Call Center Certification for Federal Agencies
On April 27th, President Obama signed Executive Order 13571 entitled “Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service.” This order includes an initiative to use technology in order to improve customer service and give government customers a direct way to give feedback. The executive order mandates an October deadline.
One company, BenchmarkPortal, is capitalizing on this opportunity by offering call center certification to federal agencies. The company, which provides call center consulting, training, and benchmarking services, has put together a comprehensive package for federal customer service managers to help meet the requirements of the executive order.
The company’s program will offer assistance by helping agencies understand their performance relative to peers, private business, and the top customer contact centers. The program also offers education to help the clients train and educate themselves in call center best practices. Classes consist of lectures, discussions, and case studies. BenchmarkPortal has stated that the program’s cost savings in the contact center will be in excess of the cost of undertaking the certification program.
Should You Consider Benchmarking?
Even the federal government is making a concerted effort towards improving its customer contact centers. Perhaps it’s also time that your business reviewed whether you contact center could use an upgrade.
Many companies have trouble improving their operations due to an internally focused view of their performance. For these firms, it’s difficult to see that their business processes are outdated or ineffective. Using an independent third party benchmarking service may be a good choice in understanding where your contact center stands and how you can improve it for more effective customer service.
Customer contact centers are a critical piece of customer acquisition, retention, and growth. A 2004 survey by Transversal, a provider of eService solutions, found that 53% of respondents’ opinions of a particular brand decreased after contacting their call center. The Gartner Group, a technology research firm, found 68% of customers will switch brands based on a poor service experience. Clearly, contact centers should be a central part of an organization’s overall business strategy. Certification can help your business improve its contact center, subsequently boosting customer retention rates.