The Difference Engine

With each turn of the crank, results are seen. The analogy of the "Difference Engine" can also be applied to training design and development. Too often we equate the ADDIE model to a 30, 60, 90 day review cycle. If it weren't for pressing business needs, this model would work fine. In reality, 90 days can mean the difference between keeping or loosing an account. We need to change our approach to the standard instructional design model in order to get faster, smaller, and regular updates to our curriculum. We need to continue to turn the crank and produce small results frequently in order to move our business forward.

Great Call Center Blogs

Obviously written by insiders, this team really puts out high-quality blogs on the business.

in reference to: Call Center Cafe Provides Call Center Management Tips and Tactics (view on Google Sidewiki)

Customer Satisfaction | Make an Impact (2)

Customers probably won't tell you when they're happy, but when they're not... you'll get an ear full. It is so important to capture what you're doing well and what you're not doing well. With that information, we can build a customer-satisfaction-focused industry that will propel your business.

Before venturing out to build your own survey, consider what is already out there. Look for things like: Industry recognition, detail level of available information, flexibility in adding and removing questions, and ability to compare your customer satisfaction to others within and outside the industry.

If you build your own survey, the same questions (above) are still relevant. But, also make sure the survey is simple enough that it is likely to be understood and completed. Also ensure you as well as the vendor has access to the survey results. Outsourcing vendors, who have the appropriate sticks and carrots, can drive your customer satisfaction in innovative ways that would be unlikely or impossible within your core organization. Isn't that a key reason for contracting with the vendor in the first place?

What to do with all that customer satisfaction results information? In the next couple of articles, we'll discuss what to do with it to drive your business. For now, here's what not to do, (but is done all to often)... look at one or two customer satisfaction results that justify your preconceived ideas of what is wrong and then force change based on your "analysis." I'm not saying you'd do that, but that other company might.

Customer Satisfaction | Make An Impact

I'm not going to say you "manage what you measure." Oh no! I said it. OK, it is cliche but true.

I think before I dive into this topic too much, I need to acknowledge a couple of things:

• Customer Satisfaction is subjective and flawed
• Customer Satisfaction is important and relevant

Now that we've acknowledge this, we can move on. :)

Look, it might not be perfect, but it is important and what is looked at (often) as the gold standard for performance. So, let's figure out how to pull the right levers to make this work.

Over the next few weeks, I will present blogs on customer satisfaction addressing:

• Rebuilding Customer Satisfaction
• Training
• Quality Assurance
• Coaching

Keep tuned for some great customer satisfaction insights. And please jump in with your comments and suggestions. This is a huge topic and deserves lots of attention.

Better Business One-Liners

We are all guilty of over-thinking solutions. Sometimes the solution to the big problem is just doing the tried and true.

• Treat employees like people ... guess what, they are (oh, and believe it or not, this is also true of callers)
• People want and need coaching: Yep, we want to look up to our boss. And, we want our boss to correct us... kindly
• Win their hearts: Remember, big changes are hard and take time to adjust, but people will rally and support something they believe in
• Before making a decision, think about how it will affect others and weigh that against how important it is to put the decision into action. Oh, and by the way... by "others" I mean the people that will have to carry out whatever the decision is (front-line employees)
• Give second chances: Look, we all make mistakes and everyone deserves to be forgiven
• That "golden rule" applies in business too: Oh, I sort of talked about this in the bullet above, but look... too many decisions are made in business without thinking of others. So, in business decisions, coaching sessions, or just the way we look at and greet others, use the golden rule
• That "do the right thing" rule applies in business too. This one is easy. When faced with a difficult decision, do the right thing. We're all blessed with a conscience and doing the right thing is always "the right thing"
• KISS (I won't soften it, but your HR staff might): Keep It Simple Stupid. Yeah! Really, it doesn't need to be complicated to be good. And if it isn't complicate, it is usually better

This week's blog is really sort of a random collection of simple things to do to make life and business better. Do you have a snippet to share? Please leave a comment with your better business one-liners.

You Get What You Pay For

Early on in my career in off-shoring a training manager said, "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys." Compensation is tricky: Base pay, bonuses, signing bonuses, pay-for-performance, incentives, and it goes on and on. What should be considered for compensation? How is performance related to pay?

Look at the market. OK, that's too simple. But it is true. The problem with many cut-throat vendors is trying to one up the others with a few more pesos, rupees, dollars, etc. In the end, the industry suffers because we all end up pricing ourselves out of the market. Take a look at the current market and be relatively competitive. That's really it. If you pay above the market rate, you better demand higher skills and expect slow hiring. If you're below the market rate, expect to invest more in training and you better have a spectacular coaching culture if you want to survive.

How is performance related to pay? Beyond the skills mentioned above, compensation can be one of the tools used to reward behavior. This external stimulus for behavior should always be accompanied with pomp and circumstance however. What am I talking about?

Well, we all have two type of motivation, internal (intrinsic) and external (extrinsic). The extrinsic rewards get you so far (further with some). And internal motivation is that burning desire within to do a great job -- and with any fire, we can add fuel. Making a big deal out of performance-based rewards is critical to driving this much stronger motivation.

Basic Skills | A "Fresher" In Training

While setting up a training and quality department in India (2004), I learned much about the outsourcing business. While there, I learned a new term: "freshers." At first, I also had no idea what a "fresher" was, but I quickly learned, these are recent graduates who are taking their first professional job at a call center.

Vendors are now finding, as the market has become increasingly saturated, "freshers" are a necessity. Often, "freshers" lack sophistication and the business savvy needed to be productive in an outsourcing environment. But, don't loose hope! These may also be the employees who are willing to be trained and molded into customer service superstars. Basic skills training may be something you need to consider as part of the investment in your employees.

Basic Skills - Depending on the market where business is done, you may have to do an inventory of the basic skills of freshers. Do they posses the life skills to carry out the job -- such as planning for transportation, appropriate dress, workplace behavior? If not, this may need to be integrated into a training plan. Some organizations have gone as far as talking about other basic needs such as, money management, health risks, basic computer skills, etc. If planning is done right, the result will be a very loyal employee who lives the culture of customer service.

The ROI on these employees is something to watch. Get the most out of your employees by understanding the market, needs, and selecting or building the right training program.