OPINION
Call Centres Fulfill Customer Relationships
29-09-2000
by Bernie Goldbach
The sweet spot in the field of e-business fulfilment isn't electronic customer relationship management (CRM).
Most experts agree best practise in e-business fulfilment occurs when quality CRM software works together with effective call centres. Organisations are turning a blind eye to customer comments, often failing to treat inquiries seriously.
Companies considering major outlays for cutting edge e-commerce applications should pause to reflect. According to the Gartner Group, it makes no sense to spend time and money on the computer side until the call centre side is in order. Gartner warns "you cannot be cavalier about customer concerns."
Ovum, an industry research group, identified the biggest growth segment in the call centre market: network-based call center services. Ovum believes these services will generate more than USD 4 billion in annual revenues for telecom service providers by 2005. It's a money-maker in Ireland already.
Marie Carroll, an Information Technology (IT) business consultant, has been watching major directory assistance companies with interest. "In many ways, the success of Conduit's 11850 is because a person gives you a telephone number as opposed to a machine," she observes. "You can get the number as an SMS (short messaging service) on your phone too."
Traditional call centres are quickly evolving from SMS to next-generation multimedia contact agencies. "Progressive call centres offer all-in-one support for a wide range of customer interactions," Carroll says. "That includes voice, handling e-mail, and dealing with web forms."
"Call centres have always provided important help for people," says Noelle McCarthy, managing director of 1-800people.com. "Today, they're also helping bring potential customers through what is already on the web."
Why worry about people who need help on a web page? Datamonitor found that businesses lost more than USD $3 billion during online Christmas shopping last year when customers abandoned their trollies in fits of confused frustration. Once people leave in a huff, they're highly unlikely to return.
Irish call centres have to work hard to fill key customer contact positions. Every week, the IT press reports talent shortages in roles requiring internet usage and technology skills. Ireland mirrors global trends in this regard. "Basically, the customer service jobs are the hardest to fill," says Ms. McCarthy. "After that, technical service with language. Nonetheless, we are getting the people."
Part of the 1-800people.com success stems from the company's skill in facilitating flexible attitudes by employers towards staffing and work hours. This flexibility addresses the skills shortages and it helps retain existing employees. Keeping existing staff saves loadsamoney.
Do you need concrete evidence that a company's call centre directly affects the bottom line? Research analysts from Nextera Enterprises estimate that employee turnover costs call centre companies more than USD 75 billion-just to replace the more than 6.5 million employees who leave companies every year. Employee turnover takes profitability down the drain. In the case of call centre staff, flexitime shows up in the bottom line.
Some recruitment agencies also evaluate whether an employee is suited for call centre jobs. Standard test batteries can often predict job satisfaction, which leads directly to employee retention.
Multiple-choice tests measure customer service attitudes and knowledge of preferred customer behaviours. Audio-based data entry tests measure the speed and accuracy of data entry. An audio-based test measures different levels of listening skills needed in a call centre. This test presents different sections of questions that focus on various call centre listening skills. Spelling tests help screen out people who would not present a positive impression for the company through e-mail.
Many large companies have started running their own in-house call centres. Why "insource" a call centre? Primarily because an in-sourced call centre offers various professional services designed to assist companies to enhance or build their own customer interaction environments.
Compaq has an in-sourced call centre in Clonskeagh in Dublin. It's a traditional call centre with techies to support registered owners of Compaq computers. Across town in East Point, Compaq runs a bureau that provides outsourced solutions for other companies. "We've pointed several satisfied companies towards this method of operation," says McCarthy. "There are customers you call and customers you provide solutions for."
In both case, call centres provide a link in the chain of e-business fulfilment by providing a welcome human touch to customer relationship management.
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