Resolving 3 Key Contact Centre Problems with our Network Services 2 Framework Solutions
Similar to the newly announced G-Cloud framework on the Digital Market Place, Network Services 2 (RM3808) on the Public Services Network is a framework offered by the government that aims to connect public sector organisations with the right technology suppliers.
The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has said that the framework is intended to meet the needs of its buyers by enabling a “diverse marketplace with the right mix of suppliers, maximising competition and driving value for money”. They believe buying through frameworks is faster and cheaper as the legwork and due diligence has already been done.
Network Services 2 replaces the old Network Services framework (RM1045) and is specifically for the provision of telecommunications and network services. It can be used by the whole of the UK public sector and their associated bodies and agencies, plus the voluntary sector, charities and/or other private organisations acting as managing agents or procuring on behalf of the public sector, delivering services of a public nature.
We’re delighted to announce that Britannic has been awarded a place on the framework for lot 13: contact centre services. We’ve been delivering transformational change in contact centres for decades, so it’s safe to say we know a thing or two about implementing solutions from the likes of Mitel, Avaya and Enghouse to name a few partners.
But for us, the important part is the business problem that the solution resolves. Here’s how our Network Services 2 solutions tackle three key contact centre problems.
Budget Restrictions
Unfortunately, contact centres are a high cost area for organisations. The amount of money it costs to staff them gives executives the view that they are “cost centres”; who restrict their budgets as standard. 76% of contact centres have this budget restriction problem.
Add Value
Our approach to transformation aims to add value, not just reduce costs. The solutions we’re offering through the Network Services 2 framework focus on making the contact centre an agile function, an opposed to a physical, costly asset.
Agile Cloud Solutions
A contact centre in the cloud is something that has the potential to make great cost savings for public sector organisations. Not only getting rid of legacy infrastructure and high cost, on premise equipment; but also opening doors to modern ways of working. We’ve helped many businesses implement flexible, agile and scalable cloud contact centres including; KM Group and Mears 24/7.
Flexible Working
Working from home and agile or flexible working is made easier for contact centre staff with cloud technology. Empowering them to choose when and where they work and saving the cost of having a large physical office space and desks, but more significantly extending the availability of the work pool.
Reduce Contact Centre Calls
Other technologies like Conversational AI have emerged more recently and work to save money and add value in the contact centre. Diverting menial calls and tasks away from your contact centre staff. Conversational AI helps to take the drudge away from your human employees. Teamed up with Robotic Process Automation (RPA), you can roll out completely automated processes across your business.
Automation helps to reduce contact centre call traffic and will drastically reduce your costs. Our plug in and go solutions can be set up to automate many call centre business processes.
Social monitoring is another area that offers opportunities for contact centres. With blended inboxes staff can easily monitor and response to social media enquiries, again reducing the number of contact centre calls and helping to filter out minor lines of enquiry.
Employee Absenteeism
It’s an issue that faces many organisation areas, but the contact centre in particular can become a breeding ground for employee absenteeism. According to NICE, the average annual absence rate in contact centres across the globe could be as high as 10%. In the grand scheme of things but if you’re a 100 seat contact centre this means you might only have 90 seats occupied at any one time.
Absenteeism is a key cause of deteriorating customer service, with stressed out contact centre staff having to pick up the slack. Call wait queues are increased and agents are under pressure to give less time to your customers!
In the long run, absenteeism is a killer of employee engagement. Begrudged employees care less about the level of service they are giving and may even become one of the absentees.
Increase Motivation
The solutions we’re offering on the Network Services 2 framework are designed to engage employees, attract and retain talent. Leaving you with a highly motivated workforce and greatly reduced absenteeism rates.
Our gamification solution Alto for example puts the fun back into the contact centre. Enabling you to host tournaments and game battles, map user performance against process automation and reward your staff with points, money and bonuses.
Performance Management
Encouragement through gamification is the perfect way to instil good practices and reduce unwanted behaviours. Your customers will benefit through improved first call resolution and ownership of queries.
Legacy System Conundrums
We see it all too often, executives are precious about their contact centre legacy systems but they think they need to get rid of them all to move forwards. This results in many different new systems being implemented, that are not integrated and do not work well together.
Silos create many disparities in ways of working and cause issues like Shadow IT. Your contact centre will not work together as one unit like this.
Update Legacy Systems Without the Cost
Our solutions on Network Services 2 helps to connect all your existing systems into one simple, contextual interface. B●CONNECTED is our solution for turning disparate legacy systems into a wholly connected environment, helping all areas of the contact centre connect with the rest of the business. It will absorb your legacy infrastructure and connect it with the new solutions you implement.
Meaning you can modernise, without being caught up in a legacy system conundrum and review where your legacy systems stand at a later date.