Universal Queues Are More Than Technology

Are your teams managing blind? When customers are more informed than staff it has a significant impact.

Disparate systems and ‘add-on’ technology will not deliver. You need your service to seamlessly integrate into your customers’ everyday lives. While retention is key, there is a hidden threat too, over 70% of customers will reduce their commitment to an organisation when the relationship spoils. (McKinsey)

The Universal Queue (UQ) is not technology ‘nirvana’. Instead it is the synergy of solutions and processes that, when effectively and methodically implemented, will enable you to transform your customer experience (CX), resulting in customer service that differentiates you from your competitors.

64% of people say that the customer experience is more important than price in their choice of a brand (Gartner 2014)

Put simply, the universal queue uses:

• Business rules to intelligently, automatically and flexibly manage all interactions across a contact centre, its sites and remote workers
• Time plans to direct contact to the most appropriate skilled agent or a self-service option
• Data gathered from the touchpoint or back-end to inform the more rapid resolution of every contact.

All this provides management with an intelligent 360 real-time view of the contact centre and all its activities.

73% of adults 18-24 say that “valuing my time” is the most important thing in providing good customer service (Orange Who Cares report)

A successful end-to-end customer experience should form part of the fabric and values of your business; it’s a way of life not a finite project. Perhaps you are developing your strategy now. How do you move from multi-channel to universal queue? Our Solution Architects find that using these four steps combined with an analysis of your environment lead to the highest potential for success.

Step 1 – Analyse your customers

• What are the most effective channels per transaction type?
• Monitor the purchasing power of each customer segment
• Make your first target the demographic/s which will deliver your future growth

Step 2 – Match the channel to the task type

• Make tough decisions, create success on efficient channels that deliver best experience
• Assess how to appropriately reassure customers, so they know their transaction is successful
• Avoid additional contact, implement proactive updates using all channels
• Monitor transaction costs and understand trends – be prepared to make tough decisions

Step 3 – Map your work processes

• Analyse your processes, include back-office teams
• Deliver consistent performance quality using agent guidance improving resolution rates
• Monitor and eliminate any process bottlenecks immediately, marginal changes all add up
• Automate alerts between stages and update everyone, even the customer
• Push progress updates in real time to management while red-flagging any issues

Step 4 – Integrate technology and deliver a universal queue

• Assess technology and integrate all channels and your case management
• Offer appropriate self-service, minimise contact for routine tasks
• Maximise the use of your skills-based routing, use skills templates across all channels
• Reduce handling time and improve accuracy, when you provide your agents with a single view
• Monitor compliance and quality with automated analytics
• Ensure managers have real-time dashboard visibility on any device enabling immediate response
• Optimise your workforce, schedule from accurate forecasts, respond rapidly to peaks in demand with intraday adjustments
• Contact customers before they contact you with proactive outbound communications, deflecting demand

A commitment to customer experience results in up to 25% more customer retention and revenue than marketing or sales initiatives (Gartner)

Ensure that your teams are as informed as your customers when you provide them and your supervisors with a complete and integrated view. Significantly impact customer satisfaction and profitability. Netcall works with organisations like yours helping them to transform their customer engagement.

Take a look at our infographic or read our eGuide for advice on what a universal queue is, what this means for your teams, how to implement it and the benefit to your customers.