Operational excellence (OpEx) is the crucial link between strategy execution and sustainable performance and growth. Good OpEx ensures that a strategy is executed effectively, with every function of the organization striving to achieve its goals.
Operational excellence focuses on managing and overseeing systems to provide business value while constantly refining related processes and methods. Yet, many OpEx and business transformation initiatives remain separate from customer experience (CX) teams in companies. This separation presents two major risks:
• CX may be increasingly sidelined or downsized due to the perceived lack of added business value.
• Organizations may fail in their efforts to consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences, which ultimately determine their success.
Companies must foster a customer-focused culture to deliver consistently excellent customer experiences. OpEx is the key component, bridging CX-centric strategies with real customer interactions.
True customer delight occurs when companies prioritize and surpass customer needs over their own goals. This involves directing customers to the appropriate agent and equipping agents with insights to amplify their effectiveness tenfold.
What is the barrier to improved OpEx and better CX in a Contact Center?
Several factors hinder the improvement of Operational excellence in call routing systems. Some common issues include:
Complexity and Length of Menus
Call routing systems often use IVR (Interactive Voice Response), which can be complex and challenging to navigate. Lengthy menus require users to go through multiple levels to find what they are looking for, leading to frustration for customers and agents. Traditional IVR systems also lack insights and analytics capabilities.
Limited Options for Customization
IVR systems often have limited customization options, making it difficult for users to tailor the experience to their specific needs. This can be especially frustrating for users with unique questions or concerns not addressed by the available menu options.
Limited Feedback and Interaction
Traditional IVR systems have limited feedback and interaction options, making real-time analytics challenging and decreasing agent effectiveness.
To improve OpEx, Contact Centers can transform traditional IVRs into Conversational IVRs by incorporating open-ended questions and utilizing the latest technologies and best practices. A modular architecture allows for a mix-and-match approach, crafting a solution tailored to unique needs without changing the existing tech stack. It is possible to upgrade platforms such as Microsoft, Genesys, Avaya, Nice, Five9, Amazon Connect, Cisco, whether operating on-premise or in the cloud.
How to Enhance OpEx in Contact Centers
Improve Agent Efficiency
Instead of presenting the entire transcript of a caller’s conversation, display only the relevant details on the agent’s screen before accepting a call. This approach allows agents to prepare for resolution or personalize their greeting for a more positive customer experience, improving call center efficiency and enhancing the customer experience.
Improve Call Analytics and Feedback Insight
A comprehensive call analytics solution unlocks valuable information, allowing organizations to pinpoint areas of struggle, identify process improvements, and evaluate the success of customer interactions. Capturing customer feedback during or after calls is crucial for optimizing the customer experience.
Choose the right Technology
With open architecture, most Conversational IVR vendors connect to LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT. However, it’s essential to have guardrails in place for generative AI and precision, ensuring the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated content and the correct interpretation of close-lying intents.
Open questions using advanced technology can understand the nature of a call and handle it using the customer’s language. By asking the customer, “How can I help?” open questions can effectively resolve various customer calls without agent intervention. Conversational IVR can help map out each step along the customer’s journey, identifying areas of uncertainty, delays, or incomplete information.
Want to Know More?
If you’re interested in transforming your IVR, OpenQuestion can help. We’ve outlined the necessary steps to help you get started on creating a better customer experience in our helpful guide: “The Future of Conversational IVR, and why TX (Telephone Experiences) is the way forward.“
Or, if you’re ready to supercharge your Operational excellence already, sign up for a demo at Teneo.ai, here.
Incorporating Conversational IVR with open questions in your contact center can significantly improve both OpEx and CX.
By taking an outside-in approach to evaluate behind-the-scenes processes and using advanced technology to understand customer needs better, organizations can ensure consistently delightful customer experiences while maximizing operational efficiency.
Ultimately, bridging the gap between OpEx and CX in contact centers involves a combination of technology, process optimization, and a customer-centric culture. By addressing these areas, organizations can enhance their overall performance and create a sustainable competitive advantage in today’s ever-evolving marketplace.
