In my recent blog post, I discussed how customers like to do things themselves, so when engaging with a retailer, they often start with self service. I also shared how chatbots can provide customers with what they need without ever having to speak to an agent. In fact, a recent Salesforce study found that 69% of consumers prefer to use chatbots because they provide instant responses.

Personally, I like that. Jump on the website, ask the bot to find what I’m looking for, add it to my cart, pay, and done. Did I mention I love to shop? Online or in store, I love it. I’m feeling the need for some retail therapy right about now ...

What if self service is not enough?

Well, it’s simple. Just transfer to a live agent and they will help you. Right?

Not so fast. You can’t just grab a person off the street, give them a computer and phone, and tell them to start helping your customers. Well, you can, but that’s probably not going to work out well for your business.

There are certain qualities that an agent should have to be successful:

  • Passion
  • Empathy
  • Patience
  • Good organizational skills
  • Good memory
  • Effective communication and listening skills

This is not a complete list, but you get the point. And these qualities are especially helpful in the retail industry where many purchases come with some level of emotion, for instance: a state-of-the-art road bike, a fancy designer bag, a custom mugs, a leather chair for your new office, or a vacation to some exotic destination. These items are NOT non-discretionary, and when emotion is involved, agents with the qualities listed above are going to be better equipped to help these customers.

So, these qualities are important, but agents also need the right tool and support.

Prepare your agents for success

The right tools and access to information

Call Centre Helper ran a poll and found that 51% of contact centers ask agents to use three to four applications to assist customers, with 26% asking them to use five to nine applications. Regardless of the number, consider an agent’s frustration with having to constantly tab between applications as they are helping a customer. Then there’s the time involved. If your agents are searching for the right application on their desktop, this takes valuable time and impacts metrics like average handle, hold, and wrap up times.

An agent’s desktop workspace is crucial to their efficiency and impact. Having all the applications they need in a single workspace makes their job easier, which greatly enhances the service your customers receive.

Agent tools are gateways to information. It has been said time and time again: information and/or knowledge is power. The right desktop tools can put that power right at your agents’ fingertips, enabling them to handle customer requests accurately, authoritatively, and effortlessly. According to a Deloitte survey, customer experience is predominantly influenced by “providing accurate service and information (66%) and by making interactions effortless (62%).”

Training for improved agent performance

Training your contact center agents can take so many forms, however, proper training is extremely important for your employees and company performance. It starts with onboarding and continues with giving new hires a thorough understanding of your products and services, along with the tools and systems they need to do their day-to-day jobs.

Taking the time to thoroughly educate new agents will pay huge dividends for your customers, company, and the agents themselves. Customers will interact with knowledgeable company representatives who, with quick access to information, can help them get exactly what they want while providing product details or suggesting related accessories. This enables your agents to succeed in their support and sales efforts, so they can hit and perhaps exceed their KPIs.

Motivation to get the job done

Consider the specific role each agent plays in your contact center. What are the KPIs they are expected to hit, and what is their path forward when they excel at their job? Setting and communicating expectations with your agents goes a long way. Knowing what is expected of them helps keep everyone on the same page. Motivation, like training, can come in many different forms.

For example, if hitting certain individual or team KPIs will trigger a bonus, you can be sure that your entire team will be working towards that goal. Peer-to-peer support is very helpful as well. Encourage your teams to call out their peers for a job well done or going the extra mile, and be sure to recognize them in group meetings and on company message boards.

At the same time, it’s crucial to be a good manager. According to a Gallup study, employees who strongly agree that they feel supported by their manager are about 70% less likely to experience burnout on a regular basis. Burnout in the contact center world is a real thing and can be costly to the business.

As a manager, you can help your employees to reach new levels, achieve their goals, and avoid burnout. It’s critical to keep the lines of communication open, listen to and implement agent feedback, understand and address the pressures they feel, and know their career aspirations.

So what about assisted service?

The goal of this blog post is to understand what to do when self service is not enough and your customer reaches out to an agent for assisted service. But it takes more than just a warm body to answer your customers’ questions, they need to be prepared.

I have covered some ideas to help you prepare your retail agents to provide the best service experience. It’s important to note that this is not a comprehensive list of tools, training, and motivation techniques – consider it food for thought.

For more information about 8x8 for Retail, please visit https://www.8x8.com/solutions/retail.