Call Center vs. Contact Center
Many people tend to think of a call center as people neatly organized into rows, sitting beside their phones, answering customer calls. So what is a contact center?
Contact centers are more than headset-wearing switch-board operators. The modern contact center handles phone calls, email, and online communication including instant messaging.
Traditionally, contact centers have been called call centers. The newer name contact center reflects the fact that more than just phone calls are being handled. Many call centers have evolved over the years to do much more than just answer phones.
Some companies choose to separate the handling of customer contacts by medium. For instance, a company may establish a department for inbound calls, one for outbound calls, and a group for email. Some companies, especially smaller ones, opt to create universal agents who handle all contact types. Companies create universal contact agents for reasons of efficiency and service, and often because they find it easier to train agents in multiple communication methods than to train multiple agents in product or service information.
Bottom line, it is up to the customer to decide how they want to communicate with your company, and it IS up to your company to respond appropriately through its contact center.
source: www.avaya.com
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Variations and Refinements of Call Centers
Variations and Refinements of Call Centers
Refinements of call centres
There are many refinements to the generic call centre model. Each refinement helps increase the efficiency of the call centre thereby allowing management to make better decisions involving economy and service.
The following list contains some examples of call centre refinements:
Predictive Dialling - Computer software attempts to predict the time taken for an agent to help a caller. The software begins dialling another caller before the agent has finished the previous call. This, because not every call will be connected (think of busy or not answered calls) and also because of the time it takes to set up the call (usually around 20 seconds before someone answers). Frequently, predictive dialers will dial more callers than there are agents, counting on the fact that not every line will be answered. When the line is answered and no agent is available, it is held in a retention queue for a short while. When still no agent has become available, the call is hung up and classified as a nuisance call. The next time the client is called an agent will be reserved for the caller.
Multi-Skilled Staff - In any call centre, there will be members of staff that will be more skilled in areas than others. An ‘Interactive Voice Response’ (IVR) Unit can be used to allow the caller to select the reason for his call. Management software, called an Automatic Call Distributor, must then be used to route calls to the appropriate agent. Alternatively, it has been found that a mix of general and specialist agent creates a good balance.
Queuing Systems - The selection of a queuing system type is a very important decision in a call centre as it determines the level of quality of service. Queueing systems in call centres are usually described as M/M/N type queues where N is the number of agents. The preferred method of queuing is a FIFO (First In First Out) model, as it causes minimum delay to callers.
Prioritisation of Callers - Classification of callers according to priority is a very important refinement. Emergency calls or callers that are reattempting to contact a call centre are examples of callers that could be given a higher priority.
Automatic Number Identification - This allows agents to determine who is calling before they answer the call. Greeting a caller by name and obtaining his/her information in advance adds to the quality of service and helps decrease the conversation time.
Variations on the generic call centre model
The various components in a call centre discussed in the previous sections are the generic form of a call centre. There are many variations on the model developed above. A few of the variations are listed below:
Remote Agents - An alternative to housing all agents in a central facility is to use remote agents. These agents work from home and use a Basic Rate ISDN access line to communicate with a central computing platform. Remote agents are more cost effective as they don’t have to travel to work, however the call centre must still cover the cost of the ISDN line. VOIP technology can also be used to remove the need for the ISDN, although the desktop application being used needs to be web enabled or VPN is used.
Temporary Agents - Temporary agents are useful as they can be called upon if demand increases more rapidly than planned. They are offered a certain number of quarter hours a month. They are paid for the amount they actually work, and the difference between the amount offered and the amount guaranteed is also paid. Managers must use forecasting methods to determine the number of hours offered so that the difference is minimised.
Virtual Call Centres - Virtual Call Centres are created using many smaller centres in different locations and connecting them to one another. The advantage of virtual call centres is that they improve service levels, provide emergency backup and enable extended operating hours over isolated call centres. There are two methods used to route traffic around call centres: pre-delivery and post-delivery. Pre-delivery involves using an external switch to route the calls to the appropriate centre and post-delivery enables call centres to route a call they’ve received to another call centre.
Interaction Centres - As call centres evolve and deal with more media than telephony alone, some have taken to the term, “interaction centre”. Email, Web Callback and more are gradually being added to the role.
souce: Wikipedia
Refinements of call centres
There are many refinements to the generic call centre model. Each refinement helps increase the efficiency of the call centre thereby allowing management to make better decisions involving economy and service.
The following list contains some examples of call centre refinements:
Predictive Dialling - Computer software attempts to predict the time taken for an agent to help a caller. The software begins dialling another caller before the agent has finished the previous call. This, because not every call will be connected (think of busy or not answered calls) and also because of the time it takes to set up the call (usually around 20 seconds before someone answers). Frequently, predictive dialers will dial more callers than there are agents, counting on the fact that not every line will be answered. When the line is answered and no agent is available, it is held in a retention queue for a short while. When still no agent has become available, the call is hung up and classified as a nuisance call. The next time the client is called an agent will be reserved for the caller.
Multi-Skilled Staff - In any call centre, there will be members of staff that will be more skilled in areas than others. An ‘Interactive Voice Response’ (IVR) Unit can be used to allow the caller to select the reason for his call. Management software, called an Automatic Call Distributor, must then be used to route calls to the appropriate agent. Alternatively, it has been found that a mix of general and specialist agent creates a good balance.
Queuing Systems - The selection of a queuing system type is a very important decision in a call centre as it determines the level of quality of service. Queueing systems in call centres are usually described as M/M/N type queues where N is the number of agents. The preferred method of queuing is a FIFO (First In First Out) model, as it causes minimum delay to callers.
Prioritisation of Callers - Classification of callers according to priority is a very important refinement. Emergency calls or callers that are reattempting to contact a call centre are examples of callers that could be given a higher priority.
Automatic Number Identification - This allows agents to determine who is calling before they answer the call. Greeting a caller by name and obtaining his/her information in advance adds to the quality of service and helps decrease the conversation time.
Variations on the generic call centre model
The various components in a call centre discussed in the previous sections are the generic form of a call centre. There are many variations on the model developed above. A few of the variations are listed below:
Remote Agents - An alternative to housing all agents in a central facility is to use remote agents. These agents work from home and use a Basic Rate ISDN access line to communicate with a central computing platform. Remote agents are more cost effective as they don’t have to travel to work, however the call centre must still cover the cost of the ISDN line. VOIP technology can also be used to remove the need for the ISDN, although the desktop application being used needs to be web enabled or VPN is used.
Temporary Agents - Temporary agents are useful as they can be called upon if demand increases more rapidly than planned. They are offered a certain number of quarter hours a month. They are paid for the amount they actually work, and the difference between the amount offered and the amount guaranteed is also paid. Managers must use forecasting methods to determine the number of hours offered so that the difference is minimised.
Virtual Call Centres - Virtual Call Centres are created using many smaller centres in different locations and connecting them to one another. The advantage of virtual call centres is that they improve service levels, provide emergency backup and enable extended operating hours over isolated call centres. There are two methods used to route traffic around call centres: pre-delivery and post-delivery. Pre-delivery involves using an external switch to route the calls to the appropriate centre and post-delivery enables call centres to route a call they’ve received to another call centre.
Interaction Centres - As call centres evolve and deal with more media than telephony alone, some have taken to the term, “interaction centre”. Email, Web Callback and more are gradually being added to the role.
souce: Wikipedia
Call Center “Consultants” or “Agents”
Call Center “Consultants” or “Agents”
When we deal with call centers, the term call center consultant is seldom used, for instead of calling the people working in call centers “consultants”, we refer to them as call agents or call center workers. But despite the common knowledge about call center agents as the call center workers, the question of what a call center consultant still continue to persist. This is due to the fact the term call center consultant is seldom heard.
According to some experts, a consultant in general referred to those professionals that provide expert advice in a particular field or domain of expertise such as the law, human resources, medicine, and other area of specialization. In the area of communication, particularly with call center consultants, the term is associated with the people working in call centers that provide expertise to customers or clients about something that the clients wanted to know or interested. Additionally, the term call center consultant may then also refer to a person that is only temporarily employed by a call center company and who is working under the call centers direction in a skill area that the call center already acquires. Oftentimes, a call center consultant is not an independent call center agent but is a partner or an employee of a consultancy that is a company that offers consultants to clients on a bigger scale of skill domains.
The call center consultants as a professional therefore has great skill in call center activities or something that demonstrates such skill. To consider oneself as a professional call center consultant would mean that the persons actions or behaviors must remain in accordance with the rules and standards of the profession. So as a call center consultant one must abide by the law implemented by the call center.
Moreover, in call centers the call center consultant is often considered as a senior team member of the call center. As such, the call center consultants produce a high quality telephone enquiry and data or information service to the customers and answer the more complex enquiries within the call center. The other duties of a call center consultant also include the investigation and resolution of the more complicated enquiries and complaints; the preparation of appropriate correspondence and maintenance of statistics to better ensure a good quality customer service; and providing inputs to call center improvements and maintenance programs.
A call center consultant, in addition, also acts as a supervisor, who assists the call center team leader with the important activities and management of the group to guarantee an effective operation of the team sections and to guarantee that the teams performance standards are met. Aside from that, a call center consultant also makes certain links to the mangers, sections and departments to guarantee that the issues are resolved and the objectives are met. Lastly, a call center consultant must participate in the review of services, policies and procedures to further ensure that the clients needs are being met and a call center consultant may also perform other duties as directed. So as a call center consultant, aside from being an excellent communicator, must also have enough experience in a call center or customer service environment and must therefore carry well-developed analytical and problem solving skills.
About the Author: Jean Harley is a Call Center specialist who writes articles for www.CallCenterSearch.com. Source: www.isnare.com
When we deal with call centers, the term call center consultant is seldom used, for instead of calling the people working in call centers “consultants”, we refer to them as call agents or call center workers. But despite the common knowledge about call center agents as the call center workers, the question of what a call center consultant still continue to persist. This is due to the fact the term call center consultant is seldom heard.
According to some experts, a consultant in general referred to those professionals that provide expert advice in a particular field or domain of expertise such as the law, human resources, medicine, and other area of specialization. In the area of communication, particularly with call center consultants, the term is associated with the people working in call centers that provide expertise to customers or clients about something that the clients wanted to know or interested. Additionally, the term call center consultant may then also refer to a person that is only temporarily employed by a call center company and who is working under the call centers direction in a skill area that the call center already acquires. Oftentimes, a call center consultant is not an independent call center agent but is a partner or an employee of a consultancy that is a company that offers consultants to clients on a bigger scale of skill domains.
The call center consultants as a professional therefore has great skill in call center activities or something that demonstrates such skill. To consider oneself as a professional call center consultant would mean that the persons actions or behaviors must remain in accordance with the rules and standards of the profession. So as a call center consultant one must abide by the law implemented by the call center.
Moreover, in call centers the call center consultant is often considered as a senior team member of the call center. As such, the call center consultants produce a high quality telephone enquiry and data or information service to the customers and answer the more complex enquiries within the call center. The other duties of a call center consultant also include the investigation and resolution of the more complicated enquiries and complaints; the preparation of appropriate correspondence and maintenance of statistics to better ensure a good quality customer service; and providing inputs to call center improvements and maintenance programs.
A call center consultant, in addition, also acts as a supervisor, who assists the call center team leader with the important activities and management of the group to guarantee an effective operation of the team sections and to guarantee that the teams performance standards are met. Aside from that, a call center consultant also makes certain links to the mangers, sections and departments to guarantee that the issues are resolved and the objectives are met. Lastly, a call center consultant must participate in the review of services, policies and procedures to further ensure that the clients needs are being met and a call center consultant may also perform other duties as directed. So as a call center consultant, aside from being an excellent communicator, must also have enough experience in a call center or customer service environment and must therefore carry well-developed analytical and problem solving skills.
About the Author: Jean Harley is a Call Center specialist who writes articles for www.CallCenterSearch.com. Source: www.isnare.com
The Call Center Myth
The Call Center Myth
Ok let’s review… No one is going to do the work for you. There I’ve said it and we clearly understand each other right? Well, maybe not. Some people love to be in sales but they hate to sell. Gee, wonder why that is. Wonder if they would like to jump out of an airplane without a parachute? Or is it they are too lazy to learn how to properly pack their parachute and therefore they trust someone else to pack it for them? I don’t know about you but I prefer to make sure things are being done correctly. Because it could make for a hard landing!
The reason people say they hate to sell is because they don’t really understand how to do it. And they are too lazy to take the time to discover how it’s properly done. Sales is not about hype, smoke, mirrors, or empty promises. Sales is about posturing and knowledge and marketing effectively.
Some are falling for what is being sold through hype has the “Call Center”. The call center business model claims it will do all the work for you. They claim they will close all the sales for you. They claim they will then give you the sales commission. And they also claim you don’t have to do anything. Are these call centers smart? They are smart enough to talk you out of your money if you fall for it and buy in to their hype.
No one is going to do all the work for you and then send you money. It just isn’t going to happen. And the sooner you realize this the better off you will be. When you think about it, what is the difference between someone at a call center claiming to close your sales and you closing them yourself? It’s simple. When you discover how to close your own sales you know you are geting paid.
Call centers use a code number system where you must place ads containing a code number or extension etc. It’s been proven that people only write down phone numbers from ads and never the code number. The code number is how the call center says they give you credit for the sale. Ok, well what happens when the caller does not have the code number to give the call center? Does the call center turn them away and lose a new sale? If you think the answer to the question is yes you are buying in to the call center hype!
Here’s a red flag. Call center sales reps are also signed up in the very same programs they claim to be closing sales for you in. Does this seem fair to you? It didn’t to me either. And that’s why I called some of the call centers up and pretended to be someone who had seen an ad but didn’t write down the code number from the ad. At no time did the sales rep ever try and tell me they could not accept my sale. So this begs the questions… who got credit for that sale?
Here’s another red flag. How do you actually track the people who call in to the call center? How do you really know what is happening with your leads? How do you know when they are being followed up with and how? The answer is you don’t know. And this is a huge problem.
The call center owners don’t want you to understand what really goes on. They want to keep you dummed down. They do not want you to smarten up because they know if you do, you will quickly realize you don’t need them.
Sales is not nearly as tough as most assume. In fact once you have a proven system in place and you are working smarter instead of harder, sales can be a lot of fun. It’s all about taking it one step at a time and discovering the proper sales technique.
About The Author: Britt Phillips is a self-made millionaire and one of the all time top income earners in the history of the Coastal Vacations business opportunity. Britt has been teaching students on his success team for eleven years. Britt devotes the time, energy, and effort into his team and works with them to ensure their success. Britt reveals the hidden facts about the Coastal Vacations Call Center. To contact Britt Phillips call him direct at 804-897-2274. EzineArticles.com
Ok let’s review… No one is going to do the work for you. There I’ve said it and we clearly understand each other right? Well, maybe not. Some people love to be in sales but they hate to sell. Gee, wonder why that is. Wonder if they would like to jump out of an airplane without a parachute? Or is it they are too lazy to learn how to properly pack their parachute and therefore they trust someone else to pack it for them? I don’t know about you but I prefer to make sure things are being done correctly. Because it could make for a hard landing!
The reason people say they hate to sell is because they don’t really understand how to do it. And they are too lazy to take the time to discover how it’s properly done. Sales is not about hype, smoke, mirrors, or empty promises. Sales is about posturing and knowledge and marketing effectively.
Some are falling for what is being sold through hype has the “Call Center”. The call center business model claims it will do all the work for you. They claim they will close all the sales for you. They claim they will then give you the sales commission. And they also claim you don’t have to do anything. Are these call centers smart? They are smart enough to talk you out of your money if you fall for it and buy in to their hype.
No one is going to do all the work for you and then send you money. It just isn’t going to happen. And the sooner you realize this the better off you will be. When you think about it, what is the difference between someone at a call center claiming to close your sales and you closing them yourself? It’s simple. When you discover how to close your own sales you know you are geting paid.
Call centers use a code number system where you must place ads containing a code number or extension etc. It’s been proven that people only write down phone numbers from ads and never the code number. The code number is how the call center says they give you credit for the sale. Ok, well what happens when the caller does not have the code number to give the call center? Does the call center turn them away and lose a new sale? If you think the answer to the question is yes you are buying in to the call center hype!
Here’s a red flag. Call center sales reps are also signed up in the very same programs they claim to be closing sales for you in. Does this seem fair to you? It didn’t to me either. And that’s why I called some of the call centers up and pretended to be someone who had seen an ad but didn’t write down the code number from the ad. At no time did the sales rep ever try and tell me they could not accept my sale. So this begs the questions… who got credit for that sale?
Here’s another red flag. How do you actually track the people who call in to the call center? How do you really know what is happening with your leads? How do you know when they are being followed up with and how? The answer is you don’t know. And this is a huge problem.
The call center owners don’t want you to understand what really goes on. They want to keep you dummed down. They do not want you to smarten up because they know if you do, you will quickly realize you don’t need them.
Sales is not nearly as tough as most assume. In fact once you have a proven system in place and you are working smarter instead of harder, sales can be a lot of fun. It’s all about taking it one step at a time and discovering the proper sales technique.
About The Author: Britt Phillips is a self-made millionaire and one of the all time top income earners in the history of the Coastal Vacations business opportunity. Britt has been teaching students on his success team for eleven years. Britt devotes the time, energy, and effort into his team and works with them to ensure their success. Britt reveals the hidden facts about the Coastal Vacations Call Center. To contact Britt Phillips call him direct at 804-897-2274. EzineArticles.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Seach This Site
Custom Search