Working in the customer service industry, I’m sure you’re aware of the frustration that can come when you don’t have either efficient tools at your disposal or the training to effectively use those tools.  If you are seeing a performance issue in your contact center, a good place to start might be to take a look the tools your agents are using, and the training they have received about those tools.

Is the phone system antiquated or having technical difficulties on a certain day?  Was the product database malfunctioning?  Are CSRs improperly trained about how to transfer calls or search for products?

Tools – One key aspect to evaluate in the workplace is the usefulness of the tools that employees are using.  Employees may be facing additional challenges if the technology is outdated or overused, if the process is too cumbersome, or if the hardware is not intuitive.  Take a careful look at all of the tools that you provide to your employees to help them do their jobs, including the hardware, software, job aids, and even office environment and work process itself.  Are the tools improving efficiency or offering another important benefit?  If not, consider finding a way to make improvements.

Training – As a graduate student, I worked as a temp in a variety of offices.  One of my stints was an administrative assistant for a dean at the university, where I jumped right in:  writing letters, filing papers, scheduling travel, and – apparently – hanging up on a lot of callers.  Unfamiliar with the university’s phone system and hardware, for the life of me, I could not figure out how to transfer calls.  When I finally asked the full-time admin across the office for help, she was shocked that I was so inept.  However, those of us who have been doing a task for so long often forget how difficult it can be to first master the fundamentals.  If an employee is not meeting performance expectations, it is certainly reasonable to make sure that he or she has been properly trained on ALL aspects of the job, even those things that may seem obvious to those with more experience.  Be careful about making assumptions about an employee’s technology or hardware skills.  Given the variety of operating systems and the rapid changes in technology, employees may not be immediately comfortable with your center’s infrastructure.

If employees are not meeting performance expectations, there are a variety of areas that you could evaluate; tools and training are two of the common areas where issues can often be easily identified and improved.

About Kelly: Kelly has been working as a contract technical writer for Inova Solutions for nearly three years. As a recovering high school English teacher, she enjoys the opportunity to still employ her ‘red ink’ when writing, editing, and formatting documentation. You can contact Kelly at kelly@insideinova.com.