#3 Routing Practices
Keep routing logic as simple as possible: Ad-hoc creation and modification can result in interdependent and conflicting rules that may cause havoc as opposed to improving productivity. Maintain an up-to-date 'routing document' using 'If-Then' logic. Utilize email management systems to test routing rules for potential conflicts and cyclical logic. Use system permissions to control access such that only selected administrators can create and modify routing rules.

Route based on departments and queues, not named individuals: In the absence of a particular agent, routing logic directly based on individual agents will result in email that either remain unanswered or have to be manually moved from one agent's inbox to another. Create appropriate queues or mailboxes, as well as roles and departments, and first configure rules based on these parameters. Routing should always be based on the "best available agent" opposed to a predetermined named agent. Within a particular queue or mailbox, employ automatic push-routing based on agent workload, departments, and other relevant parameters.

Use customer information for intelligent routing: Provide priority service to high-value customers by utilizing customer information when routing a particular email. Customers can be identified using information gathered via the email Web form, the incoming email address, or via intelligent email content scanning. Use information stored within your email management system or an external CRM system as criteria to use within your routing logic.

Configure and utilize agent skills to increase FTR rates: If the company has a wide range of products and services, and appropriately skilled teams in various areas, configure skill-based routing to get the incoming email to the right team and then to the best available agent. This will directly result in improved First Time Resolution (FTR) rates. If the company has a multi-lingual customer base, ensure that the email management system can automatically identify incoming email languages and then route them appropriately.

Automate escalation routing and exception scenarios: Agents might transfer emails that have already been routed once to other service lines or teams, or might even return them to the queues, if allowed, leaving them unanswered for longer than desired periods. Configure routing rules to prioritize such email, based on individual email SLAs, and push them to special mailboxes, or even escalate them appropriately.

#4 Responding Techniques
Use effective automatic acknowledgements: An auto-acknowledgement can be used effectively to inform customers that their email has been received, and also avoid getting repeat email from the same customer on the same issue.

Include any issue tracking number or case ID, state SLAs based on customer-value or problem complexity, and provide information about any service delays or outages as part of the auto-acknowledgement. Outline options for self-service or if needed, provide escalation methods for emergencies. Clearly mention whether or not the customer can reply to the acknowledgement. Thread any such response into the original email within the email management system.

Personalize responses and keep them simple: Starting with the acknowledgement, personalize every email by including the customer name in the greeting, the agent's signature, and other pertinent customer information. Utilizing Web forms that ask for first and last names will help automate this process. Do not try to upsell, cross-sell, or use other marketing techniques unless the customer issue has been resolved.

Always keep the customer informed: Apart from the first acknowledgement, it is also a good idea to keep the customer informed of progress, particularly delays. Depending on email volume, employ automated rules or have agents respond with a personalized note. In either case, mention the nature of the delay and the expected resolution time.

Empower agents with productivity tools: Email management systems provide value and lower total cost of ownership due to a large set of features, including agent productivity tools. Train agents to use them effectively. Such tools include automatic spell-checking in multiple languages, ability to personalize messages using templates for various parts of the email (like header, greeting, body, footer, etc.), ability to preview emails, use pre-configured responses, insert knowledgebase articles, use short-cut keys, and many more.

Consider auto-suggest and auto-response capabilities: Consider investing in intelligent tools that can scan email content, understand the specific request, and suggest appropriate responses to an agent or even automatically respond to the customer. Access the specific service organization and decide on an acceptable degree of error, for example five % of all automatic responses, based on the value of a customer segment and volume of incoming email.

Utilize the power of an integrated knowledgebase: An integrated knowledgebase is a powerful tool to provide consistent, relevant, and quick email responses. At the same time, it can also be used for other customer service channels such as self-service, online chat and phone. Empower agents to author new knowledgebase articles and modify existing ones.

Be selective in sending follow-up emails: An unsolicited follow-up email asking for feedback costs time and money, and most customers ignore it, respond with irrelevant or wrong data, or even worse, mark that email as SPAM. Use follow-up or feedback emails in cases where resolution was delayed or might have been poor, and consider combining it with a promotional offer or a gift certificate.

Employ quality assurance techniques: Use the outbox feature available in most email management systems to keep outgoing emails for a specific period of time before they are actually dispatched. This will allow agents to pull email back and modify them. Create quality assurance processes where email responses are monitored for quality on an ongoing basis, improve the knowledgebase content, and review agent performance. Automate this process by having x-percent of email blind-carbon-copied to a quality assurance mailbox.

Improving Ongoing Email Management: As with any other ongoing process, it is critical to gather metrics, measure performance, and make continuous improvements to the overall email management initiative. Real-time statistics present a live snapshot of the system and agents-number of emails in queues, number within service levels, agent workload, response times, and more. Historical metrics should be gathered and analyzed to determine trends, identify issues, evaluate agents, determine staffing levels, and escalate product or service problems to other departments in the organization.

Holistic View
Given the multi-channel nature of customer service, it is important to look at the holistic set of metrics related to all the channels offered-self-service, phone, email, and online chat. Pay specific attention to ongoing performance versus published SLAs. Metrics gathered should help not only track past performance, but also predict future performance. Monitor trends associated with specific organizational events, such as new product releases, product recalls, marketing promotions, and holiday seasons. Make ongoing corrections and instill a continuous improvement process around the entire multi-channel customer service strategy.

Girish Krishnamurthy
The author is MD, Asia Pacific, Talisma