Call Center Management Featured Article
Using Closed Loop Quality Monitoring to Aid Call Center Management
They say the best way to fix a problem is to not let it happen in the first place. Being proactive with call center management by way of closed-loop quality monitoring allows issues to be spotted and addressed in their infancy. After all, it’s better to fix a rusty pipe than to deal with a whole house flood.
The closed-loop system of call center management is one that has been effectively utilized by companies across various industries to augment their level of service. This structure of quality monitoring seeks to ensure that best practices for procedures like staffing, training, and performance management are actually being implemented by agents and their supervisors. The process starts with goals and a plan to achieve and measure results. Once all steps of the plan and its evaluation have been completed, a new plan is devised and the process comes full circle.
According to a Monet Software blog, closed-loop call center management can be achieved with just a few simple steps. The first step is constructing a plan. The plan should consist of goals that are both short- and long-term. The group’s efforts should be in harmony, meaning that agents and supervisors are putting personal interests aside and are working together to achieve common goals.
Ensuring that everyone is following approved procedures will improve the chances that the plan’s goals will be achieved and will safeguard a consistent customer experience. One way to accomplish this is to include agents in the planning process and ask for their feedback.
Goals in the plan should be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and timely. Having them written out on paper and available for daily viewing will aid in keeping the team on track. Consider breaking down goals into smaller objectives that can be achieved over a set period of time.
The next step in the process is to take a good look at staffing. Are you properly staffed to meet customer demand during peak times? Seasonal fluctuations, peaks and valleys caused by time of day and day of week, and other important trends should all be considered when evaluating call center management. This will allow customers to be able to reach an agent as quickly as possible.
Finally, every plan should be evaluated to determine its effectiveness. If specific goals weren’t met, find out why and revisit. Customer analytics software coupled with real-time feedback will aid in this process. Things may need to be tweaked as you go along, but this method will help get to the heart of any potential issues before they have a chance to lay roots.
Once the call center management cycle is complete and opportunities have been identified, a new plan for improvement is set in motion. Continuing though the loop will allow you to hone processes until they are ironclad, resulting in a more positive customer experience.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida. Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.
Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli