via Soft skills still outweigh education in entry-level hires: infographic | Econsultancy.

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In the last round, T-Mobile cut 3300 jobs as it consolidated 24 regional call centers into 17. It hired 1900 new staff in the remaining call centers, resulting in a net cuts of 5 percent of its workforce.

via T-Mobile USA starts round 2 of layoffs, cutting 900 jobs — Mobile Technology News.

The convention’s theme was “Managing Customer Experience in a Digital World” – timely given the explosion of new contact channels over the past decade.  To help deliver the message, the ATA handed the microphone to a number of the industry’s most respected leaders.

Mary Murcott, CEO of NOVO 1, delivered a session on First Contact Resolution, considered the key driver of customer satisfaction.  As participants may have been surprised to learn, not only is this critical for customers, it’s also pivotal to improving employee engagement.  For perspective on the implications of social media, Kristen Kane, Director of Social Media with Kane Partners, and Cliff Critchlow, SVP with Aegis, urged their audience to do 4 things in order to successfully engage customers in the digital world: Listen, Interact, Socialize, and Adapt.  Other topics covered the virtues of chat – when used the right way – presented by ETech’s Jim Iyoob, to the virtual workforce by Alpine Access’s David Parkhurst.

Attendees responded favorably.  Lauren Jones, Director of Operations with HBW Leads, remarked “I enjoyed learning about the current FCC regulations on the industry, as well as the changes coming in the near future and how they will affect my company specifically.”

Patrice Eastman, VP of Business Communications with Assurant Solutions, added the following: “Delivering a great customer experience has always been a priority for Assurant Solutions. The difference today is the greater potential for public exposure of both positive and negative commentary, and the speed at which this commentary can spread virally. It was clear from this year’s conference agenda that this subject is top of mind within the contact center industry. The great news is that there are so many resources available to address these issues, adapt, and add greater value for consumers and stronger loyalty to brands.”

Perhaps the biggest highlight at the 2012 Convention was the long-awaited rebranding of the ATA, which was delivered by the Association’s new President, Phil Grudzinski.  In order to adapt to the evolving needs of the industry, the ATA is now officially known as PACE, the Professional Association for Customer Engagement.  The change more accurately reflects the many ways in which broadband and other internet technologies have reshaped the landscape of customer interaction.

In reflecting on the convention’s success, Chris Haerich, PACE’s VP of Membership Services exclaimed, “The 2012 National Convention and Expo was the best in recent memory.  The educational content, networking opportunities and social events were outstanding.  All of this was topped off by rebranding our association from the American Teleservices Association (ATA) to the Professional Association for Customer Engagement (PACE).  We are truly moving into the future.”

CallMe! IQ couldn’t agree more – and we are thrilled we’ll be there to experience it together.

The company pointed to better than expected demand as a key driver of the quarter and is raising full-year 2012 estimates.

View the full SYKE chart at Wikinvest

via PACE – Professional Association for Customer Engagement.

Sitel’s Vice President of Human Resources for the Americas, Judy Morris, stated:

This is a very exciting time for SITEL as we grow our North American footprint and continue to mean more to our clients, shareholders, associates and communities. We are moving quickly and establishing a strong managerial staff to lead this new site.”

via Sitel’s New Customer Care Center to Create 500 Jobs in Florida | EON: Enhanced Online News.

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Carnival Cruise Lines plans to shift 80 remaining agents in its Colorado Springs call center to working from their homes after the Miami-based cruise giant decided not to renew its lease on office space in the Homburg Center  east of downtown.

The move resulted in the elimination of six management and administrative positions, and the 80 agents were offered the chance to become home-based agents with an allowance for equipment needed to enable them to work from home, said Vance Gulliksen, a Carnival spokesman in its Miami headquarters.

The company already employs 70 agents in Colorado who work from their homes, which is a growing trend in the cruise industry as well as in call centers for other industries, he said.

via Carnival moving Springs call center workers to homes | center, homes, cruise – Colorado Springs Gazette, CO.

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New Hire and Honeymoon

New agents are often the lifeblood of a call center. Bringing new energy and excitement – they are highly engaged and motivated. This can often rub off on the rest of the agents. When new agents come on-board, it is up to management to direct that energy and enthusiasm in the right direction while giving the new agents the tools necessary to be successful in the center. The importance of an effective on-boarding and training program cannot be overestimated.

Crossing the Chasm

At some point, the honeymoon phase wears off and agents either reach maturity or need to be coached up or out. Often, the chasm occurs at the point agents are leaving the “nesting” phase of their on-boarding. The realities of the job are sinking in and exposure to more experienced agents can result in picking up bad habits. It is critical to continue the development of the agent at this point to ensure long-term success.

Experienced, but at What Cost?

Call Center work is a grind. If you center isn’t taking steps to actively impact agent engagement, the daily grind of the job can begin to wear down an agent. We have written extensively on the cost of call center agent engagement, but here are 5 key methods for keeping agents engaged:

1. Create a Connection Between Work & Company Success
2. Show a Commitment to Employee Development
3. Ask for Employee Feedback and Ideas
4. Set Expectations about Performance
5. Establish a Clear Value Proposition

Working to keep agents engaged is critical, but failing to act will mean they move on to the next step in the agent lifecycle – checking out.

Checked Out

If you are not actively keeping agents engaged, they will “check-out” mentally and sometimes physically. At this point, the agent is most likely lost and no amount of coaching will bring them back. It is typically better for everyone for the agent to move on at this point.

Bottom line, there is a natural cycle to the life of a call center agent, but effective management, mentoring, coaching and development can greatly impact that cycle making the agent more productive at work and happier in the position. If you have questions about your call center’s agent lifecycle and how you can impact the cycle for your agents, please contact us.

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Here are three things leaders should learn quickly and never forget:

1. What makes people happiest in their jobs is all profoundly personal. “Do I work for an organization whose mission and methods I respect?” “Does my boss authentically advocate for me?” “Is the work I do meaningful?” “Am I afforded sufficient variety in my day?” “Do I feel valued and appreciated for all the work that I do?”We know that all these matter more to people than their compensation–and workers generally don’t quit jobs when these basic needs are met. According to a worldwide Towers Watson study, the single highest driver of employee engagement is whether or not workers feel their managers are genuinely interested in their well-being. Today, only 40% of workers believe that.
2. People only thrive when they feel recognized and appreciated. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, “Why Appreciation Matters So Much,” Tony Schwartz reminds us that all employees need to be praised, honored, and routinely acknowledged for their efforts and achievements. Consequently, leaders must allow themselves to manage more from their hearts.Our brains are great at building strategies, managing capital, and analyzing data. But it’s the heart that connects us as human beings, and its what’s greatly lacking in American leadership today. This is what now must change.
3. Your employees will stay if you tell them directly you need them, care about them, and sincerely plan to support them. Any time someone quits a job for a reason other than money, they’re leaving in hope that things will be better somewhere else. So, everyone who works for you must be made to feel that they matter. Plan one-on-one meetings and re-discover the dreams each person has at work. Tell people directly how valuable they are to you. To be successful, all your future behavior must demonstrate to your employees that their best career move is to remain working for you.

via The Sharp Drop-Off In Worker Happiness–And What Your Company Can Do About It | Fast Company.

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