1.4 A 10-point call center development process

The following 10 guidelines provide a logical, step-by-step process for developing and managing a call center operation.

Select a location for the call center where there is an educated workforce

Determine the size of the facility and the number of service representatives. Real estate and labor are two key cost factors in any call center operation.

Select the underlying technology components

These will include: PBX, voice mail, automated call distribution, computer telephony integration, and network equipment, such as routers, servers, and desktop PCs.

Decide which channels to support in the call center

Channels will include e-mail, chat, phone, Web forms, text chat, VoIP.

Select software solutions that meet requirements and will integrate with existing systems

Typically, these systems will be those that contain customer information-data warehousing systems, accounting systems, and contact information.

Integrate systems when feasible

Call centers must be able to handle multiple customer channels. Integrated systems help customer representatives answer questions more quickly by having more customer information available to them. Integrating with the Internet is critical, as it provides more avenues for assisting customers with chat, self-help, and live agents.

Determine SLAs and business processes

Implement best practices-workflow and e-mail routing-for skills-based routing capability. Establish hours of operation and standard procedures for handling calls.

Hire and retain staff

Establish a hiring and training budget. Hire skilled individuals and provide training, retraining, motivation, and rewards. Identify required skills and set appropriate goals to keep representatives trained.

Finalize the budget

Make presentations to management regarding budgets and benefits. Factor in all costs, including training, hiring, hardware costs, deployment, and integration.

Establish measurement and performance processes

Software for monitoring service levels and performance is the key to measuring call center results. Survey customers to ensure satisfaction. Evaluate response times. Utilize reporting tools and continue to improve service.

Establish on-going policies for training and updating CSRs

The CSR is the lifeblood of the call center and it is important that these employees be kept up-to-date on the tools used in the center and that their job functions be kept interesting and challenging.