A Robotic Call Center Agent over a Human

Wonder what it would be like if your call center agent is really a robot and not a human being. Well, I just wished that if that day happens, I hope human beings has find another lucrative job than being a call center agent.  Otherwise, it would be a screaming “unemployment” thingy again.

Customer: Your company is just full of crap!!! B***sh*t

Human: That’s the last thing we want you to feel, ma’am. [ Poker faced and poker feeling (?)]

Customer: I know you would say because that’s just what all of you are saying. You understand me? No you don’t.

Human: We really do understand, ma’am. [Still poker faced with poker emotions]

Customer: You’re really full of sh*t. You and your company.

Robot CCA: Let’s just focus on your issue, ma’am. [Poker faced seeing no signs of stress sill]

Customer: I need your supervisor …

Imagine having this conversation with a human being:

Customer: Your company is just full of crap!!! B***sh*t

Human: Imitating the customer with no voice and then speaks .. “That’s the last thing we want you to feel, ma’am. [Meaning -- when will this call be over?!?! Jeez!!!]

Customer: I know you would say because that’s just what all of you are saying. You understand me? No you don’t.

Robot CCA: We really do understand, ma’am. [No choice because this is a script that was told by our QA to tell you otherwise we will fail]

Customer: You’re really full of sh*t. You and your company.

Human: Let’s just focus on your issue, ma’am. [Stop swearing because I'm already fed up with you swearing at me. I need a good customer after this call please?!?!?! -- looking very angry now]

Customer: I need your supervisor …

Human: [At last!!!] Kindly hold on the line, ma’am [Where's my saviour?] Tl?”

Ramping Up?!?

Nah … I’d say making up for the loss.

There has been a lot of employees that has been forced to resign due to non-performance. In our department, this is a common knowledge since we are the one working with Human Resources whenever there is a termed agent / employee in the company.

And because of this, the number of agents in our account decreased and the client thought of hiring new agents to fill up those positions that has been vacant.

My friend, who is already a senior agent in our company, asked me if we are ramping up. He noticed this because there’s another promo for refer-a-friend-win-a-prize in our company as well as the ongoing hiring / training of new employees.

And I said ~ We’re not ramping up. We’re just making up for the loss of many agents / employees we retrenched. 

You Are Not Alone on Your Call

One Sunday evening, while I was busy doing the timely reports thatwe are sending out to the clients, our “special phone” rang and I immediately answer it. Special because only clients can call that phone and you know that when it is ringing, there is a client on the other side.

It was from one of our client barging in on one of our agent’s call. Our client stated to us of what happened during the call and how unhelpful and rude the agent was to the customer.

For you who are already working in a call center, this is not new anymore. But for others who are just starting, call monitoring does not starts and ends with your QA Anayst / Specialists. Clients will also do a surprise “barge in” and God help you if you’re doing something out of the ordinary that time.

I remember years ago that the client visited our site. It’s a common thing that they visit the site but little did we know that their main goal in going to the office is to listen randomly to some of the calls. Unfortunately, there were a lot of agents who got caught mistreating the customer, releasing the call, belittling the customer’s knowledge on the subject and so many other things.

The main key here is being properly informed on the account that you are working at. Be always on the lookout on the updates for your product [what you have been doing yesterday to troubleshoot an issue might not be the same procedure today], always be nice to your customer [easy to say but hey, you've got to do your part of the job since you chose to stick with it --- hahaha], always remind yourself that there’s nothing personal — one hidden job description as a call center agent is for you to be every customer’s shock absorber . I have accepted this sad fact for a long time already mind you.

And of course, always show a positive attitude, not just to your work, but to all of your colleagues and bosses. They are the one who can help you the most during your most critical “crisis”

Give Me a Break !!!

Give Me a Break

After having irate customers since you started your shift, don’t you wish you’re just the automated IVR stating this one? Hahahahaha

Reliability Counts

Our company acquired a new account — of course another technical support stuff. And since there has been a lot of resignations and recession in our department, we are already short of staff for them to put some of us in the new account while still waiting for some people who will fill in the post of WMS.

Our boss will also be transferred in that new account — we will miss her!!! Since there is only little time left to recruit people, our former boss thought of something great — if we have friends that we know will qualify for the position, we’ll just need to give the resume to our boss and he will do the interview right after!

Unfortunately, all the ones I know already resigned and went to work for a different company. The ones that are left, they said that WMS is not their cup of tea. So be it!

One time, our boss is holding a resume and he got to ask one of our colleague if she knew the applicant. Well, she knows the applicant but not that much. Our boss said he might consider it if she will be getting a good feedback. But none of us knew the applicant, just got referred from the other department.

Our boss looked at the reliability of the agent Meaning, if she is always at work and minimal absents. Coz that’s the only thing that he will have to consider before he will interview. But upon seeing the attendance of the agent, he folded the paper into three and said … “this is hopeless.”

Reliability or having a good attendance is one of the most important asset you will have when you want to level up on your current post. Build that credibility and know the right people and the right place at the right time and you’ll get what you want

Before You Resign: Think It Over !!!

As I was visiting the Operations supervisors, I came across one supervisor who is currently contemplating if he will be applying in a different company or what. He has his own list of “Things to Consider” and here are those:

- Travel, time and effort

[On my personal experience, I once worked in a call center which always takes me 2 hours to travel before my skin feels the super cold aircon in our office. And it is really tiring. I asked myself one day, can't I just get a job that is near my place so I won't have to be like this everyday. And I got what I want. Really, you can save a lot of time, travel hours and effort to wake up less than an hour before you go to work because your job place is just a walking distance from your company]

- Reset of Tenureship

[I have been working in our company for five years. And once you apply in a new company, you will be on a probationary mode again with no vacation/sick credits yet on your attendance sheet, have to battle either 6 or 3 months before you get to be regularized and received the right amount of your salary ... Why go to a company wherein you will be a new player again vs. on your current one which you are already one of the pioneer? Think it over like I said]

- Friends, Colleagues, Warmth

[For me, this is less of a consideration if I will be applying for a new job in a different company. 'Coz true friends will always be there no matter what. If ever you will be accepted in a new company, isn't it that you will have additional friends to invite on your Twitter, Facebook, Multiply, Friendster and amongst other related things?]

- Money

[ If the salary is doubled or tripled than what you are getting now, why not? But remember, bigger salary most of the times means harder job responsibilities.A company won't be paying you that too good to be true salary if they can't maxed our your performance. Ohhh ... been there done that]

- Better company [or at least the best company]

[Research first and foremost. Asked not just the people you knew but also try to ask somebody that is working there or have been there before before saying yes to a job offer. Look for a forum on the internet that tackles not only their good side but also their bad side. This is a practice for me. And after all the research, if you think it is a better company compared to your current one, then it is worth trying your new luck there regardless of the preceeding "considerations"]

So you still want to resign? :):)

It’s Been One Year

The day that I have been on this post was like — really?!? I already got in to this department? I rock!!!

Now, it’s been one hell of a year! I can’t imagine it. I escalated two agents from being a fraud, because they are, to the management, and unfortunately for them, they got fired. We’ve handled one new successful account and they just renewed the contract for another year yippee [it means we'll still have another year for this job]. And my body clock is rumbled because every two months we’re changing our schedules. How’s that?

However, this one year is very fruitful. New experiences. New friends to connect with on my Facebook and Friendster, new acquiantances, new kind of escalations to me compared to when I was still an agent, new enemies [it's a common life when you are in the management side -- you are versus with the Operations ], new drinking buddies, new shopping mates but old friends still remains [I make sure of that], and most importantly, learning to balance my relationship with the management and the Operations.

So far, I got a nice feedback from the Operations. The friendly and nice WMS. And recently I just received a kudos from one of our managers hoorays!!! Yoohoo to me!!!

So for me and for the rest of us — Happy 1st year anniversary. We survived one rocking year hahaha

I am a Workforce Management Specialist !

Well .. I belong to the first level. In case you are interested to level up with just being a call center agent, here are my duties/responsibilities for this kind of job:

• Support the management of call center staffing by planning based on historical data and relevant assumptions, employing strong analytical skills.

• Actively monitor the progress of programs on a real time basis using the Avaya CMS Supervisor, TCS and RTA.

• Report any anomalies to the appropriate Operations Management and analyze data to identify any trends that may exist and offer solutions.

• Create, modify and delete employee and program information as requested.

• Create and modify both User and Agent information within the application, ensuring appropriate security restrictions are enforced.

• Maintain a good understanding of call routing and vectoring, assisting in decision making of routing requirements and suggest improvements to maximize performance of the program.

• Generate schedules that closely match the workload of program.

• Liaise with Team Leaders to ensure all program requirements are met.

• Maintain a good understanding of all factors that must be considered in the forecasting process and comprehensively explain these to our internal and external customers.

• Liaise with Operational and Client Solutions departments as well as the client to determine forecasted call volume and required staffing levels for each program.

As a call center agent, you might wonder why you are getting a lot more calls than your colleagues, why your team is scheduled in this very odd hour, why your team has been transferred to a different shift, why your days off need to be in split off, and among others..

Well .. it is US.  It is what we [I] do in our seat whenever we look at our two monitor stations. We make sure that the service level of the center is met always, always see to it that the agents are not just seeing idle / not doing anything because this is not profitable to the center you are currently working for, be vigilant on the agents that are just avoiding calls or releasing chat transcripts to be on AVAIL mode and among others — It’s US

So wanna be part of US?

Recalling Employees

Due to the recession wave, three supervisors were booted out of our company. So, we in the Workforce Management group thought this might have scared our other supervisors because some of them started applying for either the same job or higher position in a different company.

And our guess was right. Two supervisors resigned. One gave a notice and the other filed for an immediate resignation. These two supervisors were already tenured in our company so our management find it so hard to replace them with more deserving employee.

And what was the master plan after?

Recall the two employees they booted out of our company. And the two just happily accepted their comeback to the office.

Resignation Day

I am not going to resign — at least not yet. Not for now. I still have some things to attend to before I tender my resignation.

Just like any other companies, tendering resignations in a call center is just the same. But what makes the difference is being informed on how to formally resign from your company.

Rule #1: Don’t go on AWOL.  Don’t go on “Absence without leave” just because you decided to resigned. What if you decided you still want to go back? Others just felt the heat, just got drained, felt bored but when all of these are over, they felt like coming back. You already have a bad record. This company would not “recall” you anymore. So why not try to apply for an “indefinite leave” while you are still thinking things over or trying to recharge your life?

Rule #2: Choose your “plan” of exit. Either immediate, 15 days or 30 days notice. Any of these three, back it up with a formal letter of resignation. Reasons can be personal, personal growth, career growth, undisclosed, migrating to a new location — be plain and simple in explaining. What’s important is that your exit to the company is formal and the company is informed on the details why you are leaving. We document every reasons why an employee resigned in our company. This helps us analyze how we can grow as a company and makes us understand better how we can keep our employees stay for years.

Rule #3: Be clear with your compensations/last pay. Before leaving the company, ask them what comes next after my last day in the office. These includes when are you going to get your last pay, computation of your backpay / separation pay [if there is], clearance, things you need to surrender before finally leaving the office, etc. When you are already out of the office, it’s already difficult to ask for these information as most of the time, the company is very busy for people who are no longer supplying them money hahahahaha

Rule #4: Keep your friends closer. Your friends are your access to the company if you need info. If you can’t get through your HR department because the line is always busy or the person you are looking is always not in the office, at least have some of your friends asked for the info you need.

If you need resources in writing resignation letters, check out this site:

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/sampleresignationletters/Resignation_Letter_Samples_Examples_of_Resignation_Letters.htm