The document discusses strategies for improving contact center performance. It emphasizes the importance of culture, engagement, and empowerment of frontline agents. Key recommendations include ensuring all staff understand call center principles, providing positive coaching and feedback, investing in agent and manager development, and getting senior leadership involved in discussing culture.

1. Get More From Your Contact Center Genesys Strategic Planning Series CRM Exchange – October 2008 Tim Montgomery - The Service Level Group

2. Tim has honed his expertise by working closely with and advising some of the world’s most recognized service organizations

3. Understanding the Reality of Call Centers “ I Just Called To Say I Love You” - Stevie Wonder

4. Understanding the Reality of Call Centers The Moments of Truth @ 50 contacts per day, each rep will have 10,000 a year

5. Understanding the Reality of Call Centers

6. Understanding the Reality of Call Centers

7. Creating World Class It’s no longer an option Targeting “Just OK” Service

8. Creating World Class It’s no longer an option Targeting “Just OK” Service

9. What the Best Companies Know “ The opposite of ‘remarkable’ is ‘very good.’ Very good is an everyday occurrence and hardly worth mentioning.” ~ Purple Cow, Seth Godin OK Service Isn’t an Option

10. From the Frontline Lack of communication – feel like we’re the last ones to know Need additional schedule flexibility and daily stability Metrics that drive wrong behaviors Punishing the masses for the few Too much focus on the negative Need more management visibility Not enough formal training after being hired Feedback from hundreds of contact center professionals

11. Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Starts with the frontline “ I do what is required of me – nothing more” “ This is a temporary position for me - just buying my time” “ The managers just don’t get it – we see what’s really happening everyday” “ This is a wonderful place to work – feel proud to be an employee” “ My focus is making the customer I’m talking with happy” “I’m part of improving customer service every day”

12. Recognizing World Class Get real-time front line feedback….on everything Everyone understands the basics of call center principles/metrics Hold people accountable to the right behaviors driven by the right metrics What the best do

13. Recognizing World Class Embrace positive coaching and frequent reminders (of the good) Invest in front line (and management) growth Have executives that speak call center What the best do

14. What the Best Know Take Ownership of the Process “ Animal trainers have a saying: It’s never the animal’s fault. That means you can’t blame an animal for something the trainer has failed to do.” – Dan and Chip Heath

15. “ Companies get skills-focused instead of customer-needs focused. A much more stable strategy is to start with – what do my customers need” - Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO What Makes them Special? Amazon.com

16. “ Companies get skills-focused instead of customer-needs focused. A much more stable strategy is to start with – what do my customers need” - Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO What Makes them Special? Amazon.com

17. What Makes them Special? Free shipping, no hassle returns Front-line greeting on the 800 number Joke of the day and “Midnight Train to Georgia” Reps shop the competition for you and follow-up They send flowers… Zappos - WOW

18. What Makes them Special? Free shipping, no hassle returns Front-line greeting on the 800 number Joke of the day and “Midnight Train to Georgia” Reps shop the competition for you and follow-up They send flowers… Zappos - WOW

19. Creating World Class Use Cost as an Advantage What cost you the most? Can you find value in the cost? Can you find a “win-win” in the cost? What would the customer like to do on their own?

20. Creating World Class Use Cost as an Advantage What cost you the most? Can you find value in the cost? Can you find a “win-win” in the cost? What would the customer like to do on their own?

21. Creating World Class Use Cost as an Advantage Efficiently Inbound Volume Activity Ratio FTE Requirements Shipments Percent Volume Handle Time (Secs) Call Per Shipment FTE Requirement Work Activity Per FTE Loaded Cost Per Activity Savings Annualized Month 1 100,000 0.00% 47,000 500 47.0% 97 725 $ 4.02 $ - $ - Month 2 100,000 1.00% 46,530 495 46.5% 95 732 $ 3.98 $ 4,024.22 $ 48,290.69 Month 3 100,000 2.00% 46,060 490 46.1% 93 739 $ 3.94 $ 8,048.45 $ 96,581.39 Month 4 100,000 3.00% 45,590 485 45.6% 91 747 $ 3.90 $ 12,072.67 $144,872.08 Month 5 100,000 4.00% 45,120 480 45.1% 89 755 $ 3.86 $ 16,096.90 $193,162.78 Month 6 100,000 5.00% 44,650 475 44.7% 87 763 $ 3.82 $ 20,121.12 $241,453.47 Month 7 100,000 6.00% 44,180 470 44.2% 85 771 $ 3.78 $ 24,145.35 $289,744.16 Month 8 100,000 7.00% 43,710 465 43.7% 84 779 $ 3.74 $ 28,169.57 $338,034.86 Month 9 100,000 8.00% 43,240 460 43.2% 82 788 $ 3.70 $ 32,193.80 $386,325.55 Month 10 100,000 9.00% 42,770 455 42.8% 80 796 $ 3.66 $ 36,218.02 $434,616.24 Month 11 100,000 10.00% 42,300 450 42.3% 78 805 $ 3.62 $ 40,242.24 $482,906.94

22. The Contact Center Environment What You Need to Know The real cost of supporting a new customer The real cost of a customer complaint The real cost of non-retention The real value of each contact

23. Everyone have a clear understanding call center basics and differences Continuous service reinforcements and reminders Balance of positive metrics, growth encouragement and addressed negativity Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Call Center Musts

24. Everyone have a clear understanding call center basics and differences Continuous service reinforcements and reminders Balance of positive metrics, growth encouragement and addressed negativity Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Call Center Musts

25. An appreciation for the impacts of turnover: Lost productivity Upset customers Everyone rethinking why they’re staying Leadership focus away from service Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Call Center Musts

26. An appreciation for the impacts of turnover: Lost productivity Upset customers Everyone rethinking why they’re staying Leadership focus away from service Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Call Center Musts

27. Offering agents $2,000 to quit after a week requires… A focus on the right recruitment techniques An understanding of the true cost of turnover A service culture that requires the right agent DNA An appreciation that your company (and customers) aren’t right for everyone Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Deal or No Deal…

28. Front –Line Engagement to: Avoid “dumb” contacts Approve new communications Improve technology utilization and flow Get a real-time customer pulse check Understand what REAL empowerment is needed Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Call Center Musts

29. Front –Line Engagement to: Avoid “dumb” contacts Approve new communications Improve technology utilization and flow Get a real-time customer pulse check Understand what REAL empowerment is needed Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Call Center Musts

30. Conversations about the evolving role of the front line call center agent: Customer Advocate Resolution Expert Knowledge Worker Process Owner Service Analyst Improvement Specialist Relationship Manager Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Communicating the Value

31. Conversations about the evolving role of the front line call center agent: Customer Advocate Resolution Expert Knowledge Worker Process Owner Service Analyst Improvement Specialist Relationship Manager Culture - The Foundation to Service Excellence Communicating the Value

32. Creating World Class Give Agents the Ability Be realistic about your reps’ skills Understand what moves them to create greatness Process should allow everyone to be a success Walk in their shoes

33. Creating World Class Be Instep with Customers Make everything simple Create processes around them Listen, watch and ask permission Let them know what you can and can’t do

34. Creating World Class Be Instep with Customers Make everything simple Create processes around them Listen, watch and ask permission Let them know what you can and can’t do

35. And…the best make the investment USAA - Positioning Supervisors for Success with a Call Center Curriculum “ Many times, supervisors are promoted from within; we select the best agent to be the next supervisor. They are the leaders of your customer service staff and the “voice”of your company – but have you equipped them with more than a Stephen Covey book? Invest in the future of your company by giving new and upcoming supervisors a thorough understanding of how to run an effective and efficient call center – from communication skills to Erlang C.” - Call Center Management Review

36. And…the best make the investment USAA - Positioning Supervisors for Success with a Call Center Curriculum “ Many times, supervisors are promoted from within; we select the best agent to be the next supervisor. They are the leaders of your customer service staff and the “voice”of your company – but have you equipped them with more than a Stephen Covey book? Invest in the future of your company by giving new and upcoming supervisors a thorough understanding of how to run an effective and efficient call center – from communication skills to Erlang C.” - Call Center Management Review

37. No clear sense of purpose Low levels of engagement Not trusting management or change Responsibility passed to others Blaming the customer Call center is the place you go to leave Metrics driving wrong behaviors Next Steps – Self Reflection Signs of a problem

38. Get senior management talking about culture Get the frontline involved – listen, react and communicate Connect with all departments that “touch” the customer and impact the call center Make the hard leadership decisions – need the right people in the right seats Loosen the metrics – talk behaviors Next Steps – Begin to Lay the Foundation Ways to make improvements

39. Thanks and keep in touch If you’d like a copy of today’s slides, send an email request to timm@servicelevelgroup.com Additional examples and articles are available for download at www. servicelevelgroup.com