Electronic Retailer - November 2011 - 39

GUEST VIEWPOINT

BY CLYDE MOUNT

Turn Your Cost Center into a Profit Center
These days, it seems many large enterprises and traditional retail operations still view their contact center as a “cost center” rather than a “profit center.” Typically, reporting up through the operations side of the business, there is almost a myopic concentration on traditional KPIs. And when these contact centers require a major new investment in technology, they often become candidates for outsourcing as the solution for cost reduction. But this does not necessarily have to be the case. With the right investments in technology, software and agent training, an enterprise can deliver highperformance contact center services that deliver profitable engagements at every customer touch point – turning a once costly operation into a cost-effective and even lucrative one. In my experience, there are key aspects of a contact center that can effectively drive profit for the enterprise. These are also the major differentiators and selection criteria reviewed by company leaders when making the decision to outsource all or part of a call center to a third-party provider. Want to see how your high-cost contact center can become a dynamic profit center? Review these major factors in your operations and decide if any changes can be made. – emphasizing increased orders, customer retention and building your average order value or average SKUs per order. and guarantee you savings. The key is knowing when it’s best to rely on IVR and when to efficiently assign your agents for your most important calls. IVR is best used for routine inquiries dealing with basic information such as payments and balances, and not for emotionally-charged topics such as fraud. IVR is ideal for the first level of verification on a call, but complex transactions – and those with cross-sell and upsell opportunities – should always be dealt with by a live agent. Regardless of what is most economical for your business, the customer should generally be given the option to speak with a live agent. You might also consider a special live agent path for your best customers.

Appropriate Automation – Using IVR Where it Makes Sense
Generally, companies aim to use IVR (Interactive Voice Response) as often as possible. This makes sense in that it reduces operating expenses by minimizing the number of calls that require live agent support, and it allows for aroundthe-clock service at times when no agents are on hand. When used correctly, IVR and speech recognition technology can automate a large percentage of your calls

Every contact center should be filled with thoughtful, sophisticated agents with vibrant personalities who can solve a problem quickly when it arises.

Marketing Versus Operations Responsibility
Consider the organizational motivations and compensation structure for operations versus marketing personnel. Creating profitable new opportunities in your call center may be as simple as realigning your compensation plan to motivate personnel for customer service, metrics and sales performance 39

November 2011 | electronicRETAILER

Electronic Retailer - November 2011

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