Oct 30, 2020
For so many of us 2020 will be the most remarkable and memorable year in business - yet maybe for all the wrong reasons….
You name it - and it’s quite easy to just hope that 2021 will be different.
There are still two months left
- so in today’s episode I’m sharing how you can make a difference
in your customer service centre - and how you can set yourself up
for success in 2021!
1. Leading People
One of the simplest
ways of engaging with your now remote teams is to invite them to
virtual “brown bag lunches”! Remember, when you were in the office,
you took the time to walk the call floor regularly, you sat with
your advisors, you could hear what was going on first hand. Now
this has all changed.
And whilst a majority
of Working From Home Advisors state that they loved to see their
leaders in a jumper instead of a suit, loved to hear their dog
barking or a child dashing in and out of the office, they miss the
leadership of their line manager - and more importantly of their
executive team!
Play a game when you are with them! Just to
break the ice! I recently attended a virtual conference and we
played a wikipedia game! Given a starting point - who ever arrived
at the final destination without leaving Wikipedia had won!
Here is how it works:
Open the Wikipedia
homepage:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
(remember to stipulate the language
you wish to use)
Start with a key word such as: Black
Raven
Key this initial word or word combination into
the search bar on the top right hand corner.
Now
- as everyone is on the start page for the game give them the end
work - for example Elizabeth The Second.
The
aim is to get to “Elizabeth The Second” only using links within the
articles you are looking at!
To
prove that the winner didn’t cheat you will have to ask the
candiate to back space from Elizabeth 2nd to Black Raven and verify
that only Wikipedia pages have been used.
It’s
fun and lightens the mood!
If you are hiring for peak or
because you realise your team needs more people to cope with the
workload - there is so much talent in the market place just now -
you can choose. That’s a great place to be in, but also for all the
job-seekers a very stressful place!
Please be considerate.
Communication is key! It breaks my heart to hear and read stories
where people have applied for jobs, and not even got an
acknowledgement that their application had been received. Or they
went for a screening interview (not uncommon, in fact quite best
practice, I don’t want to waste your time, nor do I want to waste
my time) - but never got any feedback!
It is reasonable and
best practice to be in touch with your candidates within 24 to 48
hours. Also - if you do hire
- be clear on the budget. In essence, if you have a salary budget
in mind - advertise this clearly, don’t make false promises! Right
now you, the recruiting manager, holds all the power. Integrity is
the word. Download our free Recruitment and Onboarding Checklist.
The link is below.
2. Improve Process
In a recent
conversation with my hairdresser, we discussed the New Normal.
Besides the fact that the current working circumstances are here to
stay for the foreseeable future, Gary made a very interesting
point. He said:
“I don’t understand what the fuss
is, about the New Normal. We have always focused on excellent
customer service and high employee engagement. So for me it’s just
MORE of normal than normal.” We offer more training, we offer more
service, we just offer more of everything than we did before. This
allows us to claim excellence. And it pays off. Frances Hunter
Hairdressing is a Finalist in the British Hairdressing Awards
2020!
One of the main complaints I get when speaking
to frontline managers is that they do not have the tools or
knowledge to perform their roles effectively and efficiently!
That’s an interesting thought, considering that globally in 2020
there was a budget for Learning & Development of 370 Billion
Dollars. A massive amount!
The average spend per employee for learning and development this
year is $1299 in the US but only in the UK 30% of all firms only
spend an average of £400 per employee on L&D. Given that
that the current situation is new to everyone, this is a
concerningly low number! Even more concerning given the fact that
43% of the firms surveyed said their L&D budget is not to be
increased in the next 12 months, 19% even say - it will
decrease.
So - how does this sit with the
work your team is asked to perform? And how does this sit with the
customer experience your firm is asked to provide?
In
order to finish the year strong - give your management team
(especially team managers and operations managers) the tools to
effectively work with their workforce. And help them to be leaders
and managers (which is not the same!)
Another process you definitely want to improve
is your operational handbook - the manual your team should have had
at the start of the pandemic. There is an entire episode dedicated
to this topic on our website, rutzconsulting.com. Just search
for;
Episode 28 - How to design and produce an Operational
Manual.
You can download a Blueprint I am using in my own business and have
used as a framework in so many contact centres! Now is the time to
document your workflows, your processes, your contacts. You will
find the link in the show notes.
3. Amplify Profit
You are most likely in
the process to finalise your budget for 2021 and get it signed off.
This can be so stressful, I know! Depending on the business model
you are running, you have so many moving parts. The more complex
your contact centre set up is, the more complex most likely your
budget is too.
You probably often wish
- you, as the finance director - had more direct input from your
operational team. And you ops team probably wishes they were
consulted when a budget is created! In episode 31 “Finances made
Human” - Andi Lonen explains in layman's terms how you can ensure
that your budgeting process becomes easier, more realistic and
subsequently much closer to reality, hence easier to
manage.
The
link to this episode is below.
Financial Performance is not
just about the money coming in though! It is equally about the
money going out! In our industry, the evolving door is one of the
biggest costs. Yet one that is totally in your control! Absence and
attrition can kill an operation! Just imagine - the cost to
recruit, the cost to train, the cost of overtime to meet your
service levels, the cost of absence due to stress, etc. etc. When I
work with frontline operational managers I often notice that they
have no idea what this figure actually looks like.
If your team leader
doesn’t know the absence percentage or the attrition percentage of
his team and how this translates into actual cost in pounds or
dollars, then you must correct this. In the LEAP Academy we
dedicate a full module to this topic!
Actions you can take today:
If any of the topics resonate with you and you might find yourself
in a position where in the next 3 to 6 months one of them might
cause you a challenge, please do reach out to me and my team. We
would love to talk to you in the next 30 days and evaluate how we
are able to help! You can find us on rutz consulting.com or talk to
me directly via linkedIn messenger.
As I
am recording this, I want to share with you that rutz consulting
has been accepted in the Programme for Growth with Business Women
Scotland! I’m delighted to be spending a couple of days in the
company of other, women lead, Scottish businesses. Learning
together, sharing experiences and expertise. Of course my
experience will turn into a podcast towards the end of this
year.
https://rutzconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LEAP-Recruitment-and-OnboardingCheckListV1.pdfLEAP
Academy: https://leapacademyinternational.com/
Podcast Episode 28 - How to design an Operational Manual
https://rutzconsulting.com/podcasts/episode-28-opex-with-marianne-rutz-how-to-design-and-produce-an-operational-manual-fit-for-purpose/
Podcast Episode 31- Finances Made Human
https://rutzconsulting.com/podcasts/episode-31-opex-with-marianne-rutz-finances-made-human-with-andi-lonnen/
Rutz Consulting: https://rutzconsulting.com/
Marianne Rutz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-rutz-351b0a5/
My Podcast is produced by: https://www.unavoided.com