Contact centers wage a constant battle against high attrition rates and poor job satisfaction, factors that dramatically affect their ability to provide excellent customer service. Attrition rates of 50% in the USA (and even higher in other countries) are endemic to the industry for numerous reasons; employees’ are monitored electronically and constantly, they must adhere to rigid rules and quotas, and they face regular encounters with hostile customers.
The attrition problem is even more profound in outsourced contact centers whose training is dictated (and limited) by the companies they service. Outsourcing contact centers that want to improve employee satisfaction and lower attrition rates can change only the one ‘unscripted’ variable in their control—their own corporate culture.
One shining example of this approach is Call Yachol (CY), an Israeli call center that does outsourcing for companies such as a leading Israeli telecommunication company and a major Israeli bank. CY has annual attrition rates of 20%, which are far below industry standards. What makes CY even more remarkable is the vast majority of their nearly 200 employees are people with significant physical and mental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, severe visual impairment, PTSD, amputees and many others.
CY’s founder and CEO, both of whom spent many years in the contact-center industry before
opening CY (which is now in its 4th year), have developed an innovative and dramatically effective corporate culture and managerial philosophy: They care about their employees! More importantly, their employees know it.
I visited CY while doing research for The Squeaky Wheel and was immediately struck by the supportive yet extremely professional atmosphere, an incredibly difficult balance for any company to achieve. I watched as the company CEO arrived at work and made his way to his office through a labyrinth of busy cubicles while stopping to greet every single employee he passed along the way.
The caring the CEO conveys by doing so costs the company little yet pays huge dividends in employee performance as it provides the employees a psychological armor with which they can better manage the stresses of their jobs.
CY’s low attrition rates have allowed them to cultivate a more experienced and knowledgeable staff that elevates the level of customer service they provide, a win-win-win (company-employees-customers) for all involved.
CY’s corporate culture of caring is apparent in their managerial training and especially in their long term goals as CY’s hopes to revolutionize the employment of people with disabilities. Their success serves as a double proof of concept; that people with disabilities can compete in the free market if given the chance to do so and that corporate culture alone can turn what seems like an impossible challenge into a thriving business.
Further information about CY’s management training and corporate culture can be found in Chapter 7 of The Squeaky Wheel(2011, Walker and Company) or at the company website: callyachol.co.il (English tab).
2011 Guy Winch Ph.D.
Fascinating stuff and very simple, isn't it? People like to be cared for and they thrive on a little attention. This calls for excellent people skills with CEO's and other executives and awareness of the importance of shared values and walking your talk.
ReplyDeleteWe have found the same doing research on organizational culture using the OCAI (Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument) by Cameron and Quinn. People are not satisfied with current culture and they vote for more Clan and Adhocracy culture types, consisting of care for people and professional freedom to do one's task in your own, unique way (instead of prescribed by strict, detailed procedures).
If you want to know more, check out the free assessment and the outcome so far at http://www.ocai-online.com
So, I agree, we need managers who care for people (instead of turnover and other figures only).
Marcella Bremer MScBA
Call centers offer inbound call centers services , outbound call center services , answering services and many more other value added services.
ReplyDeleteinbound call center