How many times have you heard: "Can I put you on hold for a minute"? If you are like me, and you probably are, the answer is WAY too many times. We all dread that wasted time being put on hold by a call center agent when we are trying to reconcile our bill, get rid of an erroneous charge, or request support of some kind. 

Have you ever thought about what is actually driving that agent to put you on hold? Sure, at times, the interaction calls for a supervisor to empower the agent to grant you a refund, for example, but those instances are the exception. Much too often, the reason we are put on hold is likely two-fold:

1. The agent is ill-equipped to support your needs

2. The technology is ill-equipped to support your needs

Overcoming Agent-Driven Workflow Disruption

An under-trained or under-skilled agent can cause havoc in the customer service world. When interacting with prospects and/or customers, ill-prepared agents who take calls are akin to middle-school football players being sent in to NFL games. To say the least, they do not have the wherewithal to get the job done. Therefore, most often when you are put on hold by one of these under-skilled agents, it is because the individual does not know where to look for the information they need to support you. During the silence, the agent is literally fumbling through screen after screen attempting to locate your account record or the product information you're looking for.

This doesn't have to happen. An integrated call recording and screen recording system can capture the live interaction and provide a complete picture (upon playback) of the entire interaction and where the agent went wrong. Supervisors can then empower the agent with the right workflow knowledge to better handle customer needs moving forward. 

Overcoming Technology-Driven Workflow Disruption

Here is another question for you. How many times have you heard the phrase: "Our systems are slow today"? We all know what that is really code for - our systems suck. That is, the applications designed to support the agent, and the flow with which these applications pop up, has some sort of issue. For example, while you are on hold, the agent is trying to figure out why the refund screen isn't showing when he/she tries to issue a refund. While this is obviously a very simple example of workflow disruption, we can all image how complex agent workflow can be for a financial services or insurance agent, for instance. In these environments, the tools, applications and screens designed to support these representatives can be inordinate. 

The problem the agent is encountering is a disruption of some sort in their workflow. A call recording and screen recording system can capture and store the interaction for subsequent replay. Supervisors can then detect any gaps or problems within the workflow and can remedy them to ensure future calls don't suffer the same disruptions.

In a world where 67% of customers leave for a competitor due to poor customer service, you cannot afford to have workflow gaps or interruptions in your contact centers or within the BPOs supporting you. Your agents ought to be empowered with the knowledge, skill and technology to stay on the line with your customers and prospects and satisfy their needs in a rapid manner, without interruption.

Just imagine if you never had to hear that "Can I put you on hold?" phrase again.