Securing the Contact Center with PCI DSS Compliance

With the numerous interactions customer service agents handle day to day, contact centers are entrusted with handling volumes of personal and sensitive customer data—namely, their credit card information. Yet notable incidents such as American retailer Target's massive data breach in 2013, which compromised the credit and debit card information of 40 million customers, and the most recent Apple Pay fraud also stemming from retail data breaches are stark reminders that even the largest corporations are not always safe from fraud. The aftermath can be potentially catastrophic as companies that fall victim to fraud may pay massive fines for failing to follow security measures, spend an additional fortune on resolving the issue, and ultimately risk losing their reputation and the loyalty of their customers.

To help protect customers from identity theft, the PCI DSS global security standard was established in 2006 and adopted by payment card companies for all businesses which store, process, or transmit cardholder data. The security measures outlined in the PCI DSS guidelines therefore set strict rules for contact centers to ensure that customer service agents, and the company's IT systems as a whole, handle customer data responsibly and securely. For example, the guidelines dictate that certain parts of cardholder data cannot be stored, and recorded calls are subject to the same rules as all other methods of obtaining and storing customers' card authentication data to prevent any security codes or account numbers from being recorded.

Contact centers may take several steps toward following the guidelines. With regard to IT systems, it's critical to maintain a firewall configuration that protects cardholder data by establishing an overall secure network, while using and maintaining antivirus programs are equally essential to keeping the network secure. To prevent the recording of sensitive data, compliance may be met by using a software solution that enables start/stop recording for moments when cardholder information is being communicated as well as automated IVR payment solutions that use voice recognition or keypad entry. In addition, contact center employees may play a key role in meeting the guidelines. Issuing each employee a unique ID or password to gain computer access is one strategy, as well as making sure that the passwords are strong and changed frequently. It's also a good idea to limit the number of employees in direct contact with cardholder data while carefully monitoring any access points at which employees come in contact with customer data.

PCI DSS compliance is a requirement for contact centers which needs to be taken seriously. By setting high standards for security, contact centers may enhance their reputation with payment providers, protect their businesses from future fraud, and maintain the loyalty and trust of their customers. To learn more about PCI DSS-compliant Contact Center Software solutions, please visit www.vocalcom.com.

Top 3 Best Practices for Effective Call Quality Monitoring

Contact center agents bear the great responsibility of managing customer service issues on a steady basis. One of the best ways for contact center managers to ensure that agents are providing the best service possible is to monitor the quality of their interactions with customers, yet some contact centers do not take a thorough approach for determining best practices. So how should managers monitor for effectiveness?

Take a comprehensive view. In order to really understand agent-customer interactions, it's important to closely monitor all the calls recorded, not just a random sample. Analyzing just a few randomly selected calls will not provide substantial data or provide an in-depth view of agents' performance across customer service calls. By using a speech analytics system that records all calls and monitors call quality in real-time, managers may gain a comprehensive view of these calls to better train agents and devise strategies for better customer service.

Consider the metrics, but don't forget the customer. Analyzing average call handling time is certainly important for offering efficient customer service in a timely manner. However, many contact centers place too much emphasis on this metric, believing a quick call resolution is a priority as it allows agents to move faster to the next customer in the queue. While aiming to offer efficient service, agents should never undermine call quality and take the proper time to resolve an issue in order to prevent a customer from having to call back or reach out to the company on yet another channel. For this reason, it's once again important to analyze all calls to properly analyze the quality of individual agents' interactions with customers—it may be that agents with longer average handling times may be making a good effort to resolve an issue, resulting in critical brand loyalty and customer retention.

Ask agents to participate in the evaluation process. Asking agents to give their feedback regarding practices that work well for them, communicating concerns they may have about customer service calls, or even offering suggestions for writing customer service call scripts can also help contact center managers gain a broad view of how calls can be better monitored for quality. In addition, when preparing evaluations of agents during the monitoring process, explain expectations to agents beforehand so that they know what kind of behavior they should be striving for. Is it important to wrap up a call in under five minutes? Should the agent always verbalize to a customer that there will be a follow-up call once a case is closed? Keeping agents informed will allow them to perform at their best with a clear focus on your company's customer service priorities. 

While there are many ways to monitor call quality, it's always important to view the contact center as a team of agents and managers who can deliver excellent customer service when working together. Rather than taking a random approach to analyzing calls, shifting the focus to monitoring globally, involving agents in the process, and addressing the needs of the customer are all key to stellar customer service and continued loyalty. Learn more about Contact Center Solutions for efficient call quality monitoring at www.vocalcom.com.

Visual IVR Gives Customers an Effortless Mobile Experience

Delivering excellent mobile customer service is a must nowadays for businesses with the ever-prevalent use of smartphones. Consumers like to access information on the go, and many reach out to contact centers for support from their mobile devices with the hope that service will be quick and efficient. Companies keeping up with this trend may have optimized their website for mobile and utilize IVR, or interactive voice response, to enable customer service in an automated manner by gathering information from callers and directing them to the appropriate recipient. While IVR has long been standard practice for contact centers, customers often dread the long and uncertain process of going through multiple menus over the phone with no guarantee that the system will understand the responses given and eventually provide the support the customer is looking for. In short, time is wasted and loyalty is lost when customers end up frustrated.

With visual IVR, customers are given an optimized and effortless experience by being able to click or touch their way through an IVR system through a visual menu-driven interface. Customers are able to quickly select the options they need without needing to listen to the entirety of each option.

The benefits of visual IVR are numerous for both the companies employing it and customers using it. Companies instantly cut costs as visual IVR is cheaper to deploy than traditional IVR or may be integrated seamlessly with an existing IVR system. As customers are given a faster, more efficient way to use self-service, average handle time is dramatically reduced to allow great agent availability or cut down on the need for more agents, further reducing costs for the contact center. From a marketing standpoint, the efficiency of visual IVR resonates well with customers, improving brand image as customer loyalty is gained and customer service ratings improve on social media and elsewhere. Enabling such an efficient mode of self-service is also certain to grow the number of customers who prefer mobile customer service, thus allowing for a large number of new customers who tend to use mobile service over any other channel.

From the customers’ standpoint, no longer must there be a struggle with voice recognition or time lost waiting to get a response or be routed to the appropriate agent. Visual IVR also makes it easier to get into an agent queue when necessary, while supporting speech recognition and text-to-speech in multiple languages on both the inbound and outbound sides of a call. The process is seamless and automatic, giving customers an excellent mobile experience as agents are able to customize and easily modify the platform on their end to better manage customer queue and accurately estimate waiting times.

To offer optimized mobile customer experience, companies must consider the many advantages of a visual IVR system as it provides ease, efficiency, and an effortless experience for contact centers and customers alike. To learn more about effortless mobile customer engagement with Vocalcom’s visual IVR, please visit www.vocalcom.com.

All Customers Are Looking For Today, Is an Omnichannel Brand

Running a successful multichannel contact center depends on many factors, but treating customers the same way across all channels is key to doing it right.

In the modern-day contact center, customer service representatives are accustomed to engaging in a multichannel strategy rather than handling customers solely by phone. With the prevalence of social media networks and technologies such as SMS, chat, video, and web, customers are able to reach businesses in a myriad of ways whenever they wish to make a purchase, obtain more information, or get support. The question is: Do contact centers know how best to reach their customers?

To run a successful multichannel contact center, several key points should be considered. For one, numerous studies have shown that customers-while able to connect with business over many channels-still have a preference for calling agents when they need to communicate. Contact centers should therefore never underestimate the traditional voice channel. If a customer cannot get a resolution after contacting a company through some written mode of communication-on Facebook or via e-mail, for example--there is a good chance he or she will call to further pursue their issue or question. It's also important to keep in mind that some people may not always have access to or prefer social media; this is often true for the more senior generation that's used to and comfortable with traditional calls.

On that note, contact centers should also not ignore the customers who do have a preference for social media. The various social media sites offer subtle differences in the way people communicate-while Facebook has chat and message features, Twitter is largely conversation-driven and moves at a faster pace. This means that agents should always be vigilant about the pace at which customer messages come in and follow up in an equally timely manner which reflects the manner in which that channel is used: a Tweet should be answered immediately and can only be done with limited characters, while a Facebook message could take a little more time for a well-worded response. With the possibly large volume of inbound messages, it's a good idea to use a strategy such as forwarding social media messages to a customer service e-mail address to avoid missing a message. In any case, social media messages should never be ignored, should be answered in a timely manner on the same channels on which they come in, and deserve the same effort an agent would make for a customer service call.

Another important point is that channels should be coordinated to avoid giving customers contradictory or repeat information. For example, if a customer service call has been resolved and the case is closed, the customer should not receive texts or emails stating that the case is still open or calls asking if the problem has been resolved. Automated messages and follow-up contact should therefore be carefully managed-make sure the customer receives a follow-up email or text confirming the closed case, not an open one. To achieve this, it's also necessary to coordinate among agents or other departments who may be in direct contact with customers to make sure messages are clear, consistent, and beneficial to the customer.

Lastly, a close analysis of customers' engagement behavior can provide critical information for both marketing purposes and providing better customer service. If certain customers show a preference for social media, they may be targeted for social media advertising campaigns or should receive customer service follow-up contact on the channels they use the most.

To deliver excellent multichannel customer service, businesses may employ a number of practices. Most crucial, however, is to remember that observing your customers and listening to what they want are truly key to offering the best service. Learn more at www.vocalcom.com.

Revitalizing the Contact Center with a CRM Software Solution

In business-client relations, contact centers are often the hub within a company which makes the most direct contact with customers. Contact center employees are in a position that requires handling tremendous amounts of data regarding their customers, timing customer service efficiently, and representing the brand in a professional and knowledgeable manner. These employees therefore need access to data-rich software which may enable them to interact with customers in the most efficient way possible.

CRM, or customer relationship management, software allows employees to manage both current and prospective customers from a centralized platform. Agents are able to access records and navigate information from any web browser or mobile device using this cloud computing solution, which makes it truly critical to the sales process. For example, agents may interact with and manage current customers by handling pre-sales queries, accessing transaction history, processing orders, issuing credits or checking warranties, and handling post-sales services. With CRM software, agents may rest assured that they have the most recently updated, accurate customer data before them. Furthermore, agents may engage in cross-selling, as valuable information on the customers’ buying habits and preferences provide excellent opportunities for offering additional products or services while marketing employees may use this information in future advertising campaigns to create targeted offers for both current and prospective customers.

CRM software is equally valuable to the customer service experience, as agents can quickly access open customer service cases to resolve problems. Agents may track and record the progress of an open case and may quickly and efficiently transfer cases to other agents who are better equipped to provide a resolution when necessary. The centralized database allows employees across departments to access customer information, preventing the need to ask customers the same questions over and over again and providing a better customer engagement experience. Ease and efficiency therefore foster greater brand loyalty and customer retention. The customer will feel that every service interaction is personalized, and that the agents are knowledgeable and able to save everyone time and frustration. In addition, contact center agents are better able to communicate with other colleagues through the platform, syncing calendars to Outlook or Google, engaging in chats regarding customer and company developments, and enabling status updates on customer cases involving multiple agents.

CRM software solutions are the backbone of a successful contact center, fueling both sales and customer service engagement. Vocalcom offers a powerful solution with its Salesforce CRM partnership, ensuring excellent productivity, interoperability, and efficiency. To learn more about Vocalcom’s partnership with the world’s most powerful CRM solutions provider, visit www.vocalcom.com.

Workplace Design is Key to Employee Motivation and Success

Call centers are a dynamic environment and the hub of a company's customer service department, with agents and managers working tirelessly to deliver on a brand promise day in and day out. Given the intensity of the job and the often nontraditional shifts agents and managers work, the call center needs to be a place where employees feel comfortable so they can be productive. For this reason, many call centers are paying closer attention to workplace design as a means of motivating employees and leading to greater productivity.

Aesthetic elements are important for motivation. Many studies have shown that humans are greatly affected by the aesthetic design of a space, determining their comfort level and whether or not they can be productive in that space. In a call center, it's therefore important to use some vibrant colors, which have been shown to positively boost people's moods. One good approach would be to use neutral desks with brightly colored chairs, for example, or to have brightly colored walls. Shapes are equally important in design, so using modern furniture, mirrors, or even pillows with interesting shapes can add to the vibrant feel of the call center. Don't underestimate the power of nature either: many studies have shown the importance of having plants and flowers in the workplace to counter stress, while motivational posters can keep your team focused and ready to do their best. Lastly, warm lighting is always a good way to brighten employee spirit and is known to have a calming effect.

Comfort is critical. Since agents typically need to sit for long stretches at a time, ergonomics are vital in the call center. While ergonomic chairs are certainly a great solution, any ergonomic accessories—such as a computer mouse, keyboard, headset, or even a pen—can bring comfort and better productivity to the call center. Another popular trend in the greater workforce is the standing desk. The Mayo Clinic reports that 50-70% people spend six or more hours a day sitting, and many studies are showing how much sitting can lead to serious health problems due to poor blood circulation. While it may not be a solution for everyone, giving call center employees the option to work from a standing desk is one to way increase their movement and ultimately their productivity. Holding standing meetings and encouraging walking breaks are also good solutions.

Give your employees space. As call centers are often noisy places, it's always good to give your employees a quiet space where they can relax on their breaks. Setting up a nice lounge is a great way to show appreciation for their well-being and encourage employees to socialize during their downtime. For training and meeting purposes, open spaces are also a good way to give a sense of collaboration to your company by not making employees feel that departments are too separated from one another. Encourage team collaboration and spirit by establishing collaborative workspaces as well. Lastly, as much as possible, make sure employees have access to natural light by keeping them near windows, as this is critical to one's mood and a way of making an indoor space feel bigger and more relaxing.

By showing your call center agents and managers that you care about their health and happiness in the workplace, they will be powerfully motivated to work well and feel loyal to the company. Workplace design plays a major role in your employees' comfort, which will lead to greater productivity, retention, and ultimately better customer service.

Learn more at www.vocalcom.com.

The Importance of Customer Satisfaction Surveys

When customer service agents respond to customer concerns, do they understand how the customer feels at the end of the exchange with the representative? To deliver excellent customer service on any channel—whether it be by phone, chat, SMS, email, or social media--it’s not enough to handle concerns in a timely and professional manner. Customer satisfaction surveys allow companies to better understand what is working well, and what areas need improvement.

Such surveys can have a critical impact on the reputation of a company and its long-term success in numerous ways. For example, properly addressing customer concerns can result in fewer negative comments that customers might be tempted to post on social media channels or spread by word of mouth. The direct result is greater loyalty and a stronger chance for customer retention, as well as the possibility of attracting new business, as customer service improves. Companies may also learn what products or services customers are looking for and work to offer them to further grow their business. Lastly, it’s important to note that it costs more to attract new customers than to retain existing ones. Statistics show that it costs 6 to 7 times more to acquire new customers when one factors in the marketing costs involved in seeking potential clients, nurturing leads, and finally making sales.

Two ways to conduct these surveys are post-contact and periodic. With a post-contact survey, a customer may agree at the start or end of an exchange with a customer service agent—on any channel--to complete a satisfaction survey detailing the experience they just had. This kind of survey allows a company to monitor and improve a specific agent’s performance as well as follow the case history of a specific client to provide better individualized service. With a periodic survey, customers may be contacted on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis to provide overall feedback, and this may be beneficial for the company’s strategic planning and marketing campaigns.

Regardless of the type of survey given, there are a few points to follow in order to increase the likelihood of getting useful feedback. For one, it’s important not to make any survey too long—more than 10 questions is usually considered too time-consuming for a customer. Keep the questions specific enough so that the answers yield insightful information—for example, it’s better to ask how knowledgeable the agent was in resolving an issue than asking if the agent was merely professional. Such questions reveal information not only about the customer’s perception of the service offered but also how skilled the agents are in conveying information and whether they need additional training to provide the right service. Another point is to use a consistent scale on all questions. If one question asks to rate service on a scale of 0 to 10, every question should be answered on the same scale to prevent confusion, allow each question to carry the same level of importance, and allow the customer the same flexibility of response to each question. Lastly, it’s important to allow for qualitative feedback on a survey. On any channel other than the phone, it’s simple to ask the customer at the end of the survey to write any additional comments they may have. If the survey is conducted by phone, a voice recording is a good option.

To deliver the best customer service, it’s important to understand how your customers feel and give them a chance to tell you why. In this way, companies may better tailor services to their customers’ needs and offer an optimum customer engagement experience.

Learn more at www.vocalcom.com.