“Why Call Centres Fail…….”
revised 28. April 2000
Presented by
Niels Kjellerup, Senior Partner
Resource International Pty Ltd (Australien).
“Why Call Centres Fail…….”
This Study is based on 126 documented
Call Centres Cases.
“Why Call Centres Fail…….”
Study of 126 Call Centres.
Geographic Distribution :
US 84
period 1982-1997
EU 33
1986-1997
OZ
1988-1997
9
“Why Call Centres Fail…….”
Study of 126 Call centres
Organisational Focus
Financial
45
Industrial
31
Service
38
Government
12
“Why Call Centres Fail…….”
Study of 126 Call centres
The 3 distinct Phases of a Call Centre’s life
:
I.
Operational Phase
( 6-12 months)
II. Expansion Phase
(12-18 months)
III. Integration Phase
( + 18 months)
“Why Call Centres Fail…….”
Study of 126 Call centres
The First 18 Months are critical.
In this Study 64 Call Centres had
ceased operation and been disbanded.
WHY?
Practical Guide to Failures
Operational Phase ( 27 +++ in 6-12 Month)
• No or little People Management skills
• Cost/Benefit ; no or poor documentation
• Lack of Process Mapping/ Focus on
Automation & IT
• Design Senior to Customer Needs
Practical Guide to Failures
Expansion Phase (37+++ in 12-18 months)
• False Benchmarks
False Benchmarks
• Adopting IT-measurements has caused more
Call Centre failures than any other single
issue.
• The TARP Teleservice Benchmarking
Studies 1997 establishes OUTCOMES as
the correct Benchmarks
Practical Guide to Failures
Expansion Phase (37+++ in 12-18 months)
• False Benchmarks
• Channel Conflict
• Galley Slave V’s Coaching Culture Call
Centre
Practical Guide to Failures
The Galley Slave Model
Vs
the Coaching Culture Call
Centre.
The Galley Slave Model
Productivity
20%
Min. Productivity Demand
Time
The Galley Slave Model
Productivity
24%
20%
Max.Potential on job
Min Product demand
Time
The Galley Slave Model
Productivity
24%
Max.Potential on job
20%
Min Product demand
Time
The Galley Slave Model
• Call Centre locked in Tunnel of No
Productivity Gains
• Call Centre management at a loss
of How to improve ???
• End Result : 1. Management is
replaced or 2. Call Centre activity
Outsourced.
The Coaching Culture
Model
• Motivate staff to Increase Potential
• People Management is the Key
• Continuous development of Work
Processes & Purpose of Job
• Management involved with Work
Situation
Key Ingredients of
Coaching Culture :
•Monitoring
•Appraisal of skills and
performance
•Coaching to improve identified
barriers to communication &
relationship building
Coaching Culture
Development Model
Productivity
24%
20%
Professor Herzbergs
Research.
Time
Practical Guide to Failures
Expansion Phase (37+++ in 12-18 months)
• False Benchmarks
• Channel Conflict
• Galley Slave V’s Coaching Culture Call
Centre Model.
• Customer Satisfaction not measured or
used as a Comfort Zone.
Practical Guide to Failures
Integration Phase ( +18 Months)
• Not taking Time & Cost Out of the
Customer Contact Process
• Not Exceeding Customer Expectation
• Wrong or Untimely Purpose
• Outsourcing
• Loss of Management Champion
Summary of Failures
• Benchmarks not Focussed on Outcomes
• Planning inadequate in Scope and long
Term Needs
• Lack of Call Centre People Management
Know How
• Call Centre Purpose unaligned to
Organisational Purpose
So where do we go from here ?
• The Call Centre learning Curve is currently
very low and slow.
• Call Centre Education is slowly taking
form, but still very scant and shallow.
• Consultants, like myself, can claim
expertise unopposed and unchallenged
Our Contribution, so far, to speed
up the learning Curve:
The creation of an Oasis of Call Centre Know
How on the World Wide Web :
“The Call Centre Managers Forum”
www.callcenters.dk
You’re all invited to visit and contribute your
own insights and learning experiences.
Thank you…...
If you have any question feel free
to E-mail me
nk@callcentres.com.au