Monitoring / Coaching

[gwacht]

Your company for some time have always monitored our agents (50) with in the last year we have started coaching them. But we are finding some of them we can not reach. Does any one have suggestions on how we may help them to come abroad to the program?


PS They are good agents but do not think they need any help.

[cablechick]

In our call center we allow the agent to listen to their calls and score them. We then compare our scoring with theirs. They are generally more critical of themselves and it gives us an opportunity to focus on what they did right and not just what they need to improve.

[NBosch]

It is not uncommon that agents are convinced that they do a good job and that they don't take advice on how to improve.

The best way, imo, to convince them is to confront them with what they are doing "wrong".
Arrange a trainingsession with a strong roleplaying element and let the peers give their opinion on a call.
Sometimes it can also be valuable to hire a specialist to represent the "customer" and to let him give his impression.
This off course is the nice way to get things changed.

The other way, is to link bonusses to the appraisal from the monitoring sheet. If the TL/CCM is not satisfied with the performance, the agent will feel it in his wallet.
I wouldn't advice to use this method, because it will lead to a lot of discussions and lower motivation.

[gwacht]

Thank you for the infomation this will help make a good start for us.

[aquius]

This is hot topic in any Call Center environment. We have moved ahead with a “Grid Plan” of sorts. Starting with the most basic steps based on the product to the management team. The objective is to have a benchmark + a level of expectancy based on the specific product. This helps us determine the best match for the provided product.

Example – We can provide a score sheet to a call agent and then expect them to learn from reading the score sheet. Then we train…And we hope & gasp! But what took us from having a group average of 85% to a 99% group average. We took each required step and made sure they understood it – once they scored 100% - we then place a “sicker” of accomplishment on the “Grid” in their name column. So for us to determine that “call agent A” was ready for another product or promotion, we review their grid. What levels of accomplishments have they achieved? This is done for each team of 40-50 agents. Based on product – thus once they “Master” the required steps – they gain a “Title” – This has paid us in both Company Moral & People taking pride in their jobs. This model is also used for our management team for “Personal & Business Development”. Not only are we “coaching & training” on a continuous basis – but we’re rewarding the staff based on their accomplishments + they accept the fact – their being “reviewed”. Makes the team leaders & management team ability to manage the staff much easier. This ultimately creates a strong synergy on the floor & thus binds everybody as a team. We know what our direction is & we communicate it publicly. The people who don’t cut the grid – They are made clear of the areas of where to improve & then given to the team leaders for a “coaching” opportunity.

Yes – this was long winded…but it works for us!