Hi
CHINTAN DHULIA
Let me first Introduce myself to you all, I am senior Call Center / BPO Operation & Quality management professional Here in the USA / New York & New Jersey.
I would like to inform all the Call Center Entrepreneurs who is venturing into this new business. One should be aware of the most critical parts of this business operation, other than 1) Hardware 2) Software 3) Getting New Business 4) and Getting the right Work Force.
You may have the best Hardware & Software for your Call Center, and may be you have an excellent Business order from a potential Clients from USA / UK.etc. But if you are unable to deliver and sustain the business, this may jeopardize your whole Business Investment. (This is one of the reasons you will see Fly by Night Call Centers).
I highly recommend the Business “Drive” (Operation) is one of the most important aspects for this type of venture, since in this business your investments and / or profits could be eaten up stealthily (without informing).
Here I would like to share some of the Day-Today operational management & entities to be looked upon and keep a strict check on a periodical basis….
Metrics for Call Centers Management :
Select a suitable working set of metrics
Try Use Available metrics
Select a set of metrics for managing service level and capacity planning
Check Customer wait time
Track Rep call handling
Check Call load metrics
Check & manage Historical reports
Check & Manage customer wait time metrics and rep call handling metrics (Relate Them)
Queuing Dynamics:
Staffing considerations
Try to achieve a balance
Try to Minimize costs
Meeting service level commitments
Realize all your quality goals
Use the Erlang C to design to optimally staff a call center
Check / Track drivers that interrelate in the presence of queuing dynamics
Service Level Management :
Know the major drivers of service level
Call Load Forecasting :
Keep a track of Call load
Call traffic patterns
Check Dominant call arrival patterns
Times Series Forecast
Try to accurately forecast call load for a call center
Staff Calculation :
Use Erlang C assumptions & for predictions
Know your requirements – staff levels
Resulting service levels (with respect to staffing)
Staff Scheduling :
Develop individual reps’ schedule so that, in aggregate, calculated rep staffing needs can be met
Scheduling alternatives
Calculate a Roster Staff Factor for a call center group
Find out the Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) and their use in calculating and scheduling call center staff
Trunk Calculation & Management :
Call blocking and what is means to you Call center
Reducing the likelihood of call blocking
Understand & Determine the correct number of trunks
Tactical Management of Service Level :
Tracking and managing Rep Adherence to Schedule
Use Real time service level tactics
Create “An Alert System”
Managing Average Handle Time:
Check Average handle time
Try & understand why average handle time is important to your Call Center
Drivers of average handle time
What you can do to achieve a balance
Minimal average handle time
Know your Service quality goals
Determine your Financial goals
Managing Abandon Rate :
Check service level and abandon rate
Know how to minimize abandon rates
Check & Control Recorded announcements
Balancing Cost Per Call With Service Level & Quality Goals:
Check The trade-offs
Maintain the Service goals
Cost per call
Balance the quality of customer call handling and the cost per call
Define your Key Performance
Indicators, KPIs :
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the call center
Root Cause Analysis of Problems :
Check and track Problem cause and effect
Create and apply root-cause diagrams to service level management
Use various performance analysis tools
Make Use of :
Scatter diagram
Pareto chart
Benchmarking
Outbound Call Management :
Select Key Performance Indicators for an outbound call center
Calculate staffing to meet outbound call management goals
Managing e-Mail Centers :
Manage the response time of a non-phone call center
Select appropriate response time goals
Calculate staffing to met non-phone call center goals
Call Center Technologies :
Align technologies and processes to ensure service level delivery
Understand your Key call center technologies
Have your own technologies selection process
Justify technology purchases
Implement new technologies ( constant up-gradation of Infrastructure)
Disaster Recovery and Contingency Planning
Know the major elements of a call center disaster recovery plan
Have your Potential solutions ready
Health, Safety & Legal Issues :
Factors important to managing the health and safety of call center employees
Ergonomic factors
Environmental factors
Applicable health and safety regulations
Employee/Employer rights
All Entrepreneurs and interested people can post your message here for Help, regarding Setup / Operation Management & Business Development or any such questions.
SAN