What is misnavigation?
Quick review: A call is considered misnavigated if a caller connects to the wrong agent to handle the request. This can be the result of the user misunderstanding the IVR or simply “zeroing-out” for some other reason. Either way, the first agent has to assess the call, inform the caller that he needs a different agent, perform the internal transfer, log the call and then rejoin the queue. These extra steps add significantly to the overall handle time.
It costs you twice
The first cost is the direct increase in agent cost. See my post “The hidden cost of…”. The second cost comes from decreased customer satisfaction. Frustrated customers have decreased loyalty and lower Net Promoter Scores.
A study conducted by Kingston Communications, shows the level of frustration with phone menu navigation. Respondents were asked what annoyed them most when calling customer service lines: First place (54%), was “overseas staff”. Second place (22%) was “the need to navigate automated responses”.
Great customer service leads to customer satisfaction
Here’s a quote worth remembering:
Great customer service leads to customer satisfaction, which leads to customer loyalty, which leads to company profitability.
– Stephen Brown, Professor, Center for Services Leadership at
Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.
Can you afford not to give your callers a better alternative?
Trend Alert! Contact Center Industry Predictions for 2023
This report offers perspective on where the contact center industry stands today, plus our trend predictions for 2023.