Quality comes first: The Tethr alternative to real-time call center guidance

Abigail Sims

May 10, 2021

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When faced with the problem of real-time in the call center, our research and data analysis experts have created an elegant solution. We believe that contextual insight quality should take precedence over instant results, so we’ve put together a system that allows Tethr scores and insight to provide actionable information before, during, and after a call. Since our most valuable insights are those where data is placed into larger contexts—made possible by our unique research-based perspective—it follows that we tackle the call center needs that gave rise to real-time guidance in the same way. 

Let’s take a look at how Tethr tackles the issues that real-time call center guidance looks to solve.

Optimize agent time before the call

Tethr equips your team for success by optimizing your agent’s time before the call. The platform’s scores and categories can be used to determine the sales or service subject, route interactions to the right teams, and even train chatbots for optimal efficiency. By essentially “filing” calls into the proper channels with incredibly high rates of accuracy, you reduce transfer rates, direct customers to the right resources, and allow your agents to help the customers who really need their help. Plus, by using machine learning and AI to file and filter calls, you allow your agents to do what they do best: field the right questions for the right customers. 

What problem does this solve?

This type of optimization allows you to maintain fewer agents, and to look for a very specific skill set in the agents you train and coach. Real-time guidance looks to lead agents through calls, relying on AI-based guidance for even the simplest of tasks. We go a step further, and make it possible to reroute simple calls to bots and save your agent’s time for the problems that really matter. 

Improve agent performance during the call

Our research indicates clearly the frontline behaviors that impact the customer experience and/or lead to a successful sale. Rather than relying on automated guidance that may have a very surface-level idea of what constitutes a successful call, we use our knowledge of successful agent behaviors to provide highly targeted coaching opportunities. Agents can be easily coached to consider next-call opportunities using data from their own calls. 

What problem does this solve?

Real-time call center guidance attempts to improve agent behavior on a live call, which is an admirable goal with a perhaps misplaced execution. We believe a better solution is to empower managers and leaders with highly coachable insights, so that agents are better equipped to recognize patterns and trouble spots over time. This enables agents to pivot their approaches to reflect actual customer desires, rather than the arbitrary “success” factors of an automated system. 

Alert managers + close the loop after the call

As Tethr monitors calls and applies categories, it’s easy to ship the resulting insights both internally and externally. Automated notifications can alert managers or agents when call scores drop low, indicating it may be time to focus on a certain behavior. (And you won’t have to wonder what behavior needs work—Tethr will show you!) Weekly digests and dashboards can track patterns, making specific product deficiencies or even systemic service failures easy to spot. 

Time to address those issues with the customer and close the loop? No problem. Tethr integrates with your CRM tools so you can tailor outreach to customers who may have had a poor experience. 

What problem does this solve?

Real-time call center guidance promises to make agent’s lives easier and reduce customer churn. These are great goals, but no real-time system is going to be able to deliver if those insights remain siloed in the call center. That’s why the post-call process is essential. Alerting managers with real data and making insights visible over time is the only way to deliver information that’s actually going to improve your customer and employee experiences, and ultimately reduce your business operating costs down the line. 

You’ll note that a central theme in each of these stages is the emphasis on quality over quantity. We believe that data without context isn’t useful, and can actually cause more problems than it really solves. All of our dashboards, reports, and insight-surfacing tools are strongly rooted in the research that makes Tethr possible, which gives your data the context it needs to be truly useful for you, your managers, and your business.

Want a closer look at our real-time call center alternatives? Request a demo today to see Tethr in action. 

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