Synchronizing the Call Center with Core Business Strategies Delivers Bottom-Line Value

By Adam Honig, President and CEO, Innoveer Solutions

Have you ever wondered why more companies do not view their call centers as strategic assets that can help boost the bottom line? Although many companies have made strides in improving call center processes, reducing call volumes and wait times, and decreasing costs, call centers still remain underutilized tools for creating competitive advantages and increasing profitability.

A HOST OF OPPORTUNITIES

The call center is often the primary touchpoint between companies and their customers, and therefore, an ideal place for a host of rewarding opportunities, including up- and cross-selling and improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. Yet research indicates that nearly three-quarters of all companies do not consider their call center to be a key priority when planning their overall corporate strategy. As a result, few call centers are aligned with mainstream business objectives, and companies are missing opportunities to create a "360-degree" view of customers, which can lead to better service, increased overall growth potential and enhanced product development.

For example, after helping a customer resolve a complaint, many call center representatives are ill-equipped to offer additional products or services that may meet the customer's additional, new or future needs. If a company can effectively balance solving customers' problems and maintaining satisfaction with anticipating their needs and proactively meeting and exceeding them, they can boost the bottom line dramatically.

This type of strategy is even more critical with the current economic climate putting pressure on companies from all sides. Many call center executives are realizing that if they integrate their call centers into their overall business strategy, they can actually increase efficiency, decrease costs and improve customer retention - all of which can be vital to company success during a recession.

IMPROVING THE CALL CENTER'S STRATEGIC VALUE

When attempting to align a call center with business objectives, companies should consider the following table, which highlights different goals within three areas of business outcomes that companies can achieve through their call center:

At the left are business outcomes for companies that are focused on saving money and improving margins within the call center. This strategy is prevalent during a recession, as companies attempt to serve more customers with fewer resources.

In the middle of the table are call centers with a goal of improving or preserving customer loyalty. These companies try to maintain symmetry between efficiency and growth. The critical role of the call center here is to retain existing customers - representatives must provide first-class customer service in a cost-effective manner.

On the right side of the table are call centers that have growth as a top priority. These companies use the call center to bring in additional business, either by up- and cross-selling to existing customers or by recruiting new customers.

To understand what goals a call center should look to achieve, executives must gain a clear understanding of their organization's business objectives and how they can align their call center strategy to ensure they are fully supporting these goals. They should also consider how the economic climate affects business requirements. For example, in an economic downturn, it may make more sense to focus on the center and left of the table-efficiency and customer experience-just as during a booming economy, companies often focus on the right side.

AN INTEGRATED VIEW

The call center's value in the overall corporate picture should also be reflected in a company's organizational structure and in how employees are encouraged to interact with one another. For example, top-down support for the call center is essential to success. Call center management should have access to corporate leadership and, likewise, call center executives should ensure that employees across various departments gather and share information, as this will impact the overall customer experience, ensure a 360-degree view and lead to success within the center. Excelling at customer care requires an integrated, cross-business effort from both a process and a technology perspective.

Once a company has synchronized the role of the call center with its core business strategies, and recognizes its priority in the corporate landscape, the call center can deliver many strategic benefits, improve customer relations, positively impact the bottom line and become a valuable corporate asset.

Adam Honig is President and CEO of Innoveer Solutions, a customer strategy and solutions consultancy with offices throughout the United States, Western Europe and in New Mumbai, India. For more information, contact Adam at ahonig@innoveer.com or (617) 225-7790 or go to www.innoveer.com.