ASSIGNMENT

Design and implementation of a call centre

Submitted to
Professor B. K. Srivastava

March 17, 2011

Submitted by:
K. Venkateswara Rao D-40

Konica Tayal G-17

Service Operations Management

MBA (General) Batch of 2011

 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A call centre is a workplace where several customer problems are solved through the help
of telephone. This whole process of assisting the customers has to be laid down with utmost care
so that effective and efficient working of the call centre can be ensured. Calls are received at a
call centre and in case certain query of the customer is not solved instantly then solution to the
problem is found by the employees of the company and thereby a call is made to the customer,
giving him the solution to his previously addressed problem.

Call center business represents about two-thirds of an organization’s operating expenses.

With so much of the industry’s cost and energy concentrated in this area, it makes sense that the
center’s facilities should be designed with its staff, both agents and managers, in mind. The term
contact/call center “design” can mean different things to different people. To some it refers
exclusively to the edifice or building shell, while to others it means just the interior design or
ambience of the work environment. Both are critical aspects of the contact/call center workplace.
However to the organization and to their clients, “design” refers to the effective layout of floor
plans, ergonomic furniture solutions and effective utilization of space that yields fewer injuries
and greater individual and team productivity.

When pressed for time or money, there can be a tendency for organizations to think only
about the big picture of their call center design. However, this thinking can be short-sighted.
Instead, planners should think about, and even mentally walk through, the details of the
workspace to ensure that all aspects of design have been addressed. Provide ergonomic
accessories so that each station can be customized for the agent. Some of the most important
ergonomic furniture accessories include heavy-duty chairs with multiple adjustments, adjustable
keyboard mechanisms or keyboard trays, adjustable monitor arms, wrist rests and even foot rests.
While initial capital expenditures may be significant, progressive call centers know that these
costs usually pale in comparison to long-term staffing and operating costs of a center. The
importance of creating a pleasant work environment should not be underestimated. Make the
most of your space by creating versatile areas in training rooms.
 INTRODUCTION
A call centre is a centralized office which is used for the purpose of receiving and
transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. This is usually operated by a company to
administer the information about the product from the consumers. A call centre is set up by a
company in order to provide assistance to customers and to do away with their queries and
problems regarding the product or service provided by the company. Calls are received at a call
centre and in case certain query of the customer is not solved instantly then solution to the
problem is found by the employees of the company and thereby a call is made to the customer,
giving him the solution to his previously addressed problem. The whole concept of call centre
has been set up to provide better services to the customers. This helps the organization in
maintaining efficient customer relationship. It is an important interface between the customers
and the organization and thus requires careful planning prior to its set up.

A call center is often operated through an extensive open workspace for call center
agents, with the work stations that include computers for each desk and a telephone set or a
headset which is connected to a telecom switch and it also needs one or more supervisor stations
or also called the server stations. This can be independently operated with additional centers,
which are often linked to a corporate computer network that includes mainframes,
microcomputers. The voice and data paths into the center are linked through a set of new
technologies called computer telephony integration (CTI).

Through these call centers, valuable information about the company is given to the appropriate
people, even the contacts are tracked and the data is gathered. It is generally a part of company’s
customer relationship management (CRM). Today, customers contact companies by calling,
emailing, chatting online.

The technology at the call center is subject to improvements and innovations. Some of these
technologies we are very much aware of in our day to day life. One being the speech recognition
software which allows the computer to handle the customers at the first level of support so that it
allows better customer handling and agent will be having the information on his screen of the
past interactions with the same customer and many other technologies to improve agent’s
performance and the customer satisfaction. There are also technologies where the inbound calls
are directly routed to the appropriate agents to handle the task, while minimizing the wait times
and the calls are routed to those agents whose past performance is good and who can close the
call at a faster rate and can also make a sale.

Designing a Call Center for an IT Industry

When the decision has been taken by the top management to setup a call centre for its
organization, there are various aspects which have to be looked into before starting the setup of
the call centre. The areas which have to be looked into are as follows:

1) Capacity planning
2) Site location and selection
3) Floor space design
4) Furniture selection
5) Technology design and selection
6) Organizational structure
7) Hiring/training programs
8) Compensation and incentive plans

1) Capacity Planning
This refers to deciding and working out the strength of workforce to be kept in the call
centre. For this it is necessary to deduce how many calls per person is o be handles and
thereby people can be hired for the job.

2) Site Location and Selection

The location of the call centre has to be decided, keeping in mind the reach of the
customers. The location must be such that the customers can easily reach through
telephone, that is, the signal of the telephone must be excellent at the call centre so that
the customers do not face any problem in contacting the company. Also, in case
customers do have a major problem which they are not able to solve through the
telephone then the customers must be able to easily visit the call centre.
3) Floor Space Design
Keeping in mind the budget and time, the company has to work of the floor design for the
call centre. The floor space design must be done keeping in mind the layout and flow of
agent workstations, supervisor, management and scheduler offices, as well as meeting
rooms. Also, the location of restrooms, break rooms and common areas have be
considered. Some of the other critical elements are the often-forgotten design obstacles
such as corners, columns, and utility access panels. In most cases, the best way to
determine the ideal floor plan is by trying a variety of different floor plan options to
maximize the number of agents per square foot while still providing an effective flow for
the contact center floor. The floor design of a call centre must be such that it fosters
teamwork and open communication.
The importance of creating a pleasant work environment is essential in order to
ensure effective and efficient working of the employees. Incorporating such features as
inviting break rooms, secure storage for employee personal items, proper lighting,
aesthetically pleasing colors—including furniture fabrics and colors, as well as paint/wall
paper/graphic designs—and space-efficient traffic patterns. Also, make the most of the
space by creating versatile areas in training rooms. For example, maximize training space
by using flip-top tables that can be rolled away when not needed and reconfigured for
alternative uses.

4) Furniture selection
The furniture selected for the call centre must be such that it adapts to the environment
and fulfills the needs and requirements of the employees working at the call centre. It
should not be that the employees have to adapt themselves to the furniture chosen but the
other way round. The furniture selection must be such that each employee is provided the
most productive individual area. This will enhance the working of the employees which
in turn will result in their efficient delivery of services to the customers. This will ensure
that the customers avail a high quality call centre services. The goal is to provide
furniture that can best meet the needs of the call center and its workers.
For the layout of the wiring and cables careful consideration must be given to the
furniture systems that both conceal unattractive wires, yet also allow for accessibility
 when required. Such furniture systems should be implemented which offer generous
channels for wires and cables and that allow connections between stations.
Everyone wants to save time and find vendors they trust to help streamline their
decision-making. When selecting the furniture, full-service manufacturers that provide
not only agent furniture systems, but also storage cabinets, meeting tables, chairs, and
administrative and executive office furniture must be selected. Using one furniture
provider makes it easy to find replacement or additional parts and makes new purchasing
easier when expansion is required. Choosing one manufacturer also means that the
organization is more likely to qualify for volume discounts. In the end, the best approach
for effective call center furniture design is to: plan ahead, consider a holistic approach to
workspace and partner with experts who will create solutions to fit your center’s unique
needs.

5) Technology design and selection

For the set up of a call centre, various equipment have to be set up in order to provide an
efficient working environment for the employees. The technology of the call Some of the
basic equipments needed for the set up of a call centre should be such that it should be
able to be able to perform in a way that the customers feel they are warmly welcomed.
Differentiation must be made between the loyal customers of the organization and the
first time o not so loyal customers. This is just a strategy to give a feel good factor to the
existing loyal customers and encourage other customers to become loyal to the
organization so as to receive better attention from the organization’s employees.
The Call center setup requirements will consider available agents profile, their
skill and the expected waiting time, to calculate the best compromise and route the call in
the best skills/waiting conditions. A prior access can be provided to VIP customers, with
the help of certain databases. The set up must be such that, as soon as the call arrives, the
number must be immediately checked into the database of the company to know the
customer’s priority level and position it in accordance of waiting queue data. At once, the
details of the customer must be displayed in front of the employee so that the employee
can refer to the customer in a warm fashion and give him a feeling of superiority and
concern. Also, during the communication, the agent should have the facility to ask for
help from his supervisor, who can provide him advices discreetly by chat or whisper
efficiently managed by the Call center setup requirements. From the Call center setup
requirements toolbar, the agent must be able to take advantage of a range of up-to-date
communications tools like voice mail, calls, email, fax, mobile messages, which will be
efficient and perform assets.
As soon as the call is answered, it will be route to agent with the highest skill set
to treat it. Indeed, the Call center setup requirements offers a high-level skills settings
tool, customizable for each agent, or a group of agents. The Call center setup
requirements allows for any kind of skill (language, junior, expert, emails treatment, web
surfers contacts) to define a level from 1 to 10. Therefore, the Call center setup
requirements allow management of human resources in an extreme precise way. An
algorithm is set up to detect the waiting time. This is the time between the ringing of the
telephone and the call being attended by the agent of the call centre. This expected
waiting time is known by the Call center setup requirements as soon as the call is
answered by the system. This allows the Call center setup requirements to evaluate the
best compromised between available resources and maximum waiting time objective.

Premise-based Call Centre Technology:

Call centers have been built on PBX equipment that is owned and hosted by the operator.
The PBX might provide functions such as Automatic Call Distribution, Interactive Voice
Response, and skill-based routing.

Virtual Call Centre Technology:

With the advancement of the Software, the virtual call center has come into picture. In a
virtual call center model, the operator does not own, operate the equipment that the call
center runs on. Instead, they subscribe to a service for a monthly or annual fee with a
service provider that hosts the call center telephony equipment in their own data center.
Agents connect to the vendor's equipment through traditional telephone lines, over Voice
over IP. Calls to and from customers or contacts originate from or terminate at the
vendor's data center, rather than at the operator's premise. The vendor's telephony
 equipment then connects the calls to the call center operator's agents. Virtual Call Centre
Technology allows people to work from home, instead of in a centralized, call center
location.

There are two types of calls and these are often divided into outbound and inbound.
Inbound calls are those calls that are made by the customer to obtain information, report a
problem, or to ask for help. These calls are completely different from outbound calls,
where the agents place calls to potential customers mostly with idea of selling the service
to the individual or the customer.

The staff of the call center is organized into different support systems for efficient call
handling depending on their area of expertise. In the first stage the model consists of
operators or agents who handle those calls which are direct and consists of just providing
general information. If the caller requires assistance then the call is transferred to the
second stage and in that model the agents have an expertise on such subjects and most of
the cases are resolved here. If the caller is not able to give proper assistance then the call
is forwarded to the third stage where further assistance is provided and this support is
generally provided by the highly skilled technical support staff of the product.

6) Organizational structure
The organization structure must be such that there should be proper co-ordination and
communication within the organization. This is essential in order to ensure that the
employees are able to work efficiently which in turn will ensure that the customer
satisfaction level is high.

7) Hiring/training programs
It has to be ensured that the employees hired for working in the call centre are competent
enough to handle calls from customers. They must be able to solve the problems faced by
the customers and provide them with satisfying solution. Also, the employees must be
efficient enough to handle a stipulated number of calls in a given time. This has to be
ensured so that the company can meet its target of each day. This methodology is
implemented to ensure that a standard quality is maintained within the organization. For
instance, a standard can be laid down that the phone must be picked up within two rings.
 If an employee is not able to handle any aspect related to this job them he must be
provided with the right training in order to make him competent enough to handle the
customer’s problems in a satisfying way and also meet the targets of the company.

8) Compensation and incentive plans

It is extremely important to institute a good compensation agreement. This is one of the
great emotional challenges for call center management. A wrong compensation
agreement can destroy the entire working culture of the organization. The wrong plan
usually leads to another wrong plan, which leads to another plan and in a matter of weeks
or months, the whole culture of the organization is spoiled. As a result agents become
distrustful. They don't have the passion they once had for the job and they simply lose
their focus. Management must make a strong effort to consider the emotions of their
agents in creating a compensation agreement.
A compensation plan is not only a set of numbers that determine pay. It is an emotional
pact between management and agent that shapes a culture, identifies the values of a
corporation, builds relationships, and constructs the foundation for the future success of
the call center. Creating a new compensation agreement involves creating change. From
one plan to the next, agents must change their mindset and personal goals to meet new
objectives. Because change is considered by many to be unfriendly anyhow, change
involving the way one gets paid accentuates agents' concerns.
If the compensation plan penalizes agents in comparison to what they had before, they
feel this is retribution, and turmoil ensues. They want to know why the plan has penalized
them. They want to know why they should continue to perform at the same level, or even
a higher level, when they are being paid less. They want to know how management
developed this new plan, and during what timeline management may change it again. In
such a case it must be ensured that the employees get the solutions to their doubts so that
they can perform their job whole-heartedly.
Incentives should be given to employees in order to boost their morale and to motivate
them to do deliver better services and attain higher customer satisfaction.
 STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CALL CENTER

A call center has a lot of significance in the growth of a company’s business. The much
talked about topics while setting up a call center is the cost effectiveness and the quality of the
call center services provided by the company. Call centers have excelled the expectations of the
clients or customers and the demands of the market irrespective of the needs, requirements, size
and the type of business. Outsourcing to some extent has become very necessary if we want the
business of a company to be run smoothly. The services of call centers have always been there
when needed to increase the productivity, meet the ever changing demands of business and to be
in touch with customers to solve their problems on a 24/7 basis. Up-selling and cross selling
techniques help to sell more by convincing the customers to purchase value added extra benefits
or discounts with the main product.

For product promotions, getting sales deals and business development through telemarketing,
outbound call centers have worked to spread the awareness and increase the visibility in the eyes
of customers. Client interaction through telephone communication, chat, and e-mail increases the
credibility of customers on the products. Being in touch with the representatives enables us to
create an efficient and ‘always available’ image for them. The agents working at the call centers
address your extended business needs. Call centers increase the return on investment and
decrease the costs to the company. Call centers increase the productivity of the team by letting
them concentrate on the core and strategic parts of business.

Call centers have particular significance in three areas:

 Customer service and retention

 Direct marketing
 Sources of management information and customer feedback.

Customer service and retention:

Call centers have become so important in everybody’s life that as of now they are the primary
contact point with customers in business and serve as one of the best means by which the
organization creates a long-term relationship with customers and maintains customer
satisfaction. In its turn, customer satisfaction will generally lead to retention and to word-of-
mouth recommendations. If talking about distance education, call centers can help create the
same type of relationship. If regarding the context of a purchasing an electronic item and for that
the customer requires information and for processing such information and making deals or
answering calls and messages, call center staff are the consistent point of contact with the
customer, and he become their best friend.

Direct marketing opportunities:

The support that is being provided by a call center is increasingly seen as a service that
customers expect to find integrated with product offerings, and to be available by phone and on
the Internet through chat and email. The contact with the customers who, in the case of online is
a customer who wants to purchase electronic items may result in opportunities to help the
customer choose additional products that are provided along with the main purchase and services
that are offered with it (e.g., advising, counseling, and tutorial).

Source of management information and student or customer feedback:

A call center with good software and technologies gather a great deal of information about
customers. Such information is collected by analyzing the call documentation data, or by directly
presenting questions to the customer.
 CALL CENTER DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION
MANAGEMENT

The proper function of the professional Call Center in today's business environment can mean
the difference between just being in business and being successful in the business. The correct
equipment, proper software, most efficient network or services and effectively trained staff will
ensure that the business will be successful well into the future. Providing the ultimate in Call
Center Design & Implementation management, utilizing integrated voice recognition - IVR - call
vectors, and Internet based call center solutions optimally designed for customer solutions.

A properly designed and equipped call centers, whether a large telemarketing operation, a help
desk, a small order taking department, a large mail-order firm or an outbound collection agency
will enable us to take the edge over our competitors and provide exceptional Customer service
when the Call Centers are well planned and Call Flow is properly designed and managed.

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) System Operation Evaluation

ACD systems operations evaluate to assure the clients that their ACD operations are providing
customers the services expected and required. We have to work with the clients to identify the
scope of the project and detail report formats and then the review should be started.

We should review the reports for operational detail and perform the following functions:

 Develop an average of how many agents typically are working in each group during each
week.
 Develop an average number of answered calls per agent, per each group.
 Develop the average talk seconds per each group, per each call.
 Develop an average wait per each call, per each group.
 Flag any high number of non-ACD calls, in and out, per particular agent in any group,
where applicable. Also note out-of-average times. This data is used when observing the
group and the official needs for the generation of non-ACD in and out calls.
 Show the total of any not-ready time, per agent, per group and develop an average.
 Using the summarized performance reports, calculate average delay, delayed
announcements, both first time and second time, and abandoned calls, per each group and
service level provided.
 Evaluate the reports providing the delay before abandonment information to determine
the number of seconds the abandoned calls wait before they drop the attempt, per each
group.
 Observe Agent Groups - Each of the agent groups is to be observed while in operation to
determine the call flow patterns and work-state and rest-state actions. Additionally, each
agent group is observed to determine the related non-ACD actions associated with each
transaction.
 Calculate Deviation - A set of ACD Management reports is obtained during this
observation phase to detect any behavioral deviation promoted by the observation
process.
 Verify Call Distribution - Each agent group is observed to denote the even distribution of
the incoming call flow volume.
 Audit Agent Groups - Each agent group is audited to document standard actions required
to accomplish a complete transaction. A composite of these observations becomes the
norm for that group.
 Compare Norms - Timing samples will be established for the norms and compared to the
system reports.
 Define Causes - Each agent group is observed to define what contributes to any potential
transaction delays, incoming call delays or incoming call abandonment.
 Observe Outgoing and Non-ACD Calls - Outgoing calls and non-ACD calls are observed
to assess the necessity during client transactions.
 Observe Data Entry - Agent transactions are observed in context to the response of the
data entry element of the transaction.
 Identify Task Interference - Agent transactions are observed to detect any task-
interference associated with call flow and related management.
 Identify Job Aids - Each group is observed to determine the completeness of associated
materials and any job aids that are required to complete a normal transaction.
Develop a Final Report - A report denoting the findings and results of the management report
evaluation and the operational evaluations is to be produced. This report is to be divided into
observation elements with related recommendations. The recommendations combine a blend of
software, hardware, and procedural and/or training components.

The report has to contain the following sections:

 Executive summary.
 Section presenting the management report profiles and some examples of standards.
 The observations and recommendations relating to the operational evaluation.
 A comparative analysis of the operational norms gleaned from the test month, to the data
gathered during the observation of the actual operations.
 An action or implementation plan.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DESIGN PROCESS

There are two distinct areas of design required in setting up this call center facility. The
questions which must be answered are:

 How many call center agents do I need?

 How many trunks do I need?

As call holding times depend upon average queuing times (which depend upon the number of
agents deployed), these two questions must be addressed before we plan to set up a call center.

How Many Agents Do I Need?

Calculating the number of agents required is a continuous process which will require regular
reassessment as the circumstances of a call center change. Assessments may be made for each
working hour of a day, and should take such factors as marketing campaigns and daily call peaks
into account.
In order to estimate the number of agents required in a particular hour, the following information
relating to that hour is required as a minimum:

 Number of calls received

 Average duration of these calls
 Average delay that you accept that incoming callers may experience.

Number of calls received and Average duration of the calls describe the incoming traffic levels
and must be established from call statistics or from estimates based on your understanding of the
business. Average delay that you accept that incoming callers may experience is the performance
criterion. Another performance criterion which can be used defines call handling in terms of the
percentage of calls answered within a target queuing time (e.g. 85% of calls answered within 20
seconds of ringing).

Wrap up time (or wrap time) is the time an agent remains unavailable to answer a call after a call
has been completed. It is usually the time taken to carry out administrative tasks relating to a call
such as entering an order on a terminal.

How many trunks do I need?

The number of agents required can and should be dynamic, changing from hour to hour, the
number of lines required to connect a call center with a central office exchange is fixed (at least
in traditional circuit switched technology) and must cater for the maximum anticipated traffic
levels which will be encountered. Engineering the number of lines required is known as
dimensioning a trunk group.

The Erlang B traffic model can be used to estimate the number of lines required. This traffic
model requires the following inputs:

 Busy Hour Traffic

 Blocking
Busy Hour Traffic

This figure represents the quantity of traffic expressed in a unit called Erlangs. For the purposes
of these calculations, 1 Erlang can be considered equivalent to 1 hour of calls.

The busiest hour must always be used for busy hour traffic calculations. But, wrap up time is not
included. In working out the number of lines required, the busy hour traffic must be based on the
duration of the calls and the queuing times as these account for trunk occupancy; wrap up time
does not occupy a trunk.

Blocking

The blocking figure describes the calls which cannot be completed because insufficient lines
have been provided. A figure of 0.01 means that 1% of calls would be blocked; this is a normal
figure to use in traffic engineering.

Reasons for Caution

The Erlang traffic model can make certain assumptions about the nature of the call arrivals.
Amongst them is the assumption that call arrivals are random. Although this is quite reasonable
in most applications, it can cause inaccurate results when there is a sudden peak of calls.
 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CALL CENTER

1) Technologies

 Software: No one size or type fits all. Applications should be selected on the
basis of features, interoperability and usability. Custom software is best, but off-
the-shelf applications can be used as long as they are customized to meet the call
center's needs.
 Voice Network: We would want to base your network on VoIP technology to
take advantage of the technology's cost, software integration and call-routing
benefits.
 Servers: Look down the road and acquire systems with enough speed, memory
and storage scalability to handle the call center's operations for at least three
years.
 Displays: LCDs save power and space, and they're easy on the eyes. The screens
should be large enough to accommodate the software's graphical interfaces
without creating eyestrain.
 Headsets: Ear gear should be tight yet comfortable. Detachable components
promote good hygiene.
 Keyboards: To prevent repetitive-motion injuries, make sure the keyboards are
adjustable and aren't too stiff or lightweight.
2) Layout

 Floor Plan: The best way to determine the ideal floor plan is to try a variety of
different options to maximize the number of agents per square foot while still
providing an effective flow. A program like Autodeks's AutoCAD can be a big
help in designing an efficient layout.
 Space: Is there enough physical space to accommodate the number of planned
agents? Have you planned for future growth?
 Aisles: The aisles between workstations should be wide enough to allow for
efficient movement and meet local building-code regulations.
  Workstations: Workstation furniture should be selected and configured to help
agents handle their tasks efficiently and with minimal wasted movement. Look for
full-service manufacturers that provide not only agent furniture systems, but also
storage cabinets, meeting tables, chairs, and administrative and executive office
furniture.
 Supervisor Stations: Supervisors need to see and be seen. Make sure the layout
has positioned supervisory personnel in central and prominent locations.
 Noise Control: Noise-abatement techniques, such as wall and cubicle
soundproofing, as well as noise-canceling headsets, will enhance call quality
while boosting agent productivity.
 Ergonomics: Workstations, chairs and computer-input equipment should all
feature ergonomic designs.

3) Power

 Design: Will power be dropped in from the ceiling or will it come up from the
floor?
 Outlets: Are there enough outlets to support all the equipment that will be used?
 Wiring: To prevent dangerous snags and trips, wiring and cables should be
totally concealed — in the flooring, the walls and the furniture.
 Backup: An emergency generator can keep the center running independently of
the main power grid. At the very least, in the event of a power failure, a generator
can allow the center to power down gradually and safely.

4) Environmental Considerations

 Heating/Cooling: People and equipment both need adequate environmental

controls. Call centers that are too cold or hot degrade agent performance and
potentially shorten equipment life.
  Air Filtering: Dusty, dirty air can make agents drowsy, burn their eyes and
provoke allergies. Dust can also gum up equipment, so invest in a high-quality
air-filtering system.
 Lighting: Good lighting is an often-overlooked design element. Dim, overly
bright or improperly positioned lights can drain agent productivity. The money
spent on hiring a lighting expert won't be wasted.
 Security: Closely analyze your call center for security weaknesses. You'll need to
address three areas: technology security (affecting networks, servers, software and
other technologies), physical security (affecting the call-center site) and employee
security (including background checks, security-level administration and security
training). Overlooking any of these areas can lead to serious long-term
consequences.

Blueprint for a Contact/Call Center

The process is probably something along the lines of:

 Customer calls – This is purely the design of the existing telephone call. It does not
reflect any background process issues affecting the customer.
 Agent handles call – Whilst with a simple process such as this the call routing is easiest,
the customer has no idea of how they stand in relation to the rest of the calls arriving.
Although the system is simple, the scope for customer dissatisfaction is high.

a) Simple ACD Call Routing

In this case at least the customer knows they are calling the correct company. Once in the
ACD the customer’s call is then routed to the next available agent, NOT the next person
prepared to take a call.
The welcome message can also incorporate an out-of-hours message advising of opening
hours or an emergency contact.
 b) Skills Based Routing

By the addition of a single voice menu, calls are now routed by team. The customer has one
choice to make and can almost immediately speak to the next available agent in the section they
require.

c)
Hold System
Note the area in the dashed line is a loop until an agent is available. The timings are
between messages and the agent availability check is continuous. Music can be added
between the hold messages.
 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF A CALL CENTER
AGENT/EMPLOYEE

The Strategic Perspective

The Strategic Perspective covers the first three activities of the Call Center Training
Development Roadmap. These activities provide the necessary foundation for creating an

effective training program and organization. The final output will be a Needs Assessment and
Training Strategy Document.
1) Review business strategies and direction
• Vision and mission of organization
• Integration plan
• Commission of training group by management
• Budget
2) Conduct needs assessment
• Data gathering methodology
• Summary of needs and requirements

3) Develop training strategy document

• Includes items listed above
• Outsourcing Strategy
• Training organization sizing

4) Design training organization

• Organization chart
• Job descriptions
• Budget

5) Secure resources
• Request for personnel
• Outsourcing contracts
• Space planning
• Architectural rough draft
• Equipment list

6) Prepare operations plan

• Project timeline
• Roles and responsibilities
• Budget

7) Design curriculum
• Curriculum design document
• Curriculum map

8) Develop training content

• Course objectives
• Course descriptions
• Course development

9) Select delivery method

• Research summary
• Cost/benefit analysis
• A/V equipment list

10) Develop courseware

• Training material
• Instructor guides
 • Evaluation criteria

11) Assess individual competencies

• Competency assessments
• Testing administration procedures
• Test records system

12) Prepare development plans

• Training plan format
• Counseling schedule
• Record system

13) Initiate record keeping

• Records procedures
• Resource request

14) Schedule individual training

• Training schedule
• Coverage plan

CRITICISM AND PERFORMANCE

Criticisms of call centres generally follow a number of common themes, from both
callers and call centre staff. From callers, common criticisms include:

 Operators working from a script

 Non-expert operators (call screening)
  Incompetent or untrained operators incapable of processing customers' requests
effectively[19]
 Overseas location, with language and accent problems
 Touch tone menu systems and automated queuing systems
 Excessive waiting times to be connected to an operator
 Complaints that departments of companies do not engage in communication with one
another
 Deceit over location of call centre (such as allocating overseas workers false English
names)
 Requiring the caller to repeat the same information multiple times

Common criticisms from staff include:

 Close scrutiny by management (e.g. frequent random call monitoring)

 Low compensation (pay and bonuses)
 Restrictive working practices (some operators are required to follow a pre-written script)
 High stress: a common problem associated with front-end jobs where employees deal
directly with customers
 Repetitive job task
 Poor working conditions (e.g. poor facilities, poor maintenance and cleaning, cramped
working conditions, management interference, lack of privacy and noisy)
 Impaired vision and hearing problems
 Rude and abusive customers

The net-net of these concerns is that call centres as business process exhibit levels of variability.
The experience a customer gets and the results a company achieves on a given call are almost
totally dependent on the quality of the agent answering that call. Call centres are beginning to
address this by using agent-assisted voice solutions to standardize the process all agents use.
However more popular alternatives are using personality and skill based approaches.