3.2 Management guidelines for a productive call center

Call centers need to tread the thin line between improving service, sales, and revenue on the one hand and controlling costs on the other. When the proper balance is struck by effective management of the call center, the result will be a company that is more efficient and more productive on all levels. To achieve these dual objectives, the cost of hiring, training, and measuring the performance of CSRs needs to be managed carefully.

The significant contribution of the human element to the success or failure of a call center operation, and the statistics just described, present call center managers with the following human resource challenges:

• Hiring competent, skilled CSRs

• Establishing competitive salary ranges

• Motivating and retaining CSRs

• Measuring CSR performance

• Maintaining CSR skills through appropriate training

This chapter focuses on the management aspects of call centers, including workforce management practices and processes, including CSR monitoring and performance measurement, call center structure, outsourcing resources, operator scheduling, and contingency and disaster recovery planning.

Chapter 4, "Selecting and Training Call Center Staff," provides insight into and more specific guidelines for another human resource aspect of call center management staff selection and training and the application of proven management techniques to ensure a productive call center environment and the effective management of the all-important human resource.