Efficiency versus Effectiveness

CBS often sees this tug-of-war with efficiency and effectiveness. We want both but have to be mindful of the goals we set for efficiency and how we pursue these goals.

Many clients tell us the importance of Talk Time, Wrap Time, Hold time, Accounts per Hour, Accounts Worked, etc. CBS understands the importance of Speed, but speed should never be pursued to sacrifice Effectiveness.

Old school conversations used to say, “I don’t care how you get the results, just get them!” Well, we all know those conversations typically resulted in lawsuits, loss of funds, and poor brand image, amongst other things.

So we do care how long it takes to get a result just as much as we care how or what one does to get that same result. There is a balance. Check your goals and standards.

Do the short talk times result in poor service, requiring a call back to the customer or the customer to call back in to get the situation resolved? Do the short wrap times translate to the agent typing notes while with a new customer, thus, damaging that customer experience? Are the Accounts worked per Hour high but the quality on those accounts low?

Make sure to take the time to fully understand how the “very efficient” agents are accomplishing their goals. Is it a behavior that can be duplicated? Is it the right behavior? On the Effectiveness side, the challenge is typically skill and application of that skill. Thus, coach to the behaviors and ensure agents truly know how to balance the two.