Scripting and Process Automation are two powerful weapons in the arsenal for achieving reduced Average Handle Time (AHT), improved First Call Resolution (FCR), and consistent, powerful customer conversations.
Agent Scripting:
As powerful as scripting technology can be, it is important that customers feel they are having a natural interaction with the agent, rather than the conversation being script-driven. In the past, call scripting for an agent in a sales role was not recommended because it limited the ability to have a conversational style approach to selling. In addition, customers can also feel as if they’re not being listened to and, instead, are being forced along a predestined path.
To demonstrate the limitation and annoyance of static scripts, imagine you are calling into your telecommunications carrier to get help with a broadband router problem. At the start of your call, you may remark, “I’m having trouble connecting to the Internet. I have two computers connected through a wireless router and neither can connect. I have already rebooted the computers and the modem, but still no connection. I’m not sure if it’s due to the thunderstorm in the area.”
You obviously have clearly articulated the issues upfront. Imagine, therefore, how frustrating it would be if the agent disregards that wealth of information and asks scripted questions, such as, “How many computers do you have connected? Are they connected through a wireless router? Have you rebooted the modem? Has there been any severe weather in your area?”
However, newer scripting technologies allow scripts to be far more conversational than in the past, eliminating many of the concerns organizations have in adopting a scripting solution. With new scripting technologies, agents can create a dynamic script based on “if this problem, then this response” scenarios. Instead of static, linear call flows, the agents have access to an adaptive user interface so they can respond to multiple points within a conversation. The software changes based on the natural call flow with the customer, instead of letting the system dictate the call flow.
Process Automation:
Your ability to create efficient customer service processes is often constrained by the myriad applications on your agent desktop. A typical customer service process may need to span multiple windows and web applications, none of which are integrated with each other. This results in a cumbersome process flow, rekeying of data, and lack of integration, which add up to lengthy call times, reduced accuracy (i.e., customer callbacks), and an overall increase in customer frustration.
Another challenge organizations face is the ability to reuse these applications in service-oriented architecture (SOA) initiatives. Because these applications typically have no application programming interface (API), it becomes nearly impossible to access the data and functionality. The results are siloed desktop applications that do not work well together in an integrated and orchestrated manner.
Process automation provides valuable and direct benefits to your agents, which ultimately impacts customer satisfaction. Process automation helps in the following scenarios:
- Your agents struggle with complex or lengthy navigation sequences
- Your agents have to re-type data on multiple applications during a call
- The user experience could be improved through process guidance
- You want to reuse application functionality in new composite applications such as a unified desktop solution or as part of a broader SOA initiative.
To optimize a customer service process even further, organizations can automate desktop applications to provide process guidance, enhance existing workflows, and eliminate redundant data entry while simplifying lengthy navigation sequences. Even better, technology in the market today steps beyond pure automation and provides full integration capabilities, allowing you to expose your existing closed application functionality as open standard web services for reuse in your SOA initiatives. And more important, all this is accomplished without modification of the applications, without access to source code, and without needing an API!
By harnessing the power of scripting and process automation, your customer conversations become consistent, efficient and effective. Together, these technologies ensure that your desktop applications are in complete harmony to the customer conversation. The result is happier agents, happier customers and more profitable conversations.