'Bottom-Line Call Center Management breaks new ground by addressing key skills and techniques in assessing and implementing effective management practices to maximize the human and capital resources at the call center manager's disposal. Drawing on the author's unique data sets and years of research experience in the industry, 'Bottom-Line Call Center Management' helps call center managers evaluate their current status, implement cost-effective changes, and measure results of their changes to ensure a culture of accountability within the call center at all levels increasing the bottom line. The processes include an evaluation of current customer service representatives, defining, delimiting and assessing the labor shed of the center, and exploring the customer service representative's unique skills and leveraging those skills into a unique and dynamic work environment. Likewise, the process also determines the learning skills and competencies necessary to meet and exceed the basic requirements for all call centers. Furthermore, each step has a pre, in-process, and post evaluation to ensure projects are progressing according to plan. Lastly, all evaluations are measured against the bottom line through a return on investment (ROI) model. The framework for this book uses the culture of call centers, defined and lived through the customer service representatives, as the lens to view all processes, measurements, accountability and return on investment. This framework is critical since there has been much emphasis on technology-as-a-solution which treats the employees as a hindrance instead of the enablers of positive change. Likewise, customer service representatives eventually act as strong determinants of success with the call center and thus the bottom line.

'Bottom-Line Call Center Management breaks new ground by addressing key skills and techniques in assessing and implementing effective management practices to maximize the human and capital resources at the call center manager's disposal. Drawing on the author's unique data sets and years of research experience in the industry, 'Bottom-Line Call Center Management' helps call center managers evaluate their current status, implement cost-effective changes, and measure results of their changes to ensure a culture of accountability within the call center at all levels increasing the bottom line. The processes include an evaluation of current customer service representatives, defining, delimiting and assessing the labor shed of the center, and exploring the customer service representative's unique skills and leveraging those skills into a unique and dynamic work environment. Likewise, the process also determines the learning skills and competencies necessary to meet and exceed the basic requirements for all call centers. Furthermore, each step has a pre, in-process, and post evaluation to ensure projects are progressing according to plan. Lastly, all evaluations are measured against the bottom line through a return on investment (ROI) model. The framework for this book uses the culture of call centers, defined and lived through the customer service representatives, as the lens to view all processes, measurements, accountability and return on investment. This framework is critical since there has been much emphasis on technology-as-a-solution which treats the employees as a hindrance instead of the enablers of positive change. Likewise, customer service representatives eventually act as strong determinants of success with the call center and thus the bottom line.

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.

This book provides a clear understanding of performance improvement opportunities and what is at stake if these opportunities are overlooked. It outlines a powerful and logical approach for assessing the state-of-play in any organization, and offers ways to estimate the specific opportunities related to implementing a change in strategy and practices. It also details a comprehensive framework for organizing the transformation plan across multiple dimensions, and gives advice on which areas to focus on first in order to build and ensure success.

This work recommends initiatives for improving customer service and managing change, describing methodologies geared toward building relationships through customer-perceived value instruments, monitoring customer relationship indices, and changing the corporate culture and the way people work. Anton is director of benchmark research at Purdue University's Center for Customer-Driven Quality. Petouhoff works in the private sector. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

Publishing is a rapidly changing business, and this comprehensive reference is right in step--covering operations, finances, and personnel management as well as product development, production, and marketing. Written for the practicing professional just starting out or looking to learn new tricks of the trade, this revised and expanded fourth edition contains updated industry statistics and benchmark figures, features up-to-date strategies for creating new revenue streams such as online marketing and sales and e-book publishing, and provides new information on using financial information to make key management decisions. More than two dozen highly practical forms and sample contracts for immediate use are also included.

Get the Right IT Services, on the Right terms, Without Hassles or Overpaying To gain the full benefits of technology--and avoid the staggering costs of technology failure--you must manage IT with vision, direction, and expertise. Only one set of methods is robust enough to do this: IT Service Management (ITSM). In Service Intelligence, ITSM pioneer Sharon Taylor shows business managers how to make the most of it. You'll learn how to ensure service quality, anticipate vulnerabilities, improve reliability, and link IT directly to business performance. Taylor explains ITSM from a true business point of view, cutting through jargon and helping you drive value without becoming overly technical. She gives you powerful tools for negotiating IT services more effectively, improving IT ROI, and escaping "captivity" to either internal or external IT providers. Coverage includes * Recognizing what excellent IT service looks like and assessing what you're getting now * Selecting the best IT service providers and services for your needs * Spotting and rectifying trouble with internal or external supplier relationships * Making sure you don't pay for services you don't need * Negotiating services, requirements, levels, price, quality, and delivery * Leveraging ITSM practices without losing focus on the business * Creating business-focused service reports and scorecards that focus on what matters most