cx transformation Archives - Arise

How Gig CX is transforming customer care

David Williams — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 21:38:27 +0000

How Gig CX is Radically Transforming Customer Care

With chaotic volume spikes across more channels than ever, CX leaders cannot continue to do things the same way. You have to change.

Gig-CX is allowing Brands to flex capacity up to 200% intraday while delivering 90% utilization and hitting #1 in NPS over Traditional BPOs.

In this whitepaper you will learn about 5 ways CX is changing in the post-COVID world:

How Gig-CX gives Brands access to a much broader and more experienced talent pool
Why capacity planning is radically different with new scheduling capabilities
Why Virtual-First Learning and Development drives faster rollouts and better quality
How Gig-CX workers deliver better quality by choosing the Brands they love
How Brands are saving millions of dollars through better productivity, efficiency and innovation

Fill out the form below to receive your copy

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The Future of Virtual Learning and Development

Tone Stray — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:52:00 +0000

For any CX executive in today’s workplace, meeting the talent quota is only the first step in delivering a high level of customer satisfaction. The next order of business is supporting new agents in their learning and development–and keeping experienced ones up to speed. Whether agents need to be familiar with products and services, promotions, and pricing as well as the Brand’s policies and culture, providing the necessary skills and meeting the need for learning and development is no easy task.

The limitations of traditional BPOs are often at the heart of the matter. In a traditional, on-site contact center, new agents may have little to no industry experience or Brand affinity. They may need extensive training to deliver the customer experience associated with your Brand, yet the lackluster classroom training offered by many organizations contributes to the attrition rate. Another reality is that agents are needed to engage with customers soon after they are hired with time for only minimal training. It’s little wonder companies that rely solely on traditional BPO models fall short when it comes to delivering a satisfactory customer and employee experience.

Expanding the talent pool

With a Gig-CX solution, agents can be located anywhere offering a wider variety of skill sets, more flexible time availability, and more motivated talent. Customer experience leaders can also engage knowledgeable agents and individuals with strong product knowledge or Brand affinity, regardless of their location.

According to Gallup, 36% of US workers participate in the gig economy for a primary wage or to supplement their current income. That number is likely to rise as millennials and Gen Z look at gig work as a way to achieve a work/life balance.1 More mature workers are also attracted to gig work to stay active or keep their minds sharp.2 That flexibility helps attract knowledgeable talent into the resource pool. For example, professional gamers who wish to take on extra work might be well-suited to answering technical hardware or software questions. The agent on the other end of a pharmaceutical company’s care hotline could be a retired health care professional.

Technology to the rescue

The anywhere, anytime advantage of Gig-CX services is also beneficial for learning and development. Today, virtual learning tools are far superior to any “PowerPoint on Zoom” solutions. Interactive curriculum is another area where Gig-CX solutions stand out for the ability to offer exceptional learning experiences to workers.

While companies always want to keep an eye on the cost and time spent on education, investing in agent learning and development typically results in a better customer experience. The #1 driver of customer service-driven Brand loyalty in a competitive marketplace is agent knowledge, and 58% of customers need more than one contact to resolve an issue. Inadequately educated agents can lead to increased costs and unsatisfactory customer experiences, with 89% of contacts escalated due to lack of agent knowledge.

Delivering a dynamic learning and development experience is an essential component of agent satisfaction. In fact, we found that 20% of all new learners resign within 45 days due to poor learning experiences. Some gig workers are attracted to the extra work to increase their skills and knowledge. Virtual learning offers an opportunity to provide Gig-CX workers with the learning opportunities they need to be successful and take pride in their work.

Investing in learning experiences pays off:

20% of new employees resign within 45 days if they are not satisfied with the training and learning opportunities offered.

A virtual learning approach can also reduce learning time and give gig workers more flexibility. Self-directed learning experiences allow workers to finish modules during slow periods and work at their own pace. They can even take advantage of mobile apps to learn during downtime or on the go.

Virtual learning helps companies prepare agents to talk to customers quickly. By designing the right learning journey and delivering it through the right interactive platform, Arise launched a new program to prepare 600 agents to answer questions on the CARE Act for a major financial service brand in only 72 hours.

Gamification for the win

Arise utilizes virtual-first instructors and works with our clients to develop curriculum that is highly interactive and designed to accommodate different learning styles in a remote environment, including auditory, visual, kinesthetic, self-driven, and more. Learning modules may incorporate gamification, interactive assessments, and immediate feedback. Curriculum is tailored specifically to build strengths, measure performance, and ensure prompt completion of assigned modules.

As the curriculum is designed, instructional designers and subject matter experts help create instructive learning modules that are clear, engaging, and impactful. Breaking a long curriculum or module into discrete, bite-size components allows Brands to be more precise in their education recommendations so that gig workers can get up to speed as efficiently as possible. (3)

Effective learning fuels

0 %

sales growth

To increase sales of warranty and protection plans, Arise enhanced the virtual-learning program of a major home improvement retailer by using mock sales calls and virtual support rooms for active agents. The virtual learning program helped the retailer grow sales 25% in Year 1 and 39% in Year 2.

The future of Gig-CX virtual learning includes AI-powered tools such as augmented and virtual reality to provide hands-on skills learning.4 Other tools will be able to detect critical phases in an agent’s conversations with customers and provide auto-generated performance support. For example, voice recognition technology senses customer sentiment and alerts the agent to the next best action and when to alert support resources.

Technology plays an essential role in learning and development for Gig-CX workers and Arise continues to be at the forefront of innovations and best practices in virtual learning. We are ready to apply our expertise and to develop learning and development solutions suited to your situation and your workforce. Please schedule an appointment to learn how Arise can deliver results for your organization.

An AI-powered future

Blog Sources:

^[1] https://www.livemint.com/news/india/four-in-five-millennials-gen-z-ers-prefer-gig-work-to-9-5-jobs-report-1561572851202.html

^[2] https://aginginplace.org/seniors-and-the-gig-economy/

^[3]Gupta, Jacobson, Kline, Mehndiratta, and Raabe. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/an-on-demand-revolution-in-customer-experience-operations

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The CX Gap: And How To Navigate It

Tone Stray — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 17:53:00 +0000

Customer Service is going downhill. At least, there’s a growing body of evidence (such as this piece from Arizona State University) making such claims. Whether it’s true or not, the perception of customer service seems to be in decline. And in the legendary words of Kate Zabriskie, “the customer’s perception is your reality.”

Much of this alleged decline is in relation to a change in mentality from our customers. Thomas Hollmann, a clinical associate professor of marketing at Arizona State University, explains, “We call it the ‘Amazon-ation’ of business. Everything should be one click and one-hour delivery, so customers think, “Why do I have to jump through five hoops when I deal with you?”

The bottom line is that customers expect way more from their interactions with Brands…and very few companies are meeting these elevated expectations.

The others are left with a significant gap. A gap in what customers expect, and what we as CX professionals are capable of delivering. The landscape becomes especially bleak when what we are capable to deliver has dropped at the same time customer expectations are on the rise! Between a major labor shortage, supply chain issues, and lingering pandemic complications, creating a consistently great experience is harder than ever before. This has put many CX leaders in a very difficult spot.

So how do we bridge the gap?

Many CX technology platforms claim to have the solution. By forcing customers down a digital, and often automated path, we “labor-proof” our CX. It’s an enticing promise, especially for those who feel like it’s impossible to hire the right talent. “If we can automate/deflect 30%, even 40% of our volume, we can finally catch up and bring the team into a better place.” Sadly, it’s almost never that easy.

“They (the customer) want to be treated with dignity. An apology — that’s free,” says Hollmann. “They want an explanation of why the problem occurred, or at least a recognition. All of those things are an extra 10 seconds on the phone, but companies aren’t doing it.”

Creating interactions like this requires capable people. Many have pursued the digital experience path with vigor, but at the expense of the human experience. In these cases, the pendulum has swung too far. As inspired by “The Effortless Experience,” we must guide customers to the BEST resolution path. Considering the needs and expectations of our customers, this will often be a human-to-human interaction.

The sweet spot is maintaining focus on great interactions, both human and digital.

There are times when self-service channels are absolutely the best. A quick piece of information, a confirmation of a reservation, a modification to a flight, and the customer is on their way. These interactions are secure, seamless, and speedy. Great tools and a great knowledge curation process will put this type of experience well within your reach.

When it comes to the human experience, service centers across the world have been hit especially hard by the labor shortage. It may feel impossible to attract and retain the talent required to meet volume demands. For many service leaders, success will require trying something different.

Enter “Gig-CX.”

Gig-CX is simply leveraging the remarkable talent available in the gig economy for customer service roles. There’s a significant demographic of people right here in North America who are experienced and available. They are often seeking a bit of extra flexibility…ensuring that work can revolve around life instead of life revolving around work.

The benefits of this hybrid model are tremendous. It’s more affordable, more sustainable, and far easier to attract top talent. Additionally, the flexibility organizations can achieve through this model is unlike anything we’ve had before. Your team no longer needs to be a victim of volume at peak times. You can schedule service partners to be available exactly when you need them even down to thirty-minute increments.

Taking advantage of this hybrid capability is exactly how to future-proof your CX. It protects you against unexpected surges in customer activity or unexpected business events. Who knows what is around the corner? By establishing a partnership now, you can be there for your customers no matter what.

Arise has been doing Gig-CX for twenty-eight years. We’ve partnered with hundreds of brands to elevate their CX, even in challenging times. Take a look here to learn more about the Arise Platform and all kinds of tips to bridge the experience gap!

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