Automated Coaching Leads to Improvements in FCR and AHT for Global Outsourcer

As an outsourcer, providing best in class call center agents to clients requires ongoing training and coaching. For this global outsourcer, finding a coaching process that enabled supervisors to identify and correct performance issues – without negatively impacting service levels– was an ongoing challenge. Learn how the outsourcer was able to spend less and get better with Knowlagent, optimizing frontline performance by delivering targeted coaching to agent desktops during downtimes in call volume.

Results at a Glance

• FCR and AHT improved.
• Supervisors used simple tools to diagnose and address improvement opportunities.
• Coaching was delivered to agent desktops during downtimes in call volume.
• Agents completing six to 12 coaching opportunities showed a 5-6% improvement in FCR.

Key Initiative
In order to provide best in class service, agents must have the domain expertise of clients’ products and services, which requires ongoing training and coaching. But with 70,000 employees in 83 customer contact centers worldwide, finding the time to assess and coach agents proved difficult for supervisors to do effectively. They recognized that the ability of supervisors to facilitate performance improvement was critical, but needed a structured coaching process to foster this improvement.

Solution
This outsourcer implemented Knowlagent Coaching™ to drive improvements in both First Call Resolution (FCR) and Average Handle Time (AHT). With Knowlagent Coaching™, standard coaching processes were automated, providing supervisors with easy-to-use tools to diagnose agent problems and create individualized solutions. With Knowlagent’s patented RightTime™ engine, coaching was delivered directly to the agent desktop during downtimes in call volume. As a result, the amount, frequency and effectiveness of coaching dramatically increased – all without negatively affecting service levels or operational metrics.

Impact
Knowlagent Coaching was piloted with 1,000 agents in three North American call centers. The results were measured against a control group that did not implement the solution. For those agents using Knowlagent Coaching, both FCR and AHT improved. Agents who completed between six and 12 coaching opportunities experienced a 5-6% improvement in FCR.