TIPS:
1. Care about the way PEOPLE, PROCESS and TECHNOLOGY support your business.
2. Realize that what you "GOAL" should support a Key Performance Indicator.
3. Using metrics as a WEAPON puts staff in defensive mode.. Creativity solves more problems.
WE WORK HARD FOR THE MONEY Help Desks and Call Centers Measure because they can, because they should, and because it indicates performance opportunity, capacity and business value. Done right, a call center metrics program indicates expectation, rewards excellence and corrects key performance indicators that cost a company money or loyalty.
HOW WILL I KNOW?" Metrics.. Everyones doing them.. the more the better right? You show me your metrics, I will show you my metrics.. We share, because we can! Process people have a hunger for process improvement.. The secret to successful call center metrics is this.. measure what is practical, report what is indicative, and goal what delivers satisfaction.
"DO YOU REALLY WANNA HURT ME?" A GOOD call center and help desk analyst/agent is very metrics driven anyway, they want to deliver their best, they have a passion for positive interaction, and want to support those elements that will make THEM and the company they support successful.
HFCN Global KNOWS IT and Call Center Staff.. Its our specialty... because we've had to staff call centers globally, fast... and we talk to alot of jobseekers trying to find their next job because of metrics. Not because they are unmotivated.. they are highly motivated professionals wanting to stop the pain, and work hard again. OFTEN time we hear "THE STORY: I'M LOOKIN FOR A NEW LOVE
THE STORY: CAN YOU FIND ME ANOTHER JOB IN A LEADING PROCESS ORIENTED HELPDESK? Dawn, we have internal and external metrics that are in conflict with each other. One wants us to end the call really fast, our calls are monitored and when we get off, we will receive coaching on selling more product or NOT selling product and ending the call fast.
There are days when our agents feel so worthless, because we could be trained and delivering on all key metrics, and still feeling like a failure because there is a new process and set of goals we are not yet trained on, but are responsible for upholding.
I LOVED this company, but I am looking for my next opportunity.. The stress and distress is bad for everyone, good performers go crazy trying to solve conflicting problems they cant question, bad performers know they will be removed... it all started when they incorporated the conflicting metrics program, it made all of us crazy, because we cant study to keep up with the unpublished changed expectations, and they are measuring and asking us to explain why we deliver service according to the training of support of one metric, while not delivering to the other.. We try to ask if speed and selling is important, what is the performance expectation, but the problem is we report to a sales group and a technical group, both have different key performance indicators and BOTH want their metrics delivered in the call."
My advice to jobseekers WHO ASK if I think they think they should leave their job, in the field of call center management, is often to try to work with their present employers as this often is an opportunity more than an obstacle. Sometimes if we observe a problem long and see alternative solutions, we discover possibilities we did not know existed. In the case of this professional, the solution worked out very well. They scheduled a meeting with their supervisor to discuss the metrics problem of conflicting metrics. Apparently many others had that issue too, and people were quitting because of it.. feeling management did not want to hear about it. There were changes made to the metrics program and people are now being measured for what makes their customer happy, without making call center agents do flips talking fast and selling sometimes...
RESOURCES FOR CALL CENTER AND HELP DESK PROFESSIONALS:
* Jobs N Career Success forum http://tinyurl.com/jobscareersuccess
* HDI Local Chapter Networking: http://www.thinkhdi.com/hdi.aspx?c=24
* Call Center Networking Group Membership
* Check out Kirk Weisler's Thought For the Day
RESOURCES FOR ESTABLISHING SOUND CALLCENTER or HELP DESK METRICS:
* Metrics Modeling Notes
* HDI offers local chapter networking as well as leading career standards, reports, standards and best practices for Service Management
* ITSM Watch article "Using Balanced Metrics as Service Support Indicators" by Rob England offers a great post on how to use a Balanced Scorecard to approach metrics that deliver customer satisfaction.
* HDI Focus Book "How To Establish and Maintain Service Level Agreements" by Char LaBounty leverages a wealth of rational business practice on the people, process and metrics of Maintaining Positive Customer Service.
ABOUT HFCN GLOBAL: We are a globally networked company. Call us if you are looking to hire IT and Call Center Staff.. We are recruiting experts in the field of IT, ITIL and IT Service Management and are willing to work with you to identify talent that creates competitive business advantage. We are not just an employment firm, we are experts in Business Networking and are happy to partner with you to staff your service management initiatives.
Helping Friends LLC HFCN Global3867 West Market Street 102
Akron OH 44333http://helpingfriendscareernetwork.com/
