Call Centers For Dummies [Paperback]

Real Bergevin (Author), Afshan Kinder (Author), Winston Siegel (Author), Bruce Simpson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2010 | Series: For Dummies

Tips on making your call center a genuine profit center

In North America, call centers are a $13 billion business, employing 4 million people. For managers in charge of a call center operation, this practical, user-friendly guide outlines how to improve results measurably, following its principles of revenue generation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. In addition, this new edition addresses many industry changes, such as the new technology that's transforming today's call center and the location-neutral call center. It also helps readers determine whether it's cost-efficient to outsource operations and looks at the changing role and requirements of agents.

• The ultimate call center guide, now revised and updated
• The authors have helped over 60 companies improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their call center operations
• Offers comprehensive guidance for call centers of all sizes, from 20-person operations to multinational businesses

With the latest edition of Call Centers For Dummies, managers will have an improved arsenal of techniques to boost their center's bottom line.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Your friendly guide to profitable call center management

The call center industry is one of the world's most rapidly growing and fastest changing. For call center managers or anyone who just wants the inside scoop on this exciting field, this guide is a must-read. Loaded with best practices from the most successful call centers around the world, Call Centers For Dummies covers everything you need to know, whether you're just setting up shop or looking to improve your operations.

• Start from the ground up — investigate where to locate and how to build a call center, understand the roles and responsibilities in a call center team, and consider the outsourcing option

• Call center business basics — create a successful call center business model, determine achievable goals, and measure your center's progress through business drivers

• Ensure proper resource management — discover how to always have the right staff levels — including home agents — through forecasting and scheduling

• Gain efficiency through technology — see how advances in call center technology, such as interactive voice response and Voice over Internet Protocol, can help your call center agents be more productive

• Build high-performance teams — recruit and retain the best people by providing great training and keeping your agents motivated

• Keep improving — explore strategies to identify areas of improvement and learn how to manage change within your call center

Open the book and find:

• How to develop a positive company culture and high employee engagement

• Strategies to improve your customer satisfaction scores and first-call resolution

• Tips for designing the ideal space for your center

• How to select the right outsourcing partner

• How to create people-friendly work schedules

• How to set up a home agent program

• Ways to decrease costs and increase efficiency

Learn to:

• Locate, design, and build a call center

• Measure productivity and quality and set appropriate goals

• Gain efficiency through schedulingand technology

• Build and retain high-performance teams

About the Author

Réal Bergevin is executive vice president of Transcom Worldwide. Afshan Kinder, Winston Siegel, and Bruce Simpson are partners in SwitchGear Consulting, a company specializing in call centers and change management. SwitchGear's clients include companies such as Scotiabank, TELUS, and Ceridian.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (May 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470677430
• ISBN-13: 978-0470677438
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Customer Service

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of the call center operation, July 21, 2005

By 

Highlighter (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Call Centers For Dummies (Paperback)

If you are like me, in business related to call centers, but not really in call center business, this book is the one. After reading it, I got a new level of appreciation for the processes and complexity involved.
First part describes business aspect, goals, variables and how they influence goals. That's the part where I said, "It's not as simple as it seems".
Next one, on technology, gives you a review of supporting technologies. I personally knew most of the stuff, but it's a light reading and gives you a perspective how the call center views the technology.
Final two parts, on managing agent performance and call handling are valuable reading no matter what business you're in. Suggestions from the book can be applied outside of call centers, as well. And call handling... I think every employee that has a phone on their desk is the company's representative and should know how to handle calls. Dealing with angry customers, controlling the call, sales... it all goes beyond just call centre agents.
To summarize, if you want to get the big picture, see all the elements, understand them and understand how they interact, this is where you should start. Doesn't dwell too much on any individual subject (and doesn't go too much in-depth) and therefore, it is an easy informative reading. And that's what books from Dummies series are all about, aren't they?

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful, January 7, 2006

By 

P. Payne "Loves Perfume" (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Call Centers For Dummies (Paperback)

I'm a new call center manager and this book did a great job of explaining a lot of the basics. I was even able to share the technology section with my IT department so they could understand how to better support the needs of our department. Plus my staff fought over the book - because the information was in an easy to read/understand format.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Call Centers for Dummies, November 12, 2008

By 

Call Center Employee (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Call Centers For Dummies (Paperback)

This is an excellent, comprehensive overview of call centers, including specific metrics to be tracked and measured. Call center locations, set up and on-going operations are also covered.