The 5 Ways We Use CX Data

Many customer experience (CX) providers say they are data led or data driven. What does that mean? Though it’s standard practice to collect, verify and report contact center data, what matters most is how you use it. How will it make operations more efficient, lead to higher performance or process improvements? How will it help clients and customers? At the end of the day, data is only useful when translated into actionable insights that make our business, and those of our clients, better. So, here are 5 ways we use CX data to enhance our service delivery and the customer journey.  

1. Data for Performance Management 

One of our main goals is to strive for performance excellence, and we could not achieve this without using data. After all, data driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers and six times more likely to retain them. In a contact center, data collection and analysis allow us to attach quantifiable benchmarks to service delivery. It also allows us to measure our overall success and ensure we meet or exceed our clients’ key performance indicators (KPI). However, it’s not just about meeting client expectations. Data’s key function, in this circumstance, is to essentially measure the quality of customer experience to ensure our agents are performing at their best. 

We do this by using an advanced performance management system that gives agents, supervisors, and operations teams access to performance tracking, with near real-time data capture. Agents can see how they’re performing against client targets and even each other. Supervisors, as well as Quality Assurance (QA) teams, can use data insights gleaned from the platform, so they can offer relevant feedback that can make a direct impact when it comes to specific performance metrics. They can even deliver immediate coaching, to ensure high-quality interactions, and overall service excellence.  

2. Data for Learning & Development 

It’s not enough, however, to know how well you’re performing. The right data, when analyzed by our data scientists, can be transformed into actionable insights, which allow us to improve processes and outcomes. By analyzing data pulled from our performance management system, we can identify areas for improvement or even root causes of recurring challenges, so they can be addressed.  

A notable example is our AI-driven Learning & Development platform, which integrates with our performance management software. If an agent is struggling to meet a performance metric, the platform identifies areas for coaching that can then be followed up by our QA team or supervisors. Additionally, it can identify knowledge gaps, and automatically assign targeted microlearning modules. We also capture data to measure learning progression, so we can see course completion and success rates, which allows us to assess, on a higher level, what added training could be deployed to improve overall team performance.  

3. Data for Scaling and Workforce Management 

Some industries experience seasonal fluctuations that require rapid scaling of CX operations in minimal time. This couldn’t be achieved without the right use of data. It’s correct to say that without the right agent scheduling and staffing, KPI targets would be difficult, if not impossible, to meet. This is where data use, within workforce management, is critical.  

By monitoring real-time staffing data across all our global locations, we maximize our workforce capabilities and our ability to mitigate “shrinkage”, or a loss of staff, by quickly adjusting staffing levels, as needed. This could mean bringing in additional agents or supervisors to assist, or keeping track of training waves, to see when a new group of agents may be ready to enter production. By capturing attendance data and schedule compliance, we can also ensure service levels are maintained. Additionally, staffing data allows us to monitor trends in volume, to bolster our historical data, and enhance forecasting, to better prepare for seasonal peaks.  

4. Data for Business Insights 

Contact centers are vast repositories of data, and many insights can be gathered from the frontlines. Agent feedback, call logs and recordings, sentiment analysis, and KPI metrics can not only measure overall satisfaction, but also supply valuable insight into your customer base. It can help companies understand common pain points, gather feedback about the customer experience, products, and services, or even market intelligence that can be used for new product development. This relies on accurate data collection, analysis, and reporting. Data must be cleaned, verified, and compiled into a digestible format for clients to use.  

At itel, we have several ways of reporting and visualizing data. One of these is custom dashboards, which we tailor to clients’ specific needs. This gives clients a superb overview of their operational performance and can be segmented by different periods, to observe both short and long-term trends. We can also pull almost any operational data and agent feedback into a report format to be shared and reviewed during regular alignment meetings between the client and our operations teams. It’s all about supplying the insights needed to elevate the customer journey, or enhance internal efficiency, so we can better serve our clients and customers.  

5. Data for Greater Efficiency & Innovation  

Data is also used to bring greater efficiency to our internal operations. We uncover new ways to streamline processes, which allows us to be more agile, and to make faster business decisions, responding more quickly to changes in the market. Our Operations, IT, and Data Science & Innovation (DSI) teams work collaboratively to measure and improve our efficacy as an organization. Whether through performance metrics, client surveys, or internal audits, by analyzing the numbers, we can measure progress, and find new ways to improve internal efficiency, productivity and ultimately provide the best service to our clients for the best value.  

By incorporating data into our decision-making, we gain a better measure of the ROI of our internal programs and investments, so we can chart a strategic course towards greater efficiency. Data is also the engine that powers innovation. It is used by our DSI team to uncover areas that could be automated or enhanced with AI (Artificial Intelligence) and other technologies. It helps us test, build, and refine new tools, which increases our cost effectiveness. Data is also used to enhance clients’ operations. Contact center data can help us build a superior IVR or chatbot by identifying what consumer touchpoints could be digitized, automated, or otherwise marked for self-service.  

The Way You Use CX Data Matters  

As you can see, data is the lifeblood of a well-run CX provider. It’s more than simply a measure of agent productivity. It is the way we measure our overall effectiveness and success as a CX delivery partner.  

Data is at the core of what we do. Yet, more important than data collection, is how you use it and how the very use of data is ingrained in every aspect of an organization’s culture from training to operations to quality assurance. Not only should data be used as a tool for continuous improvement, but it should also drive a culture of innovation and performance excellence that translates into ongoing business and operational improvements for the client. It should evolve the business and enhance outcomes – that's the true power of data and data led CX providers.  

Interested in learning more about our use of data analytics, our data science capabilities or data security? Contact us.