CX QA Live! | The Agent-Centric Customer Experience Show

It seems everyone is hyper-focused on cutting costs in the call center, and the latest advancements in AI are tempting many to replace their agents completely. But what if there were a way where AI and agents could be trained together for the betterment of the agent and customer experience? Join Sheri Kendall, our honorary expert in all things training, as she unpacks what that looks like in today's contact center. You won't want to miss this!

[4:41- 5:16] AI can be a very useful tool in both simplifying the job of an agent as well as helping train an agent. It’s important that our teams are ready to use AI and are familiar with how it works. 

[11:14- 11:34] It is possible to use the labor shift as an opportunity. The first key is documentation and making sure it’s all accurate. Your bots are only as effective as the information they have, so you need to start there. 

[15:19- 15:47] The worst thing training and development could be doing right now is waiting to be told what to do. We need to be figuring this tool out and bringing up new ideas. If our new ideas fail, then we will only be failing forward.

[21:04- 21:57] We have to remember to not hold customers hostage when they are looking to speak with a human. While bots will be extremely helpful, they will never fully replace humans.

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

When deciding on how to build out a support team, it's important to analyze the tech and tools you'll be utilizing to do so. However, while it's important to know the value of all of that, it's even more important to recognize the indispensable value of sitting right in front of you. Join us live with Stacy Sherman as we discover more than the monetary value that lives in your contact center right now!

[ 5:34 - 7:00 ] Agent value is human value. It’s how the company uses their staff to deliver value to the customer and how they make sure the agent feels valued through actions. The individual also needs to own their value. The reason this is becoming such a hot topic is because contact center outsourcing is booming and so the agent is actually the product of the BPO. 

[ 7:03 - 8:16 ] We are transitioning as an industry from 'how much work can we get from and agent and still get minimum quality scores’ toward ‘seeing the agent, and even marketing the agent, as a competitive advantage.’ and this is exciting. Everyone is boasting “better talent.”

[ 13:15 - 14:30 ] Think about how high pressure it is to be on the phone, running through multiple computer screens, and trying to find answers to the customers’ questions. Data and technology can help this story.  

[ 15:55 - 17:15 ] How leadership can help with an agent who is having a hard day so that they are supported. 

[ 22:04 - 24:25 ] Lisa’s question: The difference between agent value and also the value of the independent contractors we work with.

[ 26:26 - 29:51 ] Shafik’s question: Technology can enhance (customer and agent) experience but AI is not sufficient by itself. There will always be cases where AI won’t work, like emergency response. Make sure you have the right application for the tool so humans can move beyond repetitive and mundane tasks like password resets. 

Paradoxically, the world is huge and small at the same time. Offshore options are more and more competitive. We can find our edge by embracing a career mindset toward the agents and caring about their value.

Learn more about Stacy Sherman from her podcast Doing CX Right. 

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

It's very easy for companies to claim they support improving the agent experience and giving them a voice. But how do you actually demonstrate that? Well, for Jeremy Hyde it's just a matter of creating that space for your agents. Join our session today to learn how you can create an action plan for your contact center, with no financial investment required!

Topics we discuss:

[ 3:54 - 5:45 ] 

What’s the difference between saying that you care about giving your agents a voice and actually having a Voice of the Agent playbook? Until you have a specific plan, VoA activities just feel like one more thing you need to remember to do. Hope isn’t a strategy. “What gets measured gets managed.” Make it part of your day in a very specific way. Talk is one thing, but if you put goals, measurements, and accountability in place you are actually showing that the agent matters to you. 

[ 11:33 - 12:12 ] 

The driving force is seeing a pattern of attrition. Let’s implement improvements and ideas before it’s too late. So that you can make a case to upper management about implementing agents’ ideas, get your stats in order for how many hours per year are unproductive and what your percentage of attrition is.

[ 17:14 - 19:03 ]

The feedback we get from our team members is, “I’ve never worked anywhere else where my feedback is valued so highly” and “Thank you so much for explaining why.” We are building serious goodwill with our team when we listen to our agents. Do you show how much you care for and respect what they bring to the table?  

[ 23: 00 - 25:40 ]

Here are some specific ways to respond to verbal agent feedback and how to make sure their comments, ideas and suggestions go through the full review process. Let it be anonymous, but be timely and 100% transparent about each piece of feedback that has been submitted and the status of reviewing it. Over time, you’ll prove cynics and nay-sayers wrong. You’ll prove that you actually care about agent feedback. 

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

Live from CCW in Las Vegas, we'll be bringing back one of our "CX QA Live!" regulars for a very special topic. Serving as a director for ACEL, Co-Founder and COO of Support U, it's our dear friend Dr. Hui Wu-Curtis speaking on the most important asset in your CX leadership teams. Also, we have Stacy Sherman in the host seat this week and we're anticipating some CX greatness to happen, so don't miss it!

[2:29- 2:54] We as women feel like there are only so many spots at the top and we are all fighting for them. This isn’t always true, and because of this it’s hard to ask for help. We don’t want to show vulnerability and we always want to achieve. So it’s easier for us to just figure it out for ourselves than to ask for help. 

[7:50- 8:53] There are so many great options for technology to help with the work, but many people are afraid that the tech will replace the worker. New tech has lead to a focus on how to bring the humanity back into CX. Women leaders are important for this task, because they tend to be more conscientious about the human and emotional elements of their staff.

[15:33- 15:54] If we want to be leaders in our businesses, then we need to be okay with the uncomfortable when we ask for that higher pay or leadership role. Let’s feel it and move through it.

[21:34- 22:17] The biggest teachers are mistakes. So taking moments were you made mistakes and using them as growth moments and building blocks helps improve your ability to be a good leader. It’s important to have a safe space to make mistakes and be able to reflect and learn from them.

As women working in CX it’s important that we go for leadership positions and support one another in our work force. You don’t have all the answers and you don’t need all the answers, so let’s help each other out!

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

Have you ever heard of "People Fertilizer?" While it might sound like something out of the 1973 dystopian thriller "Soylent Green," we promise there's no human composting involved. Rather, we're going to be focusing on how you can help your contact center agents grow into incredible, hard-working leaders. Lisa Guzman is here to help elucidate what exactly it takes to be the "people fertilizer" in your contact center, and why you need to start doing it today!

[5:32- 6:37] What is being a “people fertilizer”? Everyone knows that fertilizers provide the proper nutrients that allow plants to grow faster. So as a people fertilizer, you look at the reports and see what is missing. After the gap is identified, you can align yourself and your plan with your employees and fix it. 

[10:18- 11:02] Lisa Guzman shares with us her four magic words that she uses all the time whether it’s with new hires or people trying to level up. These words are “I believe in you”. While these words are very simple, most of the people who are in these struggles have never heard them. I believe in you, because I know you are capable. 

[16:23- 17:04] There’s this sandwich that you are put in as an agent where you get flack from your leaders, but you're also dealing with customers yelling at you too. This can be a lot of pressure for someone in customers service, which is likely why there is such a high turnover. There are several ways to relieve those pressure points that businesses should look into and implement. 

[20:50- 21:20] The people working in customer service are actually brand ambassadors for their company, as most of the time they are the only form of contact that the customer has with the company. You want to be feeding into and developing those people. The customer service reps are the company's voice. 

Customer service is very important to a company's brand. It can make or break your business and when it comes to maintaining the image and brand, customer service is a very important aspect. Really taking the time to develop and strengthen your customer service team is very important to the growth of your company. 

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

When you find your purpose in life, you feel more at peace and experience a sense of belonging like no other. In Japan, this concept is known as "Ikigai" or "your reason for being." In Milan Batinich's eyes, there are key teachings that exist within this concept that you can apply to your career and he calls it "JEPPP." And who else needs that sense of belonging more than your contact center agents? Join our discussion on how JEPPP can become the focal point for your agents, and learn how doing so can help you see ROI in MANY different ways.

[3:55- 6:37] What is JEPPP? J stands for joy and discovering what brings you joy when coming to work. The letter E stands for energy and how being in the proper role for who you are brings you energy. The first letter P stands for passion, and doing the type of work that you are passionate about. The second P stands for peace and creating a calm stress-free environment at work. The third P stands for purpose and finding your purpose in your work. 

[11:18- 12:16] Managing and coaching all of your employees the same way will not work. Everyone has different needs that should be met, and one solution does not always work for everybody. It’s important to listen to each of your agents to manage them in a way that will allow them to feel purposeful and lead to success. 

[19:46- 20:50] The leaders of companies are so busy with the other aspects of their jobs that they aren’t able to focus on and communicate with the agents. The leaders need to be able to put in the work and communicate to make an employee-first culture. This type of culture is cost effective and will allow the company to have more success. 

[23:59- 24:36] There are so many organizations that focus on external motivators rather than internal motivators. Speaking to these internal factors and motivators will allow the employee to be more in touch with their JEPPP and more motivated to work. 

Integrating JEPPP into your business and the way that you manage will have tons of benefits to improving the work culture and work quality. Having joy, energy, passion, peace, and purpose in your work will make working so much better. 

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

In the age of AI innovation, it's crucial to recognize the unique role of humans in customer service. While AI can automate certain tasks, humans bring irreplaceable qualities to the table. Come along with Justin Robbins as we use data to unpack the value of the human experience in an AI focused market.

[7:13- 8:14] AI’s biggest role and impact is how it enables us to exponentially scale, so we can learn from and leverage data. AI helps improve our customer experience and interaction to make the experience better for the customer. 

[14:28- 15:43] There will be a number of things to keep AI in check,  but we can’t just set it and forget it. AI needs to be watched and used properly to keep us all in check economically and morally.

[17:03- 18:48] One of the key principles is being clear on what your desired outcome is and how you will know it when you see it. First, where are you trying to go? Second, understand the role that you are wanting automation or people to fill. Third, you need to be okay to test, integrate and fail. 

[21:58- 24:07] There’s going to be an increasing in acceptance of AI in a number of applications. The line will constantly be walked in what is too much AI involvement and how much human interaction there is. It will need to be an active effort to include the human touch and maintain it in your strategy. 

Overall, be reasonable with yourself and the process of strategically integrating AI into your business. No one person is going to figure this out on their own and no one person should have to figure it out on their own. 

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

It's very easy for companies to claim they support improving the agent experience and giving them a voice. But how do you actually demonstrate that? Well, for Jeremy Hyde it's just a matter of creating that space for your agents. Join our session today to learn how you can create an action plan for your contact center, with no financial investment required!

Topics we discuss:

[ 3:54 - 5:45 ] 

What’s the difference between saying that you care about giving your agents a voice and actually having a Voice of the Agent playbook? Until you have a specific plan, VoA activities just feel like one more thing you need to remember to do. Hope isn’t a strategy. “What gets measured gets managed.” Make it part of your day in a very specific way. Talk is one thing, but if you put goals, measurements, and accountability in place you are actually showing that the agent matters to you. 

[ 11:33 - 12:12 ] 

The driving force is seeing a pattern of attrition. Let’s implement improvements and ideas before it’s too late. So that you can make a case to upper management about implementing agents’ ideas, get your stats in order for how many hours per year are unproductive and what your percentage of attrition is.

[ 17:14 - 19:03 ]

The feedback we get from our team members is, “I’ve never worked anywhere else where my feedback is valued so highly” and “Thank you so much for explaining why.” We are building serious goodwill with our team when we listen to our agents. Do you show how much you care for and respect what they bring to the table?  

[ 23: 00 - 25:40 ]

Here are some specific ways to respond to verbal agent feedback and how to make sure their comments, ideas and suggestions go through the full review process. Let it be anonymous, but be timely and 100% transparent about each piece of feedback that has been submitted and the status of reviewing it. Over time, you’ll prove cynics and nay-sayers wrong. You’ll prove that you actually care about agent feedback. 

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

We are very excited to welcome Stacy Sherman with us back on the podcast to discuss how to do CX and AX right. Agents are working in the front lines just as much as your sales team, so it’s important that they are being treated right. This starts with the leaders and the empowerment that the leaders give to their agents to do their job properly. Business will thrive when they put focus on their agents and their experience.

[3:49-4:40] Agents are humans too, so just imagine being in their position. If you don’t have the right technology and tools to properly help the customer, then the you're going to be frustrated and the customer will notice it and feel frustrated as well, causing a much larger ripple effect with no solutions. 

[10:45-11:42] Leaders in brands need to take feedback and use it to build strategies and implement changes. Agents are integral to that, because they are chatting with the customers every day. Often times brands don’t rely on the agent feedback, and that is a mistake. There is so much benefit to including agent input in these discussions.

[18:44-12:05] Technology can improve efficiency, as it helps agents do their repetitive tasks. The technology allows the agents to actually focus on the customer experience rather than doing their other small tasks. Secondly, technology helps agents, by giving them a larger access to information, which improves and speeds up the customers’ experiences. Technology also helps agents with communication and collaboration with other agents. 

[25:45-27:36] Agents are expecting to be able to work how they want, when they want and where they want. Agents also know there are a lot of opportunities for them to do gig work. It’s important that business understand the other options that are available to agents. Put an emphasis on the agent experience and that starts with the right leadership. The companies that are going to win have a dedicated team and are not just checking boxes.

Agents will go where they are treated well and it will be seen in the business’s bottom line. This is just the reality. The reality we are now in is very different than it was three years ago and those changes need to be seen and implemented in our businesses.

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.

Managing a contact center is no easy task. Any given contact center can take upwards of 1,000+ calls a day. Whether you're a part of a BPO, an auto dealer, or in telecommunications, how exactly can you retain a mighty workforce to handle that kind of workload? Armando Coronado is here to share his personal experiences in the contact center, and what leadership qualities he embodies to empower his agents to feel right at home in the contact center.

We want the best work from our agents, but how can we as leaders make that possible? Today’s discussion will revolve around the best qualities that we as leaders can build in our agents to allow them to produce more and better work. 

[4:31- 7:18]  Being genuinely compassionate and caring for your team goes beyond just general niceties. At the bare bones of it, having care for your team is essential for your success. You can’t have success without your team, but the biggest part about having genuine care for your team is a focus on the three dimensions of a relationship. You have a human side, a business side and a hidden side. If these parts can all be addressed and properly cared for, then your business will thrive. 

[10:51- 11:41] We have to realize that being compassionate and being passionate are similar, but not the same. We have to be compassionate that not every contact center agent is passionate about what they are doing, but that they are passionate about who they are doing it for. This is where the agent's hidden side is and we need to be compassionate to that. 

[19:08-19:43] One of the most important things you can do as a leader is to fail hard and to fail fast. That way, by you're being bold, you are not afraid of taking chances. You're also demonstrating that you can solve issues as needed. Meanwhile, continue to rely on your team and their performance. 

[20:10- 21:37]  There is a lack of authenticity in the culture not the people. It is not necessary for individuals to hold up the culture, but rather it is the job of the business itself to provide an authentic culture. The mission and the values of your company have to be focused on how you deliver them on a daily basis. The culture of your company is pinning your values up and showing who you are as a company. 

Your success is based upon your team’s success, so it’s important that your team is as successful as possible. Remember to be bold, be compassionate, and be authentic when leading your team. 

Armando Coronado has a podcast of his own called The Lion & The Duck. Make sure to check it out!

As always, thanks for tuning in! To listen to a recording of this and other episodes, visit vistio.io/podcasts. And to join our show live each week, go to vistio.io/cxlive.