ARE you ready for 2023?
It seems like everyone is bracing for impact. COVID-19 and its economic consequences hit the world with an unsuspecting left hook. But while everyone around you is expecting a turbulent “ride”, your business need not just survive.
You can thrive and upscale.
Your secret weapon?
DATA.
Many businesses focus on customer experience. Nothing wrong with this. In fact, CX or Customer Experience has been the hole-and-corner buzz word the past decade. But CX can be made even more unique with data. All your complaints, emails, calls, tweets, texts, and chats are a treasure trove of customer intelligence. Analyzed correctly and you got yourself a weapon to empower agents to resolve issues fast and transform customer experiences.
NEARSOL has analyzed data trends and here’s what they discovered:
#1: Unsolved customer issues are costing your business more than you realize
The best way to drop your CSAT numbers (customer satisfaction) and loyalty is to leave unresolved customer issues as is.
But today, every dollar and every peso counts. Around 55% of customer service issues are placed on the back burner and forgotten. This means that the partner contact center isn’t equipped to deal with (ever-changing and demanding!) customer expectations.
The solution is… you got it. Data. Agents must be empowered to handle issues with more understanding, more information, and elbow room to offer options. It all begins with implementing the proper protocol (not just technology) that clarifies a customer’s intent, identifies solutions, and automates the best courses of action.
Best of all, agents must be trained to listen proactively and not just follow a script. Remember that customers are only a click or tap away from scurrying over to the competitor. The earlier you can identify the cause of conflict, the better you can increase customer loyalty and reduce costs.
#2: Empathy is King
It comes as a surprise to many that EMPATHY wins over EFFICIENCY. NEARSOL data shows that agents who show empathy have twice the influence on customer satisfaction versus low wait times.
Customers value human connection. They want someone who understands them – MORE than how long they are put on hold. Further, when customers are satisfied, they are 62% more likely to spend more.
On the flip side, 42% of customers are NOT satisfied with the level of empathy presented by their contact center agents.
Average Handling Time (AHT) is an enormous metric. But it shouldn’t be the end-all. Empathetic interactions should supplement your core operational data. In this regard, omnichannel text and speech analytics can help by zeroing in on customer emotion, effort, and intention. This helps agents with real-time guidance on when and how to show empathy during customer interactions.
Most contact centers forget that their greatest assets are their agents. They fail to realize that agents are human too. They are measured in terms of operational efficiency. Instead, they should be equipped with the tools to recognize and foster empathy to make meaningful human connections.
#3: Consumers want to be heard (which makes your contact center partner an untapped goldmine)
Businesses that rate highest for listening to customer feedback are the stellar performers in customer satisfaction and customer purchase goal. This is a huge opportunity for contact centers.
How to go about this? Make your calls, posts, texts, chats, and surveys your goldmine. Data is precious. Everything (both structured and unstructured sources) must be analyzed as a whole. Do this right and you get yourself snapshots of customer behavior. This information is no longer something that can be ignored.
How analytical should you be? Every call, post, mention, text, chat, or email must be obsessed over. It shows what works and what doesn’t. All you need is raw data. With the right people and the right contact center partner, you can close experience gaps and shape a culture of action that you can truly niche in.
Make 2023 a greater year for you and your business.
NEARSOL is with you every step of the way.
Talk to us.
NEARSOL is a US-based BPO and service company that offers clients custom-design solutions. With major hubs in Manila and Iloilo, it began operations in 2006 and has since gained a strong presence in the Latin American regions, the Caribbean, and the Asia Pacific, winning many awards for quality and service along the way. Most recent of which is its Great Place to Work-Certified™ Recognition, a global accreditation that tells stakeholders what employees think of the company culture.
Visit our LinkedIn to learn more about our company and our global footprint./PN
