Call centre to Service desk

[spanky]

I wonder if there is anyone out there kind enough to help a newbie!
I am part of a team revamping our companies call centre... Well we want to change it from a call centre to a service desk.
Currently the call centre is being managed in a very unorganised way and as a result hard to pick up and run with.
If anyone can help with documentation templates or information on what stats to take or even the best telephone system to use. Anything and everything would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Michcall]

If you haven't already, I would start by defining what "Service Desk" means to you [as opposed to "call centre"]. What do you want your customer's experience to be when they call in, and what customers do you want to serve? What are the customer service goals for the organization? How are they measured?

After that I would look at your current group and determine 1) what are they doing today that is good? 2) what do we want them to stop? 3) Do they have the tools to meet the goals we defined? 4) What can we do in the short term for quick fixes (30-90 days in priority order?) 5) What do we need to fix that will take longer (i.e. new phone system, new case tracking tool, etc.)

Basics to review:
>Define the services you provide (Who is calling, what are they calling about, what resolutions are we empowered to make, what data do we need access to, what do the agents need to appropriately resolve calls, etc.)
>Initial and ongoing training (Are agents prepared to take calls? Are key training areas documented? Is customer service part of the training? Are agents given standards to meet like consistent greeting, consistent close, etc.)
>Monitoring (Are supervisors providing feedback and guidance in a constructive & consistent manner)
>Tools (What do the agents need vs. what do we give them? Think about both technology & non-technology tools.)
> Processes (Are call types w/ their resolution steps documented? What is the escalation process? When are other departments involved?)
>Communications (Are new problems/processes communicated clearly and consistently? How do agents receive new information? What process do agents use to get help or communicate a new problem?)
>Goals & objectives (Does everyone understand our goals for customer services and how to achieve those goals? Do agents understand their role in the big picture and realize their impact on the bottom line?)

Installing new systems or investing in new technology won't help a call center that does not have the basic building blocks in place. I would also try to do focus groups with your agents. They know what's wrong and often have great ideas to make things better. This way you also get buy-in from them on the eventual changes you are going to have to make. It's key to involve agents in any reengineering effort.

There are also many good consulting firms that can give you a good intial analysis that you can expand on in house.

Good Luck.