New call monitoring technology produces a win-win process

Telemarketing & Call Center Solutions, Jun 1996 by Judson, Jim

Supervisor-Agent Reviews Redefined

Imagine the supervisor-agent review session described earlier in this article occurring with a screen/voice recording system. The agent hears the call and sees her screen progressions. The results of the call are evident and objective. Tone of voice is discernible, speed of data network (or lack thereof) is obvious, and the supervisor doesn't spend the first 10 minutes of the review session jogging the agent's memory. Powerful dynamics surface when an agent and a supervisor replay a call together. For example:

* If the call is excellent, the supervisor reinforces the specific portions of the call that make it great. (Most agents welcome compliments!)

* If the call is average, the supervisor points out specific words or key stroke progressions in the recording to be improved.

* If it is a below-average call, agents are astute enough to know why it is substandard without being told. Experience shows that agents are more critical of their own performance than a supervisor.

* The calls are saved and compared against one another to mark improvement.

Installation of a screen/voice recording system at Storz Instrument in St. Louis, Missouri, afforded a complete overhaul of the company's CSR review process and gave the CSRs more visibility within the organization. CSRs and supervisors discuss previously recorded calls in a living room environment within the call center. "We want to present feedback and training to our CSRs in a nonthreatening atmosphere," said Ken Flynn, director of Customer Service. "In the living room environment, we are perceived as counselors, rather than bosses. In fact, the word monitoring is never used."

In addition to coaching benefits, the screen/voice recording system has helped solve the CSRs' identity crisis within the Storz facility. "Our facility houses many disciplines other than a customer service call center. Most employees not involved with the call center had no idea of the complexity surrounding the CSR position. We now select a call of the month with two runner-up calls from our recorded CSR sessions and allow anyone in the building to pick up a phone and hear the call through phone mail. The program is not only a hit with the CSRs (their family members can call into phone mail and hear the call too!), but the company has a clear appreciation for the important role played by this department."

Hey, Where Did The Monitoring Room Go?

Implementation of monitoring technology can make your "monitoring room" disappear. A leading PC manufacturer loads monitor station software for their expert voice recording system on laptop PCs and the quality specialists replay recorded calls side by side on the call center floor with the agent. Using this technique, the agent receives instant feedback without the disruption of leaving the floor to go behind closed doors for a review. In addition, the review occurs on the agent's turf and the review process becomes a nonthreatening event. The integrated quality form/report generation utility within the recording system is utilized to score the calls. When the form is complete and accepted by the agent, the quality specialist instantly prints a copy of the form for the agent to keep.