Call Center Agent's Request

I've been in the call center industry for years, so needless to say I have formed many relationships with agents around the world.

I get ask a question a lot from many of the agents. "Do you know a good way to suppliment my income?"

Hmmm, that is a good question. I'm going to recommend a system that many have recommended. I personally have not used it. The banner and link are below:

Make sure you visit http://www.callcentercafe.com/ most of the blog post on call center management, call center outsourcing and call center performance management go there now.

See you over there...

Call Center Games updated witrh New Bonus

This is a quick post about some really cool changes I made to the Call Center Games package. It has been updated with a cool new design and I added an awesome bonus.

Go here to learn more: Call Center Games

Call Center Performance Management Tool

Improve Performance and Morale at the same time!

These tools will help you improve performance in all areas. Are you trying to improve sales? How about Quality? What if you had a set of tools that would drive performance to new levels, without creating an employee relation nightmare...

This tool provides you with fun and engaging ideas that everybody loves.

Side Note: My team and I created these to help create a positive BUT successful environment. Currently this product has been sold to over 3,000 happy call center leaders.

Learn More by going to Call Center Games

Offshore Outsourcing is it Dangerous?

Having spent time in US domestic centers and offshore, I come in contact with more and more folks that want to debate the call center outsourcing question.

Funny thing is that most of the negativity is directed at India. Both sides like to throw darts at each other. A Couple of months ago I was reading an article written by an Indian journalist, but for an American paper.

In her article she posed the question that the rudeness of US and UK customers was forcing high attrition and absenteeis, in the Indian call centers.

Apparently, she has never worked in a call center because if she had she would realize that these two issues are common place for the industry. I felt obligated to respond to her article with my opinion.

In it I basically told her that the empoyees in the Indian call centers were just whinning at that these issues are all characteristics of the call center industry. Sometimes customers are not nice expecially if your calling them for payment!

But the Indian call centers are faced with another dilemma. FRAUD and theft. Security has now become a big issue.

Read the article below to see what I am talking about and leave a comment on this blog with your opinion.

This news article came over today:

Concern Mounts Over Data Fraud at Indian Call Centers

technorati tags:call+center, call, center, call+center+outsourcing, outsourcing

I've Been Away But Now I am Back With Call Center Stories!

Hello my fellow call center friends!

My apologies!

I have completely neglected my blog over the past couple of months. I was actually offshore doing some consultant work but now that gig is over and I am back in the saddle again.

I have a lot of new call center stories and information that I want to share with you. So I am going to try to update this blog three times a day. Hopefully I can keep up.

You may want to add this into your news reader. The link is:

http://callcentercafe.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Just copy and past into your favorite news reader. Or you can simply come by when you have a break in your day.

I have some really exciting news about Collaborative Leadership and Employee Inclusion. Have you heard of these terms before? Well you'll love this process to lead your teams. I will share more information in upcoming blogs, but I can tell you this.

This system is out of this world. It never fails. If you follow it you truly understand the meaning of working smarter not harder. You'll get better results from your employees and you'll do it with actually doing less work.

Talk to you very shortly!

Suvivor

technorati tags:call, center, outsourcing, customer+service

This is not call center related but is related to personal management

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Call Center Model That ALmost Makes the Grade

Call Center

Last post I was ranting about call center outsourcing and that some businesses that sell these services are just full of hot air. This is a post-rant apology - well not really. The truth is that is how I feel about call center US based companies using less than honorable techniques to get business and try to keep it.

Today I will get into more detail about the business model that is pretty good, however the overall execution from the people at the top miss the ethical mark, resulting in my opinions about this company.

Here is the model in a nutshell...

Create a network of owner operated call centers. The advantagous are:

• The Center onwers have a vested interest in the success of the business
• The Marketing Company (head of the network), can push most if not all of the expenses to the centers.

However, doing this can create resentment from the owners, which is what is happening with this companys plan.

Another issue is that the owners are paid per hour but clients make payment per minute, per call and by pay for performance. SO what happens? If you continue to push cost to the owners they figure a way to make it up.

This company has so many problems. The funny things their ego is so large that they don't realize it.

The critical execution of this plan or business model is a strong central organization. If you don't have that, then clients are going to come and go. Which is what is happening with this company.

They are weak in organization and leadership. In fact if they didn't climb on the backs of other brokers they wouldn't have any business at all. I will go it that more in the future.

So bottom line is that they need strong leadership - which they don't. In fact they have achieved success due to some questionable business practices. They don't understand that the call center industry is a small one - with a memory. They are burning bridges faster then there is business.

Things get even juicier. Keep an eye on my next post and I will share about some of the things they do when conducting business....

until next time. If any of them happen to be reading this....you know what I am talking about. How do you sleep at night?

The company's model starts with a network of owner operated call center 48 - 96 seats.

Beware of The Call Center Outsourcer You Choose

Call Center Outsourcing - One of the most critical decisions you can make

I have been in the call center industry for over 18 years now and in the call center outsourcing arena for the past 8 years.

I've learned a lot about call center outsourcing...

Over the next several weeks I am going to share with you some of the critical information that I have learned.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...

There are some outsourcing companies (I will not name names - wish I could but I do not feel like getting sued), that you need to stay away from.

A lot of people are upset with a good portion of the work moving offshore. For good reason, but the bottomline - it will not change. Some will come back to the USA but most likely it may move to another new hot spot.

However, with that being said - some US call center outsourcing companies don't help. They talk a great game about how their business model is the best thing since sliced bread but the truth is you need to pull back the layers and find out what really makes it successful.

Because no matter what the fast talking midgets say - it all comes down to execusion. Without it, I don't care how great their technology is or their model - they just won't deliver.

And they know it.

What they do to mask this weakness is to make their pricing so competetive that it looks too good - TO BE TRUE.

Unfortunately, for the rest of the solid USA call center outsourcing companies (and there are a handful), the unscrupulous ruin it for them. In fact, they should join forces and put those disguising themselves as a high quality, exceptional business model call center outsourcing solution - out of business.

As you can tell I have a strong opinion about these companies or company. The truth be told - I hate dealing with the type of people that run these companies. They do it only for profit. Trust me I love profit but not by sacrificing everything else like ETHICS.

Next post I will share more detail about a certain company and how their business model could be great except for the people that are in charge making decisions.

Call Center Outsourcing - The good the bad and the ugly!