Criticism and Performance
Criticisms of call centres generally follow a number of common themes, from both callers and call centre staff. From callers, common criticisms include:
- Operators working from a script
- Non-expert operators (call screening)
- Incompetent or untrained operators incapable of processing customers' requests effectively
- Obsequious behavior by operators (e.g., relentless use of "sir," "ma'am" and "I'd be happy to assist you")
- Overseas location, with language and accent problems
- Touch tone menu systems and automated queuing systems
- Excessive waiting times to be connected to an operator
- Complaints that departments of companies do not engage in communication with one another
- Deceit over location of call centre
- Requiring the caller to repeat the same information multiple times
Common criticisms from staff include:
- Close scrutiny by management (e.g. frequent random call monitoring)
- Low compensation (pay and bonuses)
- Restrictive working practices (some operators are required to follow a pre-written script)
- High stress: a common problem associated with front-end jobs where employees deal directly with customers
- Repetitive job task
- Poor working conditions (e.g. poor facilities, poor maintenance and cleaning, cramped working conditions, management interference, lack of privacy and noisy)
- Impaired vision and hearing problems
- Rude and abusive customers
The net-net of these concerns is that call centres as a business process exhibit levels of variability. The experience a customer gets and the results a company achieves on a given call are almost totally dependent on the quality of the agent answering that call. Call centres are beginning to address this by using Agent-assisted Automation to standardise the process all agents use. Anton and Phelps have provided a detailed HOWTO to conduct the performance evaluation of the business, whereas others are using various scientific technologies to do the jobs. However more popular alternatives are using personality and skill based approaches. The various challenges encountered by call operators are discussed by several authors.
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