Call Center Management Featured Article
Performance Musts for Call Center Managers
Managing the call center is about more than just keeping agents happy and working productively. There are performance goals, bottom lines and so much more that call center managers must focus on daily if success is the end goal.
Even with so many tools and best practices already out there, call centers are still falling behind. Performance metrics aren’t being met, turnover rates – while better – are still high, and there is still so much more that managers could be doing to ensure success.
A recent blog from Monet Software (News - Alert) CEO Chuck Ciarlo looks at some of the mistakes call centers might be making when it comes to performance improvement and how to finally fix those habits.
First things first you want to be as specific as possible with goals and how to achieve them. Just vaguely saying you need to do better will not assist in onboarding everyone for the cause. Using KPIs and workforce optimization tools, call centers can get exact information about where change needs to happen and can even see when it is happening and when it’s not. The next step is to congratulate and reward those who get it and help further train those who are still struggling. This kind of more attentive management will make a difference in your overall outcomes.
Next, Ciarlo notes that performance ratings should be universal and clear cut. Without this, agents may not take the needs seriously since a vague number system of 1-10 can vary so much from manager to manager.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, managers must demonstrate consistency and display the importance that performance holds for the operations. If there are only fire drills when an issue arises and then performance isn’t discussed until the next time there is an issue or if weekly meetings and check ins are constantly being canceled, this sends a message to other staff and employees that it isn’t that important. Can you afford for anyone to lack performance in your call center?
Edited by Alicia Young