Call Centers For Dummies

Tips on making your call center a genuine profit center

In North America, call centers are a $13 billion business, employing 4 million people. For managers in charge of a call center operation, this practical, user-friendly guide outlines how to improve results measurably, following its principles of revenue generation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. In addition, this new edition addresses many industry changes, such as the new technology that's transforming today's call center and the location-neutral call center. It also helps readers determine whether it's cost-efficient to outsource operations and looks at the changing role and requirements of agents.

• The ultimate call center guide, now revised and updated
• The authors have helped over 60 companies improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their call center operations
• Offers comprehensive guidance for call centers of all sizes, from 20-person operations to multinational businesses

With the latest edition of Call Centers For Dummies, managers will have an improved arsenal of techniques to boost their center's bottom line.

Introduction 1

Part I: From the Ground Up: An Overview of the Call Center 7

Chapter 1: A First Look at Call Centers 9

Chapter 2: Business Basics: Models and Drivers and Goals, Oh My! 19

Chapter 3: Developing the Cast of Characters 43

Chapter 4: Building a Call Center of Your Own 65

Chapter 5: Choosing the Outsourcing Option 85

Part II: The Master Plan: Finance, Analysis, and Resource Management 107

Chapter 6: Analyze This! 109

Chapter 7: Right People, Right Place, Right Time: Resource Management 143

Chapter 8: Call Center Scheduling: Not As Simple As 1, 2, 3 157

Part III: Making Life Better with Technology 185

Chapter 9: An Introduction to Call Center Technology 187

Chapter 10: Technological Enhancements: Getting the Newest and Coolest Stuff 209

Chapter 11: Using Home Agents 221

Part IV: Creating High-Performance Teams 241

Chapter 12: Hiring and Training 243

Chapter 13: Creating a Coaching Culture 257

Chapter 14: Creating a Motivated Workforce 265

Part V: Ensuring Continuous Improvement 281

Chapter 15: The Power of Process Improvement 283

Chapter 16: Mastering Change in Your Organization 299

Chapter 17: Quality-Control Programs and Certifications 313

Part VI: The Part of Tens 321

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Improve Agents’ Job Satisfaction 323

Chapter 19: Ten Questions Every Call Center Manager Should Answer 329

Chapter 20: Almost Ten Ways to Decrease Call Center Costs and Increase Efficiency 335

Appendix A: Key Call Center Definitions and Concepts 341

Appendix B: Call Center Support Services 349

Index 353

Réal Bergevin is executive vice president of Transcom Worldwide. Afshan Kinder, Winston Siegel, and Bruce Simpson are partners in SwitchGear Consulting, a company specializing in call centers and change management. SwitchGear's clients include companies such as Scotiabank, TELUS, and Ceridian.

Learn to:

• Locate, design, and build a call center
• Measure productivity and quality and set appropriate goals
• Gain efficiency through scheduling and technology
• Build and retain high-performance teams

Your friendly guide to profitable call center management

The call center industry is one of the world's most rapidly growing and fastest changing. For call center managers or anyone who just wants the inside scoop on this exciting field, this guide is a must-read. Loaded with best practices from the most successful call centers around the world, Call Centers For Dummies covers everything you need to know, whether you're just setting up shop or looking to improve your operations.

• Start from the ground up — investigate where to locate and how to build a call center, understand the roles and responsibilities in a call center team, and consider the outsourcing option
• Call center business basics — create a successful call center business model, determine achievable goals, and measure your center's progress through business drivers
• Ensure proper resource management — discover how to always have the right staff levels — including home agents — through forecasting and scheduling
• Gain efficiency through technology — see how advances in call center technology, such as interactive voice response and Voice over Internet Protocol, can help your call center agents be more productive
• Build high-performance teams — recruit and retain the best people by providing great training and keeping your agents motivated
• Keep improving — explore strategies to identify areas of improvement and learn how to manage change within your call center

Open the book and find:

• How to develop a positive company culture and high employee engagement
• Strategies to improve your customer satisfaction scores and first-call resolution
• Tips for designing the ideal space for your center
• How to select the right outsourcing partner
• How to create people-friendly work schedules
• How to set up a home agent program
• Ways to decrease costs and increase efficiency