![\"Smileys](\"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/smileys-gfa.jpg\")
\nFor brands and businesses seeking to navigate rising customer expectations over the past year, an interesting paradox has emerged: consumers now seek the gold-plated speed and convenience of the e-commerce world but they aren\u2019t willing to sacrifice the human touch. This reflects the findings of a PricewaterhouseCoopers consumer survey which revealed the four most important factors in an exceptional experience are speed, convenience, knowledgeable help and friendly service.\u00a0Meanwhile, ask the people who are directly involved in running a contact centre or any other customer service operation, what customers really want from their favourite brands and they will say \u2018more expanded channels\u2019 (63%) and \u2018more emotional empathy from agents\u2019 (62%).<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/i><\/b>How the CX paradox impacts agent wellbeing<\/b><\/p>\n
These double-edged customer expectations are highlighted in the challenges faced by those on the frontline. Seventy percent of contact agents say they are managing more calls than they did 18 months ago thanks to a marked rise in the good old voice communication. In fact, 1 in 3 agents say their biggest challenge is \u2018too many calls\u2019. Over the same period, 60% of agents say they are managing far more non-voice calls and that meeting rising customer expectations is a top challenge for the contact centre (73%).<\/p>\n
Most worryingly, all this is having a serious and detrimental impact on agent wellbeing. Stress puts a negative filter on just about every metric from agent satisfaction and engagement to the service those stressed agents provide. When 1 in 3 agents say they are considering leaving their jobs within the year and 96% of them are feeling \u2018acutely stressed\u2019 at least once a week, you know it is time for action.<\/p>\n
3 ways to embrace double-edged customer expectations<\/b><\/p>\n
Follow these three important steps towards happier agents \u2013 and customers:
\n<\/u>
\n1. Recognise that complexity is the main barrier to success<\/b> \u2013 at first glance, fast, omnichannel service appears to be at odds with a knowledgeable, empathetic, human touch approach. In fact, the real barrier is complexity, accepting it and then recognising that these two apparently different objectives \u2013 omnichannel speed and in-depth human connections \u2013 actually share the same barriers within the contact centre. Both require greater unification of channels for a 360-degree agent view that delivers seamless CX. Both are held back by insufficient or unsuccessful use of automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) while clunky or disconnected systems don\u2019t collect accurate data about agent and customer behaviours.<\/p>\n
2. Invest in agent-empowering technologies <\/strong>\u2013 to enable and encourage frontline staff to deliver fast, seamless interactions with the human touch.\u00a0 Our own research tells us that agents appreciate the potential impact of self-service, automation and AI.\u00a0 Rather than fear being replaced by robots, agents now welcome innovative tech as a means to free them from tedious tasks (40%) and focus on more fulfilling and higher-value service that only experienced human agents can provide (30%).<\/u><\/p>\n 3. Be a smooth operator\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 it\u2019s clear that many contact centres need better, smarter technology to overcome incumbent barriers and enable forward-thinking agent and CX strategies. But surely, doesn\u2019t adding more technology sound like more complexity and more burdens? The key is seeking technologies that resolve, rather than increase complexity.<\/p>\n Look for contact centre solutions that meet three essential criteria for resolving complexity: easy, personalised and smart. Easy to implement, learn and use, solutions should also integrate with existing core systems. Highly personalised, modern systems are built from the ground up, with the agent experience and customer journey in mind. Finally, solutions must be smart with analytics capabilities embedded in their DNA, not as an after-thought or as a series of bolt-on tools.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time to embrace doubled-edged customer expectations with a strategy that keeps both agents and customers happy. In our next blogs, learn what we mean by the technology tug-of-war then use our 3-point plan to remove complexity and become a cloud-smart contact centre. Check out the full report here: \u201cEmbracing double-edged customer expectations: Navigating the complexities of rising demands and digital-first customer experiences\u201d,<\/a><\/i>\u00a0visit\u00a0www.calabrio.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n Ross Daniels is Chief Marketing Officer at\u00a0<\/b>Calabrio<\/b><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n The best customer experiences blend speed and convenience with the human touch.\u00a0 Ross Daniels at Calabrio shares 3 winning strategies for meeting complex customer and agent expectations..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":541,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29699"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/541"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29699"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29709,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29699\/revisions\/29709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Ross](\"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ross-daniels-calabrio.jpg\")
Calabrio is the customer experience intelligence company that empowers organisations to enrich human interactions. Through AI-driven analytics, Calabrio uncovers customer behaviour and sentiment and derives compelling insights from the contact centre. Organisations choose Calabrio for its ability to understand customer needs and the overall experience it provides, from implementation to ongoing support. Find more at <\/span>calabrio.com<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and follow\u00a0<\/span>@Calabrio<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on Twitter.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"