Apr 06 2017 Here’s How You Really Simplify Call Routing – By First Asking Why
One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “How do I simplify call routing to my contact center agents?”
At a surface level, this question is understandable. When deployed strategically, automation solutions can shore up inefficiencies and create cost savings for many contact centers.
Unfortunately, however, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to how to simplify call routing.
Streamlining call routing is an integral part of making operations within a contact center as efficient as possible, so again, it’s great that you’re thinking about it. However, the first question you should be asking is not how you can simplify your contact center call routing, but why.
What “Why” Really Means
So you might be thinking to yourself, “Amy, the ‘why’ in this case should be obvious, because the simplification of my call routing is my why.”
I get it. This seems a little redundant. But when I’m asking you why do you want to create a simpler system, what I’m really asking is, “What business objective are you trying to accomplish?”
Is it to obtain more information from callers before passing them onto agents? Do you need to meet a contractual obligation regarding how quickly you answer calls? Before you can determine the best way to eliminate inefficiencies in your call routing, you need to be able to clearly articulate what you’re trying to accomplish.
If you don’t take the time to ask yourself some probing questions and define why you need simplified call routing, you are likely to run into problems. Routing that is “faster” doesn’t automatically equate to an enhanced or improved customer experience, which is the foundation of consumer loyalty and repeat customer relationships.
That’s because in business, just like in life, taking swift action without thinking through your motivations doesn’t help you succeed; it just makes you fail faster.
So, How Do You Figure Why?
What if you get that you need to figure out your why, but you don’t know how?
The reality is that often finding out why you need simplified call routing isn’t something you can do on your own, but that’s okay. It almost always takes more than a single person to outline your business objectives, so organize a meeting with your key stakeholders to find out what outcome they want to see from the changes you make.
Prepare for the meeting by reading your contracts carefully. What contractual obligations are you failing to meet? Review statistics on how you’re currently handling calls so you know exactly what the situation is right now. What standard of service does your company provide and how would you like that to change?
Once you know why you need to simplify your contact center’s call routing, you can start to think about how. Discuss with your key stakeholders whether you need to bring in a partner to help you make the change. Weigh the options with your stakeholders so they can make an educated decision.
Irony Has Its Place
I am not a big fan of irony, but the ironic truth in this case is that a simple answer to how to simplify your call center routing does not exist, and there are no shortcuts around the steps I’ve described.
So be prepared to use a lot of mental elbow grease when thinking the problem through carefully, so you can identify where your current routing strategy is going wrong and determine the best way to change it to achieve your goals. But don’t worry; investing the time and resources in determining “why” first has its rewards. You’ll have a call routing solution that is designed to fit the unique needs of your organization and won’t need to be restructured or canned entirely down the line, while also creating a better experience for your customers.