Focusing on a Few Things - Consistently
One of the most significant reasons call centers under perform boils down to one word - distractions - a loss of focus.
Getting Too Comfortable
You can reach a point where you find your call center operation performing well week over week. You get comfortable with the success of that performance. The pressure of managing the real-time environment eases and you can sit back and actually enjoy the success. The boss is happy. Staff are not dealing with Mr. Screaming Customer who is reacting to long wait times and it is all looking pretty fine.
Inevitably, your attention turns to projects or other activities that often get pushed to the side of the desk when the call center is in a state of service level chaos. And then it happens. Usually it is subtle, maybe it even goes unnoticed but service levels start to slide. Your AHT (average handling time rises. Your operation misses its service level goals by 24 seconds one week. Big deal right?
Real-Time Reality
One day you realize that service levels have fallen like that stock you invested last year! “What?” “How did this happen?” The phone rings, it is the boss. Not a good day! Customers are complaining about long waits. Sales are off. Revenue per call is falling. The boss is calling to talk about it. “How?” “What happened?” “Why?” Frequently it has to do with a loss of focus. Distractions. Important distractions but distractions nonetheless.
So what is the solution? Successful call center operations occur when you maintain a consistent focus on just a few things. Consistently doing a few things right consistently. Keeping that focus for staff and supervisors takes creative efforts in communication and management.
Practical Suggestion
Here is an exercise that may be helpful. Think about the few activities that, if done consistently each week, ensure stable call center performance for your operation. Keep the list short - 3 - 5 activities. Think this through carefully. It is not one-size fits all. Every call center is different. Even for companies with multiple centers, this list is likely different for each operation. Write out the list. Are you sure these are the few things that if done consistently right each week results in your success? Double check. Ask others. Test the list next week. Are you right? When you think you have it, teach the list!!
Take a few minutes and figure out how to teach the importance of those items to everyone in your call center operation. Are you an agent? Teach your team leaders. Are you a team lead? Teach the boss. Make them look good. Determine the best way to get your team to ‘own’ that list. Consider having one person responsible for ensuring that one activity on the list is fulfilled each day or week or month. Rotate the activity responsibilities to others to keep complacency from affecting outcomes.
One last comment - remember to focus on just those few things. No matter what distractions come your way, do not ever forget to take care of these basic items. It is like gas for your car, ignore the gas gauge and you can only go so far and we have all been there before!
Posted: January 21st, 2007 under Operations.
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