Synchronous (CHAT) vs. asynchronous messaging (SMS, Social Media, WhatsApp)
What is synchronous messaging?
Synchronous messaging is suitable for simple conversations that can be solved in one sitting or with one agent.
What is Asynchronous messaging?
Asynchronous messaging is more convenient for customers and is also better for complex issues that require more than one sitting or one agent to fix. Good for (IT issues, Retention issues, Account problems, Adjustments, Complex Cx Issues)
Benefits to Social Media & Tips
• From my experience, Social Media has some of the highest FCR and NPS scores. Generally, upon 1st post by the customer, the agent has whatever TAR (Time to Average Response) the company sets to make an initial response within a set target (TAR) and then once the customer responds, the clock resets and the same (TAR) window now can be used to solve the customer’s issue. By the next response, the issue is generally resolved and the case can be closed. This requires minimal effort from the customer and generally is a much more positive experience for them
• Social Media requires less FTE to handles large volumes as (TAR) can be set based on customer’s habits, interaction type, service standards, SLA, or within an industry-standard target of about 15 mins. Since the customer can go about their day the (TAR) can be set to 20 or 30 mins to reduce FTE requirements in line of business that may be of less priority or that by its nature would require more time like a complex IT issue
• Stop and Go (asynchronous messaging) - Less Pressure on Agent to finish transaction real-time without customer holding (No AHT pressure) live. Customers can go about their day while their problem is being solved vs. Waiting on hold
• Natural and less stressful for agents (Agents are encouraged to be more themselves) when interacting with customer * Quality guidelines apply *
• Asynchronous messaging is also better for complex issues that require more than one sitting or one agent to fix
• Can easily integrate social media with self-serve options
• Asynchronous messaging is the new email: Email can be missed or go unopened within the companies SLA. Social media (Asynchronous messaging) has a target set and has to be responded to within a targeted TAR (time to average response)
• Social Media is best staffed with Top Tier or most experienced agents. Agents should have extensive access and authority to make changes and bring a customer account to a resolution. This will increase FCR and Boost NPS.
How to plan for Social Media (FTE and Forecasting) - High Level
In a nutshell... social media would work the same as SMS or WhatsApp. The initial contact from cx would start a conversation ... with multiple stop and go responses. SMS and WhatsApp would work the same way as social media... it’s a stop and go interaction. One a post/or message is received from a customer; it is used as a starting point ... and then generates an average amount of responses aka conversation rate. An average handle time can be summed up from all the responses in each unique conversation to forecast the same way as chat or voice
One then needs to then use conversation rate from the initial 1st contact to come up with (average conversation rate) and then multiply * conversations by * conversation rate to get (responses offered) and then sum up AHT
Using the response AHT you can plan at the interval / monthly / daily level on responses and avg AHT per response totals
Also, the same cx may not respond in the same interval. At the interval level, you would then need to plan to whatever responses and AHT that happen in a 900/1800/3600 interval to get a FTE plan at hourly/30mins/15min level
Excel Formulas (Social Media) Planning
Responses = (Unique Conversations * Responses Per Conversation)
Responses Per Conversation = IFERROR (responses/conversations,0)
Social Media ASA = IFERROR (answertime/handled/60,0)
Social Media AHT = IFERROR (handle time/handled,0)
Social Media SL Calc.% = IFERROR (# of responses handled within (Target TAR)/handled,0)
