a servant leader driven organization and is another way to show you appreciate what they do. When appreciation is happening regularly, and that becomes the culture for your team, the gift is returned to you. It’s not just something you gave to them, but a way that you invested in yourself, your team and the company. The resulting gift yields stronger relationships built, deeper connections made, increased loyalty, extra effort, improved attitude because of the positive environment, continued to drive to keep pushing through the challenges, one more reason not to start looking for employment elsewhere, and overall a more highly engaged employee. And why? Because you invested in a little appreciation. Taking the time to show appreciation demonstrates that the employee is a priority to you which often translates into the employee making you, the team, and the company a priority for them. The gift of appreciation that you gave has multiplied and been returned to you.

Retention Strategies That Work

Have you heard the phrase, “People don’t leave their company they leave their manager”? This is not a new concept, and it is still worth our investment of time and energy. We as leaders are the driving force behind why someone will continue to work for our company and us. Leaders are the individuals that can drive retention within teams and can be the catalyst for other initiatives that inspire great employees to stick around. However, this does not mean that leaders are holistically responsible for all attrition, but it does mean you play on of the largest parts. The actions below can lead to better employer/employee relationships and higher output from your employees (These thought processes hold even more true for training and development teams in the classroom). Employee Engagement: A great leader takes the time to invest in their team. They will focus on both the metrics of the job and how someone is performing to goal equally as much as they focus on making personal connections. Leaders challenge individuals to achieve more than they thought was initially possible. Through this challenge, a great leader is able to inspire and fully engage their employees; and through their successes, their commitments will grow. Employee Support/Development: To allow team members to engage wholeheartedly, they must feel as if they are being supported. A great leader will take the time to give feedback (real feedback and not just what is easy to say) in a positive way that empowers their team members ability to adjust as needed. This should be regular and consistent. Over time a relationship will be built that won’t falter at the first hint of distractions. You as a leader must be genuine in how you interact with your team. Take their feedback and be willing to change for them as well. Continue to provide development at every turn. Teach them why you make the choices you do, challenge them to decide for you (talk through what was good/needs work), facilitate knowledge at every opportunity even if it does not apply to their job. Employee Relationships: I am referring to the professional relationship that allows you to talk on a personal level — a trust that can be built between leader and employee that demonstrates an acceptance of each other. This means building relationships with people beyond your inner circle. This is not easy and will require time. I know most people at this point will say, “Great, where do I find more time?” It is important that you do this regardless of the difficulty. Building relationships start on day 1 with first impressions and continue through the last days of employment (if we are lucky to even beyond that). We need to act with purpose and complete “getting to know you conversations” coupled with ongoing “rapport-building sessions” and finally “trust building relationship activities.” It is not hard! It takes commitment to your team, but the rewards of long-lasting relationships pay off more significantly than any spreadsheet. Promote other initiatives: Companies will often offer programs or initiatives to promote retention to offset the cost of replacing a team member. These investments come in many shapes and forms from incentives to development opportunities. A great leader will find what is available and, in some cases, work towards helping create these initiatives for their employees. Supporting your team will demonstrate that you as their leader genuinely care about their success as employees. Don’t enroll individuals that should not move beyond their skill level as this will set the wrong expectation, but don’t be afraid to push the envelope for your team members that could use it (or benefit from it). It is a fine line that requires a relationship with your team to know where you can be real with individuals about their skill sets and push them when necessary. It has been said that once a leader invests this kind of time and energy into someone, they won’t look for other opportunities, but we should understand that some still will. While not everyone will stay with you forever, these things could improve relationships, output and overall team morale which may lead to greater retention. These benefits alone make the investment well worth the risk.

How to Be Authentic if You Are to Lead a Team Honestly

“Do as I say, not as I do.” Know any leaders like this? Probably. You may even be one yourself without realizing it. For instance, if you routinely urge your team members to stay late to finish a project, but you head out of the office right at closing time to go bicycling, your team members could become resentful and lose trust in you. Similarly, if you scold your team members for taking breaks that are too long but then turn around and take three-hour lunches most days, it could be bad for morale. The best servant leaders tend to be those who lead teams by example. They practice what they preach, living the difference between “leader” and “servant leader.” So, how can you tap into your inner authenticity to lead a team honestly? Follow the Guidelines that You Implement By now, you should know yourself reasonably well. Take that self-knowledge to heart when you develop and implement guidelines or rules. For instance, you may require that your call center agents receive regular, ongoing training. Good, but what about you? Will you make an effort to receive regular trainings as well? If you want to be an authentic leader, you will. Ditto with any rule or guideline you set, whether it relates to attendance, personal calls, social media, punctuality, patience with customers or something else. A note of caution: Don’t become a “martyr.” Say that you routinely encourage employees to take the vacation days that are due them, but you rarely go on vacation yourself. It may be your personal preference to stay at work, and you really do want employees to have their vacations. However, you risk making your team members feel guilty or like they’re doing something wrong if they take time off. Look for Spots of Hypocrisy Many people are hypocritical in their own ways. Bosses, however, don’t have as much leeway to be hypocritical as employees do. Take a situation in which a boss criticizes employees for hanging up on callers mid-sentence but who does the same thing. The same principle applies to a boss who goes on tirades about employees interrupting others but who is just as guilty of that flaw. It’s hard for employees to take bosses seriously when they commit the very sins they lambaste employees for. Speak with Transparency The truth sometimes hurts, so bosses may try to sugarcoat things or hope that team members will read between the lines. If you do this, you’re not authentic. There is no need to be overly blunt or hurtful, but suppose that one of your call center agents has low first-call resolution numbers. If you say something to the team like, “We all need to be mindful of how to improve our first-call resolution numbers,” that is needlessly vague and could worry all of the members that their numbers are lacking. Instead, it’s more honest and authentic to discuss the issue with the underperforming member. Be clear about what numbers you expect, how, why and when. You can convey this information factually without judgment or being mean. You can even be positive and upbeat about it if that naturally fits your personality. Servant Leaders lead by example. They hold themselves to the same standards they set for their employees, servant leaders strive to avoid hypocrisy, and they communicate well with team members, who deserve to be told about issues clearly rather than being made to guess.

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