BLOG – SIKORSKI’S THINK ABOUTS – QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM: MEASUREMENT PROCESS

The measurement process should take into account all customer interactions – Voice, Email, Chat, Social Media, ++.

Side-By-Side Monitoring

• Sitting next to the Agent & “Double Jacking” into the telephone set
• Provides: “On the spot” coaching and guidance

Silent Monitoring

• Access an interaction in process to listen/view both sides of the conversation without agent or caller knowledge
• ALWAYS record interactions that you are silent monitoring to develop an improvement plan or disciplinary action

Real-Time Monitoring including Speech Analytics

• Alert
• Record
• Instant Message
• Speak to agent without callers knowledge to offer advice
• Join Conversation
• Walk Over to the Agent

Voice Recording

• Can be all interactions or random (specific number per agent)
• Allows the agent and analyst/supervisor to listen/view together and score independently

Screen Capture Recording

• Navigation through your host system
• Appropriate notes
• Accessing the right information to help the customer

This week’s question for your employees – Which monitoring measurement process does your staff like the best?

Thank you for reading and sharing!

Warmest regards,

Laura Sikorski – Independent Call Center Consultant

Website

lsikorski@laurasikorski.com

WebTV Show Video Archives  http://thedailyblu.com/video/video/search?q=sikorski%27s+think+abouts

BLOG – SIKORSKI’S THINK ABOUTS – QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM – COACHING

What will coaching do?

• Correct undesirable behaviors
• Improve communications skills
• Increase productivity
• Decrease Employee Turnover
• Staff will become more engaged
• Result in suggestions to improve procedures
• Optimize Contact Center performance

Role of your Supervisors/Team Leaders

• Must meet Objectives and KPIs
• Own the quality of their team
• Identify opportunities to improve each agent
• Modify agent behavior through coaching

Role of your QA Analysts

• Monitor for compliance
• Establish company standards
• Provide the calibration function
• Identify company trends
• Identify areas for improvement

Gone are the days of big brother watching

Employees want to know . . .

• How am I doing?
• How do I sound on the telephone?
• What could I have done better on that interaction?
• What should I have said to make the sale?

This week’s question for your employees – Why do you like being coached?

Thank you for reading and sharing!

Warmest regards,

Laura Sikorski – Independent Call Center Consultant

Website

lsikorski@laurasikorski.com

WebTV Show Video Archives  http://thedailyblu.com/video/video/search?q=sikorski%27s+think+abouts

BLOG – SIKORSKI’S THINK ABOUTS – QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM – BASICS #1

Key operations point for your Customer Care Center:

• Customer experience as your primary goal
• Service as a product
• Employees as your greatest asset
• Quality as everyone’s responsibility

Contact centers are shifting the focus of key performance indicators from quantitative to qualitative measurements.

The number of calls handled in a busy hour, average talk time and wrap-up times are losing their importance.

Service Savvy customers expect:

• Personalized service
• To do business at any time and on their terms
• Customer intimacy
• Raised standards of service
• Operational excellence
• Innovation

Why innovation?

To Innovate . . . is to Improve

Meeting the needs of your customers can only be achieved with a robust . . . QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM.

• Verifies how your contact center is performing
• Identifies your purpose and processes
• Determines your goals
• Improves customer contacts and agent performance
• Data analysis assists you with
  • ŸTraining Evaluation
  • ŸProducts and Services
  • ŸMarketing Campaigns
  • ŸAgent Use of Technology
  • ŸPerformance Trends

This week’s question for your employees – When was the last time you updated your QA Program?

Thank you for reading and sharing!

Warmest regards,

Laura Sikorski – Independent Call Center Consultant

Website

lsikorski@laurasikorski.com

WebTV Show Video Archives  http://thedailyblu.com/video/video/search?q=sikorski%27s+think+abouts

BLOG – SIKORSKI’S THNK ABOUTS – TRANSFERRING CALLS – BACK TO TELEPHONE BASICS #11

Here is the 11th of my series on “Back to Telephone Basics” to share with your staff.

The most delicate part of call handling is transferring the caller to a different person and doing it so that the caller is grateful that it was done.

A caller who is transferred aimlessly loses any good feelings they may have about your company when they are misdirected – it wastes their time and yours!

Ir requires tact and knowledge of your company

• ŸDepartmental responsibilities
• ŸKey staff who will handle the call properly

The caller must be given an explanation as to why they are being sent elsewhere.

It is a good idea to follow-up periodically with the person or department you transferred a call to, to see if the caller was handled properly.

Before the transfer is actually completed, you should make sure that the caller feels that everything is going to be taken care of.

This week’s question for your employees – What type of calls are we transferring and what can we do to minimize the transfers?

Thank you for reading and sharing!

Warmest regards,

Laura Sikorski – Independent Call Center Consultant

Website

lsikorski@laurasikorski.com

WebTV Show Video Archives  http://thedailyblu.com/video/video/search?q=sikorski%27s+think+abouts

Blog Sikorski’s Think Abouts – Voice Channel: Power talk for results – Back to telephone basics #6

Here is the 6th of my series on “Back to Telephone Basics” to share with your staff.

Use your personality . . .

• Move forward in your chair
• Your voice will sound more animated, natural and interesting

Seek a rapport with your caller . . .

• Listen for speech patterns
• Use similar words

Use positive and direct language . . .

• Don’t say – “I will try to call you later this week”
• Instead say – “I will call you Monday morning at 11:30”
• Don’t say – “We cannot get that to you until Friday”
• Instead say – I can confirm a Friday afternoon delivery between 2 and 3pm”

Be concise . . .

• Respect the caller’s time and your own
• Be ready to take the call
• Stay focused

This week’s question for your employees – What do you wish you could do for our customers?

Thank you for reading and sharing!

Warmest regards,

Laura Sikorski – Independent Call Center Consultant

Website

lsikorski@laurasikorski.com

BLOG SIKORSKI’S THINK ABOUTS 11/23/14 – THE HEART OF CX ON YOUR VOICE CHANNEL

In my opinion, “The Heart of CX” is making sure your customers receive consistent and exceptional customer service regardless of the channel they choose.

How can you accomplish this . . .

• Employee engagement
• Strong brand strategy
• Programs that develop leaders
• Focusing on the customers journey throughout your organization
• Personalization
• Reaching out before the customer knows a problem exists

If customers use your voice channel, here are some staff training program tips for diffusing difficult customers:

• Use the customer’s name
• Let them talk
• Interrupt only with
  • “I understand”
  • “I see”
• Put the caller on hold, count to 10, then say
  • “I am sorry to keep you waiting Mrs. Taylor, please let me recap what you are saying”
  • “I am sorry to keep you waiting Mrs. Taylor, please continue

It is not easy to display good telephone manners if the caller is out of control; however, it is your staff’s responsibility to listen and act on what the caller requests.

Keep in mind, the “act” just might be to turn the call over to a Supervisor.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blog . . .

Laura Sikorski

lsikorski@laurasikorski.com

SIKORSKI’S THINK ABOUTS BLOG 10/26/14 – CX AND EMPATHY IN THE WORKPLACE

Our recent WebTV show on The Daily Blu was about “Empathy in the Workplace.” It really hit home for many of our viewers http://tinyurl.com/nt57rcj

Our guest was Deidre Siegel, Founder and CEO of PEAR™ Core Solutions located in Woodbury, NY.

Excellent information on why “empathy” is an important trait for senior level executives, middle management and organizational teams.

Here are the questions Deidre answered:

• —Why do we care about empathy in the workplace?
• —How does low empathy impact your team and your profits?
• —How do you know if your company has low empathy levels?
• —What can we do to boost empathy?

Do hope you will consider some of these great “Think Abouts” for discussion at your next management meeting:

• —Mentor your staff
• —Provide clear career paths
• —Educate by continuous training and outside seminars
• —Walk the workfloor
• —Recognize that your staff is your greatest asset

Our twitter question was “I have a valued senior employee who just isn’t happy at work anymore.  He is always negative and his attitude is starting to rub-off on others.  Any advice on what I can do?”  Deidre was spot on with her advice!

Thanks for sharing our blog . . .

L

SIKORSKI’S THINK ABOUTS Blog 10/6/14: The CX Affect

Complaints should be profitable.

95% of your customers will NOT complain; however, the remaining 5% get MAD or get EVEN.

• Customers that get MAD
  • —Are 2 times as likely to buy again if they speak up
  • —Are 6 times as likely to buy again if their problems are solved
  • —Are 9 times as likely to buy again if their problems are solved quickly and professionally
• Customers that get EVEN
  • Are UNHAPPY and will tell 10 to 12 others about it
  • If they use Social Media it can reach 150,000+

Be sure your staff is empowered and has the products/services knowledge to change a dissatisfied customer into a happy customer.  Remember, you all want customers who will keep buying from your company and sharing with others how great you are!

“Customer Loyalty” is indeed the “CX Affect” you need to strive for.

Leadership + Empowerment = Great Customer Experience

SIKORSKI’S THINK ABOUTS WebTV Show 9/22/14

We discussed: Remembering Your Journey, Tenets, What Should You Be, How to Create a New Leader, What Is Empowerment, How Do You Start Empowering Your Staff and How Empowerment Motivates.  Our “Ask Laura” question was about motivating senior staff.  The voice and video may be out of sync on your computer and for that we apologize.  Next week our guest is Mike Conti, Call Center Technologist.  We will be discussing technology solutions that you should be “thinking about” to satisfy your customers.  Thank you for watching and sharing!  L

http://thedailyblu.com/video/sikorski-s-think-about-lead-by-example-not-by-your-power