Designing Effective Call Centers [Hardcover]

James C. Abbott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

Do you know the benefits of sigma design for the call center world? Does reducing cost at your center sound good to you? How about reducing cost while providing BETTER service? Chapter 16 shows you how a Six Sigma design can provide better service at a lower cost than traditional approaches.

Success doesn't just happen-it requires careful planning. The first step is determining the correct design for your call center or help desk. Author James Abbott walks readers through what can and can't be managed, who should be making what types of decisions, and how to create and use a metric blueprint. He covers the necessary design terms so all of the players can communicate effectively. And he explains the essential role of Six Sigma in any well-designed center.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Abbott is an author, teacher, developer, and consultant, and the president of Abbott Associates Inc., based in Greenville, South Carolina. He is on the faculty of the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. James Abbott has made a career out of taking technical topics and explaining them so that the rest of us can understand. A professional engineer for more than 30 years, James learned early on that even the best methods are useless unless they are delivered in a fashion that allows their swift and effective implementation. Inspired by the great Southern tradition of storytelling, James uses anecdotes about Grandma s biscuits and a visit to the grocery store to explain scientific concepts like queuing theory and reporting metrics. James isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. In the course of his coaching and engineering he has worked alongside electric engine assemblers, in a high-pressure customer care center, and on the third shift of a global IT help desk. It is his ability to learn a business from the ground up that has allowed James to develop methods and tools for everyone from the CEO to the custodial staff. Though he has worked throughout the Western Hemisphere, James's home is in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the author of ten books including his best-selling The Executive Guide to Call Center Metrics.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Robert Houston Smith Publishers; 1 edition (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887355103
• ISBN-13: 978-1887355100
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Abbott is an author, teacher, developer, and consultant, and the president of Abbott Associates Inc., based in Greenville, South Carolina. James Abbott has made a career out of taking technical topics and explaining them so that "the rest of us" can understand. A professional engineer for more than 30 years, James learned early on that even the best methods are useless unless they are delivered in a fashion that allows their swift and effective implementation. He is also on the faculty of the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Inspired by the great Southern tradition of storytelling, James uses anecdotes about Grandma's biscuits and a visit to the grocery store to explain scientific concepts like queuing science and reporting metrics.

James isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. In the course of his coaching and engineering he's worked alongside electric engine assemblers, in a high-pressure customer care center, and on the third shift of a global IT help desk. It is his ability to learn a business--from the ground up--that has allowed James to develop methods and tools for everyone from the CEO to the custodial staff.

Though he has worked throughout the Western Hemisphere, James's home is in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the author of thirteen books including his best selling, The Executive Guide to Call Center Metrics. This best seller is now complemented by three other call center books. These four books are in the top twenty call center books on Amazon.com