Feature Article

Managing a Distributed Workforce

By Susan Hash

Over the past few years, contact centers have been dealing with an increasingly distributed workforce. Advancements on the technology side can ensure a seamless workflow, but without regular face-to-face interaction, managers often find it difficult to communicate effectively with their remote agents and build a team-oriented culture. Industry experts offer tips for staying connected with distributed agents.

Agility Factor

Executive Interaction on the Front Lines

By Jay Minnucci

Interacting with employees is important in almost any leadership position, but it is absolutely critical in the contact center. Your agents’ success depends heavily on their interpersonal skills, and it’s the supervisors, managers and top-level executives who model the desired behavior. Ideas for engaging your frontline staff on a formal and informal basis.

Tech Line

Defining an Effective Statement of Work for Technology Implementation Success

By Lori Bocklund and Brian Hinton

Taking the time to create a compelling statement of work that meets your center’s unique needs will pay solid dividends with projects that are on time, on budget and deliver business value. A look at the necessary elements, who should be involved in the various SOW steps, and other key considerations.

Performance Matters

Active Recruiting: Taking Hiring by the Horns

By Greg Levin

Take a proactive approach to recruiting to find and attract candidates who have the skills, knowledge, adaptability and commitment to serve customers and represent the face of your organization. Eight elements of a successful agent recruiting program.

Leadership Q&A

A Frontline-Driven Approach to Service

An interview with Tim Montgomery

Cooney Solutions Group’s Tim Montgomery discusses top challenges facing the contact center industry and the role that a customer-centric culture plays in improving performance while keeping a handle on operational costs.

Inside View

TravCorp USA

By Susan Hash

Tour operator TravCorp USA prides itself on the quality of its contact center staff. The management team has developed a rigorous system for hiring the best. A look at the center’s seven-stage hiring process.

Management ROI

The Lean & Mean Contact Center: Proactive Cost Reduction

By Martin Prunty

Proactive cost reduction primarily focuses on reducing customer demand, rather than attempting to cut costs prematurely by eliminating staff. In this final article of the series, learn how the proactive method can achieve cost savings while avoiding measures that can disrupt customer or employee satisfaction.

Forecast Focus

Choosing the Right Workforce Management Metrics

By Tiffany LaReau

Are you using the most effective WFM metrics for your contact center environment? Find out how you can generate substantial improvements by turning a critical eye to four key metrics.

Leading Thoughts

Driving Performance in a Unionized Environment

By Larry Eiser

Managing a unionized call center is, in many ways, like managing a highly regulated environment—in both situations, external factors can present challenges and restrictions to your operations. Read about how to build a relationship with the union and union employees that’s based on mutual interests and successes.