Creating the Modern CX Workplace with Microsoft

Despite so-called simple strategic frameworks and views to the contrary developing exceptional customer experience (CX) with high-performing contact centres is far from easy. Customers want to bring together planning, execution, change management, people and processes in one joined-up approach. One that avoids costly ‘rip and replace’ and makes best use of their existing technology investments.

Which is why Genesys and Microsoft joined forces in the first place. We believe delivering hyper-personalised experiences should be easier for our customers and their ecosystem partners.

So, whether you’re a customer using a Genesys contact centre platform, or deploy workloads on Microsoft Azure – or currently do neither but are thinking about it – you can tap into this joint approach in five practical steps.

 Step 1. Driving CX strategy and support for change

Genesys and Microsoft professional services can assist in forming a clear picture of your current CX maturity and where you need to get to. You’ll then have everything you need for vision and direction setting. Set out in a communication program explaining the rationale for change and securing buy-in from agents, managers, and other key stakeholders.

To help them visualise what good will look like we’ll explain how a cloud native solution like Genesys on Azure simplifies IT and accelerates business transformation with amazing customer and employee journeys. On an enterprise cloud platform that’s built for global security and scale.

That means CX leaders and contact centre managers will always have their fingers on the pulse. With agents effortlessly managing tasks and omnichannel conversations. And IT teams escaping the hassle of managing contact centre infrastructure, saving time and money.

Step 2. Digital and data-driven doesn’t mean sacrificing voice

When the pandemic hit, digital channels became the primary way to connect and manage experiences. Organisations that seem to be getting this right combine the best of automation and human talent in moments that matter. Like, conversations with high spending or disconcerted customers require top performing agents with deeper knowledge, people-handling skills, and innate empathy.

CX Innovation is all about better servicing customers on the channel of their choice, which for many is still voice. Particularly among Baby Boomers (over 75s) and Generation X (51 – 75) customers.

And a combined Genesys and Microsoft CX strategy will enable you to innovate faster through:

• Simpler customer connections — Follow context-rich conversations across channels, creating more personalised experiences and stronger relationships.
• Empowered teams — With all the right tools, support and data they need when it matters, boosting performance and job satisfaction.
• Deeper understanding — Real-time dashboards and up-to-the-second analytics uncover fresh insights needed to run your business, regardless of where your agents are located or which channels they’re using.

Step 3. A solid delivery plan with all the right building blocks

This is largely determined by technology choice. Look for a cloud native contact centre platform with a proven omnichannel roadmap and open APIs. This is also where Genesys Choice comes in. It allows you to turn services on or off, scale up or down, and burst at a moment’s notice. Consuming innovation and testing new capabilities – like MultiCloud CX containers – before making a financial commitment and investing.

Think of it as a Genesys gift card that can be used to improve contact center elasticity, cost transparency and innovation without the risk of a full blown migration. For example, by moving to the cloud and realising system management savings that can be ploughed back into better tools to assist agents.

Other key building blocks available within the Genesys and Microsoft roadmap include:

• Secure, productive remote and hybrid working from anywhere
• AI and automation reducing costs and improving customer care
• Digital engagement effortlessly adding channels like chat, messaging, and video
• Advanced tools for effectively managing and motivating people from a distance

Step 4. Customer service has become a team game

Agents increasingly need to reach out to subject matter experts and business units. When they do, they don’t want to put customers on lengthy holds or have to schedule callbacks.

Which means seamless systems integration is supercritical. Genesys and Microsoft have worked tirelessly so IT teams can easily connect our contact centre platforms with CRM, business intelligence, collaboration systems, and other core applications. Also, with cloud platforms like Azure, customers can quickly turn on new capabilities such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, image recognition, and AI and machine learning (ML) libraries.

Genesys and Microsoft customers continue to show the way. One, a leading distributor of industrial products, brought together 130 employees, 30 outsourced agents and 400 remote sales reps by integrating Genesys Cloud with MS Teams and Salesforce. Reps now better support each other, view the same CRM data, and use directory, search and presence features to find the person with the right expertise. Then they determine availability and collaborate in real time. All from one unified desktop.

Step 5. Focus where you can make the biggest difference

That might be a most-profitable line of business or tackling a global CX project. For another Genesys client it was the latter. Enriched by applications such as Azure, MS Teams and Dynamics, Genesys Multicloud CX is now transforming CX and productivity for more than 25,000 agents throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

As a result, 35 different phone systems and 214 separate IVR platforms have been retired, reducing IT maintenance costs and simplifying navigation across product offerings. Agent response times also have improved, assisted by the newfound ability to load-balance across regions. There’s one method for reporting KPIs across the globe, making it easy to pull, digest and share data such as NPS ratings, handle times, transfers, disconnects and abandons. Combining this rich data with Microsoft Power Business Intelligence analytics is already bearing fruit. Transfer rates have declined significantly, while closely monitoring global staffing levels has uncovered opportunities for optimisation.

For another Genesys retail customer a smart IVR solution with conversational AI was the missing piece. Cross-checking over 30,000 products, an ultra-efficient voicebot processes 5,000 refunds, 3,000 track-my-order requests, and 1,500 common questions a week. Seven-figure savings and a two-point NPS uplift are just some of the benefits being realised.

Finally … no one can predict the future

Last year surely taught us that. What we can do is prepare well. The experiences we create are just as important as the products or services we sell. Look for solutions that equip you to provide memorable experiences — backed by transformational partners you can trust and a team that’ll be with you all the way.

Find out more about how Genesys and Microsoft are helping the world’s biggest brands create more memorable customer experiences.