By Heather Dubas, Senior Operations Manager
I don’t know about all of you, but I LOVE the buzz of a call center floor! I remember hearing it for the first time after being out of the industry for about 10 years and it was so crazy– I did not realize I had missed it so much until I was standing in the middle of all those busy, energetic agents making calls. Those agents are the front line of any call center and if we don’t have excellent and exceptional agents, then we have nothing to provide to clients. There are some very key processes that your team can follow to ensure that you have the best of the best for agents and having a solid Quality Assurance process for call center monitoring is one of them.
Most call centers have their own Quality Assurance person or team, and some outsource the duty. Either way, the process should not be time consuming and it should be easy to execute by the QA team as well as easy to understand by the agent and client. Here are some reasons why you should develop a QA checklist that is short and concise for call center monitoring.
Short List of Requirements
I keep it a general rule to never have more than 10 questions on a quality assurance form. I do this for many reasons. The form should be easy and quick to create. I usually start with reading the script and identifying areas that are a must for the agent to touch on so that the call gives a solid first impression.
Did they answer the person on the other end of the phone quickly or was there a delay?
Did they identify themselves properly and give the reason for the call?
Are they speaking clearly and are they easy to understand?
These types of things that are determined within mere seconds of the beginning of a call. If these points are not done well, then that sets the tone for the rest of the call no matter what. Also, you will be able to assess if there is a problem with the technology or equipment or is it the agent? Maybe the delay was due to the agent not getting off mute quick enough or maybe it is a delay with the telephone equipment. Either way, you can identify the issue and address it quickly. Keeping the form to less than 10 questions allows you to fill it out while listening to the call and provide for a quick wrap time on your feedback.
Easy Overview for the Agent
A short list of requirements for each call makes it easy for the agent to learn what is expected quickly. It won’t take each caller long to make sure they have what is required memorized so that it comes as second nature. There will be no excuses either, that the list is too long or hard to understand what is expected. Because of this you can provide many forms each meeting so that you are not basing scores off one call alone. There will be a solid average score to base bonuses and incentives, which we all know makes any employee happy!
Including the Client
Keeping the checklist short is great for the clients too! Our clients are busy, that is why they have hired us to handle their campaigns or why they have quality assurance outsourced. They don’t have time to create these forms, listen to thousands of calls each year and then coach the agents appropriately, so any help is welcomed. We all know in business that getting to the point quickly is important. We are all looking for efficiency and quality assurance should be no exception. Whether you have meetings weekly or once a month, having a short list to review will make better use of time and will benefit the front line!
Quality assurance for call center monitoring is one of the most important aspects of the telemarketing industry and one that I feel deserves up front attention. We have all heard the saying “Happy wife, happy life” … well that resonates true for telemarketing as well… “Happy agents, happy clients”! If you can provide a quick and easy way for agents to see what they are doing well so you can provide kudos or what they need to improve upon, so they make changes right away, you will get better overall results. Clients will also appreciate being able to easily see those results and analyze them quickly.
At Quality Contact Solutions, we are here to help with your quality assurance outsourcing needs for call center monitoring. If you would like a partner for your company that provides outstanding agents or need assistance with quality assurance, you can reach us at 1-866-963-2889 or email me at heather.dubas@qualitycontactsolutions.com.
Heather Dubas is a Senior Operations Manager for Quality Contact Solutions. As an Operations Manager, Heather is responsible for managing client programs and ensuring program success. Heather has a B.S. in Business Administration and prior to joining the Quality Contact Solutions team, she spent time working in Account Management at a highly respected call center in the Midwest. Having over 5 years of B2B telemarketing sales experience, Heather is there to assist in achieving your desired results.
