February, 4 2020 3:29 pm
Take a look at your call center’s agents’ desktop. Are there multiple windows? Do various prompts lead them from one program to another, distracting them from the work they were already focused on? Is it easy to navigate from the call interface to the instant messaging or email interface and back?
If these questions leave you wondering how your agents can get anything done, it might be time to consider a consolidated desktop. Too many contact centers suffer from decreased productivity and agent efficiency because those agents are not fully immersed in an intuitive, interactive desktop. Making things easier for your agents - and more profitable for your center - can be as simple as offering them a consolidated desktop interface.
First, though, let’s look at why this feature is so important:
In short, a consolidated desktop is one single desktop view or interface from which your agents can look at and do everything they need to. This can mean a single program or one that allows agents to easily navigate between several. Regardless, the important part is that the interface makes everyday tasks easier for agents - which is great news for the centers they work for.
Do your agents require a simplified desktop? No. Many centers operate with standard desktop layouts for many years with adequate results. However, “Adequate” is the best a facility can hope for without this kind of streamlining. If you are looking to cut down on lost time and lost productivity, there is simply no other way to attack the problem than to streamline your desktop interface.
Without a desktop interface that offers the tools your agents need to perform, those that are capable of rising above the challenges will. However, just because an agent can find their way around problems with their technology doesn’t mean better performance! In fact, complicating their work through a convoluted desktop interface can hamper their output and the quality of their work.
Agents without the tools they need in one place may resort to anything from accessing previously-taken notes to searching the company database or training materials for answers - or even the internet. All of that, while still trying to serve customers or clients. That’s why a consolidated desktop is so important. With everything they need in one place, your agents won’t have to spend time digging for answers; they will already have them.
What are the benefits of a streamlined desktop interface? Besides being more visually appealing to many employees, they boast myriad advantages for productivity and efficiency - benefits your center and its consumers will love.
A consolidated desktop makes it easy to see everything at once. This doesn’t mean being overwhelmed with information the way an agent might be if they are working with numerous windows or programs. Instead, it means easy access to what is important and simple, intuitive transitions to what will become important as calls or after-call work progresses.
This ease of access means a shorter average handling time for agents and their consumers. When you can easily navigate between important pieces of information, you can handle calls quicker and more efficiently than you might be able to when wading through numerous windows. It makes every call a little bit faster, which adds up to big-time savings over even a single workday!
Another way that consolidated desktops save time is through decreasing the number of sign-on and sign-off procedures your agents have to undergo to do their jobs. Every application and program your agents use should require user authentication; this is a basic measure of safety that is in place in every successful contact center. However, there is no need for multiple sign-ons when all of those applications are integrated into a single interface. This saves time signing in, prevents wasted time with sign-offs, and keeps agents focused on more important, meaningful tasks.
Agents who enjoy a simpler, more sensible desktop configuration also enjoy deeper knowledge of their own job and a greater sense of independence. Rather than spending time looking for solutions, they have what they need to find them already in front of them. This means that even less-experienced agents can perform at higher success rates and deliver better results to clients and consumers, all without having to rely on one another or management team members as much.
Consolidation of the desktop also means shorter agent training times to yield job proficiency. With less to learn in terms of applications and programs, your agents can get to the heart of their job tasks quicker - and learn the ropes of their new positions faster, too. That saves your company valuable training time and resources.
What comes with a more streamlined desktop and better-trained agents? Fewer human errors and better compliance with outbound calling regulations. Remember, whether your agents are making calls or taking them, they are only human - and technology doesn’t make for perfect results, even when used properly. The chances of making mistakes are drastically lessened, though, when that technology is improved and made easier to use.
All of this adds up to more productivity and efficiency, of course. But it also adds up to happier agents, who are more empowered in their positions and better able to do their jobs properly. It equals enhanced safety and better security for your clients and consumers. It makes for better business for everyone involved in your center’s daily operations.
When you’re ready to give your employees the gift of a simple, streamlined, consolidated desktop, talk to the professionals at ChaseData. We are your go-to source for software solutions in the contact center industry, offering the tools and technology you need to make your agents’ workdays easier. Preview our software and learn more today - give us a call to find out how!