March 25, 2013

Call Center Campus Week Nov. 11-15, 2013, in Las Vegas


Call Center Campus Week includes call center training, certification workshops and symposium “Improving the Customer Experience” is the theme for this year’s call center campus week.

BenchmarkPortal’s College of Call Center Excellence will hold its Call Center Campus Week this November in Las Vegas at the Paris hotel. At this annual, unique call center industry event, call center managers and decision-makers can attend certification workshops, information and discovery sessions, and listen to keynote presentations. Industry experts, along with BenchmarkPortal’s premier team of instructors, will lead and guide classes and group discussions that explore the latest developments in the call center industry and inform participants of the best practices required to operate a profitable and reputable call center.

BenchmarkPortal intends that attendees will gain new and practical insights, as well as explore strategies that can contribute to the strength and sustainability of their organization. The training at the Call Center Campus will also enhance individual leadership skills of attendees. Call center leaders will have the opportunity to interact with their peers, learn how to raise their best practice skills to new levels, participate in discussions to inspire innovative thinking and explore compelling avenues for advancing the call center industry. Participants will walk away with incredible tools that can be immediately applied in their centers.

The Call Center Campus Certification Training will occur Nov. 11-13 and includes certification workshops, access to the two-day symposium to follow, benchmarking survey, networking breakfasts and breaks, and lodging.


The Call Center Campus Symposium on November 14-15 and involves industry-leading guest speakers, learning sessions, ‘hot topic’ roundtable discussions, and a welcome and networking reception. 

For information on cost and registration, visit our website, Call Center Campus Week.


“An amazing event with wonderful carefully chosen speakers with much good information to impart. It was energizing! I felt totally rejuvenated about our contact center and how we can make it better,” said Cindy Trow, Quality Assurance Manager, MedicAlert Foundation. “This was well worth the trip and the time to come! Makes me want to work even harder to engage and motivate our agents!"

March 14, 2013

New Multi-Channel Benchmark Survey


BenchmarkPortal announces the launch of its continuous Multi-Channel benchmarking, which represents a major improvement over previous efforts to benchmark multi-channel contact centers.
“As always, we wanted to do much more than just put interesting numbers side by side,” said BenchmarkPortal CEO Bruce Belfiore. “Our Multi-Channel benchmark reports include a statistically advanced Performance Matrix and provide the ingredients for in-depth discussions on strengths, weaknesses and ways to reduce costs and improve quality.”
The survey is unique in that it is continuously updated under BenchmarkPortal’s patented benchmarking process, which feeds the world’s largest database of contact center metrics.
Contact center managers who are familiar with benchmarking will find the new Multi-Channel survey format visually attractive and user friendly. Users of BenchmarkPortal’s RealityCheck™ and In-depth RealityCheck™ surveys will see the same questions they have provided in the past for their voice channel, plus questions for chat, email, social media and other.
For managers who want to benchmark for the first time, the format and glossary of terms have been tailored to simplify the process. BenchmarkPortal experts are also available to assist with any questions.
“A major challenge was dealing with issues of efficiency, especially issues of agent time utilization in a multi-channel environment,” added Belfiore. “Our research and technology team, led by John Chatterley, David Raia and Jeff Grossman, did a superb job in putting the puzzle pieces together. We are very excited about the results.”
As an added feature, users of BenchmarkPortal’s Multi-Channel surveys will receive interpretive “read-outs” of their individual reports. These read-outs are given by BenchmarkPortal’s certified experts through a WebEx-style interactive presentation. These are designed to provide useful analysis and discussion of best practices solutions. With over 40 industry verticals (including government and non-profit), the Multi-Channel surveys ensure apples-to-apples comparisons.
The new Multi-Channel survey will be used in BenchmarkPortal’s well-known Center of Excellence certification program, as well as in its Center Assessment offerings.
Those interested in the new Multi-Channel™ Surveys should visit their website.

http://www.benchmarkportal.com/call-center-benchmarking/call-center-benchmarking-surveys

March 13, 2013

Net Promoter Score and Customer Effort Survey. Complimentary Survey Results For Your Participation!


We would like your opinion and input on where our industry currently stands regarding best practices in measuring customer feedback. First Call Resolution, Caller Satisfaction and Customer Delight have been industry standards for several years now. Starting in 2003, the development of the Net Promoter Score brought a new perspective on customer loyalty, and in 2010, the Harvard Business Review published the article "Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers," which focused attention on Customer Effort. We are looking at the factors that you feel impact and measure the customer experience and loyalty in new ways.

This survey is part of a discovery process for members of our community. We are looking for companies who have begun, or are considering, using these newer metrics in their center.

For those who participate, not only will you receive the summary results of this initial survey, you will also be invited to participate in an in-depth research project to understand how best to measure Customer Effort.
We need your input, and we thank you very much in advance for your time and participation!



Bruce Belfiore
Senior Research Executive &
Chief Executive Officer
BenchmarkPortal

March 12, 2013

New Show on CallTalk Discussing BenchmarkPortal's Multichannel Benchmark Survey


New online radio show on CallTalk, Wednesday, March 13th, 2013, at 10 a.m. PT. This is a free educational discussion entitled, “BenchmarkPortal's Multichannel Benchmark Survey.”

BenchmarkPortal will air a new online radio show on CallTalk (http://www.benchmarkportal.com/call-center-newsresources/calltalk-online-radio-show) discussing BenchmarkPortal's Multichannel Benchmark Survey. Call Centers continue to be the prime point of contact for customers. However, over the past several years IVR's, websites, social media, etc., have changed the way customers interact with your business. BenchmarkPortal is introducing a multi-channel benchmark survey designed to capture valuable performance data for these various contact channels. We will unveil the survey and provide insights on key performance metrics that should be captured and monitored for these multiple channels.

The host for this show is Bruce Belfiore, CEO at BenchmarkPortal and John Chatterley, Research Director and Senior Specialist.

The free online radio show will air Wednesday, March 13th, 2013, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

Contact Center Workforce Management Certification Workshops, 2013 Schedule Announcement


The BenchmarkPortal Contact Center Workforce Management workshop will tackle issues like schedule adherence, shrinkage and volume forecasting. Topics will also include gathering data, forecast production, schedules and budgets.

BenchmarkPortal is announcing their contact center training schedule for Workforce Management Training. The new schedule includes more in-person locations and new live online workshops.

The BenchmarkPortal contact center Workforce Management Certification training course covers the entire workforce management process- from the gathering of data to the production of forecasts, schedules and budgets. We include lessons that benefit attendees from any size organization, large and small, with real-world examples of solutions that work in practice - not just theory.

Participants will come to understand the processes that make up the foundation of an effective workforce management practice. They will learn the best ways to gather the right data at the right time to maximize call center scheduling and staffing. They will also learn results reporting for effective decisions and actions.
The course includes information on how to build forecasting models that work; how to use Excel to do time series modeling; and how to build an Erlang C-based staffing model. Among the course topics are options for building staff plans to meet budget and scheduling needs and results reporting that drives effective decisions and actions. Also covered in this course is a change management approach to overcome the “Big Brother” syndrome.


Small class size allows for one-on-one interaction with the instructors, as well as networking opportunities with colleagues and industry peers. Participants also leave with “take aways” that are meant to enable them to make a real difference in their centers.

Participants in these workshops typically include Contact Center Managers, Workforce Managers, Supervisors, Directors and Vice Presidents. BenchmarkPortal courses are designed to enable these leaders to better manage their call centers and strengthen relationships with other departments. Every attendee receives complete course documentation and a comprehensive workbook.

All BenchmarkPortal call center training courses include access to a complimentary Benchmarking Report and web-ex style presentation of the individual’s benchmarking results with their College instructor. Managers report that they really appreciate the combination of interactive classroom work along with personalized focus on individual needs and challenges. This approach is considered to be unique to BenchmarkPortal's College of Call Center Excellence training.

View the Calendar:
Live Online - April 10-12, 2013
Call Center Campus Week, Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 12-15, 2013

March 8, 2013

Contact Center Quality Assurance Certification Training Schedule for 2013


BenchmarkPortal is announcing their 2013 quality assurance training for the contact center industry. The new schedule includes more in-person locations and new live online workshops. This workshop covers strategy, company culture, behaviors, assessment forms, service, compliance, call monitoring process, evaluation frequency, coaching, feedback, time management, recognition, technology and more.
Participants will gain an understanding of the specific requirements necessary to build a "best- in-class"quality monitoring and assessment process. They will learn how to build the monitoring and quality assessment program to meet the needs of the enterprise, the center, the agents and the callers. Participants will identify those agent behaviors that provide an excellent customer experience, i.e., reduce the customer effort to solve their problem, answer their question and drive loyalty. From this knowledge comes the development of the assessment processes, form for assessment and the scoring metrics that will measure the result.
Participants will learn the issues of calibration of the assessment and scoring processes, and how to deliver appropriate recognition and reward for the stakeholders of the process. This workshop will provide real- life example and exercises using strategic imperatives to assess the current program, make adjustments or develop an entirely new program that meets the needs of all stakeholders.
Small class size allows for one-on-one interaction with the instructors, as well as networking opportunities with colleagues and industry peers. Participants also leave with “take aways” that are meant to enable them to make a real difference in their centers.
Participants in these workshops typically include Call Center Managers, Supervisors, Directors and Vice Presidents. The courses are designed to enable these leaders to better manage their call centers and strengthen relationships with other departments. Every attendee receives complete course documentation and a comprehensive workbook.
All BenchmarkPortal call center training courses include access to a complimentary Benchmarking Report and web-ex style presentation of the individual’s benchmarking results with their College instructor. Managers report that they really appreciate the combination of interactive classroom work along with personalized focus on individual needs and challenges. This approach is considered to be unique to BenchmarkPortal's College of Call Center Excellence training.
True quality call centers exist as a result of quality training. BenchmarkPortal helps your employees get the training they need, so that your call center will perform at the levels you and your superiors expect. "This is a very good course for beginners and experienced quality assurance professionals. It reinforces and re-orients individuals to the basic fundamentals that must be in place as well as additional options, ideas, tools and methods to consider employing. Thanks again for a very informative and interactive training session,” said Mindy Lamb, Call Quality Director, Cigna. “I Really enjoyed it and found it very helpful with some of the changes we are in the midst of making in our program."
View the Calendar here: Call Center Quality Assurance Certification Training
Live Online - Mar. 13-15, 2013
Live Online - May 8-10, 2013
Live Online - July 17-19, 2013
Live Online - September 11-13, 2013
Call Center Campus Week, Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 12-15, 2013

March 6, 2013

Getting What You Paid For From your Contact Center Technology Today…Tomorrow and…BEYOND!!! By David Raia, Research Analyst, BenchmarkPortal

It should come as no surprise to any Contact Center Manager that a trend over the past several years has been the increasing influence of their IT organizations in the selection and purchase of Contact Center technology. Typically, all budget responsibility for technology resides within the IT department, whose influence on tech purchases is great, regardless of the end-user.

For the most part, IT departments exercise prudent stewardship and generally provide serviceable hardware and software to the Contact Centers they support. However, in far too many cases, the design and selection process for Contact Center technology acquisition may be done without benefit of relevant input from the end user organization.
Or, at best, the Contact Center management team may be invited to review the selection, more often than not, at rollout or implementation kick-off meetings. There are a few of things wrong with this approach, and, unfortunately, most of them impact the end-users in the Contact Center…and, ultimately, their Customers. To name a few:
  1. The new technology has not been optimized to make full and best use of the features provided.
  2. Prior capabilities of the old technology have not been included or accounted for.
  3. More complex user routines may be required to produce desired results.
  4. Changes to Customer participation have been overlooked and/or not communicated.
  5. Existing processes must be “retrofitted” to accommodate changes in technology processes.
  6. “Enterprise Solutions” may be cost effective, but “One size may not fit all”.
  7. Business cases may be overstated and Technology dollars saved may simply be shifted to Contact Center resource dollars, or worse, ignore Customer defection implications.
And you probably have a few observations of your own.

This is not meant to be yet another of the Armageddon scenarios which have become so popular of late. It is rather an amalgam of observations distilled from a significant number of consulting engagements over the past several years. The engagements have been both pre- and post- design and they support the notion that end-user input is uber-critical to both the implementation success and effectiveness of the technology selected.

Unfortunately, in many cases the consultant is brought in after the “damage” has been done to try to provide process improvement or reengineering to accommodate the issues uncovered. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are in free fall. Customers are up in arms. Agent satisfaction and turnover are headed in the wrong direction. Budget impacts are out of control. Can anything be done…Today…Tomorrow… Beyond?

Fortunately, the answer is “yes” and you can thank those who have learned the lessons the hard way.

Today:

If you find yourself with new technology that you just don’t understand or that just doesn’t seem to be doing what you need it to, or if you believe that the new technology may provide more capabilities than have been implemented in your center…seek professional help. And do so as soon as possible. Dollars spent on solid operational consulting today will more than pay for themselves in your operating budget tomorrow. A professional assessment of your operations and the technology supporting them can yield both short (low hanging fruit) and long (continuous process improvement) cost savings.

A competent professional Contact Center consultant has the knowledge and experience to help you get the most out of your new tools. They know the business and the user requirements questions to ask you and your team that will maximize the effectiveness of the existing design or the tweaks necessary to improve user –friendliness and efficiencies. Consultants also speak fluent IT and can translate your needs into actionable requests that your IT team can and will support.

Take the time to investigate the cost, credentials and assessment approach of bona fide Contact Center professional consultants and weigh that against the cost of not taking a proactive stance.

Tomorrow:
There is just no substitute for being at the design and decision table when it comes to your Contact Center technology acquisitions. The question is how do you get there … and stay there!
Executive level support is clearly critical in establishing a place for you at the decision table and you and your team in the design sessions. User and design requirements are the single most essential aspect of Solution Design.
What problems do you need to solve? Your Executive sponsor needs to know that you know and that you are knowledgeable of capabilities and are interested in these phases of the selection process. The Customer Service Executive must be made aware of the Customer Satisfaction and Budget implications of technology decisions. He or she can go across organizational lines and secure the involvement of your team in the design and selection processes.
Establish open relationships and clear lines of communications with your IT counterparts (level to level) and chair regular sit-downs (you provide the coffee and doughnuts) in order to have early warning and possible input to technology considerations currently on the table. Solicit periodic JAD (Joint Application Development) sessions with IT analysts and your team to get ahead of the design curve and provide some realistic insight to user needs and issues.
Finally, keep yourself informed. The pace of change in Contact Center technology is quantumly greater than it was just a couple of years ago. You can’t help yourself unless you know what’s going on. Thoughtfully read trade publications and review all of the many e-mail solicitations that you may receive from vendors and Contact Center support groups for new ideas for your organization. Join Forums and Blogs and ask questions with which you may be struggling. Contact Center forums are among the most cooperative, knowledgeable and helpful gatherings that you will find. Once you get to the decision table, make sure that you are viewed as adding value in order to be invited to all of the meetings.

Beyond:

Once you have established an efficient and effective technology platform, establish a balanced set of metrics in both cost and quality that will allow you to regularly assess your performance and develop a long-term strategy for your next big technology investment. If your Contact Center measurements are aligned with business goals and direction, they can be used to create a Continuous Process Improvement Plan and a viable “Roadmap” to your technology strategy of the future.

To keep yourself honest and create achievable “stretch” KPI targets for your team’s pursuit, look to the best in class for your business. Where does your performance stand in relation to the best in the business? Until it is on a par with theirs, there is more work to be done and more improvements to be made. What technology enablers have these best-of-breed employed to achieve their position? There are a number of articles and studies that make that information available to you. Make use of them. Again, Contact Center consultants are familiar with Industry technology trends and have worked with those companies that have succeeded in harnessing the newest and best to achieve their lofty goals and KPIs.

***
Have you been puzzling over how to ensure that you have the right technology for your Contact Center? It doesn’t matter if it’s already installed, being developed or part of a long term Customer Service and Support strategy. It is not too late. There are things that you can do today that will ensure that your technology is right for you…Today…Tomorrow…and Beyond! Get involved!

About BenchmarkPortal
BenchmarkPortal is the leader in Call Center Benchmarking, Call Center Training, and Call Center Consulting. Since its beginnings in 1995 under Dr. Jon Anton of Purdue University, BenchmarkPortal has grown with the contact center industry and now hosts the world’s largest call center metrics database. Now led by Bruce Belfiore, the BenchmarkPortal team of professionals has gained international recognition for its call center expertise and innovative approaches to Best Practices for the call center industry. Join our community today by benchmarking your call center with one of our Benchmarking Surveys on our website. http://www.BenchmarkPortal.com