Call Center Customer
Service Management: An Opportunity to Shine
by
Charles E. Day CMC, FIMC, President, Charles E. Day & Associates
for
The Journal of Business Strategy Handbook
December 2001
Highly accomplished customer service call
centers possess unique management capabilities in caring for and
maximizing their most valuable resources: technology, business processes
and, especially, people. To soar above the competition, high functioning
teleservices operations understand customers’ needs and preferences for
doing business. They know how important it is to build relationships,
install and implement the right technology options, use the most
appropriate business processes, and, more critically, train employees to
feel just as important as the most valued customer.
Technology Alone Is Not Enough
The teleservices industry is credited with
attracting thousands of employees who generate over $1 billion in annual
sales. Accordingly, installation and application of advanced call center
technologies contribute significantly to efficiency gains and
organizations' bottom lines. More important, however, is the management of
not only system resources, but also business processes and human resources
associated with the work environment and the ongoing workload necessary
for conducting day-to-day operations. In particular, it’s clear that
without properly managing and motivating people with respect to desired
outcomes in teleservices operations, customer service and/or sales, full
benefit will not likely be achieved regardless of the extent of investment
and advanced system technologies. In fact, overlooking human resources
tends to have quite an opposite effect. It doesn’t matter if a company
with poor procedures and communications boasts the most sophisticated
technology. Those companies tend to lose customers and revenues faster
than a company with the same HR conditions and manual systems.
While the use of Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) system technologies should be driven by customer needs
and profiles, they should be extremely user friendly when it comes to the
navigational abilities of customer service representatives. Other
technological features that depend largely on human and personnel factors
include:
- Call blending option to dynamically log
other agents into automatic call distributor (ACD) during peaking
process hours
- Screen pops using telephone numbers and
account information collected in queue
- Automated callback capability to give
customers options to receive return calls versus waiting on hold for
long periods of time; this guarantees customers automatic dial backs
when their waiting time is over
- Conversational voice messaging on
interactive voice response (IVR) with voice recognition;
agent to be provided information on customer transactions up to that
point in system and prior to transfer to live representative
- Integrated voice mail capability at each
agent’s position to serve as voice, text and e-mail repository; this
allows representatives to receive their own facsimiles and e-mails and
hear or view them along with standard voice messaging.
- Use of scheduling software and
forecasting tools to the fullest extent in order to insure appropriate
staffing
- Integration of Web-based applications
with existing call center configuration and strategies to assure
performance standards that are satisfactory to customers and not
overbearing to representatives
- Online payment collection by
representatives with credit cards, bank transfers, and zip checks if
IVR systems are programmed with this capability
- Integration of out-dialing applications
or blended call center, to ease and extend sharing of technical and
personnel resources
- Automated encoding and reporting of
transaction type and customer attributes
- Graphical user interface (GUI) screen
displays on all systems to be accessed by agent, including legacy
hosts applications
- Case management tracking history for
representatives
- Use of kiosk, Web enable, banking
applications and IVR with customer routing history information made
available to agents in the event of transfer to representatives for
more help by customer
- Customer relationship management
systems, software, databases and procedures supportive of CSR and
planned around employee requirements for information
- Multi-media capability for CSR to review
with customer while online; this includes, as an example, actual copy
of past invoices, packing slips, etc.
- CTI call queuing with transfers between
areas and PC screen messaging to targeted CSR
The greatest opportunity for call centers
to shine with advanced call center technologies is in upgrading the skills
and staff responsible for understanding, evaluating and selecting
business-oriented solutions. This can only be accomplished through
training and recruiting people with specialized skills. This means people
who are directly involved with day-to-day operations need to make a
commitment to keep current with what’s available in related business and
technology industries.
Processes and Preferences
It is important to plan management and
implementation of procedures and processes that all but guarantee
successful outcomes with customers. For example, today’s customers want
companies to be available at their convenience - anytime of the day or
night. Another factor is recognizing that business-to-business customers
and business-to-consumer customers have different needs and expectations.
Unlike business people, consumers only want to be contacted once some
degree of marketing relationship has been established.
The linkage for matching customer
preferences, profiles, calling history and similar variables is core for
CRM business procedures and practices. Defined procedures cover customers
who choose to mail correspondence, log onto Web sites, email requests or
even fax documents. While some of these processes take longer, they are
usually less costly than a telephone call and certainly all represent
increasingly important communication options for customers.
Even with top shelf technology and
well-planned business processes and procedures, the crucial element that
makes an organization shine in customers’ eyes is how employees treat
them and handle their needs. Some often overlooked aspects of business
procedures where employee and customer relationship goals often go unmet
are:
- A clearly defined and organized customer
service department. This would leave no questions about where to go
for information and why because there would be effective job
descriptions for all staff functions.
- Training plans for each employee. This
would insure more effective staffs and continuous development of
stronger supervisory and management skills.
- A better understanding of field service
groups (technical services, sales) and their respective interfacing
with customer service departments.
- Quality assurance and monitoring
procedures as a day-to-day and hour-to-hour procedure. Using a
specialized group of supervisors for daily monitoring and to take
escalated calls is a must safety value in call center operations.
Feedback from monitoring in an offline session with customer service
representatives (CSRs) is also crucial. A self-assessment process is
preferred in reviewing taped calls of agent and customers with CSR and
supervisor together. It is also important to review comparisons of CSR’s
individual statistics (total calls, talk time, after call work, work
rule conformance, etc.) against group averages as well.
- Workload coordination and system
administration functions in the organization are required to support
operations. Workload monitoring focuses on real time performance of
operations and compares actual performance to forecasts and recommends
or makes adjustments immediately to meet goals. Work rule conformance
absenteeism, non-forecasted peaking patterns, problem-generated calls
are among the "look-out blocks" for which to watch. System
administration can help repair network and system problems as well as
make agent queue assignment changes supportive of operation goals.
- Labor relations and communication
responsibilities in place to address potential staffing/operations
concerns in advance.
- Performance measurement process to
measure call center activity as well as outside influences. Issues
that overload call centers include problems with inaccurate bills,
missed service appointments, poorly timed collection notices, notice
of rate changes, etc.
- Incorporation of customer calling
attributes and repeat call analyses to provide management with
detailed information on customer profiles.
- Use of estimated wait time (EWT)
application along with automatic callback feature. This would help to
avoid abandonments and lengthy hold times.
- Disaster recovery measures in the event
of minor or major crises.
Overlooking these business procedures can
surely become the root cause for call center failure. Recognizing them and
modifying them to incorporate customer and employee needs are a far more
sensible way of seizing the opportunity
to shine.
Human Resource Management and Motivation
The common stumbling block for short
changing investment in personnel doesn’t appear to be dependent on
specific industries, products, compensation level or geographical
differences. For example, the number one problem that is generally
evidence of poorly staffed, inadequately planned human resource programs
is high turnover of personnel. From previous business process reviews,
some organizations and teleservices firms exceed a 10 percent turnover
rate and often have 100 percent turnover of their complete staffs each
year. Attempts to fix the problem with application of advanced call center
technologies in teleservice operating environments often make matters
worse. Fundamentally, personnel issues and less optimized manual operating
environments are not candidates for advanced call center technologies.
First solving the personnel issues and streamlining less automated
functions are prerequisites for success.
The newer and well integrated CRM
environments as well as Web-enabled call center operations are
specifically poised for this experience. For ultimate success, before
automating initially and/or extending automation with advanced concepts,
it is critical to optimize the manual or more routine functions to the
best of management's capability. This ensures that impractical procedures
and processes are not carried over, amplified and extended to be more
detrimental in new system concepts. In addition, a highly optimized manual
operation should also be reviewed with an eye for eliminating redundancy
or unnecessary steps, which if left intact, might reduce the effectiveness
of advanced call center technologies. As an example, it may be better to
make online faxing and automated fulfillment a priority versus purchasing
more and faster facsimile machines or adding additional staff to print and
package fulfillment pieces. The difference is one eliminates several
manual steps to gain efficiencies online. The other adds more resources
with the same objective in mind. Added benefits that come from
streamlining manual operations first include improved service quality,
timeliness and accessibility of information.
According to the expected behaviors
and work process outcomes of teleservices personnel, it’s important to
consider six key elements:
- Standards, Missions and Policies.
With much talk about communications from
an automation standpoint, it is also critically important that verbal
and written communications with employees, staff and customers be well
established from the outset to ensure efficient and orderly operations.
It’s imperative to apply standards to the manner in which a company
handles customer data, distributes pricing information, measures
employee performance, rewards sales accomplishments and recognizes
overall performance within an operation. An example of a simple mission
statement is, "We will always identify ourselves, our products,
services and prices openly in our dealings with customers. We will
respect their time and provide a basis for ongoing and continued
professional relationship in conducting our teleservices
operation."
Policies, quite often, are not as well
documented in newly formed teleservices operations as perhaps they are
in more traditional operations. There are a considerable number of
straightforward policies that should be disclosed immediately to
employees and customers. Examples include: conditions of employment,
understanding of monitoring procedures, distribution of customer data,
the ability to expedite shipment and the empowerment of customer service
representatives to issue rebates and credits.
The nature of teleservices
operations and use of advanced call center technologies dictate much
of the specific selection criteria when developing a strong employee
base. Often, teleservices managers are forced to move individuals from
various departments and, as a result, are constrained by compensation
restrictions. The result is that the appropriate skills, background
and personalities are often poorly matched to job requirements. In any
event, it’s essential that call centers have the right people for
the right teleservices positions. By example, people who are capable
of taking straightforward order entry calls as a result of TV response
ads may not necessarily be best suited for call outs or for customer
service type functions which require ability to negotiate with angry
customers. Skill levels capable of conceptual thinking, deductive
reasoning and probing should be considered when recruiting personnel,
along with fundamental requirements of verbal articulation, grammar,
tone quality and diction. CSRs who can listen effectively, sort
through disjointed information and ask the right questions to discern
key information will likely be best able to take full advantage of
newer computerized systems and other technological advantages for
mutual benefit of the caller and organization. When employees are
mentally able to apply logic in listening skills and discernment of
customer requests, they are typically logical enough in their thinking
to take full advantage of higher technology offerings that require
superior navigational skills. Recruiting processes should, therefore,
be more fully developed from ad placement to telephone screening and
in-person interviews. Additional training programs increase the chance
of appropriate matching of work requirements to employee attributes.
For some time, teleservices organizations
have managed to pay basic rates between $7 and $12 per hour for basic
order entry and customer service functions. The more advanced
teleservices functions that require experience like IT help desk, market
research, basic data collection, order entry and customer service
functions often undervalued their basic compensation packages. Standard
employee benefits like insurance and retirement plans are often left out
of compensation packages. Care should be taken when assessing the
appropriate benefits for different positions. Perks can be added where
they’re called for to provide incentives through promotions,
commissions and frequent payouts for demonstration of desired behavior
and customer service accomplishments, in addition to sales performance.
Remember, too, that careful consideration
when setting up compensation plans also helps to insure that employees
demonstrate desired behavior. Without attention to this matter,
management can inadvertently build in incentives that cause CSRs to take
advantage of system resources and data manipulation for personal gain. A
method for validating legitimacy of compensation programs is also
necessary. Feedback from employee groups and individuals is extremely
important in assessing the expectations of employees with respect to
earnings.
When organizations tout their
ability to train teleservices representatives and have them on the
phone in two to three days, it usually means that other areas (like
customer training for telephone etiquette, product knowledge and
information about the organization) are left unattended. Initial,
ongoing and more advanced training should be structured in order to
benefit employees and cause teleservices organizations to progress in
kind.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon
that call center operations are established without any specific
documentation about individual duties, reporting relationships and
other particulars. Accordingly, employees can begin with different
expectations and understandings as to their levels of empowerment and
responsibilities as well as how their overall roles fit into the
larger organization. Creating position descriptions with tasks,
responsibilities and reporting relationships is an easy step toward
setting clear performance expectations.
- Promotions, Recognition and Motivation
While many believe money is a
primary motivator, it is a mistake to overlook most employees’
desire for interesting work, recognition and appreciation as well as a
career development path. Fulfilling these basic employee needs helps
when it comes to boosting morale, performance and profits.
Employees also want to know about
new business opportunities, recognition of their company’s community
status and how they personally contribute to the profitability of the
company. With respect to incentives, again, it is important to direct
efforts to the desired behavior sought. Additionally, recognition can
come in the form of personal letters, visitation by upper management and
even the use of wall display units for congratulating and recognizing
employees. Both individual and group recognition are important, with
more emphasis for group performance in order to minimize negative
competition.
To be able to recognize staff
appropriately, it’s necessary to have clearly defined measurement
procedures as well as a monthly appraisal process, which includes daily
monitoring. This helps correct employees' unacceptable behaviors and
performance as well as calling attention to and focusing on what they
are doing well.
The Smile and the Shine
Without question, it is absolutely
essential for teleservice operations to balance advanced call center
technologies and business process procedures with human resources for
quantum leaps in improved operating performance. It is better to over plan
and give legitimate attention to the soft side of business and the people
running it over anything else. The applications of blended call centers
with improved voiced systems and customer relationship management
techniques are all important in order to shine above others of
equal size and operating complexities. At the end of the day, the smile
apparent in the voices of teleservices representatives will make the
ultimate difference in who outshines whom. Hire the right staff and
implement the right management philosophy. Then customers will recognize
the organization’s opportunity to "shine for them" and
continuously earn their valued business.
|