Peter Schorsch
During a major crisis or natural disaster, the advancements in technology and AI have helped state governments and agencies, including those in Florida, successfully expand their response capabilities while creating efficiencies. But even as response times improve, a key element that stays most effective in crisis communications is the human connection that comes from real-life team members.
Deloitte is outlining its leading practices in a new report on crisis communication, which emphasizes that communication has evolved beyond the broadcast of messages.
People turn to multiple platforms to seek and receive information in times of crisis, and it is essential to communicate information consistently across all platforms. Accurate information must be updated regularly on websites and social media accounts, as well as through call centers.
“Information — accurate, timely and broadly available — is critical to successful disaster recovery,” says the report.
As a first step, a command center should be set up to oversee all communications and coordinate the distribution of information. The command center would be responsible for shaping the central message, capturing data and delivering services.
Technology can significantly help governments scale up communications when inquiries increase quickly during a crisis.
“Using technology to effectively service the most common, routine issues can free up staff to deal with the more difficult cases,” according to the report. “Conversational artificial intelligence is a rapidly improving technology that has the potential to serve the public at scale and reduce the load on an overwhelmed staff.”
In times of trouble, the power of human connection is also essential to success.
While technological advancements can help answer simple questions and direct users to the appropriate program areas, it is important to make sure people feel heard.
These best practices are summed up in Deloitte’s report as six pillars of a successful crisis contact center. They are:
— Establish a command center: A centralized, coordinated authority can oversee all aspects of the contact center, from shaping the central messaging to capturing up-to-the-minute data about contact volumes, wait times and services delivered.
— Crisis communications: Shape an accurate and consistent message and make sure every part of the contact center is aligned on messaging — from websites to social media, from the interactive voice response (IVR) message to call representatives.
— Agent deployment: It’s important to scale up in a short matter of time. Agents will need to be found, vetted and onboarded at a crisis pace — sometimes on the scale of 500 in a week.
— Training and knowledge management: Both existing staff and the newly onboarded will need some form of training on a rapidly shifting situation. In the dynamic reality of a crisis, just-in-time training and access to knowledge management tools are critical.
— Service through technology/conversation artificial intelligence (AI): Using technology to effectively service the most common, routine issues can free up staff to deal with the more difficult cases. Conversational artificial intelligence is a rapidly improving technology that has the potential to serve the public at scale and reduce the load on an overwhelmed staff.
— Technology backbone: Expand existing service lines to manage an influx of communications. Also revisit IVR systems to make sure that menu and options reflect the current reality.
Putting these guidelines to work can bolster any organization’s resilience and readiness to manage a crisis.
