How knowledge base tools boost contact center agent training

A customer’s impression of a brand is often influenced by the interactions they have with the contact center agents or support agents, and this is especially true for online businesses, which is why proper agent training is necessary.

While traditional agent training methods are still very much an important part of the agent training process, knowledge management tools can ease contact center agent training and technical onboarding.

The importance of contact center agent training

Contact center agent training and development are generally holistic in nature and affect almost every aspect of a business, its employees, and customers. It helps businesses achieve their full potential by:

1. Reducing turnover: Although turnover is a constant challenge in the CX industry, not all turnover is negative. When employees receive promotions or move to new roles within the organization through training and new skills, it is a positive internal turnover. The increased employee engagement that results from agent training significantly reduces expenses that are otherwise incurred on replacing dissatisfied front-line employees and management team members, ultimately costing less than agent turnover.

2. Increasing profits: Well-trained agents can deliver first-contact resolutions without the need for unnecessary escalations, thereby avoiding related costs and negative customer experiences. As a result, proper contact center agent training directly adds bottom-line profits to the business.
3. Improving customer and employee experiences: Employee improvement is only possible when they receive proper training, have the right tools for the job, and are rewarded for their good work. Helping agents engage with their roles improves the overall customer satisfaction experience.

Developing KSAC profiles

Organizations should create role-based KSAC (knowledge, skills, abilities, and culture) profiles after setting their goals and objectives to establish the knowledge, skills, abilities, and culture the agents will require for each role.

• Knowledge – Includes industry-specific practical knowledge gained from experience, education, or certifications. For example, knowledge in healthcare, retail, IT, etc.
• Skills – Includes technical, social, and CX skills acquired through training and are measured, observed, and validated by recruitment teams through various tests and assessments. For example, customer service skills, proficiency in specific software or tools, or other technical skills.
• Abilities – Task switch, empathy, and relatability to customers’ personal and social attributes are some of the abilities that agents should demonstrate.
• Culture – Culture comprises an organization’s beliefs, values, and behaviors that are typically documented and permeate through the company. It is important for potential employees to align with their employer’s culture.

The KSAC profiles can be later used for recruitment purposes and developing training programs. Understanding the role requirements for success at a KSAC level can help companies hire and train more effectively.

Analyzing training needs

The KSAC profiles can help identify training opportunities for contact center agents to match an organization’s desired outcome. The current state of agent performance determines in which areas an agent’s knowledge, skills, and abilities may be lacking. This will help evaluate the root of the performance gap, and the organization can work toward resolving these issues.

Contact center agent training with knowledge management tools

Contact center software, like HGS Agent X is the perfect coaching tool for newly recruited agents. Smart knowledge management capabilities make it possible to seamlessly share business-critical information among agents in real-time, facilitating quick onboarding.

Additionally, contact center AI and automation are like the icing on the cake, and agents will highly appreciate the straightforward agent experience that comes from such handy knowledge management tools. While the manual search capabilities of the interactive Knowledge Base and Ask Colleague features make self-learning easy, the tool also acts as a powerful co-pilot to agents by automatically suggesting relevant articles during calls.

HGS Agent X’s single pane of glass gives a simplistic and comprehensive customer 360 view that provides agents with all the necessary customer details in one place, streamlining the agent workflow and collaboration.

Learn more about how HGS Agent X’s smart knowledge base can help with agent onboarding. Speak to our experts.

Refresher agent training

Successful contact center agent training isn’t a one-time activity in an agent’s career. Regular agent training is the only effective way to thoroughly prepare them for any kind of customer concern.

Continuous training throughout an employee’s lifecycle includes many functional aspects, such as quality monitoring, knowledge management, as well as professional development.

It is important to remember that people learn and absorb information in many ways, and therefore, organizations must offer training programs in various styles. Assessing how each agent learns best and tailoring the training to their preferred style can help management teams conduct successful contact center agent training.

Integrate your existing knowledge management with HGS Agent X’s knowledge management.