*Collaboration tools (between agents and supervisors) to makes real-time planning, tracking and exception handling easier and allows agents to log in and view schedules and request changes. These not only automate shift bidding, but also introduce a higher degree of fairness in awarding shifts. An automated rules engine is able to factor in seniority or ‘bonus points’ and assign shifts accordingly.
*Knowledge bases intuitive to provide access to complex product/service information to the agent while interacting with the customer (and typically can be similarly accessed by customer self service applications)
*e-learning tools to provide focused training (‘soft’ call handling and negotiation skills as well as product/service knowledge and cross/up-selling techniques).
In virtual contact centers, there are not a large amount of tools that empower an agent to self improve. What does exist are systems and application that store and make information available to agents to improve themselves through e-Learning. These are usually merged with a Quiz that an agent would take to assess their level of knowledge. This is useful for teaching technical skills and keeping an agent’s product knowledge up to date but does little to improve the agent’s customer interaction skills. There are some new technologies that uitilizes call evaluation scores and feedback from customer surveys to generate an agent performance profile. This in turn can be used to identify specific agent weaknesses and make suggestions on areas of improvement. This can then be used to optimize the use of agent development resources. If knowledge is a weak area online knowledge systems can be suggested as a solution. If knowledge is good but tone is a problem then an interaction with a trainer may be recommended. The automation of development of the identification areas through the merging of quality assurance and customer feedback and analysis using modern statistical tools to is an exciting frontier. It must however focus on improved training resource usage rather than reducing the amount of agent training and up skill.
Workforce management can put up web screens for agents to measure themselves against numbers of contacts taken, adherence and improving their own resolution times as they mature. It can also allow them to see who is in the queue ready for taking contacts before they make a judgement move to go into research mode or whatever your classifications are for being in a "not ready state". The first time a representative listens to themselves taking a contact, they are able to start improving how they respond to customer needs. Recorded contacts are also used as training instances for new hires. Ticketing tools allow you to build knowledge by looking at other technicians/representatives answers or solutions to issues. No one needs to be there to help them search - and it allows us all to improve upon our communication skills.
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