We typically associate content and content marketing with the very top of the marketing funnel, with little to no role to play as the customer progresses further down the purchase pathway. In reality, content is at the centre of great customer service (be it through call, email or chat), and can make a massive difference to the customer experience.
If you look at some of the key trends in service expectations today, they all have to do with content and effective articulation of knowledge. For more than 1 in 3 customers, the most frustrating aspect of poor service is the agent’s lack of knowledge. According to Salesforce, 63% of customers expect businesses to know their unique needs and expectations, which has to be demonstrated through effective content.
As a contact centre professional, content is an important aspect of agent success in three ways:
- Scripts determine the majority of inbound and outbound conversations
A good script – which is mindful of customer expectations, factors in quick agent comprehension, and can adapt to dynamic situations – is every agent’s secret weapon in an unpredictable customer-facing environment. Companies must invest in authoring and updating scripts on a regular basis, creating a repository suitable for a multitude of customer personalities, emotional states, and demographic segments.
- Training content will visibly shape agent interactions and success
Content meant for agent training is another important aspect of content requirement in a contact centre. In 2021, in-person, classroom training in large groups continued to be restricted for health and safety reasons. This makes your on-demand learning content extremely crucial for enabling agent upskilling and performance. Properly crafted content will guide agents through various simulated scenarios. It will also engage the learner so that the content is retained for the maximum period of time.
- Customer data is presented in the form of comprehensible information
Customer data cannot be presented directly, in its raw format. It has to be transformed into clear, informative insights that an agent can draw from when having an interaction. This requires excellent copywriting skills both during product design (e.g., data dashboards with clear information snapshots) as well as when articulating internal performance KPIs. Poor writing will only obfuscate visibility and hinder your agents’ ability to reach the desired goals.
Tips for Leveraging Better Content for More Impactful Conversations
- Make soft skills one of the basic criteria for candidate screening, ensuring your agents are equipped with solid communication and people interaction capabilities
- Regularly conduct soft skill refresher courses so that agents can brush up on demographic-specific content expectations and emerging trends
- Explore different mediums of content for training and acknowledgement. For instance, you can have short video explainers for agent training and infographics on customer data instead of just barebones text
- Partner with an experienced copywriter when crafting content centre scripts and live chat conversation flows. Instructional design experts can also be helpful in building your repository of training content
