Call center

Appointment

Can be meant by call center:

• The operator line of processing — including statistical — the entering and outgoing telephone calls;
• Hardware-software command center the entering and outgoing calls;
• The Contact-center — the message processing center, arrived on any communication channels (phone, the Internet, etc.)

The standard organizational chart of call center usually represents office at which operators on processing of the entering / outgoing calls work. For each operator at office existence of the computer connected to the Internet and a local network with the necessary software and phone with earphones and essential an expanded range of opportunities is provided. In most cases such centers are used for communication with already existing or potential clients, but take place and examples of internal call centers. Need of creation of like those usually arises at very large companies with huge staff. Recently the popularity of provision of services of call centers by one company which already have the center, another within holding a single action or consumer poll increased. As practice shows, in 70% of cases the company renting such services purchases own call center.

Call centers in Russia

Основная статья: Contact centers (market of Russia)

Types of call centers

Call centers happen two types:

• Outsourcing call center (outsourcing call center);
• Corporate call center (inhouse call center);

Outsourcing call center

The outsourcing call center is such scheme of the organization of the center when its services are leased with comprehensive training of operators in specifics of consultation of clients in a range of goods or services necessary for the renting company. During efficiency analysis of creation of a feedback of the supplier with the customer the economic feasibility of use of such model in that case when simultaneous operation less than twenty operators is necessary for call acceptance was revealed. The second case, it when the organization of mass communication occurs not on a permanent basis, and once or occasionally.

Do you look in more detail - Own call center or outsourcing? TA of the Part

Corporate call center

The corporate call center is the internal regular division of the company performing functions of work with clients or partners. The main costs at deployment of own call center fall on purchase of the system of a hardware-software complex (in the market there are ready-made solutions with broad quantity of options), selection and personnel training, lease and repair of the premises.

Tasks of call centers

Treat the main objectives of call centers:

• Correctness of acceptance and processing of the arriving information;
• Efficiency of response to change in the system of calls;
• Creation, storage and change of databases on the addressed clients;
• Updating program and hardware;
• Permanent personnel training;
• Maintaining statistics;
• Routing of calls on their specifics;
• The maximum use of automatic system of interactive interaction (IVR) for saving of time;
• Interaction with other departments of the company;
• Improvement of service of the customer;
• Reduction of quantity of "unserved" calls.

System of interactive interaction (IVR)

The system of interactive interaction (IVR) — the software package directed to rationalization of working time of the operator by providing to the client of call center of an opportunity to listen to already written, preset answer to the most often set, standard questions. The context menu on which the user can be guided using tone dialing on phone keyboard is for this purpose created. This menu is normal integrates the reference information about the company and services. IVR falls to the share up to 70% of all calls coming to call center.

Organization of work

Call centers have two priority areas of work: the entering and outgoing communication. When processing incoming messages main objectives are, as a rule, providing information to clients or obtaining data on the problems which arose at the client when using of services/goods of the company. Outgoing calls or messages have the purposes:

• Sales something.
• Informing on the innovations offered by the company to a target group.
• Holding different polls.
• Accomplishment of collection funktsy.

Often the call center has a branched or layered design where operators of the first level provide the general set of information. When the subject of the address is beyond their specialization, the client is redirected to that specialist who can solve his problem — in other department or on higher level. Regulation is recording of negotiations calling and the operator for the identification of new, more effective strategy of consultation, bug tracking allowed by operators in work and carrying out the general monitoring.

Possibilities of call center

• Registration of calls.
• Information storage about the client using analytical approaches to history of calls.
• Routing of calls.
• Call recording.
• Graphic (diagrams, schemes, charts) display of work of each operator, department, all center.
• Display on the monitor of the operator of information on the arrived call.
• Readdressings, creation of queue of calls, inclusion of a standby mode, automatic informing on answering interval.
• Distribution of calls in group of operators depending on the status.

Functionality of modern contact center

Functionality of modern contact center not what the companies offered clients 10 years ago. The operating contact center will help consumers to ask a question in an online chat, to write to representatives in social network, to call from mobile application and all this as self-evident – so it is convenient to them. The behavior and customer expectations change, and it induces the organizations to review radically interaction methods in a pursuit clients^[1].

Large contact center, 2013

Email, mobile applications, chats, Skype and video calls turned call centers into the multichannel contact centers which became an important point of customer interaction - they play a significant role in formation of positive impressions.

Contact center of 10-year - the cost item, but in 2015 it becomes the important asset directly influencing a customer loyalty, image of the company. Depending on scales and the industry of the company, in its structure online communication, a possibility of the address from mobile applications and personal Internet offices.

For high-quality ensuring service, in addition to call center operators, for customer service specialists of other departments are attracted. So, for example, a certain Israeli bank performed optimization of contact center: it "integrated" into it managers from departments - the client of bank at the address unites to the operator from department where it is serviced. As a result - simulation of the personal manager.

The contact center place in business processes

Integration of any new communication channel should be planned proceeding from business of the company, opportunities of its development, and not just and not so much because the channel "should be used". Often integration of new channels of communication with clients in the general communication strategy of the company – no more, than visibility for the management. A widespread example – social networks in which marketing department is engaged or that it is even worse - the external SMM agency.

In practice planning, work and efficiency evaluation of contact center should be implemented taking into account commercial purposes of the organization, the operating business processes and maintenance strategy of clients. Undoubtedly, everything depends on specifics of sales and service in each case. Nevertheless, it is worth recognizing that social networks – for a long time not only marketing, but the channel of the appeal to the company. Not only with requests, but with complaints. These requests or complaints, ideally, should be processed by the employee of contact center and remain in the history of the client.

It is worth understanding whether autonomous function is implemented or service extends to new canals, completely integrating them into the general system.

Set of canals, platform and integration

Consumers even more often communicate with the organizations by e-mail, by means of websites, web chats, social a set, mobile applications, etc. Even more often interaction happens to the organizations at once for several channels when clients organically change a communication channel, passing through social networks to direct communication with the operator through a web chat, depending on type and detailing of the information required. And the company should define every time accurately - what technologies, business processes and skills of personnel are necessary for ensuring such interaction.

It is perspective the conceiving heads already began (or made) transition from traditional infrastructure of the PBX or ACD to systems based on the protocol of initiation of communication sessions (SIP) keeping not only a voice communication, but video transmission and files of other format on IP networks. Many western and advanced Russian companies use universal platforms of interaction with consumers not only in contact centers, but also in scales of all enterprise, performing communication on all channels and in all points of interaction. All of them involve numerous divisions of the company, including marketing departments, sales, technical support and customer service more often for what integration of infrastructure of contact center and hardware and software systems of the relevant departments is performed. Thus, the contact center should maintain ability to integrate, scalability and the advanced means of the complex analysis, especially in the conditions of increase in volume and complexity of the data sets processed by it and their communication with other divisions of the company.

It means that at the time of creation of contact center it is necessary to pay important attention to the platform – it should support optimization of working resources and the centralized routing of all addresses and working tasks with history logging of interactions, helping the organizations to execute effective objectives in all directions, including self-service, service by agents and communication with the client at the initiative of the organization.

Performance indicators

After the choice of the solution for contact center which functionality will provide execution of business challenges it is worth deciding what to measure and what should be indicators.

It is necessary to define correctly priority channels of interaction and key performance indicators. In a number of the organizations refuse the acquired technique of fast processing of incoming calls. There came to understanding - it is impossible to construct effective contact center on the aspiration to process as much as possible calls and as soon as possible to free the line. Experience showed - such strategy does not promote strengthening of relationship with consumers and improvement of perception of a brand.

The advanced organizations shifted focus to such purposes as the successful problem resolution of the client, sale of more expensive or additional goods and services, capability to induce it to recommend the company to friends and relatives.

Net promoter score (NPS) reflecting the probability that the consumer will recommend goods or services to other person was of particular importance. Such recommendations – the powerful tool allowing to raise many times customer satisfaction degree.

Having determined parameters of measurements, it is necessary to pay attention to inclusion in them not only statistics and analytics, but also the deep analysis of service quality and how it will affect the relations of clients to the company in the long term.

How to sell more

Complete implementation of capacity of the upgraded contact center requires the platform, universal, full-function and available at the price, which can be unrolled in a cloud, locally or in the form of the hybrid solution. At assessment of suppliers and their solutions it is necessary to pay attention to a number of important points and to receive answers to the following questions:

• a system performs monitoring of availability of the main personnel and presence at it of necessary skills and whether makes task analysis, executed on different channels?
• a system provides service personalisation, using the routing based on business rules, data on clients and a context whether it can independently change rules if necessary?
• a system supports automatic access to analytical data in the dynamic mode by means of dashboards?
• provides sistemv the optimized and centralized distribution of all volume of interactions by all communication channels?
• easily this platform is configured according to unique industry requirements?
• how it is integrated with the existing systems and applications, such how management systems for relationship with consumers, enterprise resource planning, management of inventory and other solutions supporting request processing?
• a system supports optimization of personnel resources on the basis of analytical data, integration with infrastructure of all contact center at any moment to provide transfer of addresses to the personnel having necessary skills?

The organization of work of contact center means close integration of workflows with customer relationship management systems, resource planning and other applications supporting activity of the enterprise. Having an opportunity to obtain any customer information in real time, the personnel of contact center can not only identify the subscriber, but quickly receive the history of relationship with it.

Irrespective of the channel of interaction, whether it be the website of the company, social network or normal phone, the employee of contact center should have access to all customer information, including the history of interaction with them and data on last purchases, data on value for the company, potential future requirements or about compliance to criteria for special offers.

Obtaining analytical information of this sort requires the platform integrated with databases of clients, CRM and other systems supporting business processes of the company.

The attentive attitude towards needs of each specific client for interaction with it on all communication channels, fixing and timely use of this information will help to offer appropriate and unostentatiously the client what he is interested in.

How to create new model of contact center? It is necessary to leave from a routine, "thin" and often ineffective setup of different processes and in a complex to estimate: what solutions will bring significant effect.

Then integration: setup of interaction of the implemented systems on management, routing, the reporting and optimization of working resources with the center of processing of addresses for multiple channels (usual understanding - contact center) – it will be modern and effective contact center of new model. It will provide the high level of individual customer service and a customer loyalty.

What does the average time of processing of a call consist of?

One of key KPI of performance of contact centers – Average Handling Time (AHT, the Russian average time of processing of contact) shows, how fast operators process contacts with subscribers. Processing speed is in turn closely connected with economy of CC. Generally, the quicker operators work, the smaller number of such employees is necessary, and, therefore, the smaller wage fund (WF) is required. As a rule, WF is 60-80% of all expenses in contact center therefore when we manage AHT, in certain cases we can reach significant economy. Besides, knowledge of the actual AHT values is necessary in order that it is correct to plan resources and to make working schedules of operators.

In classical representation time management of processing of contact at the phone calls (entering or proceeding) begins a software package of contact center at the time of reservation of the operator (or transfer to a status "/Is reserved by Busy/Not Ready"). It means that a system assigns the operator to the subscriber and ceases to transfer to the operator new calls until processing of the current contact does not come to the end. It should be noted that some platforms allow to service a new incoming call, without completing old, but at the correct organization of work of CC this option usually is not required.

At incoming calls of AHT it consists of four components:

1 Ring Time is time which it is reckoned from the moment when the load distribution automatic machine (engl. ACD, Automatic Contacts Distribution) takes a call from queue and directs it to a workplace. After the operator answers (or when connection is interrupted to the reply of operator), Ring Time comes to an end.

2 Talk Time are conversation time without time management of setting of the subscriber for deduction if the communication framework allows to estimate holding time at reportings separately.

3 Hold Time are time of setting of the subscriber for deduction. It is necessary to consider what deduction within one connection can be a little.

4 Wrap-Up Time are time of postvyzovny processing. It begins at the time of completion of connection and comes to an end when a system opens access to the operator for the following contact (or transfers it back to the status "Is ready").

At outgoing calls of AHT it consists of the same components. Generally only Ring Time determination differs. In more detail about it the speech in the following articles will go.

Thus, AHT is the total time of all processed contacts (i.e. the amount of all Ring Time, Talk Time, Hold Time and Wrap-Up Time) separated into the total number of the processed contacts.

Efficiency

From long-term practice of use of call centers well considerably that they give undoubted effect in the development plan for business. Today the call center seems an integral part of any business having active contact with people: banking, providers of telecommunication services, large credit and insurance agents. In the conditions of the competition the one who has the best feedback with the consumer wins. When the client can at any time and from any place to address for consultation service provider or goods is an undoubted advantage.

Contact center in 2020

What will be your contact center in 2020? Whether it will use advanced technologies for attraction of bigger number of clients? Though it is difficult to predict many aspects of the future, one can be told for certain — your clients will have an experience of communication with a set of call centers by then. Therefore it is very important to investigate influence of technologies on customer service quality if you want that your contact center differed from competitors and provided excellent^[2].

There are several trends about which you precisely should know that your contact center was ready by 2020.

1. Internet of Things

In 3 years of 26 billion various devices will be used by people every day. In process of development of technologies, these devices will be connected to the Internet and to each other to collect and exchange data. This phenomenon is also called Internet of Things.

Consumers prefer to use mobile and personal devices to communicate with brands and the companies. It allows them to interact with contact centers when where and as they want. Therefore you need to identify opportunities for integration of Internet of Things with your contact center. He will also derive big benefit from collecting, the analysis and use of data from these devices to provide the best customer service. Let's take for example home appliances: the smart refrigerator will be able to define a part which needs to be replaced, and will be able to transfer data to contact center. Thus, the contact center of the producer will contact the client and further will send a new part.

2. Cloud computing

Those days when business invested millions of dollars in large-scale implementation of technologies, passed long ago. That is why the cloud quickly becomes choice deployment, especially thanks to its scaling option and connections of staff of contact center even at the distributed office.

Buyers of contact centers say that they prefer a cloud, 16% from them claim that they will move the contact center there in the future. There is a steady growth of cloud deployment in contact centers. And it is not surprising, many staff of contact centers becomes more and more decentralized. It does possible customer interaction through any channel type or devices at any time. The cloud — a safe and cost-efficient method is easy to integrate contact center and quickly to scale it to increase the number of employees and to expand technologies.

3. The chat will become very important

Only 29% of clients rely on calls, when it comes to communication with the company. And nevertheless, traditional voice interaction is still very important in many contact centers today. 60% of investments of contact centers are focused on voice communication. Analysts say that interaction in the mode of self-service gains the increasing popularity. The chat purchases an important role and gradually becomes the main method of future customer interaction.

The chat is not something new, he gradually got accustomed from the moment of the creation in the late nineties. Now he takes the advanced positions against the background of recession of once popular channels more and more promptly. E-mail will gradually fade into the background for questions of customer service. Consumers look forward to answers by email and resort to communication through a chat more and more, knowing that they will instantly answer them. Today consumers so got used to communicate via messengers with friends and acquaintances that they with pleasure use them and for communication with the companies.

4. Social media as strategic channel

By 2020 social media will become channel for communication of all organization, but not separate divisions. The companies which will understand it earlier will have competitive advantage, creating multichannel, multi-purpose client experience. Social media will promote various client experience via different channels of interaction.

This force will be maximum together with analytics — researches of unstructured data in the mode real time which the companies will be able to exploit. The heads who defined a role of social media in communication between the client and a brand will have more opportunities to perform transactions via social channels and will facilitate a travel of clients from social media in other traditional or digital channels. World brands, such as, for example, Nike, Xbox and JetBlue, gained public recognition for professional communication with clients by means of social media. Using force of such channels as Twitter and Facebook, the organizations can build loyalty to a brand due to fast elimination of negative feedback and the solution of technical issues.

How to be prepared for changes and what the contact center should pay attention in 2017 to

Shortly consumers will become experienced users of call centers with wide and various experience. You should understand what these changes mean for your company and as to adapt to them. The companies which will not be in time behind changes will remain behind.

As your business looks forward, analyze a current status of your contact center — begin to plan and take measures already now. Ask yourself the following questions to define readiness of your contact center for client experience of the future:

• Whether several communication channels with clients provide my contact center?
• Whether the problem solving indicator from the first address on all channels traces my contact center?
• Whether clients get only positive experience at communication with my contact center via all channels?
• Whether there corresponds my vision of the correct communication with clients to opinion of clients?

Trends in development of contact centers in the sector of banking services

The runner Platon, the head Contact centers of CTI system integrator, told in the summer of 2017 about trends in development of contact centers in the sector of banking services and also shared the forecasts for the next five years:

1. Organization of processes of omnichannel customer service.

"Generation Y" (people from 17 to 35 years) even more often and more willingly selects digital channels (chats, messengers, social networks) from quality of the means of communication. They, being the acting and potential clients of banks, expect that they by such usual method will be able to communicate with operators. Financial institutions are forced to follow trends and in the contact centers (CC) implement new methods for communication with clients.

The concept of omnichannel means rendering all types of service, irrespective of the channel of the appeal to bank, and complete transfer of a context of interaction when changing the channel of the address. In practice, text channels are often poorly integrated with the main platform of voice contact center, are worse monitored and perform function of simple reference service. Implementing solutions, allowing to automate processes of omnichannel service, will give the chance to banks to increase the number of services in digital channels and to balance processes of service on voice and text (digital) channels.

2. Studying of a way and experience of the client in the course of communication with bank.

Client experience (Customer Experience) – the major trend in the field of client service. Researches of the market confirm that the competition between financial institutions reached such level that receiving smaller percent on the credits or a bigger deposit interest for the client not so important as service quality. Clients require from banks the timely and qualitative solution of the problems, with the minimum efforts in return. If the client is not happy with service quality, meets any difficulties or obstacles in the course of communication with bank, then it just leaves to competitors. And the bank can not learn why it lost the client. Studying of experience of communication of the client with bank allows to reveal shortcomings or errors of business processes that gives the chance in time to resort to corrective actions. These tasks require existence of the developed functional analytical systems.

3. Implementation of a single biometric system of identification of clients in banks.

In this area Russia does not lag behind world trends. Distinguish such methods of biometric identification of the client as a fingerprint, the scan of a retina and the drawing of veins of a palm. The bank should have permission to collecting of biometric data. After delivery of the data the client will be able to receive banking services remotely. In the future a system can be used in other industries. If there is a uniform biometric base for Russians, there will be also legal acts which will allow to use biometrics in processes of identification of clients at service, including in contact centers.

4. Technologies in CC – that appeared new, application in the banking sector (experience of CTI).

Technologies in CC follow universal trends. Many banks already implement or are going to implement technologies of omnichannel service and also technology of the analysis of large volumes of the unstructured data collected from different sources (Big data). The analytical Big Data systems allow to measure client experience and a way of the client at communication with bank.

At the peak of applicability there are technologies, processes of remote self-service, allowing to organize convenient for the client, now. From banks there is an interest in such solutions, but so far they study possibilities of use of such technologies in customer service business processes rather.

What is simple and convenient is implemented. From the point of view of new payment systems Apple Pay and Google Pay (the mobile phone instead of the bank card) – it is convenient for the client therefore it is demanded by the market.

Benefits and advantages to clients of banks

Benefits and advantages to clients of banks are obvious – they can receive better remote and remote service. It increases convenience of access to banking services, saves time and gives high-quality service. Several years ago to issue the credit, it was necessary to spend queue time, and now rather mobile application, service maintenance by phone or just a chat.

The future of CC – for what the market waits.

• Omnichannel service will allow to bring processes of client service to better level, to satisfy customer expectations and to expand the loyal customer base for banks.
• The national biometric platform will become an excellent incentive of implementation of technologies of biometric identification of clients of banks for gaining access to remote service banking services, at the same time increasing safety of access to these services and reducing time expenditure of operators of contact centers by remote identification of clients. Plus fight against fraud in the financial sphere.
• Analysis systems of data for measurement of such indicators, extremely important for client service, as the way of the client and client experience, will allow banks to obtain necessary information for improvement of processes of service and formation of the loyal customer base.
• Increase in "intelligence" of the robotic systems of self-service will allow contact centers to automate standard services of help service and will improve their perception from clients.

Directory of solutions of call centers and projects

Основная статья: Call centers

Notes

• B.S. Goldstein, V.A. Freynkman Call centers and computer-integrated telephony of BHV — St. Petersburg, 2002 ISBN 5-8206-0105-x
• Volsk V.V. Veselova of O.V. Zolkin N.K. Call center operator: from hiring before dismissal. — Tver: Sofitel, 2008. — 200 pages are ISBN 978-5-9901310-1-9