Call Centers For Dummies - Paperback

by Real Bergevin (Author), Afshan Kinder (Author), Winston Siegel (Author)

Tips on making your call center a genuine profit center

In North America, call centers are a $13 billion business, employing 4 million people. For managers in charge of a call center operation, this practical, user-friendly guide outlines how to improve results measurably, following its principles of revenue generation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. In addition, this new edition addresses many industry changes, such as the new technology that's transforming today's call center and the location-neutral call center. It also helps readers determine whether it's cost-efficient to outsource operations and looks at the changing role and requirements of agents.

• The ultimate call center guide, now revised and updated
• The authors have helped over 60 companies improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their call center operations
• Offers comprehensive guidance for call centers of all sizes, from 20-person operations to multinational businesses

With the latest edition of Call Centers For Dummies, managers will have an improved arsenal of techniques to boost their center's bottom line.

Back Jacket

Learn to:

• Locate, design, and build a call center
• Measure productivity and quality and set appropriate goals
• Gain efficiency through scheduling and technology
• Build and retain high-performance teams

Your friendly guide to profitable call center management

The call center industry is one of the world's most rapidly growing and fastest changing. For call center managers or anyone who just wants the inside scoop on this exciting field, this guide is a must-read. Loaded with best practices from the most successful call centers around the world, Call Centers For Dummies covers everything you need to know, whether you're just setting up shop or looking to improve your operations.

• Start from the ground up -- investigate where to locate and how to build a call center, understand the roles and responsibilities in a call center team, and consider the outsourcing option
• Call center business basics -- create a successful call center business model, determine achievable goals, and measure your center's progress through business drivers
• Ensure proper resource management -- discover how to always have the right staff levels -- including home agents -- through forecasting and scheduling
• Gain efficiency through technology -- see how advances in call center technology, such as interactive voice response and Voice over Internet Protocol, can help your call center agents be more productive
• Build high-performance teams -- recruit and retain the best people by providing great training and keeping your agents motivated
• Keep improving -- explore strategies to identify areas of improvement and learn how to manage change within your call center

Open the book and find:

• How to develop a positive company culture and high employee engagement
• Strategies to improve your customer satisfaction scores and first-call resolution
• Tips for designing the ideal space for your center
• How to select the right outsourcing partner
• How to create people-friendly work schedules
• How to set up a home agent program
• Ways to decrease costs and increase efficiency

Author Biography

Réal Bergevin is executive vice president of Transcom Worldwide. Afshan Kinder, Winston Siegel, and Bruce Simpson are partners in SwitchGear Consulting, a company specializing in call centers and change management. SwitchGear's clients include companies such as Scotiabank, TELUS, and Ceridian.