2017 ASPECT AGENT EXPERIENCE SURVEY

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1 2017 ASPECT AGENT EXPERIENCE SURVEY Aspect Software, in partnership with Conversion Research, conducted a national study of 500 Active Customer Service Representatives aged years old to uncover the attitudes, preferences and behaviors reps have about their jobs. 1

2 Project overview & objectives The objective of this specific study was to investigate, from a variety of different perspectives (age, gender, size of customer support center, levels of engagement) the differing and similar attitudes, preferences and behaviors reps have regarding contact management software, the use of chatbots in customer service, workplace priorities and perceptions. Survey Methodology A custom-crafted online study with a minimum aggregate sample size of 1,000 Americans, aged 18-65, regionally representative and divided by gender as per most recent census projections (with ~25% oversampling of those aged 18-34) Survey fielded online to match the behavior and expectations of this population This study took place in March,

3 The State of Agent Satisfaction 62% The number of agents who said they are satisfied in their current customer service role. 62% 62% 70% 61% 72% 70% 61% 78% 77% Total GenX/Boomers Millennials Full time Part time Male Female Higher Engagement Higher Empowerment Agents who feel engaged and empowered are notably more satisfied. 0% 50% 100% Q. How satisfied would you say you are currently with your job as a customer service representative? (1-5 scale) 3

4 And a healthy number of agents plan to stay where they are 65% The number of customer service agents who intend to stay where they are currently employed. Surprising no one, millennials are the greatest flight risk in contact centers. 65% 71% 63% 71% 56% Total Male Female 3+ Years 1-3 Years 36% 3-12 months The longer agents stay, the less likely they are to be looking to leave. 37% 61% Older Millenials Younger Millenials 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 4

5 However, agents are not very optimistic about their career opportunities in the contact center where they work 41% The number of agents who are optimistic about opportunities for advancement in the contact center where they work. Total Male Female <100 Employees Employees Employees Younger Millennials Older Millennials GenX/Boomer Higher Engagement 41% 47% 40% 31% 44% 53% 45% 47% 37% 49% The smaller the contact center, the fewer the perceived opportunities for advancement. Higher Empowerment 53% 0% 20% 40% 60% Q. Do you feel there are opportunities for you to be promoted and/or advance in your career at the customer support center or customer service center where you are currently working? 5

6 And then come the chatbots to steal their jobs 6

7 Analysts predict chatbots will be replacing most customer service jobs: The use of virtual customer assistants (chatbots) will jump by 1,000% by Bot interactions in the banking sector (those completed without human assistance) will move from 12% currently, to over 90% in % It s the end of the contact center agent as we know it. Or is it? 12% Analysts gloomy outlook doesn t take consumer preference into complete consideration. Chatbot interactions in banking Gartner Predicts 2017: CRM Customer Service and Support Chatbots: Retail, ecommerce, Banking & Healthcare

8 Many consumers have a growing appetite for automated interaction in customer service 61% 66% Of consumers feel good about both the company and themselves when they solve a problem related to that company without having to talk with an agent. Of consumers think chatbots will allow for faster resolution/question answering Aspect Consumer Experience Index 8

9 What kinds of questions do agents WANT to get on an average day? pts Agents desire to handle moderately complex questions is 10 percentage points higher than the total they currently receive WANT to handle Currently Handle Easy Moderate Complex Higher engaged agents are 14% more likely to want to handle complex questions. Task Type Breakdown Q. What percentage of questions that you receive in a given week would you say are easy, moderate and complex? Q. Based on your experience as a customer service representative, what ONE type of question or issue do you prefer to handle easy, moderate or complex?

10 How easy/hard are the questions customer service agents get on an average day? EASY A question that can be answered or issue resolved in 2-3 minutes and is a single issue call. MODERATE A question that can be answered or issue resolved in 3-10 minutes and needs some discovery on customer history and company policy, and contains multiple questions/ concerns. COMPLEX A question that takes 10 minutes or more to be answered or issue resolved and takes troubleshooting and/or the assistance or several company resources to be handled. 10

11 The larger the customer service center, on average, the fewer easy customer questions 54% 45% 100 person or smaller contact center Contact center between 100 1,000 agents 40% Contact center over 1,000 agents Q24. Thinking about the total number of customer questions and issues you handle in a typical week as a customer service representative, what percentage would you say are easy, moderate and complex? 11

12 The larger the contact center the more agents are up for handling challenging questions 50 61% Of agents in large contact centers are more likely to want to handle complex questions vs. agents in small/medium sized contact centers Percent of Complex questions agents WANT to handle in a given week Percent of Moderate questions agents WANT to handle in a given week Percent of Easy questions agents WANT to handle in a given week 36% of all agents said handing complex tasks make them feel more committed and satisfied in their work. Large contact centers Small/medium contact centers 12

13 How do agents feel about their contact center using chatbots for customer service? 50% Of millennial agents feel they would feel a greater sense of commitment and satisfaction if they were given more complex questions to handle I'll be handling less mundane questions and applying my intellect I will feel more satisfied and committed to my job 36% 44% Will give me a certain degree of autonomy and responsibility 35% 0% 20% 40% 60% Q. Please tell us how likely you feel each of the following results would be if the customer support center or customer service center where you currently work started to use chatbot technology to help handle the most frequently asked. 13

14 Customer service agents feel chatbots will indirectly lead to improving their value to the organization: 79% 72% 64% 59% Feel that handling more complex customer issues improves their skills Makes them feel that they are having a bigger impact in the company Will enable them to provide more personalized service experience for customers As employees, they feel more satisfied in their jobs and more committed to the company 14

15 Engaged employees vs. the average Improves my skills Makes me feel like I'm making an impact Makes work more interesting Feel more satisfied and committed Improves my prospects for career advancement Average More Engaged Giving complex customer service questions to engaged agents to handle presents the greatest opportunity for development, impact. Q. Please tell us how much you agree or disagree with the following statements about handling more complex customer questions or issues 15

16 Generational breakdown on handling complex customer service issues Gen Z Most likely to feel its helps them make an impact Most likely to feel it puts them more in touch with customers They feel better, more satisfied/committed Most likely to feel it will improve prospects for advancement But Makes them feel frustrated because they are measured for speed. Millennials Feel it improves their skills Believe it provides an opportunity to provide a more personalized customer experience See it as an opportunity to shine for management But Least likely to feel better, more satisfied/committed Least likely to feel they are making an impact Least likely to feel its helps them make an impact Gen X/Boomers Most likely to say it improves their skills Group most likely to feel it makes work more diverse and interesting Least likely to get frustrated Feel it provides an opportunity to give more personalized service for customers But Least likely to see it as an opportunity to shine for management Q. Please tell us how much you agree or disagree with the following statements about handling more complex customer questions or issues 16

17 Consumers still want real people to handle complicated questions 42% Of consumers said they want live agents to help them handle complex questions and requests. 71% of consumers feel that chatbots would not be good for complicated trouble shooting. *According to the 2016 Aspect Consumer Experience Index 17

18 Here is where agents and chatbots come together: Consumer preferences indicate that personal assistance is still in demand for complex issues: 61% of consumers feel chatbots will allow for simple to moderate requests to be handled more quickly but 42% said they prefer live agents to help them handle complex questions and requests. An overwhelming majority (86%) of consumers feel that they should always have an option to transfer to a live agent. Only 29% of consumers feel that chatbots would be good for complicated trouble shooting and just 32% felt automated interaction would work well in solving a complex request. The majority of agents see a number of opportunities for growth and contribution when handling a larger number of complex customer requests. Chatbots and customer service agents working together present growth opportunities for the employee, improved customer satisfaction for the consumer, and improved efficiency for the organization Aspect Consumer Experience Index 18

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20 Agent Engagement: Customer service agent engagement is best described as feeling good about, satisfied with, and committed to your job.

21 The State of Agent Satisfaction 62% Of customer service agents report being satisfied in their job 62% 61% 70% Total Male Female Higher Engagement Higher Empowerment 78% 77% Engaged and empowered agents are notably more satisfied vs. the average. 0% 50% 100% Q: How satisfied would you say you are currently with your job as a customer service representative? (1-5 scale) 22

22 Employment optimism however, is lower than satisfaction with customer service agents 41% The number of agents who are optimistic about opportunities for advancement in the contact center where they work. Engaged and empowered agents are more optimistic than the average. Total Male Female <100 Employees Employees Employees Younger Millennials Older Millennials GenX/Boomer Higher Engagement 41% 47% 40% 31% 44% 53% 45% 47% 37% 49% More than a third of all agents (35%) don t plan on staying where they are currently employed. Higher Empowerment 53% 0% 20% 40% 60% Q. Do you feel there are opportunities for you to be promoted and/or advance in your career at the customer support center or customer service center where you are currently working? 23

23 Employee engagement as a whole is on the decline 58% 60% 62% 65% 62% The Agent Experience survey data clearly indicates engaged agents are happier and plan on staying in their jobs longer. However, a recent study by Aon Hewitt revealed that employee engagement dipped for the first time since Global employee engagement* Engaged customer service agents represent big productivity and customer loyalty opportunities for organizations. *The 2017 Trends in Global Employee Engagement Report, Aon Hewitt

24 Factors holding back customer service agent engagement 94% 75% of agents say the ability to move up in their organization is important to their engagement. 46% 76% feel responsibility and autonomy is important to their engagement. However 61% of agents feel an environment where they are respected as individuals is important to their engagement. However 65% However of agents say their current employer provides such opportunities agents feel like the contact center they work in gives them autonomy or responsibility. of agents feel their employer is providing such an environment. Opportunity Responsibility Respect 26

25 Agents are also more responsive to goals vs. contests 52% 49% 44% 16pts. There is a sizable difference between agent preference for goals to help them reach their objectives vs. contests to do so. Help me reach my goals more consistently 36% 33% 32% Help me better respond to customer questions/issues Enable me to service customers faster Goals-based motivation Agents across the board feel goalsbased programs are more impactful to their overall performance. Contest-based motivation Q. Based on your experience as a customer service representative, using the star ratings, Please let us know how much you agree or disagree with the following statements about goals and contests.

26 Engaged agents: far more responsive to contests vs. non-engaged agents Contests set by management help me 43% 38% 38% 20% 18% 17% reach my goals more consistently better respond to customer questions/issues Service customers faster Employee motivation and engagement, not better contests, are needed to help agents achieve their goals. Engaged Non-engaged

27 Engaged agents are even more responsive to goals vs. non-engaged agents Goals set by management help me 63% 59% 52% 24% 22% 24% reach my goals more consistently better respond to customer questions/issues Service customers faster Engaged agents thrive on clear goals. Nonengaged agents are only slightly more motivated with goals vs. gamified programs. Engaged Non-engaged

28 Summary Engaged agents: Want to handle more complex customer situations Are more satisfied and are more committed Are less likely to leave Are positive about moving up in the organization Are more motivated by goals and contests 30

29 Customer Service Agents Directly Relate their Job Satisfaction to the Ease of Managing their Life at Work 58% Of customer service agents are using their smartphones to text, chat or message outside of work 81% Of agents feel that getting in touch with management for things like calling in sick or picking up shifts should be as easy as getting in touch with friends Agents, especially Millennials, use their phones for everything and expect the ease of a smartphone to be well received in their workplace.

30 This Carries Across to Work Expectations as Well 66% 60% Prefer to use self-service functionalities via their smartphone to manage their work lives Feel it is important to be able to message management via a smartphone Agents have a strong desire to use their smartphones, the device they frequently use to communicate and manage their personal lives with, to message and manage their work lives as well. This is remarkably stable across all generations.

31 Employers are Not Offering the Tools Agents Prefer to Use If agents want to get in touch with management after work: less than half say text/sms is an option just 13% can get in touch via a desktop app, only 12% via a chat app A mere 8% said that they could use a mobile app 46% 13% 12% 8% Text/SMS Desktop App Chat via app Mobile app Agents also would prefer to use a selfservice application vs. talking to their manager on the phone.

32 The Impact 2/3 of agents say being able to manage their work lives with the best software possible will make them: More productive at work More satisfied More committed Self-service technology within the workplace can also be a key differentiator for agent satisfaction and engagement.

33 Employers Who do Respond Can See Business Impact 60% of agents feel happier 65% of agents feel more engaged at work 62% of agents feel they provide better customer service 1/3 of agents feel that being able to get in touch with customer service management whenever they want is just as important as a competitive salary