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>>How
can I proactively detect problems with call center agent
morale?
Is there
a way to proactively identify problems with morale or
productivity before they bubble over and become huge
problems? We usually have pretty good employee morale,
but then sometimes we look up and have a huge problem.
Myra's
answer to How
can I proactively detect problems with
call center agent morale?
If
you have clearly identified early warning signals
suggesting that service standards are being threatened,
you can be more proactive in assuring that superior
levels of service are consistently maintained. I
recommend you consider some or all of the following
signals suggesting service problems are increasing.
While these signals may not tell you exactly what is
happening, they will let you know that you need to step
in and assist your team before things get out of hand.
One
of my colleagues, Janelle Barlow, author of A Complaint
Is A Gift, developed the Early Warning Detection System
and I'd like to share eight signals from her system that
I'd like you to be watching for:
1.
Hold or wait times increasing at "x" factor.
If your average hold or wait time increases
significantly for no obvious (peak season, serious or
widespread product/service defect, etc.) reason, this
could be an early detection that a problem exists.
2.
Increase in the numbers of abandoned telephone calls.
If your average abandon rate has been 4% and it suddenly
jumps up to 6% or higher, look into the reasons. I was
consulting with a call center recently and we noticed
that the abandon rate had jumped 4% overnight! After
carefully scrutinizing the problem we discovered the
root-cause. The call center had just upgraded their
phone system and a glitz in the upgrade resulted in
callers hearing a series of clicks after the first ring.
Callers thought they were disconnected so they hung up
and called back. The problem was a simple fix and
watching the abandon rate was the clue.
3.
Staff absenteeism or tardiness rates increase.
This could suggest staff is on the brink of burnout,
under unusual stress or it may be a problem with morale.
4.
Increase in escalated calls to supervisors.
An increase in escalated calls might reflect a lack of
patience on the part of your representatives or a lack
of problem resolution focus.
5.
Changes in soft measures.
By this I mean noticing changes in attitude, morale, an
increase in whispers or the rumor mill is turning faster
and faster. These soft measures must be noted and
directly addressed.
6.
Changes in motivation levels.
Have you noticed a lack of commitment or a drop in work
ethic? Listen to the conversations on the call center
floor. Are employees unreasonably negative about
customers or their workloads? What are their
conversations telling you?
7.
Increases in average talk times.
A lot of call center managers miss this one. An increase
in talk times might suggest that your representatives
are staying on the line with "pleasant"
customers to avoid speaking to the potentially
unpleasant customers.
8.
Increase in Idle times.
This suggests representatives are creating strategies to
be away from their phones as much as possible. Watch
closely for this one, as your employees may look as
though they're working very hard.
Keep
this checklist, share it with supervisors not on this
call today and use it as an early warning detection
system. Let it alert you to potential problems with
morale and or service levels. You'll find you can be
much more proactive in problem identification and
correction when you know what to look for.
*Early
Warning Detection System developed by TMI, USA. www.tmius.com
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The
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