What is the value of any certification process if the standards vary from site to site? As there is little difference between the level of quality and service contact centers worldwide strive to achieve, the benefits of consistent standards will ensure true performance improvement and a greater ROI. Clearly, the contact center management industry can benefit from tangible, concise, and defined standards, the same standards worldwide. There is no logical rationale for country specific standards, in fact, it would seem ludicrous to develop standards by country considering a majority of contact center seats and buyers are International businesses requiring multi-site operations. As such, a well-defined roadmap for all sites is more cost-effective to maintain and enhances the total customer experience. | Alton Martin CEO/Co-Founder COPC Inc. |
To achieve the illusive maximum ROI, the core standard must be ubiquitous – every day, every place, every time.Certification is primarily (simply) the validation that the process implemented to meet these requirements is, in fact, in place and producing results. Where Cultures May Vary Cultural influences may dictate the extent to which a region's businesses require certification. There are many geographic regions where the legal or cultural norm is biased to certification. Several countries have a greater appetite for certification such as Germany, India, Australia and Japan, where rigorous standards are integral to facets of many businesses. And since contact centers' trend to servicing multiple countries, it stands to reason that clients and end users benefit from consistent standards. In countries where certification is not always required, businesses are finding that, by their very nature, standards are designed to support clarity, consistency and success. Invest in Performance Since certification to global standards is the key to improving overall site performance, the next question is what standards should be implemented. Is there any point to looking to outside organizations for help in this regard? Countless times I've heard some variation of the following – "We believe in standards here at XYZ Company, we just don't believe in one that we didn't invent. So, we use our own standard – and a very rigorous one it is!" Candidly, this is laughable. Can you imagine a business going to a bank to borrow a few million dollars and telling the banker, "Don't worry about my financial statements, I audited them myself"? Of course this wouldn't happen, but the operational equivalent of it is happening everyday in the contact center industry. Fortunately, as in the securities industry of 70 years ago, the view of "self-regulation" is slowly starting to change. Executives are tired of seeing annual costs rising, customer complaints increasing, and customer loyalty and satisfaction declining. Right or wrong, the executive suite now views standards as the solution. Implementing standards for site level certification, however, is only as successful as the executive wants it to be – they set the bar. Set the bar high and you will realize the most significant impact that forces you to get better. The question no longer is if a standard. the question has become which one and when. Making the Right Choice Currently, there is a plethora of standards and their requisite initials to choose from -- ISO, COPC, STI, HDI, SSPA, SCP. I suspect we will see more standards in the next few years. The marketplace will determine the survivors. As you consider certification and adopt, implement and sustain a Standard in your organization, keep the following in mind: -
Set clear objectives for the effort. These can be financial, non-financial, or more likely some combination. They can be oriented towards improving short-term results such as operational efficiency or longer-term results such as improved customer satisfaction and employee retention. Consider the multiple cultures the Standard will impact to ensure a successful implementation. -
As you test a Standard for its Return on Investment (ROI), be sure to segment your analysis into the relevant time frames. Year One will be the investment year (although you should expect a breakeven, at minimum); year 2 and beyond will be when significant gains are obtained and sustained. -
If you don't get a high ROI, you may be using a Standard that isn't rigorous or consistent enough to produce the desired results. In this case, you have likely pursued as certification, "a plaque on the wall" vs. true improvement which comes with performance oriented standards. Regrettably, I can assure you there are "Standards" out there that require little effort and you too, can have a plaque! I urge you to improve your business based on sound models that have a track record of results. Use a tool that works, and one that can allow your firm to differentiate itself globally, through improved and sustained performance. If using a Standard gets you there faster than you could do it yourself, and in all likelihood it will, don't be too proud to use one. You just might be very pleasantly surprised with the results! About the Author Alton Martin is the CEO and a Co-founder of COPC. He developed COPC's CSP Assessment methodology and frequently assists clients in assessing the capabilities of current and potential suppliers. Alton's client work spans the U.S., Canada, Scotland, England, Ireland, Japan, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Germany, and Sweden. About the Company The COPC mission is to develop and drive initiatives that support superior performance in customer-touch intensive environments, as measured by the criteria of customer service, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. These initiatives are developed and implemented in a collaborative, consortium environment which includes practitioners from both external and internal Customer Service Providers (CSPs), Outsourcers, industry suppliers, and other industry experts. |
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