Description of the process
The purpose of this process is to create value for customers, employees and organization as this can be considered a win-win-win scenario. When objectives of the process are met, the process can have significant impact on cost reduction, revenue generation, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction:
- A high quality call increases customer satisfaction while increasing the chances for increased revenue.
- A high quality call reduces the number of repeat calls (higher FCR) and hence reducing operating costs.
- Opportunity to improve their performance, increases employee satisfaction and improves retention of loyal employees.
The process starts by identifying characteristics of a quality call. These characteristics turn into a quality document which is the base for listening, scoring, feed back and coaching. The process ends with continuous improvement of employee (and by extension the centre) performance.
Characteristics of a best practice
The process is aligned with other aspects of skill & knowledge transfer in order to achieve the best results. The task of quality listening is spread around various positions inside and outside the centre. Generally, contact centre coaches, trainers, leaders as well as trained employees from other departments are considered as potential candidate for becoming a certified quality listener.
- Quality Document is built based on desired behaviour and not results.
- Planning and development stage must include agents who are subject matter experts currently engaged in performing the job.
- All agents, regardless of their tenure and performance level are subject to reasonable number of calls being reviewed.
- Reaching an arbitrary target is not enough. The aim of the process is continuous improvement.
- Individual growth plans are specific and focused at each individual’s needs. Listening results provide input for customized coaching plan.
- Quality listening is focused on feedback for continuous improvement, not focused on scoring for performance results.
- Feedback consists of trends observed over a period of time rather than exhaustive critiques of individual calls.
- Feedback is consistent, non judgmental and performed by certified observers.
Relationships to other processes
Input to quality listening process:
- The Call Handling process is the major component of quality content.
- The Agent Roles/Responsibilities process provides the focus for coaching content.
- Quality listening skills are included in the Leadership Roles & Effectiveness process.
Output from quality listening process:
- Quality score for each individual highlights the coaching requirement as part of Skill & Knowledge Transfer.
- Results from quality listening are an important factors in Performance Feedback as well as Rewards & Recognition.
- Overall observations from the process will dictate the new requirements for Skill & Knowledge Transfer.
What’s in it for me?
Consistently moving forward
A well-balanced quality listening not only increases the customer satisfaction (by increasing the quality of the calls), it reduces the number of repeat (and unwanted) calls as well as customer complaints. It allows for all agents to mature and improve while spotting high performers. Overall performance of the centre is the sum of all agents’ performance