During the pandemic, big events like pop concerts are out of the question. But let’s use this as a time to reflect on such gatherings. Those who organize them need to consider a range of unpredictable factors, most of which are related to the crowd. What to do when people get drunk, or extra security checks are required? How to keep customers happy while coordinating the event and making sure everyone is safe? Sure, preparation is half the battle. But what about the other half? Only real-time information on the day of the event will help organizers take the appropriate action. And if things turn out differently than expected, they should be flexible and deviate from the original plan.
Here’s what’s interesting: even though today’s biggest pop stars won’t pay a musical visit to your office any time soon, the same applies to the work floor.
Getting it right in volatile times
The coronacrisis has put a lot of pressure on organizations. Some have had to cut back on staff. But at the same time, they’re doubling down on keeping existing customers happy and gaining new ones. This means they should carefully balance efficiency, customer retention, and sales.
Getting it right is a struggle. Airline companies, for example, are dealing with overly busy contact centers while their planes are on the ground. Customers ask a ton of questions about vouchers, flights, and future plans. If airlines don’t communicate excellently now, they’ll likely lose these customers. And given the volatile situation, it’s impossible to work according to a solid plan: contact center agents need to adapt to the moment based on real-time information.
What you can learn from pop concert organizers
Back to pop concerts. Here’s the solution event organizers use: crowd management. It’s a pretty complex job that requires you to map several routes, making sure people take the right direction and don’t get in each other’s way. And you should be flexible enough to adapt to the real-life situation as it occurs.
If you think about it, coordinating incoming calls at a contact center isn’t much different. You need to outline and anticipate several scenarios, making sure agents are prepared to deal with them. On top of that, employees require real-time, actionable information, so they can act swiftly in the moment. The key to achieving this: Visual Management!
Want to explore your Visual Management opportunities? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to perform a Quick Scan and discuss your information sharing strategy.