Pretty ProgressiveStarting a call center is necessary to get your message out if you operate a non-for-profit. It’s the gears behind your business, which wouldn’t be alive without it. Whether you reach out to donors or ask people to vote, these tips for managing a productive call center will help you execute your strategy. Find out what it takes to manage the phones.
Monitor Call Quality
Analyze staff calls using online or internal tools. Record and routinely listen to calls going through your call center to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your employees. Evaluate the performance of your agents to determine if they are following their training.
You can use the same tools to determine which agents perform best. In addition to rewarding your best performers, use this data to help your underperforming team members improve. For instance, the analytics will show you what’s working; share this information with your staff so they can adapt.
Choose the Right Building
Call centers need a reliable connection to perform seamlessly, yet interference is common in buildings. You might experience drops in calls, especially if your call center is in a basement. These drops can happen due to the materials the building is made of. One solution is to bring the cell signal inside with a distributed antenna signal (DAS). Of all the types of DAS, active DAS is the best for buildings made of concrete and steel.
Hire Passionate Workers
When you have a clear vision for your operation, it may seem like only the right people will apply. You’ll quickly find out that you still need to vet your list of applicants to ensure you hire the right people for the job. Ensure employees are not only passionate about your mission but also their part in it.
Train Your Staff
Employees may love your brand and vision enough to get hired. Still, you must train them on company policy and test their knowledge. Customer service is not an easy job. Even the most experienced call center workers may need retraining on the simplest tips and tricks to remind them how to handle situations that commonly arise at your business.
Pro Tip: As things change at your company, retrain your staff. Keep everyone up to date on policy and role changes.
Listen To Your Staff
When your staff come to you with concerns, take them seriously. Give them space to tell you how they feel and voice their opinions. Be transparent about what may or may not happen with their ideas, so they don’t feel neglected.
Pro Tip: Have regular staff meetings. Allow time for questions and concerns in a space where everyone feels welcome.
Improve Employee Engagement
Employees who get along work better together. You’ll enjoy a more productive call center when your staff is familiar with one another and can engage with one another. Host parties in the office (or virtually if your staff work from home) to give them time to get to know one another.
Use these tips for managing a productive call center to get your operation in shape. Hire passionate workers and keep them up to date on your best practices. Monitor calls for standards and trust your employees when they come to you with ideas and concerns. Balance hard work with fun to create an environment that makes people want to show up.
