A recent Gartner report said that while a successful ACD implementation can help a call center gain a competitive edge, a deficient ACD system design and implementation combined with poorly trained agents can spell disaster. If call center employees don't understand the system, can't escalate calls to supervisors, or repeatedly lose customers by accidentally ending the call, the number of successful resolutions will plummet, along with the customers' view of the service provided. When that's the case, it may be tough to decide whether the benefits of the system outweigh the damage being done to the level of service provided. However, you can't dismiss the value of information these systems can provide, such as performance statistics for every agent, group, or queue based on various criteria. If properly analyzed, the information can reduce staffing and overhead costs. Further, it can identify problem agents who are, for example, making long-distance phone calls, using the "make busy" feature to avoid support calls, or otherwise wasting the company dime. So the question for call center managers is, when a CRM or ACD system seems to be causing problems, does the blame belong with the technology or on management for designing poor employee training? You decide
If your IT support call center is using an ACD or CRM system, do you believe it's an asset or liability and why? If you believe the problem is poor training, what suggestions do you have for improving call center staffs' understanding of the system? Send us an e-mail.
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