Some of the most frequent questions we get at ICMI are about benchmarks. If you’ve ever wondered what the “industry standard” or “world class standard” is for any operational metric, then I’d like to direct your attention to an article that ICMI President, Brad Cleveland, and I wrote on this topic: “Industry Standards Cannot Replace Sound Decisions.”
I’ll excerpt part of the article here, and to read the rest you can just click on the link. I invite your comments and questions!
Remember in school when you got back graded tests? If the teacher caught you peeking at your neighbor’s score or heard you ask, “What did you get?” then you were likely advised to focus on your performance and to disregard others’.In our industry that principle needs to be re-emphasized. Too many call center managers are trying to find out what everyone else is doing, rather than what’s best for their organizations.
It’s not hard to understand why. We’re in a competitive industry. The topsy-turvy economy has led to shifts in strategy and operational objectives at many organizations. The changes have rendered industry surveys obsolete and left managers without a sufficient “gut” sense.
Call center directors and managers desperately want good information. They want to know where they stand; what they must do to surpass the competition; and which changes are cost-effective and will satisfy customers. In sum, they want facts upon which to base sound decisions.
call center management 