Sales Forces
The Call Centre Manager
Eugene Bala
December 2002
Eugene Bala
The Call Centre Manager
Position Definition- Roles and Responsibilities
The Call Centre Manager is the nexus cell of the Floor Operations with respect to ensuring
compliance with the banking procedures, upper management and client expectations. The CCM focuses
on five main areas of action. Firstly, by monitoring call centre metrics and taking timely corrective action
and/or incentivising in order to adjust the core centre metrics to targeted objective - recently this task has
been carried on in co-operation with the Service Level Evaluators (SLE). Secondly, by identifying
coaching needs and providing on the spot feedback to problems as they arise and assisting with the
training and presentation of new materials, revised information on products and services, company policy
and objectives. Thirdly, by utilising quality monitoring techniques to support excellent DA performance
also empowering the staff to proactively take ownership of their targeted goals and teamwork. Fourthly,
by generating performance reporting seeking continuous process improvement, originating reports and
meaningful documented material for management meetings. Lastly, by scrutinising the competitive
landscape and identifying business opportunities through own research or feedback from DAs.
The Call Centre Manager, like supervisors, would lead by example would take calls if necessary.
In a nutshell, the Call Centre Manager would have to implement on the front line, taking advantage of the
skills available in the team, the strategy designed by the Operations Management.
Strategy to Improve and Ensure Operational Success
Any strategy, in order to make the venture successful, has to take into consideration whether
there is an opportunity in the business environment that should be taken advantage of based on available
resources, or, whether internal resources are a source of competitive advantage. In the highly
competitive online business, top management' success in ensuring contracts is key but without
outstanding internal skills there would be very difficult to generate future streams of benefits and increase
shareholder value. Thus, the operational success should be regarded as the central pillar of the general
strategy and it can be achieved by following an attemptive guideline:
 Communicate throughout the company top management's vision and goals
 State clear objectives and goals for Operations, explained and reviewed with DAs
 Implement The Call Centre 100 Point System1 - a holistic approach to DA's activity
and performance management
 Develop an attractive rewards and incentives structure that would consider stretched
goals but also realistically allow DAs to attain them.
1
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The Call Centre 100 Point System has been developed by Eugene Bala in September 2001
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The Call Centre Manager
 Empower the staff to take ownership of the process and continuously improve it:
create and develop winning teams, acknowledge the best achievements and allow
best performers to positively impact the performance of others in their team.
 Give individual and team feedback and training sessions as needed. Ensure that the
QA requirements are fully understood and part of The Call Centre 100 Point
System1.
 Motivate the staff also by ensuring that they operate in a secure and proper
environment with all support functions ready to promptly respond to any particular
need, technical or administrative.
 Enhance two-way internal communication: meetings should be not only motivational in
nature, they should be an occasion for DAs to give feedback to the management.
Key Metrics to Use for Program Improvement
The existing metrics should be well defined and straightforward: Sales-per-hour average
(SPH), production time and effectiveness percentages, calls per minute and per day, average
handling time per call (AHT), QA score, attendance and punctuality.
In addition to these two variables another long run variable should be considered: the
long run NCS to SPH ratio2. The higher the ratio on the long run, the bigger the chances that a
DA focus less on quality and more on sales.
Key Actions to Take if Key Metrics Are Below Objective
Key metrics should not be considered individually only, as a good measure of
performance. Rather, they should be assessed in a broader context: first, as a part of the Call
Centre 100 Point System; second, individually by comparison to the team average and specific
project current average, past results not being reliable enough. They reflect past experience
only, in a specific competitive and technological context. The impact of macro economics and
customer behaviour should be considered as well. In many situations, the DA is on his own,
putting lots of energy and enthusiasm in the negotiation process in order to fill in the gaps.
Moreover, the DA is constantly in a situation of internal conflict: incentive money spurs sales but
1
The Call Centre 100 Point System has been developed by Eugene Bala in September 2001
This ratio has been developed by Eugene Bala in September 2001 and is defined as NCS / individual
SPH, where the NCS is the number of cross sales generating incentive money
2
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Eugene Bala
The Call Centre Manager
sometimes the QA score may drop. In fact, the QA team should monitor consistently not only
the daily weak performer but also the top performer as well. This is because one can
overpromise and make many people sign-up, setting the stage for a pool of disgruntled
customers. Therefore, a bad QA score in combination with top sales score should average out
with a high QA score and perhaps a lower sales number. Depending on what the management
is looking after, one variable or the other can gain more weight by making a corrective
adjustment (that is, using different weights).
In a nutshell:
 Determine first the quality of the service and product that are currently offered
compared to the competition. Take into consideration what disgruntled customers say.
 Determine whether there are technological or economical factors that might depress
the demand for these products and services. Most recent consumer behaviour
patterns should be assessed.
 Determine whether the workstations or any other workplace related factors might
negatively affect team/individual performance. Check also the dialling speed: if the
number of sales is low but the speed is high then allow for more resources in the Call
Centre by offering over-time opportunities and adjust the estimates for the period.
 Monitor DA calls - top and bottom performer - and offer coaching or training where
needed. Help high QA performers with low sales figure become a bit more assertive
and close more sales.
 Give incentives individually, to top performing teams but also thank everybody for input
effort.
 Check with individuals whether they have personal problems that might affect the daily
work performance (health and other).
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The Call Centre Manager
DA Motivation and Incentive System
The Call Centre 100 Point System allows a better and holistic assessment of DA's performance.
Each week a DA should achieve 100 points as follows:
Day 1
Variable
Weight Qty
Nb inbound
calls
AHT
Nb
outbound
calls
SPH
Cross sales
Attendance
Special
projects
QA rating
Other
Total points
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
S-Total Weight Qty S-Total Weight Qty S-Total Weight Qty S-Total Weight Qty S-Total
[Qty 1
D1
+
+
Qty 2
D2
+
+
Qty 3
D3
+
+
Qty 4
D4
+
+
Qty 5] / 5
D5
Weekly
average
=
=
Each week the DA will complete the above table with the weights given by the Call Centre
Manager. It is solely on the basis of this reporting score card that individual performance will be assessed
overall resulting in promotions, increase in hourly rate, bonuses allocated and respectively, employment
contracts would be terminated. Minimum 100 points should be obtained a week or each week for a
month in a row, in order to get a raise in the hourly rate. In subsequent months the minimum number of
points could be increased to 150 or 200 points. As a general rule, a more significant increase in the
hourly pay commands a higher number of points.
The management should keep in mind that the higher the representative's motivation, the greater
his effort. Greater effort will lead to greater performance; greater performance will lead to greater
rewards; greater rewards will lead to greater satisfaction; and greater satisfaction will reinforce motivation
- as shown in Fig.1.
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Motivation
The Call Centre Manager
Effort
Performance
Rewards
Satisfaction
Fig. 1
This model implies the following:

The management must be able to convince DAs that they can sell more by working harder or
being trained to work harder. But if sales are determined largely by economic conditions or
competitive positioning and actions, this linkage is undermined.

The management must be able to convince DAs that the rewards for better performance are
worth the extra effort. But if the rewards seem to be set arbitrarily or are too small, extremely
difficult to attain, or of the wrong kind, this linkage is undermined.
Although promotion, personal growth and sense of accomplishment are important, the DAs are
highly motivated by pay and the chance to get ahead and satisfy their intrinsic needs. Another key
incentive that would foster commitment to objective achievement is to allow a minimum of schedule
flexibility.
Face-to-Face Coaching
There are two basic approaches in training DAs:

Sales-oriented approach - train DAs in high-pressure selling techniques such as those used
in selling automobiles, by exaggerating the product's merits, criticising competitive products
and offering some incentive to get the order on the spot.

Customer-oriented approach - train people in customer problem solving. The DAs learn how
to listen and question in order to identify customers needs, objections and come-up with
solutions.
At this point in time, at ING Direct a hybrid method is used: the customer is engaged with a
customer-oriented approach but the subsequent negotiation process is very much like the sales-oriented
approach. This hybrid approach has some merits but still is a sales oriented approach, customers resent
this very often and much care should be developed as to whether the client company's sales objectives
are more "push" or "pull". This in-house method of sales turns quickly, under the pressure of results
achievement and punctual incentive, in a pure push approach.
More generally, coaching means active listening, being alert to individual needs, empathy and a
sincere desire to help and providing specific and accurate feedback. The management should use the
report card based on the Call Centre 100 Point System as a reflection of the DA's performance. This
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system offers at a glance, insights as to which areas need improvement and what kind of support is
involved: more training, a break, more incentives, etc. The management should also not only discuss the
performance but also the objectives of each DA's, show that beyond the figures it "cares". The coaching
sessions should be used as a critical two way communication, by letting the DAs express concerns or
even better, come up with suggestions for process improvement, not only automatically repeating QA's
mantras.
It is important to let DAs take ownership -and pride - from what they are doing. Otherwise, on the
long run the floor becomes a sweat-shop and the best elements would go to other places where they can
get a better pay.
Communication with DAs
DAs should be provided with clear objectives and supportive means to effectively perform their
task and achieve goals. DAs should clearly understand the Call Centre 100 Points System, the most
critical variables that the management wants to highlight and criteria used in the bonus structure.
Any information regarding change in policies, incentive system, product up-dates, weights for
adjusting variables in the Call Centre 100 Points Systems, sales objectives for the day, results for the
previous day should be communicated daily. QA feedback should be provided weekly or more often if
monitoring a DA would reveal obvious areas for improvement. A monthly or bi-monthly coaching session
based on the score reporting card would be beneficial for DA and the management. In order to reach a
high level of enthusiasm and energy, critical for a DA position, the management should continuously
encourage them to improve themselves and the system and take ownership of the process, in the long
run keeping the turnover low.
How to Achieve Excellence in Call Centre Managership
An attemptive approach would consist of the following 10-step Approach3:

Set direction and goals - In the corporate arena the Call Centre Manager is to decompose
corporate goals in specific goals for employees in his own area of responsibility and set
direction.

Provide leadership - Through selection of the right people, the design of appropriate plan
and establishment of achievable goals.
3
The 10-step approach has been designed by Eugene Bala in September 2001
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
The Call Centre Manager
Allocate resources - In order to successfully achieve specific goals the Call Centre Manager
has to identify what resources and skills are necessary to execute the job and what internal
competencies are available.

Create winning teams - Building team performance should mean for the Call Centre
Manager:

-
Establish urgency, demanding performance standards
-
Select members for skills and skill potential, not personality
-
Pay particular attention to first meetings and actions
-
Set some clear set of rules of behaviour
-
Set and seize upon a few immediate performance oriented tasks and goals
-
Challenge the group regularly with fresh facts and information
-
Spend lots of tome together
-
Exploit the power of positive feedback, recognition and reward
Facilitate communication - In order to enhance commitment, use extensive communication
and explain not only the organisation's goals and strategy but also what is currently
happening, why and how would that affect their jobs and careers. Special attention should be
paid to creating a two-way communication system allowing employees to share their views
and opinions.

Empower and transfer control - Empowering and enabling employees to control decision on
how they do their work demonstrates the management's trust and as a result builds employee
commitment. This implies employee’s involvement in the goal setting process or allowing
employees to deliver their share of work even when working on a flexible schedule.

Monitor performance - Goal attainment should be monitored and the progress towards it fed
back regularly and followed up if remedial action is necessary. It is an occasion for a Call
Centre Manager to show concern for people and ensure that each individual is treated with
dignity.

Reward - Rewards should reinforce goal attainment, and be received by the team members to
enhance their mutual accountability for the goal. Sharing the economic gains of reaching
targets helps employees stay motivated to reach increasingly difficult goals. The Call Centre
Manager should compensate employees for work accomplished on the basis of clear set of
rules and avoid too much management subjectivity, by using the Call Centre 100 Point
System.

Focus on continuous improvement - The Call Centre Manager should not accept the status
quo. He has to assess current process change, ensure that improvements are irreversible,
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The Call Centre Manager
that knowledge flows through the organisation and that all current achievements are subject to
further optimisation. All employees should be not only aware but also involved in the process
of continuous improvement.

Enhance work culture - The work culture is critical for many employees that identify
themselves to what they are performing and to the corporation where they performing daily.
Thus it is important to establish an environment of fun (play) and openness and celebration for
small as well for big wins allowing employees to evacuate stress, enjoy what they are doing
and take pride from their job.
New Trainees Management
The current process of new trainees training, coaching and integration of the production process
is effective. The first step in the process is a thorough process of recruitment, looking for potential recruits
not only in terms of skills, commitment, social dynamics but also organisational fit.
Once "on board" trainees would spent several days of training in order to understand the sale
process, the policies, meeting the managers and getting into the specifics of the services and products to
sell and also the IT support functionalities. The introductory training should also present the Call Centre
100 Point System and also QA requirements. At the end of the training, trainees would start listening to
top performers and start pitching themselves, assisted through the peer link program.
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