subject: The role of call centers in Indian employment system by Nitin Walia [print this page] The role of call centers in Indian employment system by Nitin Walia
Nitin Walia strongly believes that small or big BPOs are here to stay. According to Nitin, "India is no longer known as land of Elephants and Snakes but the land of High Talent professionals and cost effective corporate BPO solutions. India is becoming the leader in outsourcing with no close competitors. The BPO industry in India has been mushrooming right since the decade begun. Indian BPO industry, as per NASSCOM estimates, is bound to cross the $100 Billion mark by 2015."
Call centers were established to expedite the process of resolving customer queries at a fairly inexpensive price. A customer service representative, who works at the call center, acts as the interface between the company and its customers. Customer service representatives provide assistance to people by explaining the various options that are available to a consumer. Advancements in the field of telecommunications have resulted in companies positioning their call centers overseas. The need for call center management training cannot be underestimated since delivering quality service can help differentiate between call centers of different companies operating within the same industry. Moreover, quality service will ensure customer satisfaction and will have a direct bearing on the customer's perception regarding the efficiency and the quality of the company. Effective management will also ensure increased revenue generation that may help turn a low cost center into a profit making division.
The Need for Call Center Management Training
The management at the call center is entrusted with the task of hiring, coaching, training and motivating employees. Employee training is necessary in order to ensure that the process of receiving calls and answering queries is handled smoothly. Call center employees work beyond the traditional work hours and have very little time between calls. The work is generally repetitive and stressful since the representative needs to minimize the length of each call without seeming discourteous to the caller. The management needs to ensure that the employees are given proper training and coaching so that they can effectively manage their time and deliver the desired results. The management also needs to boost employee morale that may receive a blow due to the very nature of the job. Call center management training should focus on the following areas.
Call Center Management Training
Call center management training should focus on helping the trainee develop skills that are necessary for good management. Management training will vary depending on the size and the needs of the call center. In general, the managers need to assess the state of the call center, think of ways of effectively servicing the customers, formulate guidelines for facilitating effective training meetings and come up with motivation and retention plans. Retaining the employees is particularly difficult in a call center, since employee turnover is usually high amongst representatives who are high school diploma holders. The customer service representatives quit on account of the repetitive nature of their work or move on to a job with better career prospects. The management also needs to prepare a training budget for newly hired employees or for sponsoring on-going training. Staffing needs are calculated using the Erlang formula. Forecasting the volume of calls, the expected work load and creating presentations that justify staffing needs are some of the tasks that require training.
Call center manager certification incorporates the strategies that are ideal for existing call center managers as well as managers who have been entrusted with the task of turning around a challenged call center. Team leaders, who are interested in furthering their career prospects, and individuals who have been entrusted with the task of building a new call center operation from scratch, can benefit immensely by getting certified.
Nitin Walia is one of the major players in the subject of BPO consultancy; an alumnus of Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS) based in Pune, and has more than 10 years of corporate and entrepreneurial
experience, with last 7 years in the BPO industry. Nitin has been indulged in the process of outsourcing industry since its inception in India.
Nitin Walia has working relationship with more than 25 BPO companies in India with the scope of executing Greenfield setup for more than 5000 seats in various Indian cities. So far he has been successful setting up over 1000 seats.
