Real-Time Feedback, Friend or Foe?

This article provides us with an insight into real-time feedback, examining its benefits, as well as highlighting its potential shortcomings.

Real-time feedback is used primarily by contact centres and is the ability to monitor conversations in real time and intervene where necessary to improve the outcome.

This form of feedback is useful when preventing an issue from escalating, taking advantage of a cross-selling opportunity, or simply advising an agent on a specific topic, process or tool.

To understand if this technology has been seamlessly embedded in the daily operation of contact centres and what its benefits and drawbacks are as experienced by those that use it, we asked contact centre professionals for their opinion. Here is what they told us.

The Positives

Improving and Motivating Agents

The majority emphasised the contribution of real-time feedback in motivating and improving the performance of agents.

Receiving instant feedback can be incredibly effective as the object of the feedback is still current and therefore it is easier for the agent to make the connection.

Making an Instant Impact

Also appreciated was the immediate impact real-time feedback has.

Indeed, as an agent, being able to receive guidance during a challenging call on how best to handle it improves morale and confidence.

Boosting Customer Service

A final advantage of using real-time feedback was the improvement in customer service.

With real-time feedback, issues are resolved instantly before they escalate. This translates into improved service levels (shorter calls, increased first call resolution metrics etc.)

The Negatives (and How to Turn Them Into Positives)

Although only a small number of contact centre professionals found any disadvantages in real-time feedback, those who did highlighted two main drawbacks.

Agent “Intrusion”

Firstly, they indicated that some employees can find the co-listening and intervention intrusive.

From our experience, the best way to address agent concerns on being monitored is to make sure from the outset that they are fully aware of the process and the reasoning behind it (training, problem-solving etc).

You can also emphasise that together with feedback on what to improve, they also receive recognition for successfully handling a difficult call with no intervention.

Finally, as some of the agents progress and become more competent in handling demanding communications, you can consider reducing the frequency of the process.

Drawing Inaccurate Conclusions

The second drawback mentioned was the risk of drawing inaccurate conclusions if feedback is based on a single interaction with no understanding of the context within which it took place.

This can be a problem sometimes but here is where good communication and regular briefs with the team are important so team leaders and supervisors are in sync with the both the agents and the progress of the campaigns handled by each team.

In addition, functionalities like data consolidation and information drill-down allow agents to get a better picture around the issue at hand with a single click.

Modern real-time guidance solutions have a host of intelligent features and automations designed to make the process truly collaborative and connected. This enables the contact centre to become more efficient and productive, whilst providing an enhanced service to the customer.