What the Analysts Are Saying about the Unified Desktop
Research shows that most contact center agents routinely access three or more different systems or databases during a customer interaction. In addition, they need access to account histories, guided conversation tools, knowledge resources, contact management, fulfillment and more. While managing all of these information silos, the agent must also manage the inbound and outbound channels in a consistent and streamlined manner. With all of this happening on the agent desktop—or in some cases, multiple desktops―it is easy to see how complex the agent’s job becomes as they maneuver these disjointed activities. A disorganized agent desktop results in poor customer experiences through long handle times, repetition and unresolved service. In addition, with agents multi-tasking under pressure, they are more error-prone and impatient.
“Today’s contact centers are challenged by too much information in all of the wrong places. Agents are expected to know how to drill into a sea of applications, databases and resources for every customer interaction. Cincom Synchrony’s unified agent desktop brings order to the chaos by dynamically presenting exactly what the agents need from all of the relevant sources. We found the Synchrony agent desktop to be an extremely practical and useful tool for any contact center.”
- Michael DeSalles, Strategic Analyst, Frost & Sullivan. (Read the complete recommendation.)
Richard Snow, vice president of Ventana Research, chimes in on the desktop as a major trouble spot. “The agent’s desktop is a primary source of frustration for both agents and customers. Agents don’t like these systems because typically they are hard to use, don’t provide all the right information needed to resolve customers’ issues and don’t follow the flow of interactions. Customers aren’t privy to what happens on the agent’s screen, but still feel the effects “because agents cannot focus fully on them, ask them to repeat information and often don’t resolve their issues.” (Read Richard’s blog on how Synchrony’s smart desktop guides agents through calls with the goal of delivering better customer and agent experiences and achieving the desired outcome for the customer and the company.)
Simplify and Streamline the Desktop to Optimize Agents and the Contact Center
The Synchrony agent desktop simplifies and streamlines desktop complexity, enabling agents to work smarter and faster, significantly increase productivity, reduce handling times and improve the customer experience.
The Synchrony award-winning unified agent desktop is a web-based interface that is the hub for interacting in the contact center and the window into the customer outside of the contact center. Through its robust feature set, Synchrony instantly presents agents with the right information and resources, for and about the right customer. The unified agent desktop enables agents to respond quickly and appropriately to each customer for better, faster, more effective interactions.
The key benefits of a unified agent desktop include:
- Better customer experiences and customer retention
- Faster response times and empowered agents with access to information to get the job done.
- Accurate, effective interactions across all channels―both inbound and outbound
- Efficiencies and savings
- Increased agent productivity with a greater focus on the customer
- Reduced agent training saves time and money
- Satisfied agents who feel effective and productive
- Reduced employee churn
- Increased revenue
- Effectively solve the customer’s initial issue and increase the likelihood and openness to new revenue opportunities.
- Guided, contextual offers and up-selling that is valued by the customer and the organization
