The Expert Guide to Enhancing Workforce Productivity in Contact Centres

In the realm of customer service operations, the ever-shifting dynamics of demand and performance present challenges that require strategic foresight and adaptability. At StableLogic, we engage in analysing and boosting productivity within contact centres. Let's delve into the nuanced strategies we employ to elevate these crucial operations.

Unpacking Operational Challenges

Contact centres face several hurdles— fluctuating customer demands, variable operational performance and manual processes hampering workforce planning to name just a few. Quality management can struggle amid ongoing changes, impacting employee satisfaction and hindering performance improvement initiatives. This landscape necessitates a holistic approach to revamp operations.

Strategic Anchors for Transformation

Our strategy for dynamic workforce planning encompasses the creation of adaptable tools and streamlined processes, enabling real-time optimisation of a workforce. This spans from refining recruitment processes to enabling the swift deployment of resources during periods of heightened demand, ensuring agility and efficiency throughout.

We embed tools and methodologies that nurture a supportive culture, enrich employee experiences, and diminish absenteeism, fostering the foundation for a high-performing team. With precision in performance management, we help implement real-time reporting systems across operational areas, empowering data-driven decisions and reinforcing alignment with key performance indicators.

Furthermore, our focus on seamless change integration ensures the smooth assimilation of new technologies while safeguarding operational efficiency and maintaining a streamlined approach to service delivery.

Tailored Support Approach

In the pursuit of operational excellence, our focus begins with operating framework refinement, where we guide the seamless transition from existing practices to enhanced methodologies into daily operations. We collaborate with HR teams on optimisation strategies, revamping resource allocation strategies and implementing tools that enhance adaptability to variable demand scenarios.

Complementing this, our commitment to quality assurance involves instilling tools for performance enhancement and constructing automated, real-time reporting mechanisms, enabling effective decision-making. Support alongside your transformation is provided, assisting in optimising new channels and driving efficiency gains throughout the organisation.

This comprehensive strategy ensures a cohesive and integrated approach to refining and optimising various facets of our operations.

Envisioned Transformative Outcomes and Measuring Success

Our transformations drive strategies towards tangible results. Enhancing the operational framework is at the core, guiding the transition from the current operational state to a more refined, responsive system. This, coupled with streamlined workforce management, ensures consistent alignment of resources to meet customer demands effectively. Elevating customer experience remains pivotal, focusing on consistently meeting and surpassing operational KPIs. Alongside this, we seek improvements in agent efficiency and a reduction in backlog. Fostering healthier work dynamics is key, aiming to diminish absenteeism and turnover rates, cultivating a more stable and conducive work environment for all.

StableLogic and PureGym: Reimagining a customer service model

PureGym’s rapid expansion led to challenges in its customer centre located in Leeds. The centre primarily relied on call-based services, leading to strain as the workload increased. The use of different systems like an on-prem telephony system, virtual desktops, and multiple third-party apps hindered the efficiency of the agents. There was an inability to connect previous interactions and the difficulty in upgrading IT systems due to continuous 24-hour operations.

During peak seasons, especially in January and September, the business faced a surge in demand and coped by hiring temporary staff, incurring substantial expenses. The increased demand affected both customer and employee experiences, causing longer wait times and frustration among customers. Realising the unsustainability of relying solely on recruitment, the company sought to transform its customer service operations.

The initial phase involved the retirement of on-premises systems, transitioning to a unified cloud-based contact centre platform. Following a thorough evaluation process, a proposal was selected from service providers specialising in this field. The chosen solution highlighted its user-friendly interface and rapid activation of new omnichannel features, AI automations, and workforce management tools.

The project encompassed four distinct workstreams, facilitating channel migration and the adoption of remote work practices. These efforts aimed to ensure a seamless experience for both users and employees, establish a comprehensive knowledge repository, implement a chatbot to ease advisors' repetitive tasks, and develop internal applications and tools to enhance service quality.

Supported by specialists, the migration process proceeded smoothly with minimal disruption. Presently, several months post-implementation, the organisation is actively enjoying the benefits of this transition.

Rounding up

The journey toward operational excellence demands an adaptive, comprehensive strategy. At StableLogic, our commitment lies in guiding organisations through these transformative phases, fostering stability, efficiency, and sustained growth. Our aim is not just to address immediate challenges but to build a foundation for enduring success.