Managing World-Class Call Centers: Site Visit Findings.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Excellence in contact centers is becoming increasingly critical to driving client retention and boosting market share. A study by benchmarking leader Best Practices, LLC, reveals critical steps top executives undertake to ensure call centers achieve high-performance standards and deliver first-rate customer service.

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"Managing World-Class Call Centers: Site Visit Findings," profiled in a summary available online at http://www3.best-in-class.com/rr438.htm, details specific practices top companies use to increase call center performance. For example, top companies:

--Develop early warning and monitoring systems to monitor and manage call volumes.

--Employ a team approach to resolve customer complaints.

--Employ a multi-phased team recruitment process to select the most qualified candidates.

--Develop an integrated approach to orientation and initial job training to support employee productivity and service excellence.

--Support career development by aligning performance appraisals with employee career planning to help employees' progress towards career objectives.

--Empower customer service representatives to make service decisions that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.

--Develop process management and process control techniques to ensure customer service quality.

"Managing World-Class Call Centers: Site Visit Findings" compiles best practices from site visits at 11 world-class call centers, including two Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winners. The study also includes the following findings:

--Performance statistics, such as abandoned call rates, answer rates, handling time, hold time and save rates

--Call center organizational structures, including staffing levels for management and customer service representatives

--Employee reward and recognition systems, including salary ranges and incentive programs

--Call center rep evaluation and management practices, including performance scorecards and coaching techniques

"Recent research has shown that 70 percent of customers will buy products from companies with excellent customer service reputations," said Chris James, Best Practices, LLC vice president. "Companies need to bolster call center proficiencies to capture and retain these empowered customers."

To discuss this study in more detail, contact Alan Pitstick at [phone] or [e-mail]. And download a complimentary study excerpt of Managing World-Class Call Centers: Site Visit Findings at http://www3.best-in-class.com/rr438.htm to learn how these research findings will work for you.

ABOUT BEST PRACTICES, LLC

Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of world-class companies. For more information, call [phone] or visit http://www.best-in-class.com/.