The determination of success of any solution or implementation is predicated on the quantification of a positive effect. A solution or implementation can be declared successful only when the current situation is improved by the change, by the addition or the removal, by an implementation. Success within the contact center is measurable. As a matter of fact, in the contact center there is nothing that cannot be measured for its effect. Gut reaction and anecdotal information has no place in the contact center beyond identifying what needs to be measured - what essentially needs to be proved or disproved.
Return on Technology Investment in the Contact Center (RoTI)
Prior to the commitment for an implementation, the management team must assess the value proposition of the alternatives to make a selection. Only after the selection and implementation can the success of that decision actually be quantified. The effect of technical changes in the contact center must be measured in order to validate and quantify the degree of the return on the initiative.
Measure, measure, measure
Customer Relationship Metrics (Metrics) takes its responsibility seriously in all measurement within contact centers. An implementation of a unified or integrated desktop has many measureable outcomes related to operational metrics however changes in such metrics at the expense of the agents or the customer is, by definition, not a success.
Recently, Metrics designed a research study to examine the outcome of an integrated desktop solution. The focus of this research was on the effect of the Cicero toolset, which developed an integrated agent’s desktop for a large business process outsourcer. One of the goals of the implementation was to reduce the burden on the agent during peak calling seasons, which in this case, was “open Enrollment” for a significant Medicaid/Medicare provider. The original Cicero implementation was a pilot for 50 users with a broader deployment across the organization after positive improvements in operational metrics.
Does greater transactional efficiency lead to greater employee satisfaction?
A positive effect in operational metrics was quantified but now the measure of success must include determining whether or not the integrated desktop had a positive effect on agent performance and satisfaction. Metrics designed an agent impact test (questionnaire) to assess the second component of Cicero’s value statement to this organization.
Prior to deployment of Cicero’s integrated desktop in two very large contact centers, agents completed the questionnaire which focused on job satisfaction and perception of the customer experience by the contact center. Four months after the implementation, the test was administered again. The study was designed to avoid the error often made by organizations and sought to prove the RoTI by measuring, making a change, and then measuring again.
The Effect of the Cicero Implementation
Quantifiable improvement was found between how the agents felt before the Cicero implementation as compared to after. The following attributes had mean scores which were statistically different between the pre-implementation measurement and the post-implementation measurement.
Relating to their performance, the agents felt:
- More confident in their expertise to enroll callers in the healthcare plan.
- More confident in their expertise related to issue of the healthcare changes.
- That the customers were less impatient with the amount of time it now takes to get the information they need.
- Customers call back less frequently because they did not get the answer they wanted from another agent.
- Customers were overall more satisfied customer of the healthcare program.
Relating to their job satisfaction, the agents felt:
- More satisfied with their job itself in general.
- That the objectives and goals they must reach more fair.
- Are more satisfied with the supervision of their work.
- There is more fairness in the way the company treats them.
- Are more likely to recommend employer to a friend looking for a job.
The Return on Technology Initiative is Positive
Through the implementation of Cicero, these very large healthcare services contact centers gained operational efficiency, allowing agents to more quickly access relevant information and related research and to improve first call resolution. An important additional benefit of improving employee confidence in their own ability to serve customers leads to higher levels of performance and greater employee satisfaction. The RoTI quantified for Cicero will directly contribute to an improvement in the organization’s performance.
About the Author
Jodie Monger, PhD is the President of Customer Relationship Metrics, LC (Metrics) and a pioneer in conducting research to improve human capital and organization performance via the contact center. The multi-award winning team at Customer Relationship Metrics provides the expertise required to improve top, middle, and bottom line performance by improving the economics of internal and external relationships. Dr. Jodie’s new book, Survey Pain Relief can be found on Amazon.com.
