Inbound 11-12 2010

PROFILE OF CONFIDENCE AT T. ROWE PRICE | WEB CHAT | THE TRENDS THAT MUST EMERGE

NOV. DEC . 2010
contactcenterassociation.com

A Brand

NEW World for

CCA
Contact Center Professionals

NASHV
LIVE

E L E VAT I N G T H E C U S T O M E R E

MARCH 21–24, 2011
G AY L O R D O P RY L A N D NASHVILLE, TN

VI LLE
FROM

X P E R I E N C E T O C E N T E R S TA G E

Contact Center Association recognizes the value and importance of your role as
a contact center professional to the organization you serve. Plan now to attend the
conference packed with educational sessions that will not only help you advance
your career as a leader in your industry but will also give you the tools you need to
perform your daily responsibilities the most efficient and effective way possible.

The Contact Center Conference & Expo 2011 tracks include:

Strategic Planning
Quality & Customer Experience Management
Workforce Management
Agent Hiring, Development & Retention
Contact Center Technology
Virtual Workforce
Multi-Channel Management

To learn more about the Contact Center Conference & Expo 2011:
www.ContactCenter2011.com

06 10

12 22

25 20 30

T.O.CONTENTS ISSUE 01 2010
05 | Letter from the Editor 16 | Web Chat 25 | Who is Piloting Your Plane?
It is a great pleasure to introduce the industry’s Many centers today now offer chat support Would I get on this plane if the airline hired
newest magazine, Inbound, published by the to everybody... its pilots the same way I hire my contact
Contact Center Association. center representatives?
18 | Associations vs. Social
06 | Are You Missing The Point Networking 28 | Baseline, Benchmark, Data,
About Customer Care? Are they the same, are they somewhat similar, and Information... Oh my...
Design customer centric services that improve or are they completely different? Baselining, benchmarking, data, and information all
service deliver. play a crucial role in running a healthy call center...
20 | “Brand” New
10 | The Trends That Must Emerge The association is a place where contact 30 | Beyond the Buzz:
5 trends that will turn the industy around. center professionals can share, network, Maturing your at-home agent model…
learn and get involved.
12 | Teamwork in the Contact 32 | T. Rowe Price: A Strategic
Center-What a Team Leader 22 | Commonsense Disaster Contact Center
Should Know Preparation for the Contact Center
An extensive discussion on the strategic
Discussing some of characteristics that team Disaster recovery and business continuity alignment of the contact center with the business
leaders should strive to develop and some of planners think morbid thoughts so you don’t
the pitfalls of the team environment. have to; you should listen to them.

CONTRIBUTORS

TimDEWEY BobLAST GregLEVIN PeggyLIBBEY CharlesM cCANN PeteM cGARAHAN JayMINNUCCI
CEO – B Virtual Director of Research Founder and Principal – CEO, President – Director of Technology Founder and President – Founder and President –
and Content – Redwood Off Center, LLC Software Test Support – Oklahoma McGarahan & Associates Service Agility
Collaborative Professionals State University

4 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0

LETTER FROM EDITOR

@QueueGuru

QueueGuru

Contact Center Association

W E LC O M E
I
t is a great pleasure to introduce the industry’s newest magazine, Inbound, published by the
Contact Center Association. The intent of the magazine is to bring fresh, new perspectives
authored by industry practitioners, consultants, analysts, and vendors on the latest trends in
our industry. Our first edition will be digital but we plan to deliver printed editions by Q2,
2011 to contact centers across the country.
It is our belief that there is still a place for print in this online world we live in. The reduction
of so many printed publications has made those publications a rare treat for readers that are still not
convinced the iPad and Kindle are for them. There is still something special about being published in
Editor-in Chief: Rich Hand print. Maybe it’s a generational perspective but seeing your article in a printed magazine still seems
rhand@ccapro.com
like a greater accomplishment than any other media format. The explosion of digital publications
Editor: Yvonne Hamilton has made them so common they have lost a bit of luster. It seems that only a handful of professional
Yhamilton@ccapro.com
organizations are investing in the print medium. We believe it is a good investment.
Creative Director: Scott Hanson The social wave of technologies such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have improved the
shanson@ccapro.com
sharing of information and have improved our ability to connect via the web. It has also given
Media Sales: Cheri Bruno every industry professional a platform to opine, share, and deliver content to the community.
cbruno@ccapro.com
It has become an avalanche of data for those that wish to consume the information. Within this
new wave of information the role of the professional association is to create credible forums where
this information can be discussed in relation to the industry. Professional communities like CCA
are no longer gate keepers, but rather provide a place where openness, discussion, and debate
How to reach INBOUND
validate the information being circulated within the community.
Letters to the editor may be sent to:
editor@ccapro.com
It is our intention to publish as many industry professionals as we possibly can to ensure many
points of view are represented in this magazine and within the overall community. There seems
About Contact Center Association (CCA) to be a million places to get an opinion on customer service, customer experience, CRM, metrics,
CCA provides professionals with information,
education, training and professional
process, and technology for the contact center. Our vision is to be a collaborative community that
networking opportunities. brings together great resources into one professional community. If the information is created as a
724 S Tejon Suite C • Colorado Springs benefit to the community we will share and promote it.
Colorado, 80903 • 719.476.0289
It has been our experience that the best information often comes from the people who are on the
About INBOUND front lines managing the customer experience. We would like the opportunity to publish your
INBOUND is digitally published by CCA.
It is a bi-monthly magazine which focuses work here at Inbound. There is no greater source of valuable information than you as you reflect
on contact center operations and topics and share your experiences and lessons learned. We do not expect everyone to be a polished
impacting the contact center industry
and practitioner. writer, which is why we have editors. What we need are great ideas and stories from the people
living the experience. We need the latest technology trends from the vendors on the cutting edge
Back Issues of INBOUND as well as the case studies and research from the analysts and consultants in the trenches. We
You may access electronic
back issues at www.INBOUNDmag.com. encourage and welcome feedback. It is how we learn. We have a talented crew that has lived
within the contact center community and understands the challenges. Send an e-mail, write a
Editorial Submissions
Visit contactcenterassociation.com to learn
letter, stop by the website and post a thought. We are a very nimble organization that will take
more about submitting editorial to INBOUND. every serious idea to heart and change accordingly.

RICHHAND

Director of Membership & Publications

CONTACTCENTERASSOCIATION.COM 5

E LC
W
Are You Missing The
CUSTOMER
6 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0

ME CUSTOMER CARE

CO“As customer diversity
and expectations
continue to broaden
and differ, organizations
will need to increase
their efforts to “listen
I
by PeteMcGARAHAN

enjoy staying tuned to the ever-changing and challenging
customer care market. Organizations are struggling today
to adopt and adapt their service strategy from one-size-
fits-all to something more dynamic, relevant, anticipatory
and personal. As customer diversity and expectations
continue to broaden and differ, organizations will need to
increase their efforts to “listen and talk” or engage themselves
in the customer conversation. Customers are experiencing
a sense of emptiness as they seek service, answers to their
questions, fulfillment to their order and resolution to
their issues. As organizations continue to enjoy the profits
created by cost-cutting, the longer-term impact will be
customers not willing to extend or expand the relationship
– stagnant revenue growth. It’s not too late for these service
organizations to find value in the customer relationship and
conversation to:
and talk” or engage
• Take the time to listen – for we may not know it all
themselves in the
customer conversation.” • Be open to learning – for there is always something
that we can do differently

• Challenge the team to always improve – for there are
always continuous improvement opportunities around
service quality, cost efficiencies or the effectiveness of
our customer care programs.

What does your invisible
“WELCOME” mat say to
your customers?
• Don’t contact us, we send you an invoice!
Point About • You may have something to say to us,

CARE?
but we have nothing to say to you!
• We have lots of customers – take a number!
• We had to reduce our service levels to fund
our executive perks!


Ready or Not? and organized manner, identifying the broader customer
How important am I as a customer and do you want to conversation, taking a holistic approach to confidently
provide service to me? Are you willing to commit your knowing that you are servicing your customers based on
organization to a service strategy that has the customer their preferences / profiles / priorities. The service design
top-of-mind? Are you ready to route me to your best, most should identify measures to understand why a customer
available person for timely, hassle-free resolution?

My perception of the current service perspective is that my
perspective was not the main priority or even considered
“The customer perspective
when designing a customer service strategy. Today’s
customer-centric service strategy is not as obvious as the
I propose to you is
policies and procedures sometimes thrown in the face of the
customer. In my time on the front-line, we used to pride
rewarding through retained
ourselves with a no excuses, just solutions motto. Now it services (revenue),
seems more like excuses trump solutions on any given day.
I am reminded of the great Apollo 13 survival story where expanded services (profit)
the NASA engineers are gathered and a box of spare parts is
dumped on their table. The leader says, “This is what you and customer referrals
have to work with, figure it out”. Is this the typical approach
that service organizations deploy when designing their (revenue / profit). Is that
customer service strategy? Service organizations reactively
will look around and assemble the best of what they have not a valued perspective?”
to offer in terms of people, process and tools. It’s a service
strategy that is internally designed and central to what
works best for the organization given the “box of parts”
it has to work with, integrate and deliver at that moment is calling and give customers assurance that they are getting
in time. It requires the customer to continually adapt and their problems solved. Are you sitting on the customer side
adopt and therefore we learn nothing from the customer of the table or at the head of the table where you normally
voice because we are not set up to always ASK-LISTEN- sit? From a matter of customer perspective:
LEARN-DO-TELL.
• Do you manage calls or customer relationships?

• Do your customers represent opportunities
or problems?
1) ASK the customer what you can do better
• Explore the Possibilities / Uncover the Opportunities?
2) LISTEN to what they tell you • Do you focus on talk time or resolution / results?
3) LEARN from what they do • Are you reactive (commodity) or strategic (value-add)?

4) DO what they tell / teach you • What’s your MTTK (Mean Time to Know)?

The customer perspective I propose to you is rewarding
5) TELL them what you did and why through retained services (revenue), expanded services
(profit) and customer referrals (revenue / profit). Is that not
Do It Right a valued perspective?
A better, more proactive approach would be to design a
customer service strategy from scratch with a “clean white Now that I have you thinking, differently hopefully, let’s
board” – with no preconditioned “what we can and can’t lay out a plan for designing customer-centric services that
do” limitations. The end resulting service design should improve service delivery, enhance the customer experience
deliver transparent, easy-to-do business with services that and lower ongoing support costs. Remember these ten action
keep the customer in-mind all the time. Let’s intelligently items when looking to transform your service strategy and
route the customer to their ultimate resolver sooner rather organization with the customer in mind, front and center and
than later. Either your time will be consumed with the with the opportunity to create a lasting relationship based on
“groundhog day” approach to fighting fires or in a structured a willingness to engage in constant customer conversations.

8 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0

CUSTOMER CARE

1. KNOW: Position yourself to always know who is
contacting you, why they are contacting you and
historically, the best route to resolution.

2. RESOLUTION: Provide resolution closest to the
customer keeping the law of continuous momentum
in mind at all times!
“ Design a customer
3. CONVERSATIONS: Utilize those customer conversations
in your systems performing real-time analysis gaining
service strategy from
insights into customer preferences, profiles and priorities scratch with a ‘clean
and take resulting action accordingly.
white board’ – with no
4. ANTICIPATE: Work proactively and intelligently;
anticipate the customer’s needs; and determine the most preconditioned ‘what
appropriate next step in delivering faster resolution. we can and can’t do’
5. EASY: Create a seamless, transparent and WOW limitations.”
customer experience (BE EZ2DOBIZ).

6. FLEXIBLE: Ensure your service strategy, structure,
process and people can adapt and respond quickly to
changing customer preferences / market conditions /
competitive threats.

7. DIFFERENTIATION: Provide service differential though
innovative integrated solutions (tools, process & people).

8. WIN-LOSE-WHY: Know why you win customers
(attraction), why you lose them (defection) and what
can you do to prevent losing them (loyalty, retention &
profitability).

9. CULTURE: Create a service culture that values engaged
and empowered employees / customers.

10. ALIGNMENT: Always align service strategy to business
objectives and always deliver objectives based on
measurable business results.

Peter J. McGarahan is the founder and president of McGarahan & Associates.
Peter offers 27 years of IT and Business experience in optimizing and aligning
the service and support organizations of the Fortune 1000 to deliver value against
business objectives. His thought leadership has influenced the maturity and image
of the service and support industry. His passion for customer service led the Taco
Bell support organization to achieve the Help Desk Institute Team Excellence
Award in 1995. IT Support News named him one of the “Top 25 Professionals in
the Service and Support Industry” in 1999. Support professionals voted McGarahan
“The Legend of the Year” in 2002 and again in 2004 at the Help Desk Professionals
conference for his endless energy, mentoring and leadership coaching. As a
practitioner, product manager and support industry analyst and expert, McGarahan
has left his service signature on the support industry / community.


TRENDS

TRENDS THAT
THE

MUST

EMER
“ I am hoping that the Contact n
1 MAKE CUSTOMER ACCESS VIA THE PHONE
EASIER AND QUICKER FOR CUSTOMERS.
Center Association becomes the A website (www.gethuman.com) exists now that provides
information on shortcuts around lengthy menus at hundreds
organization that helps to lift of contact centers. New consumer services are being
introduced that will do the work of navigation through a
the stature of our profession.” menu to an agent and then bring the customer into the call
once an agent is on line. Mainstream press articles that blast
contact center service nearly always focus on poorly designed
menus and long wait time as critical problems. These are all
by JayMINNUCCI
hints that we need to significantly improve access simplicity
and speed.

A
ny successful profession has a powerful 2
membership association behind it. EMBRACE PROACTIVE CONTACT.
The contact center industry has had a number We have enough data to anticipate when people might call
of them through the years, yet most seem to lack us. When those calls are for simple updates (“has my claim
the strength or the staying power of those serving been processed yet?” “Did you get my check”, etc.), why
colleagues in other areas such as Human Resources, Legal, are we waiting for customers to call? We could instead have
Accounting, etc. It is great to see a new one emerge, and I them opt-in for updates via email, SMS, automated outbound
am hoping that the Contact Center Association becomes the calls, etc. It can save us a significant amount of money and
organization that helps to lift the stature of our profession. keeps customers better informed, and nearly every contact
center has a host of these opportunities sitting in front of
Besides providing visibility, a membership organization can them today. Why wait?
be a platform to create standards and bring about needed
change. The development of standards is a huge opportunity
for us. Done right, it will allow for customers to finally enjoy n
3 ALLOW CONSISTENT AND PERSONAL
TO COEXIST.
some level of consistent expectation across industries. More Some of us do little training, offer no desktop knowledge
pressing, though, and in many ways related to standards, management system, and rarely monitor or calibrate calls.
are some changes that need to take place to make the terms Consistency in these centers is almost non-existent. Others
“call center” and “contact center” more synonymous with the provide a script for everything and do not allow any deviation
positive environment that many are today. whatsoever. The customer with a slightly unique request is
left stranded and helpless in these operations. The nirvana
To help turn around our image in the minds of the general (for both customers and agents) lies in the middle, where well
public, we need to address those issues that receive regular trained agents can easily access pertinent content, but are
criticism. Here are five items that must become emerging encouraged to customize delivery to meet the diverse needs of
trends for the future: the individual on the other end of the phone or chat.

10 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0

Meet the CCA Team THAT’S

WANTED

E 4 EASIER (AND STILL COMPLIANT) AUTHENTICATION.
Yes, regulations and laws have made authentication a nightmare,
Peggy Libbey
CEO, President plibbey@ccapro.com
Over 30 years of experience in finance and executive
management. She is the leader and respected arbiter
of all conflicts between team members. She is the pivot
point of our organization and enjoys being behind the
scenes instead of on the “stage”, although she is great
when she needs to be front and center.

especially for those of you in highly monitored industries like health
care and financial services. The lawyers are setting the rules now, but the
lawyers do not listen to calls or understand how difficult this can be for
some of our customers. Push the envelope where interpretation of the
regulations has led to very rigid authentication guidelines (we can only
accept x and y). Identify the flaws in your current approach and offer
options. (Note to my phone company: I only know my account number
and the amount of my last check if I happen to have an old bill and my
checkbook nearby. It really is possible to come up with an authentication
procedure that is more customer-friendly than that.)

5 ADOPT THE PHRASE “CAREER AGENT”.
Katie Lutze
Director of Finance klutze@ccapro.com
We employ millions across the globe - why is this term not part of
our vernacular? The few times I have heard it uttered it was done so As talented as a director at Circ De Soleil, Katie can
make an Xcel spreadsheet perform in some of the most
derisively: “She’s not going anywhere. She’s a career agent”. The job of an interesting calculations. She is a brilliant financial analyst
agent is both challenging and important. If we want it to be viewed as a which has made her a valued business analyst when we
career, the change has to begin with leadership. Let’s set some targets and are developing strategy.
objectives around an experienced, capable, and engaged workforce, and
then we can spend less time managing the ill effects of attrition.

The items above are my “big five” to help improve our industry’s image,
and that certainly does not mean they are the only five or the right five.
Consider them discussion starters. With a new membership organization,
social media outlets galore, and in-person conferences available to us, we
have all the tools to keep the conversation moving...and better yet, turn the
talk into action. The time is right, and the payoff is well worth the effort.

Abbie Caracostas
Director of Training acaracostas@ccapro.com
Jay Minnucci is the President and Founder of Service Agility, a consulting company dedicated The most outgoing member of the team, Abbie was
to improving customer service and call center operations. His client list ranges from small start- responsible for training at HDI for 3 years and held many
up operations to large Fortune 500 corporations, and he has completed assignments in contact roles over her 8 years at HDI. She is the epitome of great
centers around the globe. Jay contributes articles to a number of contact center journals, leads
seminars on call center management, and is a featured speaker at many industry conferences.
customer service. Our upcoming training courses will be
guided by her experience in working with members to
create the types of offerings our community needs.


by BobLAST

TEAMWORK
I
t is in school and at work, however, where teams and
teamwork move from reverential adoration to the often
painful reality of everyday work. A school project team
in the Contact is where most of us first learn how to function in team-
based groups. This environment tends to be unstructured and

Center – What it is rare to receive any formal training in teamwork, group
dynamics and communication skills.

a Team Leader Oh No, Not a Team Project!
Working on a team in a business or non-governmental
Should Know organization tends to be somewhat better because new team
members in this environment are often exposed to mentors and
senior colleagues, formal training through courses in customer
Our society reveres teams; service and leadership and occasionally, an organization-wide
sports teams, in particular occupy program in productivity. This being said, almost everyone can
share a story about being on a team where semi-strangers were
a unique place in our society. arbitrarily formed into a team and directed to complete a task
In this article we’ll discuss some with little or no direction, training or resources. The ensuing
frustration and conflicts (remember the arguments about when
of characteristics that team and where the group was going to meet that seemed to go on
leaders should strive to develop forever?) becomes indelibly burned into one’s brain.
and some of the pitfalls of the Seldom are such stories retold around the campfire with
team environment. fondness. Still, groups of people have been banding together to
accomplish goals since Moses took that trip across the Sinai and
the United States Army has maintained the operational integrity
and unit cohesion of its units for a decade under the most
intense pressure that the human mind can create. There must
be something to this teamwork thing!

12 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0

TEAMWORK

Some of the most complex, dynamic and rewarding • Approachable-a team leader must adopt a countenance
teamwork experiences occur in the contact center. For many that makes them approachable on even the busiest days
people, the position of team leader or supervisor is the first
leadership position that they have ever held and it is not • Empathetic –understanding the emotions of others
an easy one. Consider the world of the contact center team is a skill that can earn loyalty and respect
leader from the picture below.
• Good trainer-team leaders should understand the
theories of adult learning and how to apply them to
the training of new and existing employees

• Physical Strength-overseeing the work of others is
time consuming, stressful & frequently physically
challenging. Being physically fit is good business and
sets a good example for one’s team members

• Humor-anyone that cannot laugh at themselves
and have an appreciation for the amusing aspects of
contact center life is simply in the wrong line of work.
See Greg Levin’s book, Call Center Humor, Volume 4-The
Best of Greg Levin’s “In Your Ear” Satire Columns, 2007.
Also entertaining is the site Call Center Comics
(http://callcentercomics.com/)

Finally, this abbreviated list of characteristics should
include an excellent understanding of teamwork and group
The Team Leader’s Job dynamics. The literature on teams, teamwork and group
The world of the team leader is centered on the people in dynamics began in earnest after World War II as research by
the cubicles with a supervisor’s desk at the head of each existing and new scholars sought to understand why some
row. In these seats dwell the people who talk to a business’s combat units were successful and others were not. Over
customers or a non-governmental organization’s members the years this type of research has expanded to include all
and supporters. It is the job of the team leader to harness manner of research on teams, teamwork, team leadership,
the personalities and the intellects of these people and and small group dynamics. One of the more interesting
mold them into a cohesive unit. It is the team leader’s job aspects of this research is a list, hazards of collaboration
to achieve synergy (it sounds like a disease that needs to be – an interesting list in this hyper-connected world where
treated at the Cleveland Clinic, but in this case it applies) collaboration is frequently seen as a competitive advantage.
from this disparate group of people.
The Hazards of Collaboration
The team leader should work to develop these characteristics:
• Sameness. Overly collaborative teams adopt rigid
• Decisive-there are few things more frustrating to standards and impose them on themselves, foreclosing
an employee than having to wait for an answer from creative deviation
their boss
• Groupthink. This leads to purges of perceived outsiders,
• Well organized-a contact center is a complex place to and stultification of the ideas of insiders
work with often competing interests, plans and projects
that have to be juggled, sifted and weighed and only • Blurriness. Too much democracy leads to mush. When
individuals with good organizational skills can survive everyone has full and equal input into a process, you can
the onslaught of meetings, memos and minutia bet that process will lack focus

• Good communicator-the ability to communicate • Slowness. Consensus doesn’t “snap to” the way
verbally and in writing is critical to success in any intimidated agreement does. It is a slow ooze, and teams
modern organization lose momentum waiting for the ooze to arrive


TEAMWORK

• Leaderlessness. When everyone is encouraged to lead, d. Managing Teams, Lawrence Holpp, 1999.
the end result often is that no one does.
This book is part of the “Briefcase Books” series that is
• Defenselessness. When everyone knows everything, designed for leaders that need to learn a lot about a topic
because sharing is so important, there is no quickly. It’s one of those fun books that covers everything
confidentiality, and there are no firewalls. Some teams from starting a team, to building a teamwork culture and
become so intimate and sensitive with one another that defining team dynamics, and finally to evaluating the
they can’t function among outsiders. team. Like the other books in the series, the book is full
of sidebar stories, checklists and quizzes. The chapters are
• Interiority. Teams who work too long together have well organized and easy to read without any loss of content.
a way of becoming cross-eyed over time, focusing on
subjects of interest exclusively to the group. e. The New Why Teams Don’t Work, Harvey Robbins and
Michael Finley, 2000
• Mercilessness. “The many are stronger than the one,” is the
motto of super collaboration. It is also the motto of fascism. 1 Despite its title, this is the best of the books on the list; it
takes an uncompromising and realistic look at why teams
Finally, every team leader should design a professional reading do not work and why they fail. The HR and appreciative
program for themselves. The armed services have had such inquiry folks will hate it! For example, the authors state,
lists for years; they are used to communicate the values and
the elements of the organizations’ corporate culture. Some of In the rush to bestow the manifold blessings of teams upon
our favorite books in this area are listed below. our organizations, lots of groups get called teams that
probably should not be. The resulting groups are too big, too
The Team Leaders Reading List lumpy, quite mismatched, and more than a little confused.
a. Successful Team Building, Thomas L. Quick, 1992. We call these assemblages “mobs.” 2
In 96 pages, you get a very good introduction to teamwork If you sense that the authors are irreverent in their opinions
and how teams work. This is one of those books that is full about teams and teamwork, you would be correct, but don’t
of checklists, quizzes and assessments as well as superbly let that scare you away from the book. It is well written and
organized chapters. Don’t let the year it was published be assumes that its reader is an adult capable of handling bad
a deal breaker, everything in it is still relevant. news and using it to make an operation better.
b. Inside Teams-How 20 World-class Organizations are There are few tasks more challenging than leading a team and
Winning Through Teamwork, Richard S. Wellins, managing its work. When the team leader’s chair is filled, the
William C. Byham & George R. Dixon, 1994. team leader has to juggle the expectations and needs of the
individual employee and the requirements and restraints of
This is a book of case studies that explore different aspects the organization. The phrase, “herding cats” comes to mind!
of team and group performance. The case studies are The nice thing about cats is that although you can’t herd
excellent, well-organized and explore teams in a start- them, they always come when you open a new can of food!
up, through early stages of development to teams that
have matured in the organization. Don’t underestimate Translation: Leadership matters, creativity matters, professional
the value of a case study that has a good summary and preparation matters, and organizational culture matters!
concludes with a “key lessons” section.

c. Team Leader’s Problem Solver, Clay Carr, 1996.

No one likes to admit that problems will inevitably be
a part of a team’s growth, but if humans are involved, 1. Harvey Robbins & Michael Finley, The New Why Teams Don’t Work-What Goes Wrong and
How to Make it Right, (San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc, 2000), 132-133.
problems will sneak onto your desk sooner or later. The
book is organized into twelve chapters that cover such 2. Harvey Robbins & Michael Finley, The New Why Teams Don’t Work-What Goes Wrong and How
to Make it Right, (San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc, 2000), 123.
topics as individual and team interpersonal problems,
behavior and performance of individuals and problems
caused by higher management (oh my!), to name a few.
As with the other books, this one is well organized and
Bob Last is the Director of Research & Content for Redwood Collaborative.
easy to read without being simplistic. This is a serious He has over 20 years experience in the contact center and technical support
book that is well worth the time and effort! industry as a manager, trainer, consultant and analyst.

14 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0

Executive Online Forum…
Join Today!
Join the Executive Online Forum and
collaborate with other influential contact
center executives both in-person and
via webinar meetings.
The forum offers an annual in-person
meeting for members to share challenges,
best practices and other sensitive topics.
In addition, as a member you have access
to the concierge service which will assist
you in researching information to support
your operations. If you’re preparing for an
upcoming meeting or giving a presentation,
the concierge service is truly invaluable.

For more information:
1.877.535.0707 or email rhand@ccapro.com

WEB
WEB
WEB Once considered a
fancy-schmancy contact option
WEB offered by only a few contact centers and often reserved
for only their elite customers, many centers today now

CHAT
offer chat support to everybody.

CHAT C
hat is a relatively affordable way for contact centers to offer real-time – or at
least near real-time support to online customers. Where several hours usually
pass before a customer-agent email interaction is completed, chat sessions
start almost immediately after a customer initiates one, and generally end just

CHAT
a few minutes after they begin. The drawback of chat is that the rapid typing involved
often causes moderate to severe hand cramps in agents, thus hindering their ability to
squeeze their rubber ball during stressful times or fetch coffee for their supervisor.

Many of the “best practices” for managing chat are the same as, or at least similar

CHAT
to, those for managing email – a channel that most contact centers currently already
handle. Such practices include:

• Taking the time to recruit/assess agent candidates who have solid writing skills

CHAT
and web savvy, and training those who don’t to fake it

• Implementing a chat/email management system designed to help route chat
requests, handle chat sessions and capture/report on key data

CHAT
• Developing WFM processes that include chat contacts

• Utilizing text templates in moderation to increase chat productivity and consistency

CHAT
• Directing chat customers to the company’s online FAQs to promote future self-
service

• Extending the center’s quality assurance processes to the chat channel – evaluating
chat session transcripts and surveying customers following a chat interaction to
by GregLEVIN ensure optimal agent performance and positive customer experiences.

Greg offers a diverse range of publications Nevertheless, chat’s real-time nature makes it a different animal than email.
and resources – including his much-
anticipated ebook, Full Contact – all aimed
Consequently, there are several best practices that are unique to chat, and that any
at informing, empowering and entertaining contact center currently offering or planning to offer chat needs to embrace to truly tap
contact center professionals worldwide. the potential power of this channel.
To learn more about what Greg brings
to the table, visit: www.greglevin.com.
Understand that chat is a service level oriented – not a response time oriented –
support option. Unlike an email inquiry, which is typically first responded to (by a live
agent) hours after the customer sends it, chat inquiries must be handled in real-time,
just as phone calls are. Whenever an online customer initiates a chat session, they expect
an initial response from an agent within a few seconds; some may be willing to wait up
to a minute or so for a response, but after that, most customers will become frustrated –
losing faith not only in the company’s chat capabilities, but also in the company itself.

16 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C. 2 0 1 0

WEB CHAT

The best contact centers fully understand this and thus yet to achieve black-belt chat status – focus on one chat
treat chat as a service level oriented – not a response time session at a time, with the main emphasis on accuracy,
oriented – activity. Just as they do with the phone channel, personalization and issue resolution, not handle time.
these centers select a feasible service level objective for chat
(e.g., 80% of chats answered within 40 seconds), and base Use web collaboration tools with chat to enhance online
their forecasting and scheduling processes on that objective. support and foster customer autonomy. Chat, when managed
(In addition to measuring how long it takes for an agent to well, is an effective and affordable customer contact channel.
respond to the initial chat request, many centers also gauge Where chat becomes a truly powerful support mechanism is
“average session handle time” – how long it takes to complete when it joins forces with real-time web collaboration tools,
a typical chat interaction between an agent and customer.) which enable agents to show rather than just tell customers
how to find key information and to complete transactions.
While effective staffing for both chat and email is important,
having the right number of agents in place to handle chat is The most common types of web collaboration applications
particularly crucial, as customers who contact your center used by leading contact centers include:
via chat typically have a pressing issue or a concern that,
if ignored or handled poorly, could lead to an abandoned • Co-browsing – the agent and the customer
shopping cart and lost revenue. Customers often have simultaneously view the same web browser screens
questions before completing an online purchase; having during a chat session, making it easy for the agent to
agents on hand to quickly respond to those questions direct the customer to relevant areas on a web site.
enables centers to convert a high percentage of browsers into
actual buyers, and a high percentage of raving executives • Page-pushing – the agent sends specific web pages and/or
into peaceful people. other relevant documents directly to the customer’s screen.
Many contact centers have found this to be not only an
Don’t push agents to handle multiple chat sessions indispensable customer service tool, but also a way to
simultaneously. If you ever attend a party with a large enhance up-selling and cross-selling during chat sessions.
number of managers whose contact centers handle chat, you
will invariably meet several who will begin to brag about • Application/form-sharing – the agent and customer
how many chat sessions their agents can tackle at once. In work through complex web-based forms and
such cases, you must do two things: 1) Ask yourself what applications together, which often entails the agent
happened to your social life that has you attending parties moving the customer’s cursor to specific areas of a
and talking about chat; and 2) laugh in the face of any document to help gain efficiencies.
manager who claims his agents can effectively handle any
more than two chats simultaneously. All of these web collaboration applications not only greatly
enhance the customer experience and enable agents to
True, laughing in one’s face is cruel, but not as cruel as develop a strong rapport with customers; they help to increase
making agents try to engage in text-based dialogue with customer confidence with online resources. This, in turn,
four or five different people – each with different issues – fosters more customer autonomy and helps the center convert
all at the same time. more chatters into self-service aficionados, which is where
real savings are realized without sacrificing – in fact, often
When chat first emerged in contact centers back in the improving – customer satisfaction and loyalty. Give a man
1990s, everybody talked about the potential for agents an answer, he’s served for a day; teach a man to find answers,
to handle three or more sessions at once, causing many he’s served for a lifetime. In addition, your agents won’t have
managers to drool with anticipation. However, they soon to handle as many chat interactions, leading to less hand
found that pushing such productivity goals caused agents cramping and fewer crippling Worker’s Comp claims.
to drool from disorientation.

Expert contact center consultants and practitioners agree:
Two chats sessions – or, on rare occasions, three (if each

of the inquiries are highly routine ones) – are the most Greg Levin is one of the most unique and refreshing voices in the customer
that even a highly experienced agent can handle without care industry. He has been researching, reporting on and satirizing contact
centers and customer care since 1994. Known for his sharp wit, bold opinions
sacrificing quality and the customer experience. In the best and penchant for challenging the status quo, Greg is still usually allowed
contact centers, most agents – especially those who have entrance into industry events.


VS

ASSOCIATIONS vs.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
Associations and Social Networking— AN ASSOCIATION is a formal organization
of people or groups of people. It
are they the same, are they somewhat can also be an act of consorting or
similar, or are they completely different? joining with others; the state of being
To answer that question, consider the connected together or the process of
definitions for each according to Google bringing ideas or events together in
web definitions: memory or imagination.

by PeggyLIBBEY

C
ertainly the definitions would indicate that they organization which means there is more structure and
are at least similar. The advent of social media the foundation on which it is formed is more specific and
sites has made virtual networking much easier for targeted. An association may provide the opportunity to
individuals with similar interests; but are these network virtually, but it will also provide opportunities
social networks a replacement for the professional association? to network in person through local meetings and annual
Social networking tools are an inexpensive way for conferences. It will also focus specifically on improving the
individuals to connect with others of similar interests. careers of individuals, the efficiencies of organizations, and
A web search will reveal thousands of groups with provide validation to ideas and practices within an industry.
thousands of members seemingly “networking.” Keep in All of this serves to improve the reputation of the profession
mind the difference between social networking for purely served by the association.
social reasons
and social Professional associations
focus on enabling
networking
the members of the
for professional
community to create,
reasons where
validate, and publish
the goal may be the results of the
to find the answer activities conducted
to a problem or within the association
information about a framework.
specific topic. A closer Associations are
look at the networking a place where
taking place will probably professionals gather
reveal that much of the to share, learn,
activity is generated by build relationships,
vendors, recruiters, and contribute knowledge,
individuals interested in self and validate the industry’s
promotion. There is definitely direction with the goal of
activity that could be described improving the careers of the individuals.
as valuable. The availability of targeted information that is
“free” on the web is at an all time high. One simply has Associations are about creating an environment of trust
to have the time to find it if in fact, it does exist in a form between the members of the community. A member of
that is available. an association demonstrates a commitment to not only
their own career, but also that of the industry in whole.
Now consider how an association functions. An association An association provides the platform to build trust and
can also provide information and the opportunity to network reputation through not only online mediums but also
with others. However, remember an association is a formal networking events, educational offerings, conferences,

18 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0


WANTED
SOCIAL NETWORKING is the interaction between
people who share a common interest. More
specifically, it is using internet network
groups (such as Facebook and Twitter)
to network and communicate using shared
interests, related skills or geographical Rick Baucom
location between consumers and businesses. Director of Interactive Communications
rbaucom@ccapro.com
Social media is a key communications platform and
Rick is the guy who gets the communications to you.
He is passionate about utilizing social networks and the
latest e-mail practices to provide the community the
information they need, the way they want it!
and more. The knowledge base of the industry as offered by the
association is continually changing. The changes are validated as the
knowledge is debated and vetted by the community to help create
the accepted practices, methodologies, training courses, certification
standards, and terminology used within an industry.

Associations reinvest in the membership and industry they serve.
They go beyond providing a technology platform and a place to
gather; they take the information and knowledge that is shared and
turn it into documentation that becomes the body of knowledge for
an industry. Associations become an archive of work, a “genealogy”
of ideas that trace the development of a function into a leading edge
profession that can and does change the course of entire industries. Cheri Bruno
Each association is unique in that it responds to the needs of its Director of Sales cbruno@ccapro.com
members. What may be appropriate for one industry or profession Cheri has been creating the most effective campaigns for
may not necessarily adapt well to a different association. The vendors that highlight thought leadership and value for
association is ultimately defined by its members. the communities they serve. A dedicated professional
bringing customers and vendors together in ways that
benefit both the vendor and the customer. Often seen
As we embark on the launch of an association focused on contact running through the streets of Boston, she has been
center professionals, we are making a commitment to providing creating value for 20 years.
the opportunities outlined above. We look forward to a mutually
beneficial relationship as we encourage commitment from our
professionals—commitment at whatever level is right for you. With
your help, we intend to build an association that will not only offer
you the professional development and support you need, but will
also offer many opportunities for you to participate in a community
of your peers in a profession that continues to grow in importance.

Janette Rovansek
Director of IT jrovansek@ccapro.com

Peggy Libbey is the President and CEO of Redwood Collaborative Media with 10 years Janette has been in IT for 15 years and was responsible
experience in professional association management. Prior to that, she was a certified for the systems at HDI for 8 years. Currently she heads
public accountant with 18 years experience in audit, tax preparation and various aspects up the team here at CCA and is the CRM and one person
of business management consulting. Help Desk. She is often found smiling next to Abbie at
conference registration and training events.


A Brand World for

C
ontact Center Association, which launched October
1, 2010, is led by professionals who have over
100 years of combined experience in association
management. We understand the challenges
and what it takes for contact centers to be successful at
providing exceptional customer experiences. It is our desire
to provide that same exceptional experience to you. The
association is a place where contact center professionals
can share, network, learn and get involved.

Our association is dependent on the community
trusting us to offer the latest and greatest in
content through our website, magazine, training,
conferences and newsletters. The website offers
podcasts, webcasts, white papers, a community
blog and Knowledge Exchange Groups (KEGs).
KEGs are peer-driven contact center opinion and
research groups where you can ask questions,
share information and collaborate with other
professionals. Visit the site, join or start a KEG
and make sure you peruse the wealth of knowledge
in our other resources.

Inbound magazine focuses on contact center
operations and topics impacting the industry
and practitioner. Editorial will address topics
such as operational excellence, customer service,
managing customer service data, best practices,
career development, workforce management, ROI,
budgeting, strategy and protecting brand reputation.

The association also offers two primary newsletters:
Queued In and CCA Insider. Both publications deliver
content rich feature articles and CCA Insider also delivers
community news. Visit our home page to subscribe to your
publications of choice as well as to share the website with a
friend, become a Facebook fan, join us on LinkedIn and follow
us on Twitter. Often times, you will find special offers and
discounts only available to those who join us on social media.
There are many ways to receive the latest information and we
encourage you to choose the method that works best for you.

In addition to publication resources, we offer learning and
networking opportunities through conferences and training.
The first conference will be held on March 21-24, 2011 at the
Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Plan now to
attend the conference packed with educational sessions that

I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0


WANTED
Contact Center Professionals by RichHAND

will give you the tools you need to perform your daily responsibilities
efficiently and effectively thereby enhancing your career. The in-depth
training courses will officially kick-off in Spring 2011. Visit our site Rich Hand
to view a current description of the courses and set your training Director of Membership & Publications
budgets accordingly. rhand@ccapro.com
Rich has 30 years of business experience and is most
The most rewarding aspect of managing an association is that it is often found evangelizing the benefits of membership.
always evolving. It evolves because we as people are always evolving, He spent 7 years at HDI and spends most of his day
writing articles, creating webinars, and preparing
and the profession is also continually evolving. Whether it is new content for the membership.
methods and practices, or improved technology, we need to stay in
tune with the changes in our industry. We serve as the one-stop resource
for keeping up-to-date with industry changes and you will see our
association add and change offerings to accommodate the demands.

As a new organization, we understand that we will need to gain
your trust, respect, and confidence. We will continue to reach out
and invite you to participate on an advisory board, be a presenter at
a conference or webinar, and we will provide you with a multitude
of opportunities to showcase your expertise to the industry. We are
here to improve your professional career which, in turn, improves
the association’s reputation. It is a symbiotic relationship built on
mutual trust, and vendor neutrality.
Scott Hanson
We do not endorse products but we engage all vendors to be thought Creative Director shanson@ccapro.com
leaders and to sponsor activities within the community. We provide The most creative member of the CCA team, Scott spent 8
years creating for HDI. Every visual you encounter at CCA
a resource about all of the pertinent information and available in our newsletters, magazine, and conferences was created
technology to help the individual professional reach the best decision by this man. Most often can be found riding his Harley
for their contact center. No one product or methodology is right for around the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
every organization, and we are here to serve the entire industry, not
just a particular segment. We have found neutrality to be the best
way to build trust and credibility.

We acknowledge that there are many choices in the contact
center industry. Our association believes that you are the reason
we are in business. Therefore, we strive to build quality content
that you will find helpful to your daily life. Whether you are looking
for a white paper topic or a webcast to share with your organization,
you can find it on our site. What makes our association unique is we
collaborate with board members selected from the community who
provide strategic advice regarding the changing shifts in the industry
needs. The board members are practitioners who practice in contact Yvonne Hamilton
centers worldwide and experience the successes and challenges Marketing Manager yhamilton@ccapro.com
first-hand. With their input, every resource we provide is truly Yvonne is the newest member of the team but comes
the latest and greatest in the industry. When you make the decision with a large repository of professional service marketing
to download a webcast, podcast, attend our conferences or access experience. She can mostly be found combing through
any other resource we offer, you can rest assured that it will be content and editing Rich’s writing to make sure he
actually sounds like he knows what he’s talking about.
a valuable resource.


COMMONSENSE
DISASTER
PREPARATION
for the Contact Center

If
ever there were a profession that needed to embrace
Disaster recovery and business disaster planning, disaster recovery and business
continuity planners think morbid continuity planning, it is those of us in the contact
center/customer service world. No matter what
thoughts so you don’t have to; specific business the contact center serves, it is likely
that even the smallest contact centers (“small” is somewhat
you should listen to them! arbitrary, but it is generally considered to be 50 seats or less)
have to concern themselves with moving dozens of people
in one or more directions, in a hurry and then rally them
by BobLAST and transport them to a new facility with little disruption.
In this article, we will explore some of the basics of
disaster recovery and how contact center leaders can
work with the DR/BCP staff.

The United States Federal Government
Legal Requirement
Although many people do not know it, in the United States,
there is a legal requirement dictated by the Occupational
Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) called the OSHA
General Duty Clause that states,

“Each employer shall furnish to each of its employees a place of
employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing,
or likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to its employees.”

Programs and measures taken in Emergency Planning and
Response must be “reasonable and prudent” which reflect
compliance to standard practices; and demonstrate a “best-
effort attempt” to protect employees and organizational
interests. An ongoing implementation of generally accepted
safety and emergency response principles and practices
normally validates due diligence efforts.
Organizational leaders must fulfill a mission of preparedness
and response to protect the safety and health of its employees
and its community. The organization’s program should also
reflect a commitment to:

22 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0

PREPARATION

The outline of the response plan is:

• Front cover-map or drawing of
escape route and rally point;
Emergency Hot Line number
• Quick Reference Card for the
following situations
• Fire-Initial Discovery
• Fire Alarm
• Medical Emergencies
• Unauthorized Personnel
in the Area
• Facilitate compliance with regulatory & safety requirements of
United States federal, state & community agencies • Power Failure
• Enhance the abilities of your organization to recover from potential losses, • Tornado/Severe Storm/
damages and business interruptions Hurricane/Earthquake
• Enhance the organization’s image and credibility with employees,
customers, suppliers and the community
• Evacuation Procedures
• Reduce the potential exposure to civil and criminal liability in the event • Severe Illness
of an incident. • Bomb Threat
What OSHA Requires an Organization’s Employees to Know • Bomb Threat Checklist
When an emergency event occurs, there is no time to take a refresher course • Workplace Violence Response
on the proper procedures to follow. An employee’s response to an emergency
condition should be automatic and based on clear communication and thorough • Responsibilities
training (hence, the reason for those monthly fire drills, role plays or rehearsals).
The main requirements for a DR/BCP plan must communicate the following • Building Incident Commander
information to employees: • Building Management/Security
1. How to report an emergency situation, accident or incident
• Floor Warden
2. What to do when an alarm or emergency notification is issued
• Assistant Floor Warden
3. The employees responsibilities for shutting down operations or systems
in order to avoid making a bad situation worse • Departmental Managers
4. Where to find fire extinguishers and first-aid equipment • Protection Manager
5. How to alert others to evacuate the area
• Important Telephone Numbers
6. The location of emergency exits, and how to reach them quickly and in an
orderly fashion • Local Police
7. The assigned point for assembling after evacuating the hazard area(the rally • Local Fire Department
point), so that the whereabouts and safety of all employees can be properly
accounted for (a designated person must perform this function).1 • Local Power Company
• Local FBI Office
User’s Guide to the Emergency Response Plan
How this information is communicated varies, of course, but a very common • Meeting Point for Law
approach is to distribute to all employees a user’s guide to the emergency plan Enforcement or Emergency
for the organization. This user’s guide should be short, six pages in a tri-fold Responders
configuration (21cm x 12cm or 8.5 .in x 4.75.in). It is usually printed on yellow • Alternate Meeting Place
cardstock and should be visible at all times in the employee’s office or cubicle.
• Nearest Exit From My Desk
1. Adapted from the Cleveland State University Division of Continuing Education course, “Organizational Recovery,”
Carolyn Carlson, February 22, 2006, page 8.


PREPARATION

• Quick Contact Numbers The Building Participants DID NOT KNOW
Scenario Contact • 49%: 3 stairwells
Evacuation ......................................... Facilities Management • 20%: Exit locations
• 45%: Doors on certain floors were locked
Fire ............................................................... Pull Fire Alarm
Facilities Management • 86%: Where the stairs would lead
• 73%: Where sky lobbies were located
Severe Weather ................................... Facilities Management
• 26%: Thought the roof might be a means of escape
Tornado/Hurricane ................ Building Management/Security

Earthquake ......................................... Facilities Management Knowledge on Disability Preparedness

Flood.................................................. Facilities Management • 28% reported having a disabled person on their floor
• 11% said a plan for disabled evacuation was in place
Power Failure .....................................Local Power Company
Facilities Management • 10% said co-workers were assigned to assist
disabled individuals
Water Failure...................................... Facilities Management • 8% said there was special equipment for disability
Bomb Threat ........................................................... Facilities

Medical Emergency .........................................................911 Organizational Factors-Preparedness
Manager • 39% were never provided with written fire
Civil Disturbance................................ Facilities Management safety instructions
Protection • 41% were never provided with evacuation plans
Unauthorized Persons ........................ Facilities Management • 67% reported no plans regarding where to gather
in the Area Protection after evacuating
• 47% knew of no plans to determine head count
Physical Threats ..............................................................911 in the event of an evacuation
Protection
• Only 21% were familiar with their building
Important Building Telephone Numbers:

-xxx-xxx-xxxx Disaster preparation in a contact center is often an overlooked
-xxx-xxx-xxxx part of the day-to-day activities of an organization. Like any
Cell: xxx-xxx-xxxx organization activity, it can easily fall victim to complacency,
poor leadership and simple laziness. It is tempting to comment
that it is easier said than done or there just isn’t enough
time to complete all of the tasks facing a busy business or
Does This Matter? organizational leader, all true, but leaders are paid to take
Inevitably, there are several people in every organization care of their people and this job includes drilling employees
(some of them managers and executives) that question at least once a month in disaster readiness fundamentals.
the degree of preparation and training that goes into the
development and preparation of the emergency response Anyone lost on the 80th floor of a high rise, or struggling with
plan. Almost a decade after September 11th and five years how to deliver CPR or running from a disturbed person with
after Hurricane Katrina, there is a creeping complacency a loaded firearm will be grateful for the 60 minutes a month
among many people in organizations about preparation for that preparing for a disaster drill takes. The injunction to all
the unthinkable. leaders is, “Prepare!”

Towards the goal of remembering that the past is often
prolog consider these statistics from The World Trade
Center Evacuation Study: 2

2. High Rise Building Evacuation: Lessons Learned from the World Trade Center Disaster, Bob Last is the Director of Research & Content for Redwood Collaborative.
Robyn R.M. Gershon, MHS, DrPH, Principal Investigator, University of Chicago, Center for Health He has over 20 years experience in the contact center and technical support
Administration Studies, March 29, 2006, page 31-32 Carolyn Carlson, February 22, 2006, page 8. industry as a manager, trainer, consultant and analyst.

24 I N B O U N D . N O V. D E C . 2 0 1 0

Inbound 11-12 2010

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