Comments on: 5 Ways to Reduce Average Call Time http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/ The blog about customer service and the customer service experience. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:35:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ross http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/comment-page-1/#comment-1029874 Ross Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:49:14 +0000 http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/#comment-1029874 Having an IVR that deals with the most common questions is always a given, though I'm not such a fan of voice recognition used for callers to respond to options. The worst type of call handling has to be when you're required to enter your customer id and the assistant ends up asking you for it again anyway! Generally I find these points aren't an issue, but broadband call centres usually don't have very good IVRs implemented. Having an IVR that deals with the most common questions is always a given, though I’m not such a fan of voice recognition used for callers to respond to options.

The worst type of call handling has to be when you’re required to enter your customer id and the assistant ends up asking you for it again anyway!

Generally I find these points aren’t an issue, but broadband call centres usually don’t have very good IVRs implemented.

]]> By: A. Vermeer http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/comment-page-1/#comment-982028 A. Vermeer Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:26:08 +0000 http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/#comment-982028 I am very pleased to ascertain that other experts, like Tripp Babbitt, in the meantime made it clear that AHT (Average Handle Time) is very oldfashioned (rooted in the “Command and Control thinking”, a productivity mindset of over 100 years old), has completely run it’s course and is no longer tenable in Contactcenters ! Please go here (Ctrl + click) : http://blog.newsystemsthinking.com/blog/my-brand-of-insanity/0/0/call-center-aht-average-handle-time-wrong-measure-wrong-solutions I am very pleased to ascertain that other experts, like Tripp Babbitt, in the meantime made it clear that AHT (Average Handle Time) is very oldfashioned (rooted in the “Command and Control thinking”, a productivity mindset of over 100 years old), has completely run it’s course and is no longer tenable in Contactcenters !

Please go here (Ctrl + click) : http://blog.newsystemsthinking.com/blog/my-brand-of-insanity/0/0/call-center-aht-average-handle-time-wrong-measure-wrong-solutions

]]> By: Laura Kinney http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/comment-page-1/#comment-890408 Laura Kinney Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:40:55 +0000 http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/#comment-890408 AHT measurement is pointless. From an agent’s point of view, it’s even counter-productive to their performance. Below, I give you a humorous excerpt from the hot, new, call center fiction book, HANDLE TiME by LiNCOLN PARK; which illustrates the agent’s point-of-view: “In call centers, to take time and help your customer will absolutely RUIN your Average Handle Time. Ruining your handle time means that you are ruining your quality; thus ruining your agent variable pay; finally ruining your paycheck. In other words, TO HELP YOUR CUSTOMER IS TO COMPLETELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY RUIN YOUR PAYCHECK. I’m serious! The idea is to stay on the call for the shortest amount of time that you can; in order for you to take as many calls as you can. The customer’s satisfaction with your service is incidental. And so — every call center worker must ponder the following question and make a choice each time they logon to their systems — DO I HELP THE CUSTOMER, OR — DO I PAY RENT?” Besides reading the fantastically crazy fiction book, HANDLE TiME, I suggest call center managers consider humanity in the calculation of metrics to produce more realistic projections. AHT measurement is pointless. From an agent’s point of view, it’s even counter-productive to their performance. Below, I give you a humorous excerpt from the hot, new, call center fiction book, HANDLE TiME by LiNCOLN PARK; which illustrates the agent’s point-of-view:

“In call centers, to take time and help your customer will absolutely RUIN your Average Handle Time. Ruining your handle time means that you are ruining your quality; thus ruining your agent variable pay; finally ruining your paycheck. In other words, TO HELP YOUR CUSTOMER IS TO COMPLETELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY RUIN YOUR PAYCHECK. I’m serious! The idea is to stay on the call for the shortest amount of time that you can; in order for you to take as many calls as you can. The customer’s satisfaction with your service is incidental. And so — every call center worker must ponder the following question and make a choice each time they logon to their systems — DO I HELP THE CUSTOMER, OR — DO I PAY RENT?”

Besides reading the fantastically crazy fiction book, HANDLE TiME, I suggest call center managers consider humanity in the calculation of metrics to produce more realistic projections.

]]> By: Service Untitled http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/comment-page-1/#comment-293370 Service Untitled Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:28:53 +0000 http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/#comment-293370 Joe, Working together with other departments is super important in customer service. A lot of companies neglect that. Everyone has to be on the same page to be effective. Joe,

Working together with other departments is super important in customer service. A lot of companies neglect that. Everyone has to be on the same page to be effective.

]]> By: Joe Wilburn http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/comment-page-1/#comment-292141 Joe Wilburn Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:25:30 +0000 http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/#comment-292141 I would also add that call centre management needs to collaborate with other departments that rely on the centre to accomplish their goals. One big one in the call centre I work at is with marketing. On one skillset alone we have no fewer than 10 promos running concurrently and agents must decipher which promo the member is calling in on (if any at all). That is a time waster and makes the agent look unprepared and sloppy. I also have to agree with the escalations comment. Also, the escalations process would be well thought out and with accountability to the customer the paramount importance. Nothing like getting caught in a bottleneck where a lower agent is escalating to a higher agent who won't accept it or fights having to take on something. I would also add that call centre management needs to collaborate with other departments that rely on the centre to accomplish their goals.

One big one in the call centre I work at is with marketing. On one skillset alone we have no fewer than 10 promos running concurrently and agents must decipher which promo the member is calling in on (if any at all). That is a time waster and makes the agent look unprepared and sloppy.

I also have to agree with the escalations comment. Also, the escalations process would be well thought out and with accountability to the customer the paramount importance. Nothing like getting caught in a bottleneck where a lower agent is escalating to a higher agent who won’t accept it or fights having to take on something.

]]> By: Service Untitled http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/comment-page-1/#comment-175766 Service Untitled Sun, 02 Sep 2007 03:47:57 +0000 http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/#comment-175766 Hi Ankit, Thanks for your comment. Definitely. A lot of companies are doing that. They are using their IVRs to send people to the right place and the right people. It is a terrific use of the already existing technology. Hi Ankit,

Thanks for your comment. Definitely. A lot of companies are doing that. They are using their IVRs to send people to the right place and the right people. It is a terrific use of the already existing technology.

]]> By: Ankit http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/comment-page-1/#comment-175759 Ankit Sun, 02 Sep 2007 03:43:15 +0000 http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/#comment-175759 In a service based industry, skill level based routing is something that should be done. Maybe not for the masses, but when one of your largest customers calls, you want to be able to pay attention to it and direct it to the right person. One datacenter has a special message pop up on the screen for their top 200 clients so that they can directly speak to someone at the highest level. The people who call in with the issues usually figured out and confirmed on their end should be allowed to skip the standard procedures. In a service based industry, skill level based routing is something that should be done. Maybe not for the masses, but when one of your largest customers calls, you want to be able to pay attention to it and direct it to the right person.

One datacenter has a special message pop up on the screen for their top 200 clients so that they can directly speak to someone at the highest level. The people who call in with the issues usually figured out and confirmed on their end should be allowed to skip the standard procedures.

]]> By: Dan http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/comment-page-1/#comment-173671 Dan Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:51:52 +0000 http://www.serviceuntitled.com/5-ways-to-reduce-average-call-time/2007/08/29/#comment-173671 If a customer is calling from your Website, and has already logged into your site, skip the pre-verification part altogether by offering them an escalation path that maintains the context of their online session across channels instead of forcing them to start all over again when they move from the Web to the phone. If a customer is calling from your Website, and has already logged into your site, skip the pre-verification part altogether by offering them an escalation path that maintains the context of their online session across channels instead of forcing them to start all over again when they move from the Web to the phone.

]]>