The document discusses the evolving landscape of customer service, emphasizing the integration of technology, particularly automation, in improving efficiency while maintaining the human touch in service delivery. It highlights the importance of effective training programs for telephone-based customer service agents to adapt to new technologies like dialers, focusing on empathy, professionalism, and the ability to navigate complex customer interactions. Additionally, it addresses the shifting role of human resources toward training and development in response to fewer open positions and the need for specialized skill sets.

1. Inbound CustomerService
SystemsIntegration Training
James Richard Dooling
M OF 1508A ∞ Hu ma n R e so urc e s M an age me nt
Dr. M aj a Z e l i hi c
March 9, 2015

2. • What is Customer Service?
Who are our customers and what do they need?
How do we rely on technology at work?
Automating certain tasks is good for everyone.
• TheIncreasing Role & Capabilities of Technology in Society
Understanding social media
How do define artificial intelligence?
What are the drawbacks of technology?
• TheIncreasing Role & Capabilities of Technology in Business
New business technology
How do we rely on technology at work?
What are the limitations of technology?
• Handling Customer Calls
How are calls screened and routed?
What jobs are currently automated?
The Human Touch

3. • TheAutomation Alternative
Technology influences metrics and performance
The Seven-Minute Model
Introducing: The Dialer
• TheChanging Role of Technology
The future of inbound customer service
Humans benefit from automation
Smaller workforces mean more specialization.
• TheChanging Role of Recruiting & Staffing
Sourcing better candidates
Using exclusivity to drive recruiting
Fewer positions means greater demand.
• TheChanging Role of Human Resources Management
Fewer workers means better oversight
Improving management as an alternative to outsourcing
The Dialer’s ultimate impact

4. In working to develop a clear and
effective training program for
telephone-based customer service-
related employees, HR must conduct
an array of assessments which will
be used to determine:
∞ Company labor needs (past, current
& future)
∞ Job details, requirements &
beneficial skills
∞ Applicant vetting parameters
∞ Performance metrics
∞ Learning & teaching practices
∞ Organizational culture
conceptualization
The needs assessment component of
successful training programs strive to
∞ Telephone-based customer service
agents represent a unique set of skills with
regard to empathy, professionalism,
patience, rapport building and a mellow
personality combined with the ability to
quickly and accurately navigate records
and data while working to keep customers
satisfied. These workers are the voice of
the firm and have a direct impact on
business.

5. ∞Understanding the desired character traits
ofthe candidate for aposition andhaving a
clear picture ofthe job responsibilities for
which you will be developing atraining
programarekey tosuccessful training (Badawy,
2007).
∞The training oftelephone-based customer
service agents wouldbenefit from interactive
andconversational learning exercises.
∞The heavy use of computer terminals and
earphone headsets should be recreated in
the classroom environment.

6. ∞ Thetrainingof changeand changesin the workplace can often be metwith great resistance (Murray&
Lynn, 1997). Ina two-pronged training campaign suchas this whereboth new-hiresand currentemployees
are facing trainingperiods due to new technological roll-outs, thematerials should beconstructed in
such a wayas to speak to both new and veterancompanyinformation systems users.
∞ Understanding the job of the telephone-based customer service agent will
requirea full complement of new computer interface screenshots to be
used as orientating handoutmaterials. Keys and legends are invaluable in
this regard. Slides of these screenshots will also be used for classroom
presentations and could serve as group activity focal points in theearliest
days of training. This helps orient new users to the experience of the shared
task.

7. Training mustbe used to promote thepositive implicationsof
automation. The changingsets of tasks could prove difficultto
teacheffectively withoutthe trainers first each mastering the
new technologypersonally.

8. The Need for
Automation
∞ Machines save time
∞ Machines make fewer
errors
∞ Machines can work 24/7
∞ Machines do not require
training, incentives,
motivation, time
management monitoring, or
any other HR resources
The Need for
Humans
∞ Customers prefer human
contact.
∞ Humans can solve
problems and find the
answers to questions.
∞ Humans can make
decisions based
on empathy and unique
circumstances.

9. ∞Findingwaysfortraineestorelate
totheuseofmoderntechnologyin
technologyintheir dailylives.
dailylives.
∞Howhastechnologychanged
duringthetrainees’lifetime?
lifetime?
∞What isthefutureoftechnologyin
theworkplace?

11. TofirstunderstandArtificialIntelligence, we mustdeterminethe
needsanon-human“consciousness”serves andthe fundamental
goals itmight attainwherehumanscannot.
Secondly,wemustdecide whatseparateshumanityfromall
otherlife.Doreasonandlogic ahumanmake?Creativity?
Emotion?
Compassion,empathyanda desiretolearn, teachorunderstand?
How doemotions servebusiness? Thecustomerservice agent?
Whichof thesetraitscanweprogramintoamachine andwhich
ofthesetraitscan weaffordtosacrificein ordertoachieve a
perfect,capableandtrustworthytechnology?

12. 350B.C.
Archytas’Pigeon
1495A.D.
DaVinci’s
Armored
Knight
1801
Joseph Jacquard’s
Automated Loom
1940
Isaac Asimov’s
ThreeLaws of Robotics
1966
Stanford Research
Institute’s (SRI)
“Shakey”
2011
IBM’s Watson

13. Why Machines?
• Traininginvolves not only imparting functional
knowledge, but the transfer oforganizational
information:
– Goals
– Missionstatement
– Identity& branding
– Corporateculture(Youssef-Morgan&Stark, 2014)
• Integrating the new functionality of the updated systems
with new standards will work tothwart fears of change
andpushback. Veteran workers will not feel forced to
live up toold metrics using new technology; this breeds
disdain.
• All workers will begin on equal footing.
Why Not Man?
• Calltimes arecalculated from the moment the phone is
answered. Computerized routing has been an industry
practice fortwodecades.
• Imagine modern hold-time with humans still in charge
oftransferring calls tothe proper department.
• Human workers spend unnecessary time handling
simple information requests that can be handled via
automation (Murray& Lynn, 1997).
• What does this new “free time” mean tophone workers?
How will performance be monitored?
• HR’s evolving understanding ofmetrics and
performance appraisals. Influencing job satisfaction
reports and productivity.

14. Introducing New Technology
∞Introducing“theDialer”
∞Specificsofthe system;new responsibilities
∞Increased capabilitiesandaninnovativelearning process;howworkers
canteachthe Dialer
∞How trainees/retrainedveteransmight perceive theDialer;mention
revamped metrics
∞Overcoming perceived threatstojobsecurityandthe future;HR’s
move fromrecruiting/staffingto trainingandperformance
monitoring/reward

15. SPECIFIC– Learn the Dialer
MEASURABLE– Periodic Exams
ATTAINABLE – 6 Weeks PaidTraining
REALISTIC –Training not Weeding
TIMELY– Hands-on Experiences
∞ SMART objectivesarea criticalcomponentof
well-developedtrainingexercises(Youssef-Morgan
& Stark, 2014). Specific,Measurable,Attainable,
Realisticand Timely.
∞ Basedonneedsassessments,the SMART
trainingobjectivesfor‘Integratingwith
Technology’areclearlydefinedfortrainersand
willbe strictlyfocusedonforthe first-halfof
TrainingDay1.
∞ Developmentoftheseobjectivesprovidesa
roadmapfortraineesandtraineralike.
∞ IntroduceHRSMART Councilvolunteer
opportunities!
Developing SMART objectives?
SPECIFIC –_____________________
MEASURABLE –__________________
ATTAINABLE –___________________
REALISTIC –____________________
TIMELY –______________________

16. How are calls screened &
routed?
∞ Explaining howtheDialerwillfunction
∞ TheDialer’sever-increasingworkload
∞ Time-savingcustomeraccount access
∞ Customizableinterfacepreferences
Customer
Service
Gatekeepers
The
Dialer
Can it be self-serviced?
Who takes the call?
Does it require escalation?

17. Veteran workers will
demonstrate more resistance to
the Dialer than new-hires.
• What other industries have
benefitted from automation?
• Where are workers happier
working alongside machines?
• How can training exercises
work to assuage fears?
• What does this training course
provide that workers couldn’t
learn on their own?
Automation increases
worker productivity on
more important matters
by freeing up time
otherwise spent on trivial
tasks.

18. The Key to Success:
The Human Touch
∞Whatkindoftaskscannotbeautomated?
∞Howdopeoplerespondtomachinesinbusinesssettings?
businesssettings?
∞What are theadvantagesofliveoperators?
∞Is therepublicresistance?
∞Is theDialerthefuture?

19. The implementation of the Dialer will significantly reduce the company’s labor and man-hour requirements. With more than 60-
percent of current call volumes expected to migrate to the Dialer queues, the need for human operators will be bypassed in all but
the most challenging of customer situations. However, as an integral component of this automation migration, human employees
need tocontinue to feel valued, challenged andsatisfied with both the company andthe workload.

20. ∞What are HR considerations?
Does less hiringmean less recruiting?Or,does it mean
more timefor more focused and/or specialized
recruiting?
Do fewer new-hiresalter the need or requirements for
trainingobjective development? How do needs
assessment parameters changewith fewer employees
needing to be trained?
How important is changemanagement?
HRresponsibilities mayease upwith automation and
fewer workers, but what does that say for the futureof
HR?

21. Fewer open
positions means
greater demand
from candidates;
quality of
candidates
increases.
Providing job-
specific training is
an investment in
the employee; this
represents a real
and quantifiable
cost to the
company.
Performance management
becomes easier to monitor,
define and adjust with better
technology.
Training effectiveness is easier
to determine and regulate with
smaller, more specialized
groups of worker populations.
Evaluating both the short- and long-term effects of training will be
partially integrated into the Dialer’s capabilities. The system is
designed to provide management with real-time red flags which allow
for immediate management intervention for the purposes rectifying
and noting incongruent worker behavior. This behavior will become
routine for front-line management and will in turn teach the Dialer’s

22. Why are Staffing & Recruiting
priorities shifting toward a Learning
and Development-based model? Who
benefits from employee training?
HR’s responsibilities are
divided into a number of
areas. Recruiting and
staffing are traditionally
among the most labor-
intensive and time-
consuming duties assumed
by the department
(Vanderbroeck, 1992).
Attracting qualified talent
has become an
increasingly important
aspect of recruiting. The
current employment
market is difficult for
young people, recent
graduates and older
applicants looking to make
a career change.
Recruiting on college
campuses remains one

23. The Changing Role of Human
Resources
How does HR begin to shift its
priorities from staffing and
recruiting to focus on increased
training and development
projects?
Where does HR begin to look for
high-value applicants? Does
social media continue to play a
role in recruiting?
How does the application
encourage/discourage possible
candidates?
Do our vetting practices need re-
examination in light of the
Dialer’s implementation?
What kind of experience and
educational background should
RECRUIT!
HIRE!
TRAIN!
EX-
TERMINATE!!!

24. Badawy, M.K. (2007). Managing human resources. Research
Technology Management,
50(4), pgs. 56-74.
Bielenberg, C. (1992). Winning the customer service war. Managing
Service Quality,
3(1), pgs. 411-416.
Murray, M.A. & Lynn, M.P. (1997). Business process re-
engineering/information system
development to improve customer service quality. Business
Process Management Journal, 3(1), pgs. 9-19.
Vanderbroeck, P. (1992). Long-term human resource development in
multinational
organizations. Sloan Management Review, 34(1), pgs. 95-
102.
Youssef-Morgan, C.M. & Stark. E. (2014). Strategic human resource
management: Concepts, controversies, and evidence-based
applications. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.