Author: Andrew

Why Your Business Needs Live Chat Support

Posted on

February 9th, 2021

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Businesses connect with their customers through several channels. They interact with them through phone calls, emails, and social media. However, adding chat and text support to the list can reap significant rewards. Providing top-notch customer service is also critical to compete with other organizations. The top benefits of live chat and text support include:

  1. More conversions. Most organizations are in the business of selling something, whether it’s goods, products, or services. The transaction often begins online as eCommerce continues to grow in popularity. Unlike a brick-and-mortar store, however, there is no sales associate or help desk to assist the customer. Chat support helps bridge this gap to improve the customer’s experience and facilitate a purchase.
  2. Better user experience. Nothing is more aggravating for a customer than calling a company, navigating a complex phone tree, and repeating their inquiry multiple times until they connect with the right department or agent. Chat support software can store historical data about previous inquiries to reduce repetition for the customer.
  3. Convenience for the customer. Calling customer support, messaging a social media page, or sending an email all have one common pain point for the customer: time. For example, when a customer urgently needs an answer about their insurance policy, waiting on hold can be agonizing. Live chat can provide immediate answers with minimal wait times.
  4. Advantage over the competition. Beyond the better customer service element, chat support can help companies obtain new business. If a customer is comparing two products from competing vendors, the company that offers chat support to answer their questions is more likely to earn the customer’s business.
  5. Motivates agents. Customer service representatives deal with stressed, upset, and irate customers on a regular basis. Fielding these calls can take a toll on agents and erode their drive. Writing messages over chat or text, however, is much less fatiguing as agents don’t have to absorb the customers’ moods.

Chat support can improve customer service, employee engagements, and profits. Contact the experts at Actec to learn more about our chat and text support services.

5 Ways Employee Absences Cost Businesses Money

Posted on

February 2nd, 2021

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Employee absences are an unavoidable aspect of running a company. While employees rate vacation time, sick leave, and paid time off (PTO), these absences have direct and indirect costs. Businesses need to account for these costs when planning their budget, but absence-related expenses can be difficult to calculate. The following breaks down the most common costs associated with employee absences:

  1. Payroll. When employees take time off for vacation, illness, bereavement, and so on, they still pull a paycheck. While employers calculate their employees’ salaries into their budget, they may not account for the loss of work while employees use their paid leave.
  2. Overtime. When employees take time off, particularly if there is little notice, other employees may have to work overtime to bridge the labor gap. For non-exempt employees, businesses pay time and a half the employee’s hourly rate for every hour worked over 40 hours.
  3. Temporary workers. When businesses want to avoid overworking existing employees and the associated cost of overtime, they may use temporary workers to cover absent employee’s duties. These part-time temp workers may cost less than paying overtime, but it’s an expense that affects a business’s bottom line.
  4. Loss of productivity. Whether a business opts to pay existing employees overtime or rely on temporary workers, productivity often decreases. Coworkers aren’t as familiar with the absent employee’s job, which typically means it takes longer to complete. It also stresses employees who have to take on the additional work on top of their existing job, which can lead to burnout. While temporary workers don’t have the burden of juggling two jobs, they’re unlikely to know the minutiae of the work. Their unfamiliarity slows productivity.
  5. Unplanned absences. While some leave is easy to plan for, such as vacation time, emergencies and life situations can force employees to take leave with little notice. The hidden costs of repetitive unplanned absences are numerous. They can hurt morale, stress the remaining staff, lower work quality, disrupt projects, and more.

While some employee absences are unavoidable, businesses need to know the associated costs. Without a robust absence management system, it’s easy to miss attendance problems and absenteeism. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how our absence tracking mobile app can improve absence reporting and management for your business.

Reducing Claim Adjuster Stress to Improve Productivity and Customer Satisfaction

Posted on

January 28th, 2021

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shutterstock_174875483Claims adjusters deal with the brunt of the customer’s ire during the claims process. While the hope is for a smooth claim and rapid resolution, this is not always possible. When dealing with multiple parties, adjusters are at the mercy of the client and any third parties. They cannot move forward with a claim until all involved individuals submit the necessary information. Unfortunately, this can result in angry clients as well as stressed out adjusters. Adjusters do not often receive the recognition they deserve. Not only do they help resolve claims, they also detect fraud, find ways to reduce claim costs, and more.

Make the Work Meaningful

Nobody wants to perform a job that has no perceived impact, and claims adjusters are no exception. They want to perform tasks that engage their minds and provide tangible results. Some examples include improving claim efficiency or helping individuals affected by a claim. If an adjuster spends most of his or her day stamping and filing paperwork, they are unlikely to feel fulfilled by their work. Insurers that treat their adjusters like problem solvers instead of paper pushers will see improvements in claims costs, fraud detection, and customer service.

Promoting Work-Life Balance

Many employers interpret the term work-life balance as a means for employees to goof off instead of buckling down and completing their work. However, that is a callous view of workplace morale. Adjusters can burn out if they do not mind their work-life balance. When this happens, their work and productivity suffer. Insurance providers need to make certain that their adjusters are getting adequate rest and downtime. Otherwise, they may begin making costly mistakes. Technology can help by taking on the most tedious jobs and allowing adjusters to focus on their most meaningful tasks. This is especially important in an increasingly remote workforce where it can prove difficult to separate personal and professional time.

Create and Support a Strong Workforce

Many insurance professionals have recently retired or will so do so. Insurance companies need to retain their current workforce in order to train the next generation of adjusters. In their final years of employment, adjusters will want predictable schedules and value-driven tasks. However, not just seasoned workers want a good work-life balance. Millennials also value work-life balance in addition to meaningful work. If insurance providers don’t address what rising and existing adjusters want from their job, they will struggle more than their competition to attract and retain talent.

Skilled adjusters are vital to an efficient claims management cycle. If your company is grappling with inefficiencies and angry customers, Actec can help. Our full cycle claim and incident reporting solutions can improve the claims process from first notice of loss (FNOL) to claims resolution. Contact us to learn more.

4 Ways to Combat Pandemic Burnout in Call Center Agents

Posted on

January 26th, 2021

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COVID-19 is affecting every industry, particularly call centers. Call centers for medical facilities, insurance providers, and other related sectors are experiencing abnormally high call volumes from stressed customers. Regardless of industry, all call centers are dealing with upset and stressed out callers. Call center agents must be polite, patient, knowledgeable, and upbeat, which is difficult when managing customers’ stress on top of their own.

However, employers have to motivate call center agents as customers will remember which companies supported them through the pandemic crisis. Companies can use the following methods to keep their call center agents happy and reduce the likelihood of burnout:

  1. Focus on reducing stress. Employees need breaks, but a company’s culture may make them feel like they should work through lunch or after hours regularly. For example, employees may opt to take another call when they should be on their lunch break. Such practices can quickly burn out their enthusiasm for their jobs. Agents are also fielding more stressed customers than usual, which can affect their morale. Implementing stress-relieving activities such as app-guided breathing exercises between calls can help agents lower their stress levels.
  2. Provide encouragement. Recognizing a job well done or applauding soft skills can boost agents’ morale. It also provides an example for newer agents to follow and shows the team that management values their work.
  3. Protect top performers. Top-performing agents are the most likely to burnout due to the demands placed on them. For example, companies may ask top-performing agents to coach and train new employees. While this is a sound strategy, businesses need to balance top performers’ workloads as well. If they’re training new employees and trying to complete their usual amount of work, they’re likely to burnout.
  4. Offer bonuses and other rewards. Call center agents are working harder than ever during the pandemic. Offering cash bonuses, gift cards, gift baskets, and other non-monetary rewards can boost motivation and productivity. For example, companies can hold a monthly raffle for employees with perfect attendance or offer quarterly bonuses to top performers, most-improved employees, etc. When agents have something to look forward to or work towards, they’re less likely to lose enthusiasm for their jobs.

Call centers play a critical role in a business’s success. If your company is considering investing in a call center or looking for new options, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about our nearshore call center services.

5 Techniques for More Effective Employee Scheduling

Posted on

January 19th, 2021

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Building an effective employee schedule is critical to every business’s success. This is true whether an organization operates 24/7, works a traditional nine to five, or spans unusual hours. While these companies have different scheduling requirements, all businesses can benefit from the following guidelines when putting together their employee’s schedules:

  1. Understand the business. Employers need to know their scheduling requirements before they can optimize work schedules. For example, 24-hour businesses will need rotating shifts, whereas companies that operate during standard business hours will do best with fixed schedules. Businesses like coffee shops or restaurants have an additional complication of peak business hours. For example, the coffee shop will need more employees to cover the morning influx of commuters, while restaurants will need to schedule more staff to cover the dinner rush.
  2. Consider employees’ needs. This isn’t as simple as knowing employee availability. Every employee has unique skills and preferences. Businesses that don’t consider these factors may schedule employees that are ill-suited to the shift. Continuing with the coffee shop example above, a new employee may have morning availability all week. However, their inexperience can become a significant bottleneck as they require more time to perform tasks than experienced employees do. It’s also best practice to try and schedule employees during their preferred hours. It may not always be possible, but it reduces employee turnover.
  3. Keep the schedule predictable. Employees appreciate having some consistency to their schedule. While this isn’t an issue for companies with standard work hours, it can be a problem for shift work or 24-hour businesses. For example, ER nurses that work 12-hour shifts won’t appreciate their schedules switching from night shift to day shift every week.
  4. Empower employees. Employees have lives outside of work, and they won’t always be able to work their usual schedule. Employers can implement software that allows employees to request time off rather than routing through a manager, then to a department head, before finally making it to HR. This allows companies to see all leave requests in one location, which facilitates better scheduling. It also gives employees some autonomy over their schedule.
  5. Invest in technology. The days of creating a schedule with pen and paper are long gone. Investing in the right software can reduce the burden of schedule building, improve productivity, and increase profits. Employers can also use software to identify trends and make data-based decisions.

Actec understands the complexity and nuances involved in scheduling employees. Without the proper software, businesses may run into labor compliance issues, struggle to keep up with leave requests, and overlook attendance problems. Our absence tracking mobile app helps ensure compliance with labor laws, allows employees to submit leave requests, and provides actionable insight into employee attendance. Contact us to learn how our mobile app can help your organization.

Quality Assurance Strategies for Better Call Centers

Posted on

January 11th, 2021

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Businesses rely on call centers to streamline calls to improve customer service, capture leads, and boost sales. If a call center’s performance quality is low, it can lower customer satisfaction and hurt profit margins. Businesses can use the following strategies to cultivate a top-notch call center:

  1. Track all forms of communication. Companies communicate with their customers through several channels. Customer support employees may field inquiries via telephone, email, text, or chat. Many call centers focus their attention on voice calls, but these other lines of communication are important for ensuring a quality experience for the customer.
  2. Incorporate coaching into the company culture. If call center employees only receive coaching following a poor performance, this can create tension and resistance to feedback. Implementing coachable moments or providing guidance on a routine basis can destigmatize feedback and improve customer service.
  3. Track and recognize improvements. Employees may feel pressured or lose motivation if they feel like big brother is always watching. If employees only receive critique, they will focus their efforts on staying off the radar rather than providing superior service. Critiques may help employees improve enough to receive acceptable scores, but recognition helps them reach their full potential.
  4. Use selective hiring practices. If a call center continually fails to meet KPIs despite extensive training and coaching, the company may not be selective enough during their hiring process. Identifying traits and characteristics of call center employees that deliver consistent high-quality services can help ensure a call center’s success.

Call centers that frustrate customers are disastrous for businesses. Nearshore call centers often outperform their offshore counterparts due to familiarity with the customer’s culture. This improves their ability to empathize with the customer and eliminates language barriers. Contact the experts at Actec to learn how our nearshore call center services can benefit your business.

5 Causes of Costly Unplanned Overtime

Posted on

January 4th, 2021

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Working overtime happens in all industries, particularly during peak seasons. However, paying employees overtime is an expense that executives don’t accurately calculate into the budget. It can cause several headaches across multiple areas within the company as well. HR has to make sure the company complies with labor laws as well as field disgruntled employees. Managers have to distribute the additional hours across their teams, which makes scheduling a challenge. Employees that work overtime may harbor resentment toward their employers or burn out from the extra work.

The costs of unplanned overtime have a domino effect throughout the entire organization. If businesses are paying more for overtime than they planned for, they may have one of the following problems:

  1. A company culture that encourages working overtime. If employees receive bonuses for working overtime, it can incentivize staying late. Similarly, if management or company leadership conflates loyalty with working overtime, employees may feel their job is in danger if they don’t work more than 40 hours a week.
  2. Chronic staffing issues. Every company has surges that may require employees to work late. However, if these periods of knuckling down become a weekly event, the company may have a staffing shortage. Employees that seem burned out or complain of needing a vacation may have too much work for one individual.
  3. Insufficient training. Employers may notice certain employees take an excessive amount of time to perform their work. This issue could also present as new employees consistently taking longer than their coworkers to perform the same task. Providing employees with additional training or professional development opportunities can help cut down on this kind of unplanned overtime.
  4. Outdated technology. Slow technology or insufficient equipment can hamstring productivity. If employees don’t have the tools they need to complete their work within normal hours, the overtime will begin to accumulate.
  5. An unclear or poorly enforced overtime policy. If managers aren’t clear on policies, they may consistently schedule overtime without realizing the costs. Employees may also work additional hours without approval if the company handbook doesn’t outline the rules for working overtime.

Having advanced attendance tracking technology can provide actionable insights to help businesses combat unplanned overtime. Actec’s absence tracking mobile app provides data so companies can identify trends. This allows them to pinpoint which departments or employees have consistent attendance issues. Whether your company is struggling with employee tardiness, absenteeism, or unplanned overtime, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about our absence tracking mobile app.

4 Benefits of Allowing Call Center Employees to Socialize

Posted on

December 28th, 2020

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Considering that call center employees spend their working hours on the phones with customers, opportunities for socializing may seem scant. However, agents aren’t tethered to their seats from the moment they arrive to the instant they clock out of work for the day. Employees visit the breakroom for coffee, take breaks for lunch, or pass each other in the halls.

While productivity-driven employers may frown upon idle chatter, socializing amongst agents can reap several benefits:

  1. Happier employees. Call center agents spend a significant portion of their day at work. If employees don’t engage with each other, the office can quickly become a dreary place. Call center employees who don’t enjoy their work environment are less likely to grow their skills or deliver superior service to customers.
  2. Faster onboarding. The first few days on the job are often daunting for new employees. Even if their employer provides extensive training and guidelines, employees often learn better from their peers. They can discover helpful tips that help them perform better at their job and find their fit within the company’s culture.
  3. Less employee turnover. Call centers often struggle to retain employees for several reasons, some of which are outside of their control. However, allowing employees to socialize is an effective means to reduce the turnover rate. The environment is friendlier, which helps employees perform better. These successes often lead to praise and recognition, which fuels future efforts in the workplace. When employees thrive in the workplace, they’re more likely to stay.
  4. Better collaboration and coaching. All teams are stronger when they work together. Call center employees that socialize are more likely to help each other out or offer advice. Without this camaraderie, employees are less likely to improve, engage, or enjoy their work.

Managing a call center is a challenging task but well worth the effort. If your company is considering investing in a call center, Actec can help. Contact us to learn more about our nearshore contact center solutions.

How to Manage Employees Across Multiple Locations

Posted on

December 21st, 2020

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With many employees still telecommuting, businesses are familiar with the challenges of managing employees they no longer see in person. Some of the most common pain points are confusion regarding new procedures or projects, diminished productivity, and administrative difficulties. Businesses can implement several strategies to help reduce these issues.

Provide Clear Guidelines

Employees are navigating their new norm while trying to keep up with their typical responsibilities. If employees aren’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing, their work isn’t likely going to align with the company’s needs. Confusion also causes delays and can stifle productivity. Businesses should set clear policies, update project priorities, and clarifying timelines for telecommuting employees.

Prioritize Communication

Employees may feel lost, neglected, or disconnected after so much time spent at home rather than in the office. They’re less likely to care about company policies without oversight and may lose interest in their work. Communicating often across multiple channels can help unify employees during these challenging times. Recognizing hard work, establishing a virtual coffee hangout before work hours, and other efforts to maintain open communication can help remind employees they are still a valuable part of the team.

Utilize Technology

Day-to-day administrative tasks are much more challenging when switching to a remote workforce. Without technology, attendance, meetings, and collaboration among employees are almost impossible. Many businesses embraced video conferencing to maintain meetings and facilitate communication between departments working on various projects. Investing in attendance tracking software is also critical to avoid time theft and unchecked absenteeism.

Actec understands the challenges companies are facing as the pandemic continues into the new year. We developed our absence tracking mobile app to help businesses accurately track employee attendance and identify concerning trends. Our mobile app also streamlines the administrative side of attendance reporting, as it is a self-service platform with several communication channels to suit employee preferences. Contact us to learn how our absence tracking mobile app can help your company.

4 Measurable Benefits of Absence Management Technology

Posted on

December 14th, 2020

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HR needs modern solutions to improve the accuracy of attendance tracking. Upgrading outmoded systems such as manual record-keeping or physical timecards saves money and improves productivity. Antiquated legacy systems for attendance will always fail to meet expectations. Businesses that invest in modern attendance software can reap the following benefits:

  1. Improve accuracy and compliance. The risk of clerical errors is high for manual or low-tech attendance systems. Even a small margin of error can result in significant fiscal mistakes. Overpaying or underpaying employees hurts the organization’s bottom line and can lead to compliance issues. Investing in absence management software can eliminate clerical errors for accurate timekeeping, payroll, and complying with Department of Labor regulations.
  2. Curtail time theft. Time theft is one of the biggest knocks against manual timekeeping systems. Employees can alter their hours worked to conceal if they arrive to work late or leave early. These outdated systems also allow for buddy punching, which occurs when one employee clocks another in or out to hide attendance infractions. While 10 minutes here or there may not seem like much, the American Payroll Association reported that buddy punching costs organizations $373 million every year. Efficient time tracking software can help curtail these issues.
  3. Improve productivity. Robust attendance tracking systems do more than simple attendance keeping. Many include features like submitting PTO requests so employees can request time off without a convoluted chain of emails. This reduces the amount of time managers spend on HR tasks, which allows them to focus on more relevant projects.
  4. Actionable insights. Absence management software provides businesses with attendance data and trends. This information can pinpoint departments with chronic tardiness or isolate individual employees trending toward absenteeism. Knowing where to focus improvement efforts yields better results than issuing a company-wide generic message about attendance.

Antiquated absence tracking methods can hurt profits, cause compliance headaches, and lack data to identify attendance problems. Actec’s absence tracking mobile app is a self-service tool that captures all your employees’ absence data, ensures compliance with labor laws, and more. Contact us to learn more about modernizing your absence management system