Methodology

Business benefits

ISV's methodology is designed to deliver the following business benefits:

• Reduce Operating Costs.
• Increase sales or production capability without increasing operating costs.
• Provide timely and accurate management information.
• Increase the motivation and loyalty of employees.

These benefits are achieved by using CallSkills unique performance support tools including:

• PC based assessment and training systems.
• Customisation ToolKit.
• Comprehensive Performance Management Systems.
• ISV Keyword product information search facility.

How ISV Methodology Is Applied To The Contact Centre Environment

To be effective, contact centre agents require knowledge, skill & motivation.

However, each contact centre has a different set of requirement and standards. To enable contact centre managers to pinpoint cost effective standards, ISV has developed a methodology specifically for the contact centre industry. Using the ISV methodology, management teams can identify:

• Exactly what knowledge a contact centre agent requires to deliver excellent service and if they have the required knowledge to be productive
• The levels of physical skills required to undertake computer based transactions (retrieving or inputting data), productively and to the correct standard of quality
• If agents are delivering quality service and sales during a call.
• The recruitment standards for a call centre agent.

The ISV methodology also enables management to:

• Increase the service levels offered to callers:
• Increase the productivity of agents.
• Reduce agent churn rates.
• Maximise available training time and resources.
• Increase management information without needing further support staff.
• Increase the overall efficiency and effectiveness of a contact centre.

Essential Competencies Required By A Contact Centre Agent.

ISV researched the skills requirement needed to be an effective agent; the research identified seven competencies which all-contact centres require their agents to be effective in. How the standards for each competency differ depending on the type of contact centre and the work they undertake. These competencies are shown in the table below.

Knowledge Competencies:

Knowledge competencies typically affect how a caller perceives the quality of a call and how effective that call is. For example, callers can spot an agent who is unable to communicate effectively. Further more, agents who do not have an understanding of their computer application will not be able to deliver high levels of customer service or sell effectively.

Examples Of Knowledge Assessment And Training Include:

• Recruitment assessment of numeric and literacy levels
• Delivery and assessment of induction materials
• How to use the contact centre technology, including the ACD turret and computer application
• Product and service knowledge
• Sales skills
• Any other assessment and training of knowledge that is currently delivered in a classroom environment, with the exception of communication skills.

ISV meets the needs for knowledge assessment and training through the use of CallSkills unique Customisation ToolKit.

This powerful development tool allows clients to develop their own in house training and assessments to rapidly respond and meet their ever-changing business needs.

Skill Competencies:

The skill competencies usually affect the overall productivity and quality of an agents' work.  Extended wrap-up time and data entry errors are signs that an agent does not have sufficient physical skills. Unproductive agents will have an adverse effect on the overall level of service offered to callers, as calls will not be handled effectively. Because they are not as efficient as the best agents, the less able ones deal with fewer calls. This leads to a higher rate of calls being abandoned. 

Examples Of Physical Skills Include:

• Assessment and training of keyboard skills that match the operational systems requirements (use of numeric key, single case etc).
• Assessment and training of listening and keying skills - use of simulated calls to ensure that the agent is capable of receiving information and acting on it appropriately.
• Assessment and training of codification skills - the ability to convert spoken information into the codes required by the computer system.  For example, a date will be spoken as "The 12th October 2006" and keyed as 12/10/06.  International SIC codes, airport codes and product codes are other examples of codification.

The ISV Eight Stage Process To Increase Overall Productivity & Quality.

ISV has developed an eight-stage process that enables managers to increase the overall quality and productivity within their contact centres.

1 Gap Analysis:

Train worst agents first to maximise benefit and minimise cost.  ISV recommends that all agents are assessed for each of the competencies and this data is used to undertake training needs analysis.  By focusing training resources on the agents with most needs, maximum benefit will accrue at minimum cost.

2 Identify The Cost Effective Level Of Competencies:

Once gap analysis has been undertaken, workplace productivity and quality information can be used to identify the cost-effective level for each of the competencies.  Agents who show high levels of skill and high productivity and quality figures can be used as a benchmark.  

Once a pool of high performing agents has been identified, a series of evaluations can be undertaken to identify the effects of training in each of the competencies.  By splitting the high performers into two groups and training only one group, the workplace productivity and quality figures can be used to identify exactly what training is delivering better performance.

This process also enables minimum performance standards to be set. By identifying the optimum performance standard for each competency.  (Above this standard, further training will net diminishing returns and therefore may not be cost effective.)   Agents can use their idle time to learn other parts of the contact centre's business that are outside of their normal role. This provides a cost-effective means of multi-skilling and a more able, flexible and adaptable workforce.

3 Continuous Improvement Cycle:

As with all business operations, things change!  Changes in technology and business processes lead to differing competency requirements.  ISV recognises that, as change is implemented, so the processes in stage one and two need to be re-visited.   ISV's solution to this problem was to recognise the need for flexibility. Knowing this ISV then developed its Customisation ToolKit. This enables clients to amend and create new assessment and training materials that match the ever-changing needs of the contact centre.

4 Workplace Training:

Workplace training is a useful way of gaining time for assessment and training. PC based materials can be made available at (or close to) the agents workplace. Thus saving time and money. This concept can be implemented in several ways, depending on the technology available in the contact centre.  These are:

• On the agents' desktop computer
• In the contact centre, close to the agent's workplace
• In a classroom environment.
• In an open learning centre or self-development centre.

By delivering training as close as possible to the workplace (and if possible at the operational workstation) small groups of trainees can undertake training during slack periods in their daily or weekly routine.  This allows training time to be gained at little or no cost.

If the agents' desktop computer are PC based, the PC's are networked and an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) is used, it is possible to deliver CallSkills PC assessment and training materials straight to agents in their idle time and at their workstations.

This can be achieved by splitting a contact centre into separate hunt groups using the ACD. This enables all calls to be directed to a main hunt group while the second group carries on with their training.  Agents in the main hunt group answer all calls.  However, if all agents in the main hunt group are busy, calls can be directed to the secondary hunt group.

From experience, ISV has found that with a training hunt group made up of 5% of a centre's agents, up to four hours of training each day can be achieved without increasing the number of abandoned calls or reducing service levels.  Of course, the amount of training time varies depending on the type of calls received. 

If it is not possible to load assessment and training materials onto an agents' workstation, then ISV recommends placing dedicated computers in or close to the call centre.  Agents can train in known slack periods.  If call volumes rise while agents are training, their supervisor can call them back to take calls.

CallSkills assessment and training materials can also be utilised in a classroom environment.  This is particularly useful during induction training.

PC based training materials enable agents to learn at their own pace and to work on the most relevant training. For example, a new agent who has previously worked in a contact centre may only need to learn product knowledge. On the other hand an agent who has been appointed from an internal department (or a competitor with similar products) may have most of the required product knowledge but may need to learn to listen and key simultaneously. 

Using PC based training & assessment materials, both agents could be learning in the same classroom, and as part of the same induction class.

From experience, this style of training can dramatically reduce the time taken to deliver induction materials to new agents. This saves time; training costs and, if required, enables the Contact centre to expand at a faster rate with the same training resources.

CallSkills assessment and training materials can also be implemented in an open learning centre or self-development centre.  Use of the tools in this way helps agent motivation and can cut down on recruitment costs (see section six below).

5 KnowledgeBase Of Procedures & Processes:

ISV has developed a simple knowledgebase solution that enables knowledge to be distributed throughout the call centre on a need to know basis. All agents will normally login to the Knowledgebase at the start of every shift. If a new question arises, agents can quickly access a search engine that will present the answer.

Development of knowledge for the Knowledgebase is undertaken using a set of simple to use development tools. Developing knowledge materials is as easy as using a word processor.

The same tools are used to develop PC based training material. As such, materials used for training can be made available in the Knowledgebase. This means information only needs to be prepared once and is kept on a central storage area. This means Knowledgebase and training materials are kept up-to-date with minimum effort and cost.

Knowledge about systems, procedures and processes can be included in the Knowledgebase. In addition to static information, the Knowledgebase can be used to announce any changes throughout the Contact Centre.

The Knowledgebase also collates management information about agent skills and work methods. Trainers and management can use this to identify areas that require refresher training. It also provides ranking and assessment of individual competency.

6 Performance Based Recruitment Selection:

This is a simple concept that uses the cost effective level of skills as a recruitment benchmark.  Once an organisation knows the cost effective level of skill for their contact centre agents, PC based assessments can be used to identify the skills of potential employees during the recruitment process.  Clearly, it is wise to employ the staffs that are closest to the required standards.  In addition, if the skills of recruits are known, training can be focused thus minimising the time and cost of induction.

One of the most costly problems, all contact centres experience when recruiting is that it is impossible to give candidates a real taste of the job before induction training is completed.  This can lead to a small but significant number of staff leaving the contact centre within the first three months of employment.

ISV has found that the post induction churn rate can be reduced if candidates are able to experience what "life" as a contact centre operator is all about.  To meet this need, ISV has developed a PC based simulation that enables candidates to "work" in a virtual contact centre.  Experience has shown that this can cut the post induction churn rate by up to 50%.

For unemployed agents who demonstrate a high level of aptitude, but do not have the skill, access to a self-development centre may prove useful. Recently some ISV clients have used government grants to set up a centre where unemployed people can train until they reach the required standard to get a job.  Many contact centres are now using this funding as a way of reducing recruitment fees and induction training costs.  This way of inducting staff supports Contact centre management in three ways. They can see how hard unemployed candidates work, what their capabilities are and if their attitude is acceptable, all prior to employment.

A wide range of recruitment agencies in the UK support ISV'S Methodology, these agencies use Fastpath which has now become- The UK's No 1 Skills Assessment & Training Suite as used by most major recruitment companies. Standards set in the Contact Centre can easily be reproduced by the recruitment agency. Materials developed using ISV Customisation ToolKit can also be exchanged, thus ensuring that assessment undertaken by the agency matches assessment in the workplace.

7 Motivate Agents By Providing Support, Feedback & Recognition:

Agents in contact centres are among the most measured staff in any company.  High standards are expected and a wide range of technology provides almost instant feedback to management about individual and team performance. Quality coaching can make a real difference to agent performance. Often however, agents are provided with the information about their overall performance but are not able to identify exactly what needs to change to improve their performance. 
ISV recommends that call monitoring and coaching be supported by information relating to the specific competencies of each agent.

Information gathered by team leaders and supervisors from listening to calls has a subjective element during data collection.

ISV has a structured approach to call monitoring and agent performance assessment and provides tools to present this information in the framework of a competency portfolio. This enables both the agent and management to identify exactly which areas to target to improve performance.

8 Use Vocational Qualifications and Multi-Skilling to Reduce Agent Churn Rates.

ISV's research has found that there are two main factors leading to agent dissatisfaction, both of which can cause agents to leave the contact centre. These are: 

1. The Under-Performing Agent. 
Agents who are not performing to the required standard are often under more stress because they are aware of their relatively poor performance, and therefore more likely to leave than successful agents.  Assessing them and providing a training plan that enables them to perform at the required standard remove this stress. 
2. The Successful Agent.
These will, after a period of time, get bored of their job.  Multi-skilling and job rotation can help reduce this boredom.  However the cost of training can be high.  Using PC based training in the workplace can provide a low cost solution.  By giving easy access to Self-development tools, successful agents are able to enhance their skills and their effectiveness in the organisation, giving them a more positive long-term career outlook.

ISV has found that formal recognition dramatically increases motivation.  Use of certification programmes will encourage agents to meet higher standards.  However, the cost of gathering the evidence to demonstrate that an operator is competent can be prohibitive. CallSkills incorporates the ability to gather the required evidence as part of every day operations.  Information from individual coaching sessions and PC based assessment and training is automatically collated into a candidate portfolio.

CallSkills is the chosen product for the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation supporting the international CallSkills Passport (ICCSP), which is now being widely promoted throughout the Call Centre world.