Call Center Management http://gmj.gallup.com/ http://backend.userland.com/rss Gallup WebTeam Nearly 80% of Americans think the practice is bad for the U.S. economy -- and not just because of the loss of jobs, according to Gallup research. This may be a red flag for U.S. executives, who should be aware of the fact that, regardless of what their companies think of outsourcing, the vast majority of their customers aren't keen on it. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/28309/Beware-Your-Customers-Oppose-Outsourcing.aspx Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT Fully engaged customers deliver a 23% premium over average customers in share of wallet, profitability, revenue, and relationship growth. That's exactly why so many call centers survey customers to determine their level of engagement. But what happens in between measurements? Specifically, how can a team leader keep customer engagement from feeling like an isolated event, rather than a way of doing business? http://gmj.gallup.com/content/24475/Engaging-Customers-All-Day-Every-Day.aspx Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT Call centers are meant to be a customer convenience -- a place where customers phone for help or to make a purchase. But all too many of them alienate callers and drain money. It doesn't have to be this way. Here are proven strategies to help turn around poor-performing centers. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/23206/Great-Profit-Drain.aspx Thu, 08 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT Through extensive research, Gallup has identified four barriers that can substantially undermine efforts to improve employee and customer engagement in call centers. Here are those barriers -- and advice for how executives can overcome them. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/21730/Making-Right-Calls.aspx Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT No one said forging a productive, cooperative relationship with unionized workers is easy. But smart, forward-thinking executives are doing it. This is particularly true in call centers, where managers are overcoming problems like poor attendance and waning morale to build lasting, and profitable, partnerships. Those managers and union leaders offer tips for creating a win-win scenario. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/21727/Unions-Management-Blissful-Marriage.aspx Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT It's essential for companies to energize the people who have the most direct contact with customers. Here are three keys to increasing agents' dedication, enthusiasm, and customer focus. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/19087/Creating-EmployeeCentric-Call-Center.aspx Thu, 13 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT Executives who spend time in their companies' call centers learn an awful lot about how employees and customers really feel about their business. Maybe it's time you paid a visit. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/18154/Start-Calling-Your-Call-Centers.aspx Thu, 08 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT Why does it matter when a boss takes a personal interest in his employees? Just ask the people at a Qwest call center who once faced an uncertain future and, inspired by a great manager, turned it into the biggest and best site in the company. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/14593/Becoming-Best-Qwest.aspx Thu, 13 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT Companies install CRM systems because they want to increase their call center's performance and enhance revenue. Unfortunately, all too often, companies and their call centers relearn an old lesson: Computers don't know everything. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/235/Empower-People-Software.aspx Mon, 24 Jun 2002 00:00:00 GMT Why does the service you receive over the telephone differ so widely from call to call? Don't these companies train their reps, monitor their quality, or supervise their work? Unfortunately, they do -- but it just makes things worse. Here's how to fix the problem. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/241/What-Supervisors-Dont-Know.aspx Mon, 27 May 2002 00:00:00 GMT Coaching is touted as a ready-made answer to almost every call center challenge. But for coaching to work, agents must understand how they contribute to their center's success. Here's how measuring performance can help. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/244/Coaching-Talent.aspx Mon, 29 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT Anyone who's phoned a call center knows there's a big difference between the best agents and the worst. The best agents solve their customers' problems, sell them the perfect products, and leave customers feeling better off than when they called. The worst agents frustrate everyone they talk to. Here are some smart pay strategies to help you reward your best. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/250/Equal-Pay-Equal-Work.aspx Mon, 01 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT Conventional wisdom -- that managing a call center is primarily about managing technology, not people -- is hampering call-centers' effectiveness. But well-rounded strategies could boost productivity, improve pay, and increase employee retention in your company's call center. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/253/Running-Call-Centers-New-World.aspx Mon, 18 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT Your company hired its call center employees to make pitches, take orders, and provide technical support. While the best call center employees are on the phone creating and retaining loyal customers, in just ten seconds a poorly trained employee could lose you a client you've been courting for years. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/796/Whos-Answering-Phone.aspx Sat, 15 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT Customer loyalty scores were dropping. Market share was slipping. The company knew something had to change and called in the cavalry. In a year, customer loyalty measures increased from 40% to 76%. The workforce of CSRs and CSR management was reorganized to sustain these results, long after the cavalry went home. How did the company accomplish this turnaround? http://gmj.gallup.com/content/268/Best-Practices-Business-Case.aspx Mon, 03 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT Once you understand the best practices used by the most successful call centers, it's time to see how they work together in practice. The most important tool of all is the balanced scorecard, which measures several facets of a great CSR's job. Once the scorecard is in place, you can implement improvement programs that can change the workplace culture. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/271/Making-All-Work-Together.aspx Mon, 06 Aug 2001 00:00:00 GMT Did you know that your best CSR may be driving away business? Unless you're measuring the right things -- customer engagement, customer loyalty, employee engagement -- you aren't getting a true picture of CSR performance. To see the impact on financials, you have to look at both the CSR and management levels. You might be surprised at what you find. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/274/Measuring-Right-Stuff.aspx Mon, 23 Jul 2001 00:00:00 GMT Call center managers say their biggest headaches are people related. As the technology grows and the labor pool shrinks, managers devote most of their resources to keeping customers happy and simply keeping CSRs -- often, with limited success. But there are tremendous opportunities in the area that most plagues managers, and strategies to turn the headaches into gold mines. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/277/Best-Practices-Overview.aspx Mon, 02 Jul 2001 00:00:00 GMT A call center agent needs four kinds of managers throughout his career -- a recruiter to hire him, a training manager to train him, a retention manager to keep him, and project manager to lead the way. The most successful centers use these manager relationships to move an agent from close contact to high independence -- and top performance. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/280/Four-Managers-Agent.aspx Mon, 18 Jun 2001 00:00:00 GMT Many call centers confuse production and performance, so they pay agents for the wrong thing. Performance determines call value, and three criteria determine performance -- measurement, agent talent and a supportive work environment. Overlooking any of these measures may drive down call center value -- and profits. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/283/Paying-Performance.aspx Mon, 28 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT Call centers are the ultimate people management business, and companies that focus on their agents' performance and career development achieve the greatest financial performance. Career development plans for customer service representatives focus on three principles: promote across, not up; pay for value creation; and support CSRs with great coaches. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/286/Creating-Paths-Success.aspx Mon, 07 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT Call centers are about managing people, and the centers with the best work force and the best management of that work force produce the best results. It's a simple idea, and yet it runs counter to the management philosophy that currently dominates the call center industry. Current thinking views centers as technological wonders, with systems so efficient that anyone can plug into the system and achieve reasonable results as an agent with minimal training or talent. http://gmj.gallup.com/content/289/Managing-Best.aspx Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 GMT