ICMI's Customer Management Insight - September 2007 - (Page 25) PEOPLE a QA team member, who will probably look at things as very blackgram, it’s important to be clear about what you hope to gain from and-white, as well as a supervisor, doing it and how you think the individual and the organization will who is going to look at the gray benefit. Sometimes the goals of these programs aren’t clear and areas. The representatives feel that agents and their supervisors aren’t sure what exactly it is they are [evaluations] are much more fair supposed to be doing. Self-monitoring is often implemented as a coming from both groups. ” next level monitoring practice. Once an agent meets a certain qualIn the present-day CaLLogix, the ity threshold consistently, he or she is allowed to monitor and company continually looks for ways assess a number of his or her calls and identify areas of improveto improve its own system, instead ment. Supervisors can feel confident in allowing this degree of indeof faulting agents. “We’ve changed pendence and self-management because they have the assurance that whole [former monitoring outthat the rep is meeting basic quality requirements. This is empowlook]. It’s not to catch them doing ering for agents and increases their buy-in to the overall program. something wrong. It’s to catch them doing something well and to identiCMI: How can monitoring and coaching methods increase agent fy where we need to make improvesatisfaction and build agent retention? ” ments, says Leonard, who is now GIBSON:If the performance criteria and the objectives are clear, CEO. meaningful and attainable, if there are rewards associated with Increased communication bemeeting the desired performance requirements, if the overall design tween agents and supervisors is a of the program is fair and positive, then there is no reason these welcome and palpable change at types of programs shouldn’t increase agent satisfaction and build CaLLogix. Carrie Perry, a supervisor retention. It’s poor design and implementation, negative manageat CaLLogix, began her call center ment attitudes and suspicion and distrust that decreases satisfaccareer as an agent at Abacus tion and increases retention. Taking the time to design a sensible, Communications in September motivation program and incorporating the input and perspective of 1999, and thus witnessed firsthand agents is the key to making sure your program addresses the needs the metamorphosis of the work of all your employees. environment, from a culture of fear to one of greater quality, care and Rebecca Gibson will present a case study on supervisor support. development at the Annual Call Center Exhibition (ACCE) How has the experience influin San Diego later this month (Sept. 10-13). For more inforenced her view of what charactermation, visit www.accecmp.com. izes a superlative call center supervisor and coach? “I make myself available at all times — any time an and they’re not doing their jobs agent needs to speak to me or has a well, certainly none of us would question. Administrative work can have a job. It’s important that we always wait. It’s very important to cater to our agents as much as pos” put your agents first, above every- sible. thing, says Perry. ” “You have to make Cliff Hurst will present a session on the time because how to create a new model of qualthe agents are the ity monitoring later this month at JANIE IADIPAOLO is Associate front line of the the Annual Call Center Exhibition business, and if Editor of ICMI’s Customer Management (ACCE) in San Diego. For more inforthey’re not happy Insight. janiei@icmi.com. M • • mation, visit www.accecmp.com. Do you have an effective technique for providing positive feedback to agents? Share your tips in our CMI Reader Response Forum. icmi’s insight Click Here to Participate www.icmi.com | SEPTEMBER 2007 25 http://www.accecmp.com http://www.accecmp.com http://www.incoming.com/forum/messages.aspx?ForumID=27 http://www.icmi.com
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