The more you know about your contact center, the easier it is to drive results.
Wallboards allow companies to track crucial metrics like call volume, calls waiting, and average hold time. Consolidated metrics give supervisors and managers a clear overview of how the contact center is performing. At the same time, agents can compare their performance to peer benchmarks and track progress towards their goals.
With strategically placed graphics and visual announcements on a wallboard solution, companies motivate, inspire, and inform their people. This technology is increasingly valuable at a time when remote and hybrid workplaces are growing in popularity. Reuters suggests that the number of permanent remote workers will double in 2021, driven by the productivity gains flexible teams saw during 2020.
So, how do you leverage the power of the wallboard in a transformative environment? It all starts with knowing which information has the most significant impact. Here's your guide to which metrics work best for wallboards in any environment.
77% of contact centers switched to having 50% of their workforce or more operating from home in 2020, during the pandemic. This shift in working practices means that companies can't just rely on having the right wallboards active in their centers; they need to think about remote workers.
Figuring out which metrics are most valuable for at-home workers and how to display that information in an easy-to-consume format is crucial. Remember, wallboards are most effective when they engage and inspire your agents, they:
The days of old-fashioned and inefficient LED wallboards are over. Today's companies have been moving towards digital alternatives for some time. Many companies run their wallboard technology through lightweight applications. The same apps that work in an office can deliver useful information to a home-based computer or browser.
If, like many companies, you're shifting to a hybrid work environment with both remote and in-office employees, you'll need a wallboard that displays all of the right information in the contact center, as well as in remote settings.
First, business leaders need to ensure they’re tracking, monitoring, and visualizing the essential contact center metrics. These are the numbers that monitor the ongoing health of your contact center, operational metrics to watch include:
Whether your employees are present in the office or working remotely, their aim should always be to deliver the best possible experiences. Hybrid and remote workers are currently getting used to a new environment, where there may be additional distractions and challenges to consider. If you’re not careful, confusion in the workplace and the remote landscape could harm your CX performance.
Now that 88% of global consumers say that they plan on sticking with the brands that they’ve had good experiences with during this difficult time, it’s more important than ever to get that experience right.
With your wallboard metrics, keep a close watch on proven CX metrics, to ensure that you continue to live up to expectations, no matter how your team operations change. Metrics to consider include:
A survey tool integrated directly with your platform for contact center technology will allow you to collect all of the data you need for the above metrics. From there, you can arrange the information most likely to inspire, educate, and direct your employees onto your wallboard software.
Excellent customer experiences are dependent on empowered and informed employees.
Although many studies indicate that productivity levels can thrive in a remote and hybrid working environment, the initial shift to a new work style is sure to cause disruption. With the right contact center APIs, companies can keep an eye on agent performance, and how it’s affected by different working environments.
Agent productivity metrics presented on a wallboard can also give your team members insights into the kind of performance expected from them, while showing supervisors who needs extra guidance or direction. Common metrics used to motivate higher levels of performance from employees include:
Remember, productivity metrics are excellent for giving your team members some extra motivation. However, they can also be an insightful way for supervisors and directors to discover where they need to begin repairing any CX deficiencies, and where they should be delivering positive feedback and rewards to top performers.
Less is more – As tempting as it might be to fill your wallboard with rich information, don’t crowd the screen. It’s easy for employees to feel overwhelmed by the amount of tech they need to keep track of. Agents working from home may even have smaller screens than they do in the office, making it harder to deal with multiple insights at once. Avoid special effects that might not work on every device and scrolling text that requires team members to sit and watch. Some staff may prefer or require a desktop view, even when working in the office environment.
Use color to signify performance: When glancing at wallboards to check performance levels, agents need quick confirmation of how well they are performing. Colors like red to indicate low performance, yellow to indicate a dip, and green to show your staff that they’re performing well is the most efficient way to display metrics.
Utilize threshold-based alerting and dynamic content – Threshold-based alerting and dynamic content is an excellent way to keep team members motivated. You can use dynamic alerting and messages to congratulate agents whether they’re in the office, or working remotely, when they hit their targets or achieve new benchmarks. This technology is also helpful for broadcast announcements when you need to share information among multiple people at once. Dynamic alerts are particularly valuable for remote agents, which have limited screen space.
Always choose the metrics that suit your goals – There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. Though we’ve offered guidance above, it’s up to you to determine which numbers matter most to your agents and your contact center.
Use the right technology: Find the technology that’s equipped to help you navigate this complex world of hybrid work. A call queuing tool will help you to manage times when there are spikes in call volume. You could even use callback tools to reduce abandonment rates and lower the strain on your employees. When using these tools, show another metric on your wallboard that demonstrates the number of calls in the queuing service.
Wallboards stand out as a valuable way to share information with team members, improve engagement and encourage better work. Today, wallboards have a lot of value to offer, but it's important to remember that you're not just catering to an in-office environment anymore.
Many business leaders will shift to a hybrid environment that includes both in-office and remote workers. This will allow companies to leverage a more flexible workforce while minimizing overheads and typical costs.
In an omnichannel communication environment, driven by remote and hybrid teams now working in distributed locations worldwide, traditional wallboards need an update. These tools can still be a powerful motivator for your teams, but they require careful consideration and strategic management.
Remember, pay attention to the feedback that your team can give you too. Your employees will advise you on which information they find most useful, both in the office and when working from home.