Web Tools Can Create Efficiency or Create Problems

One of the Key Performance Indicators on which call centers are focused is getting customers to use on-line tools rather than the phone. But one of the indicators that call centers are forgetting to measure is if on-line tools are eliminating calls or creating them!

One particular client of ours was upset when our Service Quality Assessment revealed a percentage of calls coming into their call center for routine balance inquiries and account activity information. "We put all these self serve tools in place. Why are they still calling?" Our team had tracked and discovered that one quarter of customers calling for these routine inquiries freely mentioned that they had been prompted to call after trying the on-line, self-service options (how many didn't mention it?). Either the on-line tool isn't resolving the issue, or it's creating more questions than it can answer. Rather than reducing costs, the on-line tool is increasing them!

On-line tools are great, but only if they efficiently resolve far more issues than they create. As I've said before, just because I have a spatula doesn't make me a chef. Having the tools and using them effectively are two completely different things!