TalkBack: It's Time To Age Your Call Center

[Moderator]

Community interaction based on the current newsletter.

What is the average age of your CSRs? A growing trend, up over 20% in the last couple of years, is to staff your call center with those over 50.

Read our opinion and then add yours.

Is it time to age your call center? Do you have advice, an opinion or experience to share on this topic? Click on "post reply" to contribute.

[syamnt]

Its not suggested to have CSR's morethan 50 years or around. The good age will be 20-30 - as that time the person will have definately to know/service faster and faster.

Definately the persons with 50 years will have enough common sence, patience and good knowledge.

So..still its debatable only.. For Outbound based callcenters young team needed..(prefferable)

For helpdesk - Senior persons prefferable

[mdemers]

I agree with the premise that "older" or more mature agents have quite allot to contribute to a call center and its culture, and would tend to turnover less. However I think the reason why it is not likely that a number of call centers find agents over 50 among their ranks is the scheduling requirements that are not attractive. Unless your center is fortunate to only require people from 9-5, it is unlikely an older individual will enjoy working shift work in a 7/24 center where we require flexibility to work anywhere from 8am to 9pm, and 1 Saturday out of 4.

[mmanigotru]

About 15 years ago I staffed and implemented the set-up of a Call Center for an insurance company. All of my CSRs were recruited from the Dept. of the Aging. Retired men and women were extremely happy to work for us. Our hours were from 9A - 9P six days a week. I never encountered any complaints and turnover was minimal. As a matter of fact, one of the women I hired is now 85 and continues to work in a not-for-profit concern 4 hours daily.

When making outbound calls, we didn't encounter nearly as many hang-ups as with a less matured staff.

Hearing a matured voise on the other end of the telephone can only build a company's status in the eyes of the client.

[csteven]

Last year I did a survey on "organizational commitment" using a real instrument, not one I just dreamed up. I used the Organizational Commitment Questionnare designed by Mowday, et al. (it's free, so I'm not plugging it). I sampled 200 new employees on their first day at orientation, and again after 90 days. The organization was a telco.

I found that those in the 25-31 age group had the least amount of commitment after 90 days. The highest scores went to the age group 43+ (but unfortunately my sample size was small). The next highest scores went for the youngsters aged 18-24.

I'm now a call centre mgr & I'd say (from my opinion), that my young call center reps (18-24) are great. They are excited, it's their first job, their happy with just about any money they get that isn't from their parents. I also find the older staff are good because they have come to accept things in life. They don't get angry as easily as younger people. They're knowledgeable, especially in dealing with human issues. I find those in the 25-31 age group to be the toughest to satisfy. They've got some work experience already, they're frustrated, they feel better than the job, they think they know more than others (and sometimes do), and they're eaiser to lose. Especially if they're single at that age.

I'm all for hiring youngsters & oldsters. Eventually you'll lose the youngsters once they get a few years experience and begin to feel frustrated. The oldesters you lose due to health reasons. But before you lose them, you'll get a lot of calls out of them. I'd bet a team of 18-24 or >43+ people against a team of 25-31 yr olds any day.

Steve