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Workforce Optimization: A Winning Strategy for Brand Success

While employees are the critical backbone of every company, customer service agents are the human connection between a brand and its customers. Entrusted with delivering excellent service and serving as brand representatives, customer service agents bear the important task of giving brands an authentic, empathetic voice with great skill and professionalism. Given the demanding pace of contact center life, agents are at high risk for burnout if protocols are not put in place for workforce optimization in order to empower agents to deliver their best.Companies are taking notice that healthy and happy employees are vital to driving success and boosting the morale of the workforce. The Aberdeen Group reported that companies achieving best-in-class performance in workforce optimization are achieving an 18 percent year-over-year improvement in customer satisfaction, versus only 9 percent for other companies. Whether it be using technologies that streamline customer service processes, improving training methods, or enhancing physical workspaces for greater comfort, workforce optimization strategies are critical to contact center efficiency, agent well-being, and overall brand success.One important strategy is giving agents access to the latest technologies for optimum customer service with thorough training. Using a contact center software solution with advanced features ensures quicker and more efficient service, and proper training will help agents feel prepared for each interaction as they master such tools as a CRM database or omnichannel software solution. Contact centers may also implement tools for monitoring and improving KPIs as well as gamification tools, providing agents with critical feedback to help them improve their individual performance. Gamification may also serve as a great source of motivation in the workplace, enabling agents to treat their work as a fun and empowering way to deliver excellent customer service. It may also be used to encourage healthy competition among peers by allowing agents to share their best practices and learn from others while motivating everyone to perform at their personal best—all critical factors in workforce optimization.Asking for agent feedback is also important to brand growth. Agents may provide valuable insight regarding customer behavior and their ideas for best practices during service interactions due to their front-line position in customer service. Their feedback is critical to improving the customer experience in numerous ways: revising customer feedback surveys, enhancing call scripts, improving agent training methods, and even improving or offering new products or services. By regularly providing feedback through staff meetings and surveys, agents will feel they are members of a team with a common goal for customer-centric practices.Lastly, the optimization of physical workspaces can play a major role in employee health management. Contact centers optimized for comfort and productivity are essential, such as creating an agent lounge to encourage employees to relax and socialize during their downtime in a place that’s far removed from the noise of the contact center hub. For training and meeting purposes, open and collaborative spaces work well as they encourage team effort. In addition, ergonomic chairs and even standing desks may increase comfort, while natural lighting, warm colors, and plants have been known to boost people’s moods and creativity and provide relief from stress.Workforce optimization in contact centers requires a mix of different approaches, but the ultimate goal is to create a stronger, more productive workplace where agents are confident and motivated to deliver great customer service for brand growth and long-term customer loyalty. Learn about Vocalcom contact center software solutions for providing great customer service.

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