CONTACT CENTER CAPABILITIES SELF-ASSESSMENT RESULTS

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1 2017 RESEARCH REPORT CONTACT CENTER CAPABILITIES SELF-ASSESSMENT RESULTS Research Reveals Common Themes and Trends Across Companies in 10 Key Areas

2 86% of buyers say they would pay more for a better customer experience. Only 1% feel companies consistently deliver.* AT ASPECT we have gained a unique view into what 850+ Global companies both Aspect clients and non-clients alike are doing to innovate and where they feel the greatest technology opportunities for improvement lie. This insight is the result of our Contact Center Capabilities Assessment tool, created to help businesses quickly and easily assess how well they have adapted to the explosion in technology capabilities and level of consumer expectations over the last several years. This self-assessment tool includes an inventory of capabilities drawn from our years of knowledge and experience in the customer contact arena. Each participant receives a personalized report detailing their results, including their current state compared to desired state score and our recommendations. The 850+ organizations that have completed the selfassessment provide a strong cross-section of representative data in terms of industry, maturity and technological sophistication. From this data, we ve compiled the following report that highlights the 10 highest ranking capabilities in terms of maturity ( We have this capability today ) and perceived value to the organization ( Having this would help our company. ) 2017 Aspect Software Scoring Best in Class p Contact Center Capability Areas p. 4 Top 10 Most Mature Capabilities p. 8 Top 10 Most Needed Capabilities p. 9 Trend Analysis p. 10 Industry Trends p.11 Take Action p. 13 *Forbes 2

3 Scoring Current State vs. Desired State The gap between current state and desired state is reflected in a score that is calculated as the percentage of capabilities a survey participant has compared to the total capabilities they would like to have. Our online self-assessment asked companies to rate their use of specific contact center capabilities across 10 areas of business that affect the customer experience. We then scored these results, excluding any functionality that would add no value to the organization, and presented a matrix comparing their use of technology to optimal, best-in-class use. The sample matrix summary shown on the right illustrates how an organization s current capabilities in each area measure up against all capabilities they would benefit from, providing a snapshot of where they stand vs. where they would like to be. The lower a company s score in a particular area, the more room there is for improvement in adding or optimizing specific capabilities. SAMPLE SELF-ASSESSMENT RESULTS: The chart above compares a company s current capabilities with all capabilities they feel would benefit their organization. As shown in this example, the company s quality management and inbound capabilities are excellent presently at or near their individual desired level. Their capabilities in self-service, however, reveal many opportunities for improvement Aspect Software 3

4 10 Contact Center Capability Areas In the ten key areas we surveyed, the following charts illustrate what percentage of companies have capabilities already in use, which capabilities they feel are needed and which would likely offer no value. #1 Inbound Activities To stay competitive, today s contact centers must interact with customers across a wide range of communication channels encompassing phone, , chat, text and social media. Text-based inbound channels in particular have the advantage of being a lower-cost alternative to the traditionally more expensive voice channel. INBOUND CAPABILITIES SCORED: Assistance (live or self-service) offered in response to SMS notifications Web-based/mobile app chat Social media contact Appropriate routing of inquiries Intelligent routing based on contextual data At-home agent support Callbacks Would Add Value Currently Have Would Not Add Value 2017 Aspect Software 4

5 10 Contact Center Capability Areas Would Add Value Currently Have Would Not Add Value #2 Outbound Activities #3 Social Engagement #4 Self-Service Increased regulatory and list management requirements can pose significant challenges for collections, reminders, sales surveys and other forms of outbound outreach. The penalties for contacting a customer on a wireless device without explicit consent (an existing business relationship is not enough) often carry stiff fines. The right solution ensures a high level of productivity while reaching more customers and remaining compliant. OUTBOUND CAPABILITIES SCORED: Automated consent-controlled routing for mobile numbers List management (including uploading of call lists and retry management) Predictive dialing Wireless number identification Time-zone awareness Various recent studies report that the use of social media as a customer care channel can yield significant benefits, including elevated customer service rates, annual increases in customer lifetime value, and greater year-over-year change in client retention and first contact resolution, as well as improved average handle times. However most companies still lack real integration between their social presence and the customer service infrastructure. SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT CAPABILITIES SCORED: Social blended with other channels in agent queue Customer care/engagement extends to social channels Categorization/prioritization of social interactions based on business rules Measurement of social service levels Response time less than 2 hours Only by tearing down the silos of crosschannel customer service and bridging the gap between webbased self-service and live agent-assisted service can companies stay competitive and delight today s let me do it consumers. Technology that remembers customer data in the form of context cookies can enable customers to pick up where they left off without repeating information when changing channels or transferring to an agent. SELF-SERVICE CAPABILITIES SCORED: Context is preserved for interactions completed at a later time More than one self-service channel offered Context preserved across channels Live service available within mobile apps Customers can customize proactive notifications Automatic generation of reminders/surveys Customers can respond to proactive notifications 2017 Aspect Software 5

6 10 Contact Center Capability Areas Would Add Value Currently Have Would Not Add Value #5 CRM Integration #6 Workforce Management #7 Quality Management Leveraging the intelligence within your CRM system to transform customer experiences is one of today s greatest missed opportunities. CRM systems hold a wealth of underutilized customer information. Unless businesses have the technology to integrate their CRM data with customer interaction management information, it is impossible to gain a true 360-degree view of the consumer. CRM CAPABILITIES SCORED: New contact/lead creation from inbound call, chat or web form Call by clicking contact number Pop-up screens display key details Automatic creation of CRM activity records New case/ticket can be generated from interactions Single-screen view of all customer activity In order to deliver remarkable customer experiences, managers need to ensure that the right agents, with the right skills, are available at the right time. New cross-channel solutions can help businesses plan and manage performance and staffing across inbound, outbound and blended channels. WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES SCORED: Supervisors can manage schedules from a mobile device High-accuracy forecasting from staffing models What-if analyses Schedules accommodate business need/employee preference Real-time schedule adherence monitoring Ability to test trial schedules Seat assignments based on seat maps/floor plans Hot seating based on actual schedules To gain the right kind of insights into quality and performance, robust monitoring and evaluation tools are essential for a comprehensive view of agent quality based on supervisor, customer and agent self-evaluations. Voice, data and IVR sessions can be recorded and linked to the subsequent agent interaction for complete cradle-to-grave quality tracking QUALITY MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES SCORED: Instantly retrieve call recordings Easy agent evaluation/coaching Fast scoring calibration for calls 100% of screens/audio recorded Flexible recording rules Post-call surveys 2017 Aspect Software 6

7 10 Contact Center Capability Areas Would Add Value Currently Have Would Not Add Value #8 Performance Management #9 Speech & Text Analytics #10 Back Office Operations One of the keys to ensuring that agents stay operationally aligned with business goals is a clear view of agent performance. Performance management solutions are fundamental to managers ability to view and analyze employee performance against KPIs from many different operational and strategic perspectives, and then take immediate action to get agents on the proper track. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES SCORED: Automatic performance-based coaching Reporting and dashboards can accommodate all levels of management Integrated workflows enable awareness/correction of performance issues Data can be integrated with other reporting sources Businesses must rely on speech and text analytics to quickly and automatically identify agent quality problems, find root causes and provide insight into how to alter processes to alleviate the problem. Best-in-class functionality offers a holistic view into 100 percent of all voice and text-based interactions across dozens of languages. Fast-track discovery with pre-built, industry-specific dictionaries that help uncover customer service issues, at risk behavior and best practices. SPEECH AND TEXT CAPABILITIES SCORED: Real-time monitoring of interactions and next best action guidance Identification of agent knowledge/training gaps Root cause analysis for commonly mentioned topics Data available to both front-and back-office staff Monitoring for abusive behavior Like the front office, the back office can significantly benefit from improvements in forecasting, scheduling, tracking, performance monitoring, coaching and analytics. More companies are successfully blending their front and back office workforce to improve customer service, as well as enhance operational performance, reduce staff costs and increase employee morale. BACK OFFICE CAPABILITIES SCORED: Back-office tasks automatically provided to contact center agents based on skill/availability Visibility into employee availability and task details Business logic/rules automatically pushes/pulls work Tasks can be captured from multiple systems Visibility into KPIs 2017 Aspect Software 7

8 10 Most Mature Contact Center Capabilities Top 10 Most Mature Capabilities We have this capability today Call recordings can be retrieved instantly. 73% Agent evaluation and coaching is easily done. 68% inquiries are routed to the most qualified agents (like contact us forms or support questions). 54% Rules for specifying when recordings take place are sufficiently flexible. 53% 100% recording of screens and audio is possible. 52% Schedules can be optimized based on business need or employee preference. 51% Reporting and dashboarding capabilities can accommodate supervisor needs as well as those of executive management. 50% Staffing models yield a high degree of forecasting accuracy. 48% Intelligent routing (based on contextual data) ensures consumers are connected with the most appropriate agent. 46% Adherence monitoring flags non-compliance in real-time. 46% 2017 Aspect Software 8

9 10 Most Needed Contact Center Capabilities Context is preserved even when a transaction is interrupted and continued at a later time. 73% Context is preserved across channels, even when going from self-service to agentassisted, so customers do not have to repeat information. 71% Performance-based coaching automatically schedules, tracks and measures effectiveness of supervisor coaching based on business rules. 71% Real-time speech analytics monitor customer interactions as they happen, enabling real-time agent guidance and next best action rules. 71% Agent knowledge gaps and training opportunities can be identified by topic area across all conversations. 69% Live service is available to customers from within their mobile app of choice. 69% Root cause analysis can be performed on topics most frequently mentioned by customers. 67% Back office tasks can be automatically provided to contact center staff based on skills during low occupancy periods. 64% Supervisor self-service capabilities include the ability to access shift changes and timeoff requests from a mobile device. 63% Proactive notifications can be personalized so customers only receive information of interest. 62% Top 10 Most Desired Capabilities Having this would help our company Aspect Software 9

10 Trend Analysis Our examination of survey results revealed three major themes emerging around need-to-have customer service capabilities (versus already have or no value perceived ), which suggests the following trends: Self-service is defining customer service Efficiency and quality is defining agent-assisted service Customer service is defining the enterprise Expanding and elevating self-service is taking on an increased urgency. The differentials between need and have on questions relating to self-service were some of the highest. For example, over 60% of respondents feel they need to move forward from simply offering phone-based IVR self-service. But necessary improvements do not stop there. Omnichannel self-service is needed, but it must be easy and convenient. Over 69% want to enable agent-assisted service from directly within a mobile app, and over 71% want to preserve context when customers cross channels, switch to live service or resume an interrupted communication. How can I Businesses are focusing on contact center efficiency and agent productivity. This statement might seem to almost contradict the first, but we see two these themes as highly complementary. Differentials of almost 50% between need and want surfaced around the need for speech and text analytics of tasks relating to: identifying knowledge gaps requiring increased need for agent coaching; real-time guidance during interactions including next best action rules; monitoring unproductive agent time for potential abuse issues; root cause analysis to determine the topics consumers most commonly have (and may therefore be ripe for self-service!). These needs dovetail with business top-of-mind workforce optimization concerns: ensuring proper staffing levels; quality monitoring; and performance management. The contact center must be seen as an essential, integrated part of larger enterprise business processes and data ecosystems. Performance management, expressed as a need by close to two-thirds of respondents, really broadens the focus of the contact center to an enterprise level and alignment with corporate KPIs and strategic goals. This notion is bolstered by the strong need expressed for back office solutions that provide: visibility into staff availability and task status across the front and back office; the ability to automatically direct work items based on business rules and agent skill sets; and merging of work items from multiple systems. On average, across back office survey items, nearly 68% of respondents expressed a need to up their game when it comes to synergy between the front and back office Aspect Software 10

11 Customer Assessment Study Key Findings in 4 Major Industries Travel and Hospitality Not surprisingly, the hospitality segment of our survey population appears to be more focused on people matters than other segments. For instance, 90% of this respondent group said they already have workforce management (WFM) capabilities (49%) or believe they would add value (41%). Numbers noticeably higher than the general respondent pool. Such findings are mirrored in the quality management (QM) and performance management (PM) results. For QM, two-thirds currently employ this capability with only 1% seeing no value. Likewise, for PM, significantly more organizations (47%) have the capability than does the general population with only 1% again seeing no value. Indeed, the results seem to validate the hospitality label with these organizations putting a premium on investing in their employees a sure way to ensure great customer experiences. Retail It is a bit of a different story around WFM, QM and PM in the retail sector. Unlike the hospitality group, Retail lags a bit with respect to WFM (28% have v. 36% in the general population with same proportion seeing as helpful to have) and PM (26% having v. 34% generally with 64% needing the capability v. 59% overall). Differences are even more pronounced with respect to QM only 40% have the capability compared to 55% of the overall respondent pool with 52% of retail organizations believing QM would be helpful to them. So, it appears the retail vertical recognizes the value of WFM, PM and QM capabilities in improving their customer service levels, but, to date, have not invested accordingly. Also worth noting is that Retail puts more emphasis on social (91% having or wanting v. 72% generally) and substantially less on outbound (only 16% having and 51% not seeing its value v. 32% and 35% respectively for the broader sample.) Banking Unlike the retail sector, the banking industry puts a heavy, heavy premium on outbound capabilities. Given the need to comply with regulatory requirements, it is easy to understand why 56% of banking institutions already have outbound capacities (compared to 32% generally). Moreover, the percentage of the general population seeing the value in adding such outbound capabilities (14%) is less than half of that for banking concerns (35%). There is also a small edge regarding the presence and usefulness of WFM, PM and QM among banking institutions compared to the larger, cross-industry sample. But the big news for Banking is the significant emphasis on outbound capabilities contrasted to the general survey population Aspect Software 11

12 Financial Services The financial services contingent is remarkably similar to the broader populace but there are two notable exceptions. The first, not surprisingly, is a greater ownership of outbound capabilities (50% v. 32%). The other is the extent to which financial services organizations dismiss the value of social engagement 49% compared to 28% within the larger survey sample. However, the percentage of financial institutions (45%) believing such capabilities would be helpful is very similar to that of the larger population (48%). So there appears to be a differences of opinion within this vertical composed of mortgage lending, brokerage houses and insurance companies. To finish on a broader note, none of the four industries part ways with the larger respondent pool with respect to the importance, value and need for self-service capabilities. A similar statement could be made regarding CRM integration (with perhaps the possible exception of financial services). Nonetheless, a case can be made that businesses across the board are recognizing the importance of enabling customers to get things done on their own when and wherever most convenient for them by offering personalized, omni-channel self-service Aspect Software 12

13 Take Action Imagine the possibilities. Reimagine customer service. Aspect provides a rich set of solutions that combine to form that perfect mix of customer service capabilities, regardless of your organization s size, industry or operational complexity. Aspect brings all the pieces together that keeps your consumers on the quickest path from question to answer, empowers agents in boosting productivity levels, and guides enterprises in orchestrating cohesive workflows that keep service levels high and costs contained. Whether you re in need of dedicated products for interaction management, contemporary self-service, campaign management, workforce optimization or a powerful solution that seamlessly unites all these capabilities, Aspect can help. What opportunities are you missing to improve customer engagement? Contact an Aspect expert to discuss the score reflecting the gap between your current and desired states in detail. Haven t yet completed the self-assessment? Take it here: Explore ways to build better customer relationships now Aspect Software