Call centres generally start out the same: a centre moves into an area of high unemplyment and sets up shop. From the thousands of applications, the centre selects those best qualified for their project - people who not only meet the minimum requirements, but who also bring in vast training and previous experience in customer service and the clients particular line of business. These first recruits are almost experts right from the start. They also reveice a great deal of training and support, and most of this staff is there for the long haul.
As time passes, several changes occur in this process. Over time, the number of over-qualified applicants drops off. Eventually, the centre has to lower even its basic requirements in order to meet recruiting needs. The evolution of selection criteria looks something like this: What additional training and skills do you have? What previous call-centre experience do you have? Have you graduated university? Have you graduated high school? Can you read? Can you point out the phone in this picture?
This decline in entry requirements is a natural result of the economic increases brought to an area by a major employer, such as a call centre. As the unemployment rate drops, there are fewer people to choose from for your new hires and standards are reduced inorder to meet recruiting needs. Eventually, a philosophy is adopted that anyone can be trained to do the work.
Training also evolves during this period. Initially, training tends to be lengthy and comprehansive; appropriate, since this is a brand new operation. As progress is made, training shifts more and more of its work from the classroom to ‘on the job.’ Ultimately, training is strippedbare: use of systems, client and business-line overview, and company policy. Essential skills, such as customer service and troubleshooting, are expected to be learned on the job.
Meanwhile, support on the floor follows a similar decline. During the early years, as the employees all know each other well, there is good comraderie and everyone is quick to offer assistance to agents in trouble. As the project ramps-up, this changes dramatically. Rapid increases in staffing prevent employees from developing relationships as they once had. Increased call volume puts more performance pressure on everyone, especially the longtime and skilled staff. There is no longer much time to assist each other. Queue demands also frequently require skilled staff to be taking calls, as opposed to assisting agents as Floor Support, where their skills could serve many employees.
Looking at these issues together, we see a seriours problem: As recruiting standards decline, so does the amount and type of training and the amount of support available to new hires. This is reflected in the increase in attrition rates over the same period. Simply put, agents who don’t know what they are doing are quitting because no one is telling them how to do their job. No wonder they are frustrated.
We need to recognize the point at which recruiting standards have dropped to the minimum skills level. At that point, it must be assumed that none of the new hires have any knowledge or training relevent to the project. That is when trainig should be increased, including more technical training and some major investment in customer service training. Less on-the-job, more classroom. This will have every new hire as prepared as possible before hitting the floor. On the floor, there should always be support. Increased support means decreased frustraion and feelings of isolation. When agents feel that help is always available, they are more confident and calls are handled well. When agents are cast adrift into a sea of cubicles, they frequently drow in stress and escape through the door.
If we are going to work under the assuption that anyone can do this job, they we need to ensure that we can make that true.
|