Call Center Terminology from A-G

We have previously talked about setting up a call center that started from the overview, and went on to the simple steps.

To help you understand and build your call center, let us focus first on call center terminology that you will encounter as you go along with your business

Abandoned call refers to a call where a caller hanged up before it was answered by a representative or even before it was routed

Auto Attendant is a directory of extension numbers which can be chosen by a caller

Automatic Call Distributor or ACD route calls to a representative who became available first. ACD is usually a component of a PBX switch

Average Handle Time or AHT is the amount of time when a representative is engaged on a call which also includes the after call waiting time. AHT is the sum of talk time and wrap up time

Average speed of answer or ASA is a call center language that refers to measurement from the time the call begins, including the time that it is queued, and ends as soon as a representative answers the call

Blockage refers to a state when all trucks are occupied with calls which also includes a certain trunk that may be artificially blocked by a system

Call Whisper is a message played to an agent immediately before a call comes in to to give the representative a short background about the call coming in. This is usually based on the caller ID, number dialed or route taken through the system. Oftentimes, a call whisper is just a name of the caller’s location

Campaign is a set of calls that belong to the same scope. An example will be: your customer representative as against your technical support. Both of which are of different campaigns but does not necessarily be staffed by completely different representatives. In other words, a representative may hold two campaigns depending on her skills.

Computer Telephony Integration or CTI is the process of linking the ACD system to the computer that houses the company’s database.

Customer Relationship Management or CRM is often referred to a call center application that manages customer relationship by identifying the needs of customers, improving customer interactions, and sales approaches. All being automated to provide the most efficient service to the customer

Customer satisfaction or CSAT is a language in the call center which refers to a method of engaging the customer with a survey to measure their satisfaction with the service or product of the company

Fax to Email is contact center terminology which refers to an automated device that routes incoming fax calls to an email address which usually comes as an attachment.

First Call Resolution or FCR is a term used to measure the ability of the agent to resolve the caller’s issue on the first contact

Grade of service or GOS is a term used to measure 

6 Steps to Set Up A Call Center for Small Business

1.  Check your local telecommunications authority.

Depending on your location, most governments require a license from telecommunications authorities before you can set up a call center. You don’t want to encounter any issues with any government agencies after your investment. Check it out first.

2.  Go to any telecommunications provider and ask for two things

• A toll-free number with a multi channel interface (ISDN)

Go to any telecommunication provider in your area and ask for a toll-free number and a telephone connection that’s capable of receiving multiple calls simultaneously.  This is normally an ISDN PRI.

• Apply for a broadband with SDSL connection

SDSL is an acronym for Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Unlike standard ADSL broadband, upload and download speeds are the same with SDSL, A bandwidth of 512 kb is capable of receiving 6-8 calls simultaneously with acceptable audio quality.

You can also choose to apply for a leased line. But SDSL is much cheaper than leasing a line. You simply need to pay a flat monthly subscription with no additional charges.

3.  Get hold of an IP PABX

IP PABX stands for Internet Protocol Private Automatic Branch Exchange. In simple terms, it is an office’s own full IP telecom system that reduces the cost of office communications. IP PABX allows different offices to share a common phone line, thus reduces the number of direct lines which would otherwise be installed per office.

While the configuration of your IP PABX will be provided by your vendor, you might need to hire a permanent person to take care of this device and its configuration.

4.  Purchase IP Phones and lots of Ethernet cables

How you connect your computer to a hub is the same as how you would plug in the IP phones to the IP PABX.

5.  Have your support number routed to your IP Gateway

IP PABX would normally provide you with the facility to connect directly to ISDN PR to start receiving calls. If not, your best option is to get a VoIP for consumers.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the term. With the adoption of VoIP by consumers (which is ideal for small call centers), consumer VoiP PBX have appeared with PBX functions becoming just a simple software feature of a consumer-grade routers and switches.

6.  Install the necessary call center software

You will need to install an application to your agent’s computer that should provide real time information on the current status of a customer, and any other business policies involving such status. 

Check out for a call center management software that doesn’t just provide the ability to control and handle daily customer-related business tasks, but also features instant routing of privileged customers to the best agents, reduces holding times for customers, and offer more efficient scheduling of employees and detailed reporting.

There are also management contact software that will coordinate and manage the interactions between your company and your customers.

Customer satisfaction and the overall business can be greatly influenced by the use of the right software for call centers. You will have a satisfied customer if you can reduce the wait time and connect them immediately with the concerned department. This helps improve customer perception. Customer expectations are high and given the advancements in technology that has made everything fast paced and they expect businesses to be on its toes ready to resolve their issues and with the information they want. To keep up with such demands the best you can do is to set up with the reliable call center system.

Investing in the right online contact management software can reduce costs effectively. The better your business handles calls, the better you earn. Efficiency is the key to a successful call center business.

Setting up a Call Center for Small Business: An Overview

An Overview

Whether you are setting up a call center at home or anywhere, staffed with 5 or 50 people, the whole basic process is the same.

Let me start off by giving you an overview of a call center

A call center is set up to administer product support or information queries from costumers.

There are two types of call centers: Inbound or outbound.

Inbound calls are made to acquire information, report a technical issue to ask for help, or to update any information in relation to one’s account.

Outbound calls are made by agents to customers, usually for sales purposes and debt collections.

Voice is a term used for phone support. While non- voice refers to handling of letters, faxes, live chat, and email, both of which is in one location known as contact center.

A call center is operated in an open workspace with work stations that include:  a computer for each agent, and a telephone or headset connected to a telecom switch. It can be operated independently or linked to a corporate computer network.

A contact center is the central point of any organization where valuable information are gathered and routed to appropriate people. It has become a part or company’s customer relationship management (CRM).

How does a call center work?

As a business owner, you start off by providing one contact number for your customers. That phone number is called UAN (Universal Access Number), which can be dialed to connect to a destination from almost anywhere, around the world.

When a customer dials that phone number, the call is redirected to any of the call center agents available to take in the call. This is done with a technology called ACDS (Automated Call Distribution System) that comes with a call center software to route those calls.

If no agent is available, then the call is put on queue.

As soon as an agent becomes available, the call is connected to her.

One look and you would find how easy it is to set up a call center. Just get an ISDN connection, hire call center agents and you’ll have a call center running in no time.

By the way, ISDN is an acronym for Integrated Services Digital Network which integrates speech and data at the same time. This phone system works for businesses where each customer has their personal information stored in the organization’s database.

There are Three Types of Access Interfaces to the ISDN

• Basic Rate Interface (BRI), which is normally used for small call centers as it provides two channels only: one for telephone call and one for data.
• Primary Rate Interface (PRI), which is best used by corporations as it is capable of providing up to 30 channels. PRI connection can receive 30 calls simultaneously over the same line.
• Another version of ISDN is Broadband ISDN, which uses broadband transmission that can transfer more data as compared to BRI and PRI.

Having discussed an overview of a how a call center works, let’s move on now with the  6 Steps in Setting Up a Call Center for Small Business

A Call To Call Center Management

Call Center Agents: Most Prone to Getting Burned Out

If constant stress has you feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, you may be suffering from burnout. When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care—let alone do something about your situation. But if you’re able to recognize the signs and symptoms of impending burnout, you can take steps to prevent it. Effective burnout-busting strategies include taking care of yourself emotionally and physically, asking for help when you need it, and staying connected to other people.

Recognizing Burnout

Burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can occur when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly hopeless, powerless, cynical, and resentful. The unhappiness burnout causes can eventually threaten your job, your relationships, and your health.

Because burnout doesn’t happen overnight — and it’s difficult to fight once you’re in the middle of it — it’s important to recognize the early signs of burnout and head it off. Burnout usually has its roots in stress, so the earlier you recognize the symptoms of stress and address them, the better chance you have of avoiding burnout.

So, what causes Burned Out Call Center Agent?

While some careers have higher rates of burnout, it’s present in every occupation. Those most at risk are employees who feel underpaid, underappreciated, or criticized for matters beyond their control. Service professionals who spend their work lives attending to the needs of others, especially if their work puts them in frequent contact with the dark or tragic side of human experience, are also at risk.

Other causes of job burnout include:

• Setting unrealistic goals for yourself or having them imposed upon you.
• Being expected to be too many things to too many people.
• Working under rules that seem unreasonably coercive or punitive.
• Doing work that frequently causes you to violate your personal values.
• Boredom from doing work that never changes or doesn’t challenge you.
• Feeling trapped for economic reasons by a job that fits any of the scenarios above.

Pasted from <http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm>

Call Center Agent Attrition: A Challenge to Call Center Management

In a news article that I read from Inquirer.net. Much of the effort being pushed right now among call center's HR departments are driven towards keeping attrition at a lower rate. As quoted from Lawrence Casiraya's article "Attrition Rate Drives Call Centers To Review HR Strategies" on Inquirer.net:

" Despite the phenomenal growth, call centers need to instill "desirability" among agents to balance attrition rates, according to an industry executive.

In an industry that depends heavily on worker supply for continued growth, attrition rate carries more weight than usual. The call center industry now employs around 200,000 people, based on industry estimates.

Over the years, however, the average attrition rate for the call center industry has remained consistent.

"Agents cite the same reasons every year -- pregnancy, health or moving to another industry or out of the country," said Raffy David, board director for the Call Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP).

According to David, attrition has always averaged around 19 percent, although most call center operators, when interviewed, would always claim to have lower than the industry average.

"There is no doubt anymore about acceptance (of a call center agent)," David noted in an interview with INQUIRER.net. "But we have to make it more desirable for the agents by establishing it as a serious career to have."

"If we lift desirability in our agents, we would easily achieve our growth targets and improve further our reputation as the best destination for voice-based services," he added.

CCAP is targeting to grow industry workforce further to half a million by 2010.

David, who was recently reelected into the CCAP board, added that the group's human resource (HR) committee has been tasked to improve hiring and retention rates by focusing more on training and workforce management initiatives, not just recruitment.

"The concept of a call center agent is already accepted. We're not selling the job anymore," Velasco. "Instead, what we are selling are solutions that revolve around different services for the customer."

From the point of view of a call center employee like most of us, it is enlightening to know that there are considerations being addressed towards call center employees. It is such a great challenge for HR Departments, but this should not stop there. Perhaps to find solution to the issue at hand, it may be wise to understand why an agent start to lose interest with their job after about a year. Having been part of this industry for quite sometime, I might say that the greatest factor why an agent lose his or her focus is simply getting "burned-out." Health factors or "looking for greener pastures are mere excuses." Perhaps, a call center employee needs a different set of platform in terms of privileges and benefits considering the nature of their job. Team building simply doesn't work.

I have observed, and perhaps a survey here needs to be done for a more definite conclusion, that those who appeared to stay longer than one year are those who, by a "blessing in disguise," went through either a sick or maternity leave for about a month or two. After leaving the job temporarily, they seem to go back to work refreshed, with a renewed spirit and passion. Perhaps, it may be worth considering a kind of benefit for call center agents to give them a break for one month a year. If call centers are willing to offer a sign up bonus to aspiring agents that they still need to train, why not allocate that budget to their present employee who has already proven their performance? An ounce of prevention is still better than a pound of cure.