Question

Universal Containers has two customer service contact centres and each focuses on a specific product line. Each contact centre has a varying call volume, contributing to a high operational cost for the company. Universal Containers wants to optimize the cost without compromising customer satisfaction.; What can a consultant recommend to accomplish these objectives?

A. Prioritize customer calls based on their SLA
B. Cross-train agents on both product lines
C. Enable agents to transfer calls to other agents
D. Implement a customer self-service portal

Answer 1

B. Cross-train agents on both product lines

D. Implement a customer self-service portal

Step-by-step explanation:

Cross-training is a way of teaching employees different aspects of the job so that they can have a measure of flexibility in the discharge of duties. Managers find this approach to be effective as they believe it saves cost and maximizes the usefulness of employees. It also helps to serve and satisfy a wider range of customers.

So for Universal Containers seeking to optimize cost without compromising customer satisfaction while managing two customer service contact centers, an effective way of dealing with the large call volumes is cross-training agents on both product lines so that they can attend to a wider range of customers. Cross-training agents on both product lines would make them more knowledgeable of the services being offered and this would minimize the need to transfer calls as all agents can provide information on the various products.

Implementing a customer self-service portal would also reduce the workload on the customer service agents as customers can access the information they need on their own.