Product Description

As the cost of doing business increases, call centers and help desks are frequently moving overseas. How can your center remain competitive? Is pooling the best way to slash your wait times? James Abbott concisely answers these questions as he leads you through the world of process-centered customer service. Strategic and tactical terms, how to choose metrics to measure, and the miracle of Queuing Science are covered thoroughly, using easy-to-grasp anecdotes to explain the key technical topics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #138554 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 190 pages

Review
Abbott’s scientific methods are a revelation. His grocery store express lane model is perfect for introducing queuing theory. -- Dwight Brown, CEO Cobb Energy

The Executive Guide offers innovative solutions by identifying the key monitoring metrics to measure processes and quantify results. -- L. John Arbizzani, Chairman Ameri-Force, Inc.

About the Author
James Abbott has made a career out of taking technical topics and explaining them so that anyone can understand. A professional engineer for more than 30 years, James learned early on that even the best methods are useless unless they are delivered in a fashion that allows their swift and effective implementation.

Inspired by the great Southern tradition of storytelling, James uses anecdotes about Grandma’s biscuits and a visit to the grocery store to explain scientific concepts like queuing theory and reporting metrics.

James isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. In the course of his coaching and engineering he’s worked alongside electric engine assemblers, in a high-pressure call center, and on the third shift of an IT help desk. It is his ability to learn a business—from the ground up—that has allowed James to develop methods and tools for everyone from the CEO to the custodial staff.

Though he has worked throughout the Western Hemisphere, James’s home is in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the author of eight books.

Customer Reviews

Bringing Call Centers Into The 21st Century
From the introduction this book explains how metrics must be more than just numbers or report cards. They are proactive tools to get much more out of your call center. The book then sets out ways to create powerful metrics that lead to winning decisions for your center.
Chapter One: Having It All
The first chapter looks at why modern metrics are required in centers with numerous monitors. Old ways of thinking will not do. Everyday, real world examples are given to highlight critical metric sources. These are a must in balacing wait time, cost and performance.
Chapter Two: Call Center Metrics
This chapter begins with Abbott's signature approach to decision making and and the discussion of mstrics that compliment this approach. He introduces the unique Dependency Diagram and metric blueprint. On page 38 he lists six key proactive metrics.
Chapter Three: Monitoring Metrics
Chapter three makes cetain you are uaing clear thinking when monitoring your meticws. Again, real world examples and critical statistics are used to help you have a clear look at your center.
Chapter Four: Metric Dashboard
Using building blocks already mentioned this chapter begins putting together a call center dashboard. Who does what? How do we set it up? What is my part?
Chapter Five and Six: Tactical Decisions and Metrics
How do we know when real change has happened? What are the "alarms" to look for when monitoring the call center. We see how to read and use tactical metrics to avoid problems and run effective centers.
Chapters Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten: Strategic Decisions & Metrics
These chapters explain the strategic aspects of running your call center. They help you develop the strategic eye needed to bring your call center into the 21st century.

The book ends with a review of benefits that come from the effective use of metrics and how that is achieved. If you have the difficult responaibility of runing a call center, you need this book.

Required Reading For All Call Center Managers
James Abbott has produced a handbook that is required reading for all Call Center Managers. It provides a step-by-step method for metrics creation and why improvement is not possible unless you can measure Call Center activity.

This book must be on every employees desk in the Call Center and the Metrics should be based on this book. The books 11 chapters are easy to read and understand. James clearly outlines the reasons why metrics must be real time and the benefit in performance associated with this method.

You should read this book, as I did, just to understand how implementation of this methodology will cut costs and improve customer satisfaction.

John Washburn
Colorado

To understand metrics, read this book first!
Very good approach to metrics and how to apply metrics to call center operations in order to understand and support the goals of the call center. Mr. Abbott uses easy to understand language and examples rather than technical language and equasions and this makes it very easy to understand the principals and see the big picture. Every manager should be required to read this as thier first book on metrics.