In a contact center, it is very important to record what happened during a call, any important information provided by the customer, the steps that were taken to resolve the issue, if the issue was not resolved on the call, then what are the next steps, and so on. It is also important that the agents record all this information as briefly as possible so that he/she does not spend too much time in the ‘not ready’ status. For the next agent who takes the call from the same customer, he/she should be able to understand whatever happened in the previous interactions as well, and that too at a glance or so.
This is where wrap-up codes come in. They are a quick way to summarize all that happened in a call. For example, an agent can tag a call as ‘billing query’, and the resolution as ‘query resolved’. It is simple, easily understandable, and quick to record. An agent will be able to find all the required wrap-up codes in the contact center software that he/she is using, they would usually be listed in a drop-down list. Once the interaction with the customer is over, the agent can select one quickly, and move on to the next call. Wrap-up codes are also known as call codes or disposition codes. Wrap-up codes are basically intended to record the most general information. If the customer provides any additional information, then the agent will have to record it manually in the customer records.
Key benefits of wrap-up codes
Nowadays, an advanced call center software would provide all the information about a particular customer calling in, to the agent, as soon as the call is connected to him/her. However, this does not mean that the agent will have ample time to go through the customer records. Within a minute or two, the agent should be able to go through the customer’s call history. Without the wrap-up codes, the agents will have to read through the notes, and this would definitely take a lot of time. Putting a customer on hold to go through the notes is not an ideal or a practical practice. If the customer is already frustrated, this will only aggravate him/her more. Wrap-up codes will give the agent a good idea about that is happening with a customer’s account, and without wasting any time, he/she will be able to get on with resolving the customer’s issue.
- In a contact center, it is not ideal for the agents to be in the ‘not ready’ status, especially when there is a high call flow. This would negatively impact the productivity of the agent, as well as that of the contact center. Wrap-codes allows the agents to just select an action from the drop-down menu and move on to the next call.
- Wrap-up codes can also be used to tag a customer number as a disconnected one or tag a customer as one who does not wish to receive any call.
- If a customer’s issues need a follow-up, then it can be tagged like that using the specific wrap-up code, and the agents will be prompted to work on it, and call the customer back with a resolution.
- Wrap-up codes provide the managers with a broad overview of the performance of their contact center. For example, they can take a look at the wrap-up codes and find out how many issues were resolved, how many sales were made, and so on. If there are a number of calls that are tagged as ‘disconnected’, then they could look into it, and fix it as soon as possible.
A few points to optimize your wrap-up codes
Provide adequate training to the agents about the wrap-up codes used in your contact center. An agent choosing the wrong wrap-code can seriously impact the customer account.
- If the agents are not able to find a wrap-up code that best sums up the call, create a code for such a scenario, after considering the feedback from your agents.
- Having too many wrap-codes will only serve to confuse the agents. The idea of a wrap-up code is to best summarize a call, not to accurately define it. Having wrap-up codes does not mean that you can do without manual entries.
- Provide your experienced agents with access to add their own codes or comments if they are unable to find a suitable one. However, always keep an eye on your wrap-up codes.
- It is a good idea to use numbers for wrap-up codes, especially if you have multiple drop downs. An experienced agent would have no problem with it, however, a novice agent might struggle with it, at first. Numbers are much easier to select than looking for words.
Wrap-up codes not only help in cutting down the ACW (after call work) time but also in getting an insight into the contact center’s overall performance.
