Quality monitoring in 2004
Lessons and best practices

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Module 1 - Introduction to the 2004 Series

The Call Center Learning Center is excited to announce its 2004 series on Quality Monitoring. This series shares results from our most recent benchmarking findings and the Quality Monitoring Toolkit to illustrate best practices in quality monitoring. Module 1 introduces the series and provides some highlights from the 2004 report. Module 2 examines the essentials of quality monitoring - who is doing it, how often and using what method. Module 3 discusses the categories participants used to evaluate their agents and how to design your quality monitoring scorecard. Module 4 looks at improvement initiatives and the biggest changes centers are making to their programs. Module 5 concludes the series with tips for implementing or improving your own quality monitoring program.

Introduction

Quality monitoring has become a cornerstone in the contact center industry. Centers are working each day to improve service while limiting cost, and quality monitoring is a proven tool for improving center performance.

Study results indicated a near unanimous response from 94% of the participants reporting that they do conduct quality monitoring (see Figure A). The data collected over the past five years signals a steady increase in the process of monitoring for call quality (75% in 1999, 85% in 2001 and 94% in 2004).

Figure A - Centers using quality monitoring

Greatest benefits from using quality monitoring systems

Participants cited the two greatest benefits realized from using a quality monitoring system were:

1. Increased customer satisfaction as a direct result of improved customer contact. A quality monitoring system fostered consistent and informed interactions between clients and agents through a quality improvement cycle.

2. A well-trained and developed staff focused on delivering the optimal customer experience. With the flexibility of real-time or played-back monitoring, managers and agents were equipped to discuss issues, resolve undesired behaviors and reward excellence.

Other benefits cited in the study were:

• Increased productivity as a result of more effective monitoring.

• Detailed reports and records of all customer interactions.

• Added security and fraud detection (when logging all calls with the system).

Use of quality monitoring results

Besides feedback to agents, participants reported they also used quality monitoring results for:

1. Identifying training requirements and collecting "best contact" examples of agents who model the required skills. "Find agents that are modeling specific behaviors and attempt to transfer that behavior to other agents weak in that specific area."

2. Reporting to corporate management and call center management to help identify trends.

3. Identifying individuals for recognition and incentive payouts.

4. Comparing with customer satisfaction scores to calibrate the quality monitoring process and tools.

Impact on talk time

Thirty-five percent of respondents indicated a decrease in talk time, with an average decrease of 13 seconds. Twenty-eight percent of participants reported an increase in talk time, with an average increase of 15 seconds. Thirty-seven percent of respondents indicated neither an increase nor decrease in talk time with the use of quality monitoring systems.

Making the most of your quality monitoring program

To be effective, quality monitoring must be more than listening to and recording agent interactions. The outputs of quality monitoring can directly improve call center efficiency and customer service. The Quality Monitoring Lifecycle shown in the figure below is a critical model for designing or improving your quality monitoring program.

When agents are hired, they enter into the Quality Monitoring Lifecycle. Agents immediately begin training. During this training period, they are monitored closely for areas of weakness or skills gaps. Once they have successfully completed the training, new agents are allowed to handle calls. It is at this point that they enter the monitoring loop where contacts are monitored on a regular basis.

Monitoring often immediately brings to light various issues and information that result in changes to the current process or alterations in training methods. Issues that relate to process and system improvements, revised training curriculum and coaching are often easy to spot once quality monitoring commences. These and related issues may be raised throughout the monitoring cycle and usually impact training and work processes.

Feedback is the next step in the lifecycle. Feedback goes to two major destinations: to the agent and to the system. Agent feedback is an evaluation that directs the agent toward training or coaching sessions in order to improve performance. The system benefits because group or process issues come to the forefront. Often system changes are implemented, training or hiring is altered, or the monitoring process itself is changed.

Once agents receive feedback, they enter training and coaching sessions designed to improve areas of weakness. These training and coaching sessions are created to address common areas of weakness and group issues. They also provide a way for agents to interact with superiors in a non-threatening environment.

The Quality Monitoring Lifecycle is a holistic approach to call monitoring. Using this lifecycle process, you will be able to examine and improve each of the key steps in your quality assurance process. You will also be able to improve the integration of ordinary call monitoring with the other key functions in the call center including training, hiring and IT (systems development).

Coming next - best practice findings on how centers are monitoring calls

Recommended Resources:

Buy the complete 2004 Call Center Benchmarking report for $189 - the new 2004 edition of the report includes special new section on outsourcing and highlights of the biggest changes in call center management and most important changes planned in the future.

Quality Monitoring Toolkit - The Quality Monitoring Toolkit is the most comprehensive guide available for quality monitoring. Whether you are just starting a new program for monitoring contacts or need to overhaul your current call monitoring process, this toolkit provides definitive guidelines and templates for both phone and multi-media contact monitoring. Using research data from more than 400 call centers, the toolkit includes benchmarking results that will make your quality monitoring program a success. The toolkit includes:

• Methods for quality monitoring
• Benefits of quality monitoring
• Perception and legality
• The complete Quality Monitoring Lifecycle
• Survey criteria
• Scorecard content - with a sample based on best practices research
• Implementation and improvement guidelines

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