Employees Are the Secret to Successful Call Centers
March 26, 2014
By Lavanya Rathnam, TMCnet Contributing Writer
Managing a call center is a lot harder than what meets the eye. Many different aspects such as the right technology, superior infrastructure and knowledgeable employees come together to create successful call center companies. However, managing these different aspects is the key challenge, and in most cases, efficient management is what differentiates successful call centers from the mediocre or poor ones.
One of the most important secrets to running a successful call center is the motivation levels of employees. They are the pillars of the business as their performance determines the overall quality of service offered by the company. Despite their important role, many management boards fail to acknowledge this fact. As a result, the attrition rate is high and the quality of service deteriorates over time.
To avoid these problems, management should start by understanding the central role played by employees within the organization. This is why they should be given small benefits such as a flexible work schedule and minimum overtime; it’s important to keep them interested in the job and to make their lives a lot less stressful. Another common motivator is money. Giving employees the right amount of incentives and bonuses will go a long way toward motivating them. Besides money, other non-financial incentive options should also be explored to inspire competition and increase productivity.
An important area that is often missed out by companies is feedback. According to Dan Faraldo of Canadian Hosting Company MeloTel, call center employees are the ones who interact with customers regularly. Such interactions make them the right group of people to judge customers' expectations and needs. Therefore, when they have suggestions about marketing, branding or any other aspect, management should stop and listen. This will not only improve business processes, but can also encourage the employees in a big way.
In short, motivated and knowledgeable employees are the secret for successful call center companies. To that end, management should strive to give them a challenging environment to get the most out of their skills.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson