Operational Efficiency in Retail: A Case for Collaborative Contact Center Technology

One area of labor planning that interests me is the physical retail customer channel. In my opinion, some of these physical retail channels can improve operational efficiency by utilizing contact center technology and resources. Let me explain with an example of how this could work. Financial institutions with branches often make outbound calls to their clients to inform them about valuable product offerings. Typically, each branch assigns one or a few associates to call clients individually. Furthermore, each branch operates independently and does not share resources with others.

One technology that contact centers use is dialers. This technology has been around for a while. It involves inputting a list of client phone numbers into the dialer, which then automatically calls clients. Only when a connection is established does the call get transferred to an associate. Now, you can see why using a dialer is more efficient. Associates don't have to spend time manually dialing numbers, especially since most calls end up going to answering machines. However, running the dialer technology effectively requires a minimum number of resources because having only one associate using it can result in multiple connections being made simultaneously, and since there's only one associate, other customer connections may be abandoned.

Now, imagine if branches collaborated and tapped into the dialer technology together. This would allow them to accomplish the same amount of work with fewer resources. This is the essence of operational efficiency. You might wonder why companies don't adopt this tactic. Here are some reasons:

1. There is an established relationship between the client and the branch, so it's not ideal for associates from other branches to communicate with clients.

2. It's challenging to communicate and establish standardized operating procedures across multiple branches.

3. Companies may not prioritize investing in technology for physical retail outlets.

4. With multiple branches, there are numerous stakeholders with different agendas.

I consider the first point a valid reason, especially for clients who frequently visit a particular branch. However, the other three points are more about willingness to change rather than technical challenges. Additionally, as most contact center technology has shifted to the cloud, implementing a new communication platform for all branches has become easier than ever before. I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this topic. It's more of a thought exercise I've been pondering!