The Global Association for Contact Center Best Practices & Networking

"Good - Years to build a reputation - moments to lose it!!"

"Agreed. In an environment where almost all types of calls are becoming complex, it's critical that all staff especially front line and their managers including till VP level are trained on systems and customer service so that the right service is provided on regular/escalated calls."

"This is a must and compulsory training."

"In reality, this may not be feasible as the headcount is meant to assist the floor. Good basic foundamental training complete with tests (90% passing mark) for staff in the initial phase followed by regular coaching is better. Staff needs to practice their learnings in live calls."

"This approach is a must for effective customer service. The customer neither knows nor cares how long the agent has been on the job--they are interested in their needs and issues. Regular assessment is the key to continuous improvement."

"Absolutely....but should NOT have to be a resolution...especially #8."

"Very essential"

"Yes"

"Agreed"

"Agree"

"Absolutely spot on. however, live interaction handling scenario has a role of its own in Professional development and i believe mock call sceario(s) in training can not replace it."

"good - this is an SOP."

"Yes, all staff should pass tests before they pick up their first live call"

"Yes you cannot loose a call"

"Agree, & geographical challenges can be overcome by ensuring an effective monitoring / mentoring and evaluation system"

"Good; to make sure that they know how to deal with customers ."

"Most important yet most difficult thing to sustain and maintain."

"Good"

"Good - another great resolution!"

"good resolution - to maintain our critical error accuracy and contact standard compliance"

"Good. Softskill is a key to interact with the customer, and hard still is how professional the knowledge about the product."

"Good - This one needs no explanation - however requires a firm resolution to ensure that inductions are planned, training is assessed and coaching and feedback occurs regularly."

"Good- All staff should be well trained in customer service before they handle even 1 call to ensure a consitent customer experience."

"It is good as the customers pay our salaries and we are here because of the customers.Customer is the king and we need to ensure that we offer them best of the services as well as give the good listening ear."

"A good resolution. New staff are fully trained on different sectors of the policy and put on the telephone to answer enquiries on one sector at one time until trained in all aspects. They should be monitored regularly at 6 months interval with test questions to ensure that they fully understand the policies of the organisation and its changes."

"Training is crucial in every call centre. If they don't have the skills they should not be on the phones."

"Yes, systems operation training is no substitute for great customer service skills."

"agreed"

"absolutely"

"Is this a resolution that is required? It seems obvious."

"Good- First impression last long."

"I completely agree. Usually, call center dynamics do not allow for such luxuries and resources are forced to be on calls without proper training and assessment. Better call volume forecast and continuous assessment of the staffing requirements can prove useful. Also, internal SLAs for better coordination between HR, Training and Work force Management can be very effective."

"Agreed. Customer care is paramount."

"Good, it is also for calibration process in the contact center"

"i agree
QA is important - recording their calls and coaching is essential"

"TRUE"

"This is on-going. Our staff after completing about 1 month's of training hav e to pass a competency test before going on the floor to take the 1st call."

"Good."

"We have added an additional week to our training and conduct weekly assessments prior to Consultants handling any calls. Our Quality team closely monitors new Consultants and we coach for constant improvement"

"Excellent ...we are looking at contact center industry as a profession and we are looking to build professional customer service :- hence, it follows that we need to be constantly trainign, coaching and guiding towards excellence"

"Training is one stage, but, more importantly, they should be qualified (after passing the test & internall interview) to take calls and continuous evaluation, feedback, correction\improvement is part of proffessional life anyway !"

"Yes, agree. Putting an untrained personnel only serves to mar the image of the company they are representing."

"Disagree with first part but agree with second part. (Ps. It is best to have unique suggestions in each question).
Staff are not highly trained in customer service for a number of months as this is a very complex function and it requires initial training, experience, further training, more experience and advanced training for them to be highly trained.
As for the regular assessments, I agree that this is essential not only for measuring the skills but also for continually improving them."

"Well, make sure that at least one is trained to handle all the complaints created by the others"

"I agree, this is so important."

"Good - This helps the staff feel better and gives our customers a better experience."

Yes, to be a Pro takes time and discipline