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An annual report is more than just a report on a set of metrics or measurements. In the call center we often get wrapped up in reporting only the metrics “that the executive asked for.” Read the rest of this entry »
In case you are a regular ICMI’s QueueTips reader, no, we did not miss our deadline last Friday. Well, we did not publish on the regularly scheduled day, but it’s on purpose so we can continue to test whether Monday is a better day to send the ICMI’s QueueTips notification email.
After our initial test two weeks ago, we noticed significantly more readers were active on the website and forums. If Mondays are better for more of you than Fridays for ICMI’s QueueTips to be published, that’s fine with me! call center management
I just published an interesting response from a frontline supervisor to a question in ICMI’s QueueTips: “Call Center Management Structure” (Response #3). But it wasn’t the content of the posting that got my attention as much as her closing comment:
I would love to know more about how other call centers are structured as I am writing a master’s thesis on the topic of call center leadership. — Karen, L.L. Bean, Inc.
Pretty cool! Do you know how many of your frontline supervisors are writing a thesis on some aspect of call center management? How much are you doing to encourage this kind of professional development in your management team? call center management
I just posted a great rant from a CSR about Average Handle Time (AHT) objectives in her call center, and how miserable she is trying to work under them. It’s not the most eloquent argument you’ll ever read, but it is heartfelt, passionate and shows that she “gets it” better than her management team does: doing a good job responding to callers’ needs is more important than an arbitrary (and in this case, unreasonable) AHT target.
The post is in ICMI’s QueueTips, under the topic, “Average Handle Time Standard.” It’s Response #6, so scroll down the page if you want to skip directly to it. If you’ve got AHT standards in your call centers, this rant is must reading! Could she be working in your center right now? call center management
I recently posted a response in ICMI’s QueueTips Forums, responding to a call center manager who was struggling to find the right words to explain her call center’s value proposition.
Since in my first career I specialized in teaching writing, I suggested a couple of methods to help get the words flowing (free writing, role playing), and I also attached a free copy of an article from the ICMI Members Online Archive, “The Elevator Conversation and Other Call Center Management Challenges,” written by a leading industry expert, Kathleen Peterson, and published in Call Center Management Review.
In case you are a regular ICMI’s QueueTips reader, no we did not miss our deadline last Friday. Well, we did not publish on the regularly scheduled day, but it’s on purpose so we can test whether Monday is a better day to send the ICMI’s QueueTips notification email. We’ve been sending it on Friday afternoon for so long that it seemed like a good time to test changing it. We’ll look at the statistics and decide whether to stick with Fridays or change to Mondays. call center management
There’s a nifty feature in LinkedIn that lets you join groups, and once you’ve joined then the group’s logo shows up on your LinkedIn profile. (Take a look at mine, for example.) Even better, as a member of the group, you can see the other group members on LinkedIn, even if they are not in your LinkedIn network. So, it’s another way to find people you have some affiliation with — in other words, to network.
I’ve set up two Professional Groups on LinkedIn, and if you’re part of them already (or want to join), I encourage you to add them to your LinkedIn profile and add another resource to your professional networking toolkit.
In both cases, you may need to wait until you’re “approved” before the logo shows up and you are accepted into the group. Since parts of that process are not automated, please be patient if there’s a delay.
So, if you’re part of the call center community, show your affiliations and wear your badge with pride! You just may make some valuable professional connections, too.
I have a weakness for puns. Maybe that’s why I like the name “QueueTips” for ICMI’s question-and-answer community that’s turned into a massive knowledgebase of call center management resources. So, the title of this entry is a pun, because Cliff Hurst writes about quality monitoring in call centers quite a bit. He’s been a frequent speaker at ICMI’s conferences, and I like his blog, especially when he favorably references one of our conferences! So, here’s a link, and I encourage you to check out what Cliff has to say. And pity the poor guy, since he’s in the middle of Maine winter right now call center management
We’ve been hearing about user-generated content on the Internet for years now. For some of us, it’s old hat. I’ve been in charge of ICMI’s user-generated content forever — ICMI’s QueueTips, a question and answer forum for call center professionals — and have been amazed at how much it has grown and how much attention it attracts. There’s no question our QueueTips pages bring many new customers to ICMI who never would have found us otherwise.
That’s old-fashioned text content, though. Nothing flashy about it. As I explored the world of online video (see my earlier post on You Tube for Business), I stumbled upon some brand new, funny and flattering user-generated content: a video created by staff at a call center, singing a song parody written by ICMI’s own Greg Levin. It’s a riot, and I recommend watching it if you have any interest in call centers and/or a good laugh.
Now I am looking for ways to produce more of the “flashy” and fun user-generated content, to round out our already-robust QueueTips offerings. call center management
It’s that time again! Fresh new call center management advice in ICMI’s QueueTips!
call center management 
So, the title of this entry is a pun, because 
