It seems like gauging contact centre effectiveness should be pretty straightforward: was the query addressed or not? And while resolution is important, there are a host of other considerations that should determine not only if the contact was successfully addressed, but also whether the interaction was a positive experience that drove brand loyalty.
SS&C has long focused on contact centre as an area of differentiation for our clients. We’ve invested in our people and the technologies we use to ensure that we consistently deliver relevant, personalised and accurate interactions. This focus ensures that we’re more than a reactive call centre. We’re a contact centre that orchestrates the entire customer experience.
This is especially important in the highly competitive financial services industry, where there is no “one size fits all” response and where changing investments can be done with a few clicks of the mouse. Customer queries can range from straightforward questions about address/contact changes and account openings, to specific and individualised enquiries about statement/account information and purchases/sales. They’re also often about deeply emotional and personal needs surrounding changed personal circumstances or bereavement and estate needs. Some calls can be answered quickly, while other contacts should be handled more delicately and thoroughly, with the representative taking the time to support the caller and ensure understanding and clarity.
Recent data from the UK Contact Centre Forum (the UKCCF), an industry association for customer service professionals across a range of industries, shows that evaluating contact centre performance is indeed multi-faceted. Areas surveyed are:
We’re pleased to note that across most of these areas, SS&C beats both the overall UK call centre industry average and the averages for the financial sector. And, while overall customer satisfaction scores for the financial services industry dropped to 87% from 93%, SS&C realised a 92% result─proof that our personalised approach pays the proverbial dividends. Our results don’t end there. We eclipse the financial services industry average for first call resolution, with a 91% rate vs the industry average of 71%. We also have a very low call abandonment rate of 1.47% where the industry average is 5.00%. This shows that our commitment to having staff available to answer calls makes a difference. But it’s about more than availability. At an average of 32 seconds to answer, we are connecting with customers 69.5% faster than the industry average.
All of this shows that SS&C’s global contact centre is defining the standard for customer engagement. Some of the world’s leading asset managers trust us with their brand reputation because we strive every day to make contact about the individual. It’s personal for us because it matters to our clients and their customers.
Explore SS&C's Global Contact Centre Services to learn more.