Meeting customers tomorrow’s expectations today

We all know the Contact Centre is evolving, there are already multiple channels available for a customer to communicate; Telephony, Email, Paper, Live Chat, Social Media, SmartPhone, Video, and Fax (no kidding the Fax is not yet dead) to name a few of the main ones. Couple this complex operating models facilitated by technology such as  Multi-channel Desktop, Queue Buster, next generation reporting, Call Flow Analytics, and Speech analytic’s (again to name only a very few) and this all makes for a complex world for a planner to operate in and ensure the old age mantra of delivering;

“The art of having the right number of correctly trained and skilled staff, in the right place and at the right time, with the right supporting resources, to handle an accurately forecasted workload at service level and with quality”

 I don’t have all the answers, but I do know firstly that Technology is big driver of change in any industry, and secondarily that the Workforce planner who looks ahead knows what direction to start evolving the planning process to meet future demand after all as it was said best;

Alice: ’Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where-’ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.

Last year I  attended a workshop hosted by Avaya, and I would like to share some of leanings I took.

Firstly there is now no predominate channel, based on data taken from Webtorials editorial/analyst division on responses of preferred channel, and it is clear that there is shift to non traditional channels such as social media and chat.