Call Center Consultants and Advise
Call center consultants always seem to be able to point to a couple of successful examples where their ideas have been successful. Does this in any way mean that their process or idea or operational plan is successful? Of course not. An example is nothing more than something that someone can point to that demonstrates that in that specific environment, under those specific conditions, their idea worked.
When selecting a consultant, remember that they have ideas but no actual dollars into the program they’re touting. It’s a lot like the weight lose industry showing off their best specimen: (I lost 50 pounds in 3 weeks with [fill in the blank weight loss product]) But notice that in the small print, they say results not typical. This is the same thing with consultants.
Look at the number of consultants recommending call centers offshore or do a relocation outside the US. These people only look at the potential cost savings and minimize the overall expense.
What good is moving offshore to get low wages when you end up alienating your customers with less than effective customer service? The problem however is that management can measure the savings while the cost is much more difficult to determine. So the savings are magnified while the costs are minimized. This results in a move that in many cases doesn’t result in anything positive for the company, it’s employees or customers.
Oh, but it does benefit the consultants 
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What is a call center?
What is the definition of a call center?
The definition of call center doesn’t actually fit the dictionary terms
Call (verb): to make a request or demand
Center (noun): a point, area, person or thing that is most important or pivotal in relation to an indicated activity or interest
A call center should now be more accurately identified as a
contact center or customer interaction center. This is because of the many ways a call center / contact center interacts with customers. There’s email, web sites, IVRs, fax, and even an occasional person on the phone!
Call center, - by whatever name you give it all operate on the principal of delivering support to customers at the lowest possible cost in both time and resources.
directory Assisstance…Here’s some Crazy Information
This just in from the Leave me alone and don’t bother me folks in New Zealand…
New Zealand’s web portal Stuff posted an amusing list of strange directory assistance queries, including “Can I have the mobile number for the guy who plays the violin outside Whitcoulls?” and “I’ve lost my friend’s phone number and address, but I have her first name and birth date. Will that help?” Manager Tania Shackleton told Stuff, “No matter what the request is, we need to remain friendly and professional.”
What they also need is a privacy act similar to the United States HIPPA act from a few years ago.