Customer Reviews

The Executive Guide to Call Center Metrics

5 star:		(7)
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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Based on the title I was expecting a lot about call center specific metrics. This is not the case. The focus is on statistics and metrics for tactical purpose (Quality Control Chart) and strategic view (Distribution, standard deviation). If you are familar with QC charts and statistics then the book does not have to offer a lot. For call center metrics it mentions only a few examples like abandonment rate or wait time in some sample. I was looking for an exhaustive list of call center metrics.

James Abbott has produced a handbook that is required reading for all Call Center Managers. It provides a step-by-step method for metrics creation and why improvement is not possible unless you can measure Call Center activity.

This book must be on every employees desk in the Call Center and the Metrics should be based on this book. The books 11 chapters are easy to read and understand. James clearly outlines the reasons why metrics must be real time and the benefit in performance associated with this method.

You should read this book, as I did, just to understand how implementation of this methodology will cut costs and improve customer satisfaction.

John Washburn
Colorado

From the introduction this book explains how metrics must be more than just numbers or report cards. They are proactive tools to get much more out of your call center. The book then sets out ways to create powerful metrics that lead to winning decisions for your center.
Chapter One: Having It All
The first chapter looks at why modern metrics are required in centers with numerous monitors. Old ways of thinking will not do. Everyday, real world examples are given to highlight critical metric sources. These are a must in balacing wait time, cost and performance.
Chapter Two: Call Center Metrics
This chapter begins with Abbott's signature approach to decision making and and the discussion of mstrics that compliment this approach. He introduces the unique Dependency Diagram and metric blueprint. On page 38 he lists six key proactive metrics.
Chapter Three: Monitoring Metrics
Chapter three makes cetain you are uaing clear thinking when monitoring your meticws. Again, real world examples and critical statistics are used to help you have a clear look at your center.
Chapter Four: Metric Dashboard
Using building blocks already mentioned this chapter begins putting together a call center dashboard. Who does what? How do we set it up? What is my part?
Chapter Five and Six: Tactical Decisions and Metrics
How do we know when real change has happened? What are the "alarms" to look for when monitoring the call center. We see how to read and use tactical metrics to avoid problems and run effective centers.
Chapters Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten: Strategic Decisions & Metrics
These chapters explain the strategic aspects of running your call center. They help you develop the strategic eye needed to bring your call center into the 21st century.

The book ends with a review of benefits that come from the effective use of metrics and how that is achieved. If you have the difficult responaibility of runing a call center, you need this book.

Very good approach to metrics and how to apply metrics to call center operations in order to understand and support the goals of the call center. Mr. Abbott uses easy to understand language and examples rather than technical language and equasions and this makes it very easy to understand the principals and see the big picture. Every manager should be required to read this as thier first book on metrics.

This is a fantastic resource for anyone trying to figure out how to measure their Call Center performance. Because Call Center services and types vary so greatly, using the wrong metrics can send executives in the wrong direction and greatly impact the staff and performance of the Call Center. This book is a phenomenal resource in determining what Call Center Metrics are and what they are not.

This book missed the mark in so many ways that I am baffled by earlier positive reviews. It is poorly written, ineptly edited, repetitive and confusing. Perhaps most importantly, it offers little real substance regarding how to use the most important call center metrics to manage a call center. More a primer on statistical process control, this book is certainly not geared for most call center executives.

"Abbott's book is a much-needed wakeup call. In order to compete, managers must use scientific methods, not gut feelings or hocus pocus. This book is back to basics--what needs to be monitored, why you need to monitor it, and who should make which decisions."

This book is low on content and detail and really adds nothing to the issue if you have been around call centers for more five minutes. There are no benchmarks or discussion of any actual performance measures, no real examples, and no real pointers to help you make a decision. It is more marketing than anything else and is a reasonable intro to the topic.

Speaking as someone with six years of call center planning and change management experience, don't waste your time with this offering. Despite the title, you won't walk away understanding which metrics are important in managing a call center.

The book takes 190 pages to say what could have been said in 19. Spelling and grammar errors abound, as if the book wasn't even proofread. I've rarely seen such poor writing published. Tables and graphs are unprofessional looking, sometimes illegible, and in one case completely missing. A cursory example of grocery store checkout lanes substitutes for a real explanation of Erlang queuing theory. Repetition is extensive, even to the point of repeating entire paragraphs verbatim on adjacent pages.

Based on the various reviews I had high expectations, but the book was very disappointing and quite overpriced given the amount of content it presents. If you are already familiar with the concepts of arithmetic mean, standard deviation, control charts, and histograms, there is little you would gain from reading this book.

I purchased this book as I am a director of a Call Center Unit. This book was very informative and had a lot to offer. Great books for excutives in the call center business! The book is written in a easy to read format with lots of great examples!