People Process Technology Blog

Does Your Call Monitoring Process Make You Look Like the “Call Cops?”

Help me welcome back Dr. Barb, a well-know blogger for TBD who has been off learning everything there is about managing a Lean implementation.  For those who have been reading our blogs for several years, you will remember her specializing in TBD's core competencies that focus on improving performance management, employee engagement and process effectiveness.  Welcome back, Barb!  Jonena

Posted by:  Dr. Barb Austin, aka Dr. Barb

We just implemented a new call monitoring software to help improve agent-customer interactions. My agents are frustrated – they call us the “call cops” and resist any feedback we provide.  What can we do?

DR. BARB’S ADVICE

Like many other call centers, you invested money in call monitoring software with expectations that this new technology would solve your customer service problems and make your agents superstars.  But as a result, the agents hate the automated recording applications, automated scorecards and dehumanized feedback process.

Too often management perceives technology as the panacea for developing extraordinary agent-customer interactions without understanding that the software is only one of many tools in the call monitoring process toolkit.  Albeit, some of these software programs can help immensely in capturing calls, reporting statistics and developing powerful training curriculum, but they can’t humanize the process.  The key component of any successful call monitoring process is the people.  Let’s further define the people component by adapting four basic questions from a major Gallup Organization study.

Do agents know what is expected of them?

Don’t be too hasty in replying “yes” to this question.  How do you know they understand the expectations?  Because you have a scorecard?  How do you know the scorecard actually measures the behaviors agents need to effectively serve your customer?  Before you get too comfortable with your scorecard behaviors, ask your customers if these are the behaviors they want from agents.

Gallup studies indicate that customers are most satisfied when agents meet four expectations:

• Accuracy - Customers expect agents to give accurate information. 
• Availability - Customers expect agents to be available, i.e., answer their calls quickly and stay on the line until their needs are met.
• Partnership - Customers expect agents to listen, be responsive and care about solving the problem.
• Advice - Customers want agents to help them learn something new.  This could include the root cause of the initial problem or a new product that could meet their future needs.

All the behaviors on your call monitoring scorecard should clearly influence customer satisfaction. 

Do agents have the materials and equipment needed to do their job right?

In the call center industry, this question typically refers to PCs that run efficiently and a reference system that allows agents to retrieve answers quickly and accurately.  If their PCs don’t have the capacity to run multiple programs or agents have to refer to multiple databases to find answers to customers’ questions, you could see reduced customer service through no fault of the agent.

Do agents have the opportunity to do what they do best every day?

Assuming you hired accurately, can you honestly say that agents have the opportunity to do what they do best?  Their best usually implies sincere and meaningful interaction with the customer.  Although much of the interaction is scripted (i.e., opening, greeting, questioning, closing), the actual psychological interaction between the agent and the customer is very personalized via tone, language and empathy.  Is your call monitoring scorecard so rigid that the agent isn’t allowed to do their best

In the past seven days, have you given recognition to individual agents for a job well done? 

If you’re waiting for the quarterly recognition ceremony, you’ve missed opportunities to keep agents actively engaged and motivated to provide excellent service to your customers.  More importantly, you’ve missed opportunities to reinforce the behaviors that best serve the customer and the company.  In their book, First, Break All the Rules, Buckingham and Coffman, encourage you to spend the most time with your best people.  Yes, show favoritism for those who are performing exemplary behaviors.  By the way, are these exemplary behaviors described on your call monitoring scorecard?  If yes, you’re on track.  If not, perhaps this is a good indicator as to why your agents are frustrated.

Using the Gallup findings, we’ve only scratched the surface of fundamental ways you can ensure the call monitoring process enhances productivity in your center.  If you answered “yes” to these four questions, and the answers align with your call monitoring process, you’ve got a good start in meeting both your agent and customers’ needs.  By giving each agent the company’s expectations, materials and equipment to do they job right, opportunity to do their best every day, and regular recognition for a job well done, you will quickly get out of the “call cop” role. 

Dr. Barb is a  past employee of TBD Consulting.  As a valued alumnus, we are so thrilled when she has time to contribute to our blog.  To learn more how TBD can assist with you call center performance needs, please call our office at 602-263-1961. 

Happy New Year! Jonena Relth, President and Leadership Evangelust

Why Would Experienced CSR's Tell New Hires to Forget What They Learned in Training?

Posted by: Dr. Barb, aka Dr. Barbara Austin

Congratulations!  Your call center has terrific new-hire training using online procedures to help them learn their jobs.  So why aren’t they using the procedures?  Even worse, why do your experienced CSRs tell the new ones not to even bother with the published procedures? 

 

We spend a ton of money training new hires on online operational procedures. I once overheard an experienced rep tell a new hire, “Forget what you learned in that class, I’ll teach you what you need to know.” I could have screamed. Why would the experienced rep tell a new person this?

DR. BARB’S ADVICE

Procedures housed on an online reference (OLR) system can be very powerful performance and training tools, IF the user has confidence in the OLR. Your experienced rep may be telling the new hire that something is wrong with the procedures or the system doesn’t work well.  Let’s investigate your procedures.

Are the procedures correct?
Without question, the biggest reason CSRs fail to use online procedures is a lack of confidence in the accuracy of the procedure. For example, the CSR searches the OLR for a procedure. The search results in out-dated or inaccurate information. Just a few of these instances will guarantee that your CSRs will find alternative methods to locate information. Bad procedures on your OLR are the death knell for continued use. Generally these bad procedures are on your system for several reasons.

Old, out-dated procedures were uploaded just to have a procedure online – better to have something than nothing – right? In this case, having something, i.e., bad procedures, is worse than having nothing because users won’t waste their time searching for procedures they can’t use. No confidence = no search.

Someone has written the procedure without using a systematic subject matter expert (SME) review process. The procedure lacks “best-practice” perspective if only one person writes and reviews it. Also, the user does not buy in to the value of the OLR because they weren’t involved in the development process.  Procedures are rapidly changing, and rewrites are not keeping up. Now we’re back to the out-dated dilemma.

30,000 feet or ground level?
Six Sigma’s horizontal flowcharts turned into procedures depict a systematic flow of tasks, not steps within a task. While these maps are very valuable for evaluating overall processes, these flowcharts add extraneous information to procedures, such as which database information flows through. Frankly, users don’t care. CSRs need accurate, step-by-step procedures to complete the task at their level. They want to know which screen to use and what information to input. High-level flowcharts are useful for managers to view the overall flow of tasks, but procedures must be written with users’ needs in mind.

I'm a proponent of Lean over Six Sigma, but more about that in a later blog.

 

What are You Doing to Support Your Contact Center Team?

Posted by:  Lynnda Joyce, Manager of Business Development

 

My heart goes out to those poor in-bound customer service representatives; the bold, the willing, who play punching bag to disgruntled customers. These, often entry-level employees do their best to answer every call with a smile on their face and determination in their hearts.

 

And what about the contact center supervisors? They’re expected to deliver the steadfastness of a college football coach, the nurturing of a scout den-mother, and the communication skills of the star of the debating team.

 

As fear of global recession increases, the unemployment rate rises, and services are either re-engineered or cut back, this team needs to carry the changing corporate message with confidence. Responsibility of maintaining and repairing customer loyalty often falls on their shoulders.

 

So corporate leaders, what are you doing to support the contact center team? When was the last time you updated their training program? How up-to-date are their online reference tools and content so they can access this moving target of information on a daily basis? Are the front-line supervisors and managers given the advantage of formal coaching skills development? I urge you; please don’t ignore the needs of the solid citizens who are getting bombarded on a daily basis!

 

What can be done about it? You came to the right place! TBD Consulting, Inc. has been driving call center success since 1991. TBD’s team of experts knows that with a rise in first call resolution comes a dramatic drop in repeat call volume and associated costs, along with substantial gains in customer satisfaction and product/service loyalty. Now is the time to allocate budget dollars to training and up-dated tools. Don’t let one more wavering, dissatisfied customer turn to your competition. We can help! Please call me at (480) 755-2252 or email lynnda.joyce@tbdconsulting.com to discuss how TBD Consulting, Inc. can give your employees the knowledge and skills to deliver the customer service that keeps your business thriving.

Clinical Transformation Efforts Bolster Healthcare Organizations

Posted by:  Lynnda Joyce, Manager of Business Development

 

According to CNN, it’s “Black Friday” as I write this blog. The stock market has officially “crashed” losing 20% of its value in a week. Unemployment rates are rising and corporate profits are shrinking.

                                                                                                                                             

But there is good news out there too, folks!  The healthcare industry remains strong and I’m happy to say that we’re doing our part. TBD Consulting has been called upon to drive organizational transformation efforts since our inception in 1991. We’re a full-service consulting firm specializing in employee performance improvement. We create solutions to improve performance management, employee engagement and process effectiveness - tangible business impact, not just trategies.                                                                                                             

We’re proud to say that we’ve been here for our healthcare clients who are implementing clinical transformation.  Our goal is to help them meet their goals!  Whether it be implementing a new electronic medical records system, improving call center effectiveness,  streamlining work process re-design, developing time-sensitive documentation and training, or driving cultural and organizational change, TBD  has the people and experience to help ensure your clinical transformation is complete and long lasting.

 

I invite you to pass this information along. There’s no need for anyone to reinvent the wheel; we thrive on helping our customers succeed!

President's Note

Posted by: Jonena Relth, President

 

Let me introduce our featured writer this month: 

Esther Groves, Sr. Consultant for TBD, has 11 years of planning and implementing change efforts for Bank of America.  Her experiences have honed her knowledge for executing and communicating change to ensure that organizations experience positive morale and increased efficiencies before, during and after a change occurs.  She knows all too well that when communicated effectively, change is the catalyst to getting things done better, cheaper and faster while capitalizing on the talent and enthusiasm of the workforce. 

MAKING CHANGE WORK:  5 Essential Steps

 

A word to the wise:  Never underestimate the true costs of change.

 

If you recognize the impacts and plan carefully for change, you will be rewarded with lowered resistance and ultimately a healthier bottom line.  The following five steps will propel you toward that goal:

1.       Acknowledge that all affected areas of your organization are a key part of the process.

2.       Articulate the strategic rationale for the change – why it’s good for the organization.

3.       Alert affected employees as soon as possible and tell them what’s in it for them.

4.       Carefully plan communication and training for affected employees.

5.       Follow up to ensure performance changes have taken place.

 

Anything that alters the way people think about or perform their jobs can be defined as change.  And the way they respond to the change can have a small or serious impact on the business and its bottom line.

In their article entitled “Leading and Managing Change,” Christopher G. Worley and Yvonne H. Vick of Pepperdine School of Business and Management note:

 

Any organizational change is preceded by personal change. Senior managers too often spend time at off-site meetings arguing over the need for change, forging new ideas, and creating strategic initiatives. After such meetings, they issue memoranda to the organization and assume that everyone will see the brilliance of their decisions, drop what they are doing, and perform in new ways without so much as a question or concern.

 

However, people don’t work that way, and it is insulting to assume otherwise.

Change is more often resisted than supported in organizations because people rarely are given the chance to understand the reason for the change. No one bothers to explain to them the “why.” And few organizations spend time thinking about “What’s in it for the organization member?” That is, individuals must believe that it is in their own best interest to do things differently.

   

In our respective practices, we have not known of a single person who on one day could drop a set of behaviors that served customers or added value and on the next day could perform perfectly a new set of value-adding behaviors. Change involves time and the opportunity to learn, and learning is often inefficient. So don’t expect performance improvement too quickly.

 

It is important to keep in mind:

·         All change involves personal choice -- involvement breeds commitment while lack of involvement can breed stress, resistance and, worse, sabotage.

·         The transition from understanding the change to actual performance is not instantaneous.

·         Employees need to understand how the change connects to the business strategy.

 

Let’s compare two real-world scenarios:

 

Like most businesses, Company A and Company A Plus schedule regular product or system upgrades to improve efficiency and service.  The result?  Employees must regularly learn and adapt to new product features, as well as new procedures, screens and tools.

 

Company A, still operating in the 20^th century, uses a low touch/low tech process to roll out product or system upgrades while Company A Plus recognizes the importance of communicating with and educating employees to accelerate and enhance adaptation to change.

 

The great news is that a well orchestrated change effort results in increased capacity to face change in the future!

 

Are your employees for you or against you in times of change?  You can use TBD Q™ to assess your organization’s knowledge, skill, motivation and readiness for your next change effort.

 

Let us show you how. 

 

TBD Q™ can:

·         Proactively speed the change process

·         Quickly gauge organizational readiness in a quantitative way

·         Reinforce ideas and behavior

·         Facilitate adjustments on the fly

Let’s look in on each of them as the change process begins…

Company A	Company A Plus
·         Project Managers, systems analysts and programmers work behind the scenes to engineer system changes. ·         Project managers report progress to senior leaders in regularly scheduled update meetings. ·         Senior leaders inform stakeholders such as frontline employees via memo of changes and new performance expectations. ·         Frontline employees learn by doing through trial and error.  Costs include: lost productivity, errors, customer impacts, resistance.	·         Project Managers, systems analysts and programmers work behind the scenes to engineer system changes. ·         Project managers report progress to senior leaders in regularly scheduled update meetings. ·         Project managers and subject matter experts meet with the Training/Communication Department to identify what frontline employees will need to know and do differently when the change takes place. ·         Training/Communication Department develops materials to alert frontline employees to the changes well in advance and prepare them to think and act differently. ·         Project managers and Training/Communication in partnership with a few representative frontline managers and employees strategically determine rollout plan based on complexity and potential impacts of changes. ·         Training/Communication along with frontline supervisors begin to feed rationale, timelines and snippets of information to employees (What? Who? Why? When? How?), alerting them to the coming changes. Perhaps most importantly, people need to know “What’s in it for me?” ·         If changes are complex, classroom or web-based training may be provided. ·         Training/Communication assesses frontline employees to ensure they are well prepared when the changes are implemented.
Results	Results
·         Project plan drives activity. ·         Senior managers are well informed and have input. ·         Frontline supervisors and employees are an afterthought and must rapidly absorb change rationale and new expected behaviors. ·         Frontline employees learn by doing through trial and error.  ·         There is inevitably an impact to morale, service and productivity as frontline employees struggle to catch up. ·         Full compliance may never come about .if frontline employees may not understand the importance of the change or buy into it.	·         Senior leaders fully recognize the importance of employee knowledge, performance and acceptance in a change initiative. ·         Training/Communication is recognized as a key component to change initiatives. ·         Training/Communication is engaged early in the process to allow adequate time to bring all stakeholders up to speed prior to implementation. ·         Training/Communication efforts are proportional to the extent of the changes and fully acknowledge the impacts. ·         There is little or no disruption to service or productivity. ·         Frontline supervisors and employees feel included, know what they need to do and are invested in the outcome of the change. ·         Hidden costs such as inefficiencies sabotage and customer dissatisfaction are minimized. ·         Assessments highlight performance or knowledge gaps so they can be addressed.

**For more info on TBD Q™, click here.

 
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