Data is the new currency in the business world, but according to Harvard, many companies don’t even use it. As a result, their customer satisfaction ratings may still suffer. In time, the automatic reports created by their data analytics software begin to illustrate this. So, what else do companies need to ensure proper call center quality monitoring?
It’s important to work with a quality assurance analyst from the very beginning —or as soon as possible. Otherwise, all that data and the resources spent collecting it will amount to nothing. A QA analyst provides a company with the critical eye and direction it needs to turn numbers into meaningful information. Once they better understand the current situation, the analyst can assess the possible flaws.
From there, a QA analyst may point a company in the right direction. Even better, ongoing call quality monitoring helps to keep the center on the right track. To make this happen, you need to ensure you hire the right analyst. Here are some specific skills you should look out for.
1. Quick Learning
The later your analyst joins the team, the more important this is. They need to be able to catch on quickly to work processes through observation. The idea is to gather as much information as possible while causing minimal disturbances to the agents’ routine. Otherwise, this could lead to longer wait times for customers, which is precisely what you’re trying to avoid.
Customer experience experts at Playvox believe analysts need to focus on the following three areas:
Developing a global overview of your company
Assessing current SLA agreements
Learning work procedures
2. Technical Abilities
Tech-savvy analysts tend to do better than those who are not. Technology is constantly changing in business. An analyst needs to keep up. They need to be aware of the various tech tools available and what effect these may or may not have on the customer experience. New technologies analysts may come across include speech analysis for calls and predictive analysis for upselling to current customers.
Analysts also rely on technology to streamline their own work. They need to analyze data, collect notes and organize that information in a way that is easy to present to you. Additionally, the analyst needs to be able to recommend better tools if they identify flaws in the ones you currently use.
3. Strong Communication
Most people think of communication skills as the ability to articulate one’s thoughts. This is an important part of building interpersonal skills. Even so, call quality monitoring requires more listening than speaking. QA analysts need to pay attention to not just what agents say, but how they say it, the body language that accompanies it and how customers receive that response.
The ability to listen well for long hours at a time also comes into play for reviewing phone calls. An analyst may review hundreds or thousands of calls while working with your team. Their ability to pick up on nonverbal cues even in the absence of seeing the persons corresponding comes in handy.
4. Attention to Detail
When it comes to analysis, there are two types of people. One set looks at the broader picture and draws conclusions based on the end results. The other set looks at the smaller pieces that compose the larger picture and draw their conclusions from these. Call center quality monitoring requires more of the latter.
Reviewing phone calls, chats and emails may become repetitive or boring. This may cause some people to begin missing important details such as tone, inflection or the use of specific words. People who show good attention to detail catch almost everything and can pinpoint errors and solutions.
5. Critical Thinking
Technology and analytical software cannot replace human intelligence when it comes to quality monitoring. It is easy to throw a few charts into a presentation. It takes a whole new set of skills to see how different metrics link to each other and determine potential cause-and-effect relationships.
Pointing out a company’s flaws is only half the work, and by far, the easiest. It requires observing what already exists. Creating solutions require thinking outside the box and predicting what effects new strategies may have on a situation. This requires critical thinking.
Many companies collect data to begin their call center quality monitoring initiatives. This is where most get stuck. Hiring a quality analyst can take you to the next phase of analyzing the data in terms of metrics but also considering what these might imply and how to improve.
Quality analysts play an indispensable role at our Etech contact centers. Reach out to us today for more information about how QA analysts help us with monitoring call center performance.