In 2019, ABC’s IT team implemented 8x8 Contact Center and 8x8 Work at five locations across the company. The team onboarded contact center agents and office staff to 8x8, and employees ramped up quickly with very little assistance needed. In 2021, additional locations were added. “It wasn’t difficult for our agents to learn the new 8x8 system,” recalls Warren. “8x8 is pretty self-explanatory.”
After using 8x8 successfully for a couple of years, ABC learned about an interesting new interface in the works for contact center agents. 8x8 encourages customers to provide feedback on any aspect of their experience, and one of the best ways to do that is to participate in beta and research programs.
Warren and her customer service team decided to join 8x8’s Agent Workspace Beta Program to gain early access to the new agent interface and have a say in shaping future development. She explains, “Personally, I think it’s important for us to have input in the tools that we use on a regular basis. And it’s important for companies like 8x8 to understand what their customers need in order to create something that is user friendly for everyone.”
The team enjoyed being part of the beta process and now Agent Workspace is integral to their daily operations. Warren says, “Everyone likes the look of the console—it’s larger, more aesthetically pleasing, and very, very user friendly.”
Organization wide, many other 8x8 features support daily operations at ABC. The company relies on 8x8’s video conferencing, chat, and email services for internal collaboration, as well as communicating with customers, partners, suppliers, and others. For Warren, 8x8 reporting and Interaction Analytics are particularly helpful. "As a supervisor, I use reports to gain insight into my team’s performance and service quality. I’m a numbers nerd, so access to this type of data is one of my favorite features of the 8x8 platform.”
Overall, 8x8 has been a successful solution for ABC with no major issues reported. According to Warren, contact center agents have benefited most from 8x8’s ease of use and improved, intuitive interface, resulting in lower stress levels—a boon for both employees and customers. “With 8x8, our agents are less stressed out and more comfortable maneuvering around the phone system,” reports Warren. “This helps them to help our customers much more easily.”
During the pandemic, reducing employee stress was particularly important. “With our on-premises system, it would have been very difficult to work from home,” says Warren. “We were fortunate to have already implemented 8x8 by then.” For the foreseeable future, ABC plans to operate as a hybrid workforce, with staff coming to the office two days a week and everyone working from home on Fridays. 8x8’s flexibility will continue to support the company as it grows and evolves into the future. In a final note, Warren shares, “8x8 has been a terrific company to work with and a terrific service provider for us.”
