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Guide to call center operations
Call center operations have been affected in numerous ways by the growth of social media and mobile, particularly with new technologies and metrics. guide
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New contact center metrics recommended to fit new customer channels
With the telephone no longer the only customer channel on the block, new contact center metrics are called for to measure the handling of new channels. Feature
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Contact center technology helps children track Santa Claus' sleigh
NORAD continues Christmas Eve tradition by offering children a toll-free number to learn Santa Claus' whereabouts. Feature
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Social media channels and contact centers can play together
Proper staffing, training and strategies can make social media channels work wonders in a contact center, according to industry observers. Feature
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Advanced technologies seen as aid to contact center agents
Contact center agents will get help with customer channels from advanced technologies, industry observers say. Feature
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Christian network answers prayers with new contact center software
Christian Broadcasting Network saw significant productivity gains after implementing new contact center software. Feature
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Contact centers need an outside-in approach to technology, analyst says
A Forrester Research analyst recommends that contact center managers consider the customer's perspective when acquiring new technology. Feature
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Team building boosts contact center agents’ performance
Incorporating group team-building activities into contact center agents’ schedules can have numerous benefits, observers say, such as boosting morale and fostering camaraderie. Feature
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Call center interaction dos and don'ts
Handling customer interactions isn't always easy, since every interaction is unique and different customers present different challenges. We've put together this list of the things call center agents and customer service reps should and shouldn't do ... Special Report
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Call center contest: How did you impact the customer experience?
The editors at SearchCRM.com want to know about your most rewarding experience as a customer service rep – our panel of judges will nominate their favorite stories and the top three will win American Express Gift Cards. Contest
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ACCE conference honors the best workers in the call center industry
The ACCE conference celebrated its 10th anniversary with the ICMI awards dinner. Find out which companies were recognized for excellence in service. ACCE Conference Coverage | 15 May 2013
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New call center certification targets social media
CIAC certification now includes testing on the use of social media in call centers. News | 21 May 2012
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Call center agents’ behavior should be focus -- not clunky metrics
A consultant at the recent ACCE call center expo urged call centers to drop the glut of performance metrics and favor a human approach. News | 15 May 2012
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At-home call center agents promise savings, but reservations linger
JetBlue is among several companies that tout use of stay-at-home call center agents; still, not every business likes them. News | 17 Apr 2012
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At-home call center agent recounts joy, pain of virtual workplace
A stay-at-home call center agent talks about the job’s freedom and occasional disconnectedness. News | 10 Apr 2012
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Technology-empowered agents create a positive customer experience
Providing customer service agents with knowledge and technology improves the overall customer experience, according to industry experts. News | 29 Mar 2012
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Debating PCI DSS compliance in the contact center and the ‘police state’: Two perspectives
A contact center and a PCI security expert discuss PCI DSS’s stringent physical facility requirements and how contact centers can prepare for them in a two-part podcast. Podcast | 02 Mar 2012
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Salesforce.com rebuilds Assistly into Desk.com, a help desk for SMBs
Salesforce.com has turned its acquisition of Assistly into a new customer service application, targeted specifically at the SMB market. News | 31 Jan 2012
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Customer service is from Venus, data quality is from Mars
How can the two talk to one another? Forrester has a few ideas and some advice to get customer service on board with data quality and vice versa. Blog | 25 Jan 2012
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Social channels changing contact center certification
Contact centers will see overhauled programs for certifications next year that address the full range of channels, with emphasis on social media technology. News | 05 Dec 2011
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Bad bosses, and how to deal with them
Management experts and authorities on organizational behavior agree that the best ways to deal with an inept, absent or micromanaging supervisor are to communicate, negotiate and learn by negative example. Tip
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Surviving an H1-B visa job layoff
Strategies for H1-B workers can do if they have recently lost their employment, or fear the worst is coming, so they can stay in the U.S. Tip
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SAN helps write a lifesaving prescription
Minutes separate life and death at the CTRC in San Antonio. When a server went down, they had to make a drastic change. Tip
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Saturn bears Witness to call center reps
EDS-Saturn was looking for a recording solution that would capture voice conversations and the agents'desktop activities. Tip
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Measuring campaign results with NetIQ
Firstdoor wanted to measure the results of direct mail and e-mail campaigns and track referrals ... Tip
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Resources playing multiple roles
Identifying the appropriate skills to design and develop a data warehouse solution needs experience. Tip
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Preserving customer privacy with Acxiom
Preserving customer privacy with Acxiom Tip
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Improved sales forecasting
Flowserve Corp. forecasts big sales with Invensys CRM Tip
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CRM questions for your IT organization
Tip
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Get Your Sales Force to Buy Into Your CRM System
Tip
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The pros and cons of real-time speech analytics to monitor agents
Expert Lori Bocklund weighs in on using real-time speech analytics to monitor your agents. Ask the Expert
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Give agents varied challenges during contact center downtimes
Contact center managers can give agents a change of pace with varied tasks to take on during idle time. Answer
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Understanding call center occupancy vs. call center adherence
Our expert Lori Bocklund explains what’s important about call center occupancy and call center adherence, and how and why both metrics are vital to the operation of any call center. Answer
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How to increase call center staffing with Erlang C calculator
Expert Lori Bocklund explains the best way call center management can calculate call volume and help with the need to increase call center staffing with Erlang C. Answer
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How to implement an effective call center workforce management system
Expert Donna Fluss explains how to effectively establish a call center workforce management system – from creating a flexible scheduling plan for employees to reduce operating expenses, improve efficiency, enhance employee morale and increase agent ... Answer
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How can I measure call center agents' unavailable and "not ready" time?
Find out how to measure call center agents' unavailable and not ready time in this expert tip and get a formula for calculating unavailable time in your call center. Answer
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Determining ratio of back-office agents to support inbound call center agents
Find out if there is a way to calculate the ratio of back-office agents to support inbound call center agents and get call center headcount tips in this expert Q/A. Ask the Expert
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Managing customer conversations in the call center
Get tips for managing customer conversations in the call center and find out how call center agents can deal with chatty or emotional customers. Ask the Expert
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Examining call center cell phone regulations
Find out why most call centers don't allow cell phones or other personal items inside. Learn about call center regulations set by the PCI and FCC. Ask the Expert
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What's the best way to manage unprofitable customers?
Learn tips for turning unprofitable customers into profitable customers in this tip. Find out who in the organization should manage unprofitable customers. Ask the Expert
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Quality of Experience (QoE or QoX)
Quality of Experience (QoE or QoX) is a measure of the overall level of customer satisfaction with a vendor. QoE is related to but differs from Quality of Service(QoS), which embodies the notion that hardware and software characteristics can be measu... Definition
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silent monitoring
Silent monitoring refers to the practice of call center managers or senior agents listening to the interaction between an incoming caller and an agent. Silent monitoring is generally used in training and to ensure that customer service and productivi... Definition
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longest delay in queue (LDQ)
Longest delay in queue (LDQ) is the longest time period that a customer in a queue waits before either connecting with an agent or hanging up. Definition
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automatic callback
Automatic callback is a telephone system feature that permits a caller who gets a busy signal to instruct the system to establish the connection when the line becomes available... (Continued) Definition
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escalation plan
An escalation plan is a set of procedures set in place to deal with potential problems in a variety of contexts... (Continued) Definition
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fast clear down
A fast clear down is a call center term for a caller who hangs up upon hearing a delay notice. Definition
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collaborative browsing (co-browsing)
Collaborative browsing (also known as co-browsing) is a software-enabled technique that allows someone in an enterprise contact center to interact with a customer by using the customer's Web browser to show them something. Definition
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level of support (support level)
Level of support indicates a specific extent of technical assistance in the total range of assistance that is provided by an information technology product (such as a software product) to its customers. Definition
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trouble ticket (trouble report)
A trouble ticket (sometimes called a trouble report) is a mechanism used in an organization to track the detection, reporting and resolution of some type of problem. Definition
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Incremental Revenue (Value) Analysis
Incremental Revenue (Value) Analysis is a process used to calculate the value of each agent in a call center. Definition
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Top five CRM trends you should know about
CRM has undergone rapid change lately -- including the use of social media and a change in call center practices. Here's a look at five CRM trends that shaped 2012. Photo Story
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Experts demystify the complexity of PCI compliance in the contact center
In the second part of a two-part podcast, Diana Kelley and Lori Bocklund discuss staffing, process and new technology concerns for PCI DSS compliance in the contact center. Podcast
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Tarp consultant John Goodman on voice of the customer challenges
Tarp consultant and vice chairman John Goodman asserts that basic customer service is key to any voice of the customer program. Video
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USAA's Audrey Tarter on contact center career advancement
USAA’s Tarter advises agents to informally take on contact center leadership tasks to demonstrate ability. Video
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How to maximize customer interactions to build customer equity
Get expert advice on how to maximize customer interactions to build customer equity. Learn effective ways to measure customer value, determine the cost of keeping a customer and how to set metrics that encourage call center agents to build customer s... Podcast
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Linking call center agents and customer profit with Martha Rogers
Learn about the link between call center agents and customer profit and find out how predictive analytics technology can help build customer profitability in this podcast. Podcast
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Measuring call center key performance indicators to optimize cost, quality
In this podcast, listeners will find out which call center key performance indicators (KPIs) have the biggest impact on the bottom line and the customer experience. Get tips from a call center me Podcast
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Managing customer profitability with Martha Rogers
In the May installment of the Creating Customer Value podcast series, Martha Rogers takes questions from readers and explains how CSRs impact customer profitability every time they interact with a customer. Listen to Martha's podcast for best practic... Podcasts
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Guide to call center operations
Call center operations have been affected in numerous ways by the growth of social media and mobile, particularly with new technologies and metrics. guide
-
ACCE conference honors the best workers in the call center industry
The ACCE conference celebrated its 10th anniversary with the ICMI awards dinner. Find out which companies were recognized for excellence in service. ACCE Conference Coverage
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New contact center metrics recommended to fit new customer channels
With the telephone no longer the only customer channel on the block, new contact center metrics are called for to measure the handling of new channels. Feature
-
Top five CRM trends you should know about
CRM has undergone rapid change lately -- including the use of social media and a change in call center practices. Here's a look at five CRM trends that shaped 2012. Photo Story
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Contact center technology helps children track Santa Claus' sleigh
NORAD continues Christmas Eve tradition by offering children a toll-free number to learn Santa Claus' whereabouts. Feature
-
Social media channels and contact centers can play together
Proper staffing, training and strategies can make social media channels work wonders in a contact center, according to industry observers. Feature
-
Advanced technologies seen as aid to contact center agents
Contact center agents will get help with customer channels from advanced technologies, industry observers say. Feature
-
Christian network answers prayers with new contact center software
Christian Broadcasting Network saw significant productivity gains after implementing new contact center software. Feature
-
Contact centers need an outside-in approach to technology, analyst says
A Forrester Research analyst recommends that contact center managers consider the customer's perspective when acquiring new technology. Feature
-
New call center certification targets social media
CIAC certification now includes testing on the use of social media in call centers. News
- See more All on Call center agent
About Call center agent
Trying to find success as a call center agent? This section includes comprehensive resources on call center metrics, quality monitoring, performance management, call center training and job satisfaction. Learn how to stay motivated as a customer service representative (CSR) and how to interpret and evaluate important metrics of the call center, including average handle time, average hold time, first call resolution (FCR) and occupancy. This section also includes information on agent churn in the call center and working as a remote or home-based call center agent.