Call center employees take more ownership of their jobs than managers often give them credit for -- but only if they are armed with the right information. In many call centers, managers alone are privy to the stats of the call center operation. They sit at their desks watching the stats, wondering why employees aren't meeting their goals. But how can they if they aren't armed with the same information? When every call center employee has access to the information of the operation, they tend to do a superior job at not only hitting, but exceeding goals. Many modern day call centers are using dynamic wallboards to inject new life into the old call center by keeping agents well informed, managers in control, and contact centers running smoothly.

Real-Time Information

Wallboards run by dedicated call center software display real-time information on how the contact center is operating. These bright, colorful and easily visible displays allow agents and managers to get an instant feel for call traffic. Information updates instantly as traffic patterns change.

Managers can add supplemental messages to the displays, congratulating teams for extra effort or warning agents of expected traffic surges. Call center metrics can be supplemented with video. Imagine the order center for a television shopping channel where the agents can see what is being broadcast at the same time the caller can.

But these high-tech displays don't need a team of IT professionals to customize. Authoring software uses intuitive controls so that anyone can create rich, informative displays in a matter of minutes.

Immediate Benefits

Executives always want to know about the return on investment. When will they start seeing reduced costs or increased profits from these wallboards? If you thought days or weeks you'd be wrong. High efficiency displays improve call center efficiency almost immediately.

Armed with real-time call center metrics, agents can react to changes in traffic immediately. No longer is there a delay as agents report long queues to managers, and managers repeat the message to other agents. Instead, everyone on the team can see and react to metrics.

One side benefit is agents feel better about their jobs because they are more in control. They can see how their actions make the numbers change, and get a direct sense of purpose. This new enthusiasm improves attitudes and productivity.

Virtual Wallboards

Is your contact center set up so there are no good locations for centralized information radiators? Do you have a large percentage of your agents working from home offices? You can supplement traditional wall displays with virtual wallboards that appear on agents' computer screens.

Virtual displays are run by the same call center software as the traditional wallboards. They can be customized to show the same information or, if desired, can have a completely different look. What's important is that every agent, regardless of location, is included as part of the team. This cohesion is important in an industry that is becoming more geographically diverse. Agents from all over the country become part of one big team, all working together to provide great customer service.

Armed with more information, agents make decisions more quickly and effectively, and are better able to react to events of the day. Calls go through more smoothly, and customers will certainly appreciate the shorter hold times and faster problem resolution.