ICMI's Customer Management Insight - January 2008 - (Page 9)

CONTACT CENTER SPOTLIGHT way of transferring knowledge and discussing changing customer needs and expectations. The emphasis on on-the-job learning doesn’t just apply to existing agents; new-hires also enjoy a healthy amount of time outside the classroom during their initial training period. Following a formal orientation and some fundamental training, new staff spend time in a “test center” — practicing key skills and familiarizing themselves with systems while handling simulated customer calls. After mastering the essentials in the test center, newhires start taking real — albeit basic — customer calls under the watchful eye of a senior agent, who provides constant positive coaching and feedback. Once the mentor feels that the rookie is ready, he or she gives permission for the agent to fly solo. Supervisors provide all agents — newbies and veterans alike — with frequent coaching feedback and regular performance assessments, and work jointly with agents to create and update individual development plans. Supervisors measure agent performance via a variety of tools and methods, including ACD reports, call recordings, “ghost calls” (remote monitoring of live calls) and mystery shopper calls. When providing feedback, supervisors discuss not only agents’ performance metrics and call ratings, but also direct caller feedback to help agents see things from the customer’s perspective. Shifting from a traditional and somewhat static supervisor coaching environment to a highly dynamic and holistic one could not have happened without a shift in the supervisor mindset. To help prepare supervisors for their changing role, Vodacom put them through a icmi’s insight Staff members at Vodacom’s corporate contact center: (above) Prudence Shuping and Marianne Phillips; (below) Ariefdien Hendricks and Simon Mabuse. “super coaching” training program, which focused on how to develop relationships with, as well as develop and inspire agents. All supervisors were assessed before, during and after the training — which was carried out by several outside coaching experts — to ensure that any gaps in the required coaching skills were closed. Managers in the center completed a similar program prior to introducing the new agent coaching and training strategy to staff. “Imple mentation started at the top, at the manager and supervisor level, ” says Selvarajalu, “as the biggest mindshift needed to happen here. ” WADING IN “WORLDCLASS” WATERS The big mindshift has led to big results: Since revamping coaching and training as part of the center’s FCR initiative, the center’s FCR rate has increased by more than 25 percent. The current FCR score for the contact center is 85 percent, which puts the center in the neighborhood of some elite company; according to customer contact research and consulting firm Service Quality | JANUARY 2008 www.icmi.com 9 http://www.icmi.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ICMI's Customer Management Insight - January 2008

ICMI's Customer Management Insight - January 2008 Contents Customer Care Technologies Ad Index Editor's Page Contact Center Spotlight People: Prehire Tests In The Center Strategy: Video Contact Centers Show Preview Operations: Knowledge Management Industry Research Contact Centers Face Today's Realities: A Case for Consolidation 2.0 Is Your Agent Training Process Evolving with the Role? The Key to Innovation Is Maintaining Your Strengths Becoming Strategic: Using Customer Contact Analytics to Empower the Contact Center's Role

ICMI's Customer Management Insight - January 2008

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