What’s worse than having a customer that doesn’t reach out for assistance when they’re having a problem? One thing in particular. It’s a customer that contacts you but the process of getting their issue resolved is so frustrating it makes them decide to abandon the conversation. Not only is this an indicator of customer churn, but if it happens often enough then it’s also a sign of a contact center with operational problems.
How do you prevent this from happening? Here are a few ways to lower abandon rates in your contact center by utilizing a workforce management (WFM) software solution.
Have the exact number of agents you need – Keeping customers happy with minimal wait times is important. However, keeping staffing costs low is also a top priority for any contact center. WFM software provides accurate forecasting capabilities based on historical and third-party information which helps to decrease both wait times and overhead costs.
Staff the right agents with the right skills – One of the main reasons a customer will abandon an interaction is if they are transferred to multiple agents and none of them can solve their issue. Tracking agent skills within WFM software and then staffing every day based on the skills needed helps to ensure you have all your bases covered for any conversation that arises. As an example, if you have 20 agents with technical skills, you can automatically factor this skill set into your scheduling so at least one technical agent is always scheduled for every shift.
Make necessary scheduling changes on the fly – Even the best contact center staffing forecasts aren’t perfect. WFM software helps with making intraday adjustments to staffing in real-time to ensure customers are always receiving a positive and responsive experience. For example, if a forecast is low for the afternoon because a last-minute marketing campaign occurs, it’s easy to staff up quickly with WFM software. A mobile app notification can be sent out by your WFM analyst through the technology to all relevant agents with the day off. It will let them know that a shift is available right away because of the increased demand so they can help out immediately.
Ensure agents are doing their assigned work for the day – If you’re seeing an increase in contact abandonment but staffing looks fine, it may be due to how agents are actually working when they are on the clock. Monitoring adherence within a WFM software solution provides detailed information so you know when agents are on a call, in training, on break, and more so your team knows exactly what is happening throughout the day. If abandonment is higher on Friday because you usually have more training on this day, then it may make sense to space out your training efforts throughout the week.
Make sure agents are staying rested and motivated – Agent morale directly impacts customer happiness and often influences abandonment rates. No customer wants to seek out help from a frustrated and unpleasant agent, so offering incentives to help maintain a high level of motivation can be helpful. Providing benefits such as simplified time off management with priority bidding for the entire agent workforce can make a difference. If an agent is a high performer, then they get to bid first on time off for the upcoming week or month. All of this can be automated within a modern WFM software solution.
In short, contact center abandonment rates can be decreased with WFM software by utilizing the technology to strengthen agent relationships. By improving staffing efficiency and creating a strong work environment, agents are able to put forth the extra effort needed to ensure customers remain happy with your business.
