Tips to Improve Call Center Operations with Performance Management

The concept of performance management may be one that is lost on too many. The phrase tends to act as a catch-all that can easily gloss over the importance of the management aspects it is designed to guide. One key area is in call center scheduling as the right individuals need to be on hand at the right time to drive the right performance. But it doesn’t stop there – it requires a dedicated strategy and execution.

Call center scheduling solutions provider, Monet Software (News - Alert) recently posted a blog on the topic of performance management and the first five steps you need to have in place to be effective. Let’s look at a few of these steps as they pertain to performance management and call center scheduling.

The first important step to take if you want to improve performance management is to decide why it’s important. Compile a list of reasons why it matters and then share it throughout the call center. Then, specify your objectives. What goals do you expect to reach with performance management? Be sure to be specific in your answers as that’s the only way to measure actual performance to ensure improvements. Only then can you report on whether or not your efforts were a success.

When selecting the approach you’ll take with performance management, be sure to keep your agents in mind. It’s easy to launch into something new and exciting with the hopes of improving outcomes, only to forget that agents can quickly get burned out on the daily grind. Monet Software, in a post on avoiding call center burn out, suggests that turnover in this space is between 30-45 percent. It can be expensive to recruit and train new agents on a consistent basis, leaving little room for performance management or agent development.

Therefore, when planning for call center scheduling and performance management, it’s critical to keep the agents top of mind. How can you combine the best of your agent base with your strategies for improvement? Monet Software suggests that you follow the four Rs: recognition, responsibility, recreation and resources.

Everyone wants to be recognized for a job well-done. Whether you give someone a raise or hand out perks for going above and beyond – make sure recognition is a part of your everyday plan.

Give your agents more responsibility in the job. Yes, there are expectations that they must follow for process and compliance reasons, but give them the ability to make the customer’s day.

Don’t forget the importance of recreation. While you don’t want to upset the processes you have in place to ensure your customers get the service they need; you can make the call center a more fun place to work. Bring in snacks, have a theme day, schedule a reception…the list could go on.

Finally, make sure your agents have access to the tools they need to get the job done right. That includes call center scheduling – if agents need a certain schedule or ask for particular hours, do your best to honor the request. In doing so, you create an environment where great agents want to work.

Edited by Stefania Viscusi