Workflow bottlenecks are annoying, especially when they involve your company’s call center. Worse, they can cost your company valuable time and negatively impact your bottom line. Fortunately, resolving costly bottlenecks is less complex and requires less money than business owners often fear.
Here are four ways to solve workflow bottlenecks.
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Opt for a Call Center Software Suite
Many companies operate with a hodgepodge of software and hardware that are minimally compatible or simply do not work with one another at all. The result is a lot of wasted time by employees attempting to devise MacGyver-like workarounds. In addition, customers are also left frustrated by call center agents who are hampered in responding to in-bound calls or who initiate communications that have little relationship to their needs.
The solution is to choose call center software that comprises a coordinated system of email, chat, social media and, of course, voice calls. Top-of-the-line call center solutions work with both in-house IT setups and cloud-based vendors, and allow call center professionals to handle incoming calls and initiate outgoing communications seamlessly.
Top-of-the-line contact center automation works with both in-house IT setups and cloud-based vendors, and allows call center professionals to handle incoming calls and initiate outgoing communications seamlessly.
Seek Simple Solutions When Possible
Sometimes bottlenecks are simple and relatively inexpensive to solve. For instance, providing a means for employees to voice concerns, anonymously if desired, can clear up potential areas of conflict that might otherwise go unaddressed for weeks or even months. Solutions like these cost little or nothing, and have the added benefit of improving employee morale.
Encourage Employees to Make Suggestions
Your company’s call center professionals are on the front lines of interactions with your customers. They often have a greater immediate understanding of your customers’ challenges than anyone else in the company does. Why not tap into this first-hand knowledge to devise solutions to your company’s bottlenecks?
It’s worthwhile to provide a bonus or other incentive to encourage employees to share their wisdom. Just as with strategies like providing a means for employees to air their frustrations, encouraging them to make suggestions for improving workflow provides employees with a sense of investment in the company.
Invest Dollars to Save Time (and More Dollars)
Sometimes it’s necessary to make a substantial financial investment to solve a critical bottleneck. For instance, if a large percentage of calls are going unanswered, not because of personnel shortages but because of outdated equipment, you’ve got a real problem. Likewise, if your company is operating with outdated IT hardware or software, it is imperative to make updates and upgrades to stop the drain of wasted time, as well as protect your company’s crucial data from catastrophic crashes, ransomware or similar peril.
Solving Costly Bottlenecks
Call center bottlenecks are not only annoying, they often cost your company money. Employees waste time and effort chasing down files, while customers may experience frustration that could ultimately drive them to your company’s competition. Utilizing a coordinated call center software package, updating your company’s IT hardware and software, along with making other needed investments represent money well spent. On the other hand, encouraging call center employees to share knowledge gained on the front lines is an inexpensive means of solving many bottlenecks.
