Constant monitoring of representatives in your center highlights the need for efficient training. Rigorous classroom and in-service training for both client information and “soft” communication skills is the first (and ongoing) step in a positive feedback loop that results in high scores. Training objectives can be reduced when just in time knowledge delivery is available to agents who need to assemble large information amounts of product or caller data, especially when the information resides in multiple databases or requires expertise in multiple applications.
Classroom training averages two weeks before an agent ever takes their first interaction. During this time, they should learn how to operate hardware and software, develop in-depth knowledge of the client, knowledge of the industry and basic communication courtesy skills to make sure that each interaction is handled in a compassionate and caring tone. Trainees should spend another week or more specifically handling interactions under direct supervision, and customer advisors are updated continually on clients’ programs.
Your team, your people need to be educated in the concept of Continuous Improvement and on the statistical tools needed to maintain the stability of the processes of your center and your enterprise. Every one on your team members should undertake training. This ensures consistent training (message) and knowledge transfer resulting in a common standard for your center.. It is essential that training be done with full consideration of work environment diversity along with periodical follow-ups to insure understanding and communication.
If an organization does not have the resources (capital, space and human resources) to invest to achieve the required efficiency, there are a range of options to consider. Everything from hosted solutions to completely outsourced centers can be a logical solution to today’s communication-saturated businesses. They are typically well designed to provide accurate, timely answers to information-hungry customers, in an ever changing variety of interaction formats, who may be across the street or around the world. Certainly, “if you build it, they will come,” but building is not enough to keep your customers happy. You must also measure, review, calibrate and continuously refine the processes. You have to know what your customers want, pinpoint what works, establish guidelines for service improvement and be accountable for the results. Monitoring, measuring, and improving are parts of an ongoing process cycle. A customer that ends a communication with your company in frustration cannot be recaptured. Whatever its temptations complacency is dangerous and will ultimately spell doom for your center or worse, your business. So get monitoring and training together in your center – for your customer’s and your agent’s, it will prove to be a match made in heaven.