Research: 2011 People Issues in Customer Support

A great deal of literature now exists on the technology, metrics, and infrastructure behind this profession. But relatively little survey research benchmarks how well our profession delivers what it does: serving customers, and training, coaching, and evaluating the people who serve them.

This survey examines the "people" issues that drive customer support operations: how satisfied customers are, how agents feel, how we supervise people and measure performance, and the systems we have in place to train and coach people. The research provides a unique annual snapshot of how well the industry manages its human capital and delivers its end product.

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Electrolux Enables a Social, Mobile Workforce with IBM Software
IBM announced that Electrolux, a provider of appliances, is using IBM social software to connect its workforce in 60 countries and encourage a deeper level of innovation and knowledge sharing. Electrolux has seen the number of internal online communities, networks and microblogs grow rapidly. The intranet, powered by IBM Connections and Microsoft SharePoint, contains more than 100 information portals managed by more than 450 editors, and contains 15,000 monthly and 9,000 daily readers. With over 1,100 collaboration spaces with 8,500 members, Electrolux employees are engaging in ways never seen before.

Interstate Batteries Selects VPI EMPOWER
VPI, a provider of analytics-enhanced contact center quality monitoring, performance management and workforce optimization solutions, announced that Interstate Batteries has the VPI EMPOWER performance optimization suite to maximize the quality and performance of its customer service center. VPI EMPOWER is designed to enable business organizations to proactively cultivate exceptional customer experience and improve agent attitudes and behaviors. VPI's proven system design approach, based on six sigma continuous improvement principles, provides powerful workforce optimization solutions that deliver value quickly and cost-effectively -- designed for fast deployment, customization and training.

Young Professionals, College Students Admit They'll Go To Extreme Measures for Internet Access Despite IT Policies
Seven out of 10 young employees frequently ignore IT policies, and one in four is a victim of identity theft before the age of 30, according to a global study from Cisco. The final set of findings from the three-part Cisco Connected World Technology Report reveals startling attitudes toward IT policies and growing security threats posed by the next generation of employees entering the workforce -- a demographic that grew up with the Internet and has an increasingly on-demand lifestyle that mixes personal and business activity in the workplace.

Considering that at least one of every three employees (36%) responded negatively when asked if they respect their IT departments, balancing IT policy compliance with young employees' desires for more flexible access to social media, devices, and remote access is testing the limits of traditional corporate cultures. At the same time, these employee demands are placing greater pressure on recruiters, hiring managers, IT departments, and corporate cultures to allow more flexibility in the hope the next wave of talent can provide an edge over competitors.

Key Findings

Adhering to IT policies

• Of those who were aware of IT policies, seven of every 10 (70%) employees worldwide admitted to breaking policy with varying regularity. Among many reasons, the most common was the belief that employees were not doing anything wrong (33%). One in five (22%) cited the need to access unauthorized programs and applications to get their job done, while 19% admitted the policies are not enforced. Some (18%) said they do not have time to think about policies when they are working, and others either said adhering to the policies is not convenient (16%), they forget to do so (15%), or their bosses aren't watching them (14%).

• Two of three (67%) respondents said IT policies need to be modified to address real-life demands for more work flexibility.

• Companies restrict many devices and social media applications. Of these, young employees said online gaming (37%) was the most commonly restricted application. Apple iPods (15%) were the most commonly restricted device.

• One in 10 (10%) employees globally said IT policies prohibit the use of iPads and tablets, signaling a growing challenge for IT teams as tablet popularity increases. Three of 10 employees (31%) said social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were prohibited as well.

• Three of five employees (61%) believe they are not responsible for protecting information and devices, believing instead that IT and/or service providers are accountable.

Risky behavior: Unsupervised computer usage

• More than half of the employees surveyed globally (56%) said they have allowed others to use their computers without supervision -- family, friends, coworkers, and even people they do not know.

• College students exhibited higher tendencies than young employees to engage in risky online behavior. More than four of five college students (86%) said they have allowed others to use their computer unsupervised, indicating that this behavior is only going to become more prevalent as the next generation of employees enters the workforce over the next few years.

• More than one in 10 college students (16%) admitted leaving personal belongings and devices unattended in public, while getting something to eat or drink at a cafe or going to the restroom.

More...

How to succeed as a CIO in a new company

The first 90 days are the most critical for new CIOs.

The success of the CIO is based on results. Too often new CIOs try to do too much before they know enough. According to the IT Productivity Center, six things that a new CIO should do are:

Find an Internal Ally - It is crucial to quickly get to know the new company. But since no one can be everywhere at once, it's good to have an observant adviser within the company.

Find someone in the company to "be your counselor, letting you know if the troops need more attention or if they're confused." An ally does not have to be a peer or a direct report; it can be junior colleague who is attuned to the workforce and unafraid to share their observations. Often people who needed help rarely came directly to you and ask for help.

Hire a Strong Ally - Hire someone who know how you work and what your strengths and weakness are. They can be a sounding board and at the same time another ally who is totally loyal to you.

Get Things under Control - A CIO who wants to position himself as a strategic partner to executive management should avoid getting bogged down in detail tasks. A new CIO should establish a strong leadership persona, whether that means adding positions, hiring people, or reorganizing. The new company needs the new CIO to have a team and processes in place that support the new CIO's success. That's not going to happen in 90 days, but the CIO needs to have the commitment in place to support them going forward.

Focus on the Right Issues - CIOs want to control costs and processes, and what better way to do that than tightening the purse strings or project initiatives of the IT department. CIOs often think they've got to set an example and that is often the wrong issue to focus on. Doing something solely to be a model for the company can be a mistake because it may send the wrong message. And more than anything, a new CIO needs to be viewed as a team player.

Be a Collaborator - When it comes to strategy, it's easiest to forge ahead if executives across the company are on board. Particularly for a new CIO, it's important to vet plans with the right people, whether launching an IT transformation or introducing a new initiative. Keep them updated on where things stand so that they're hearing how the project is advancing. That way you're constantly winning buy-in for the next move.

A new CIO should also look for informal support and feedback on how to make projects more efficient and less disruptive to the business. Many of the things the CIO do have a big impact on the other business functions. It's critical for the CIO to gather input and make sure that he is doing what he can to make it as easy as possible.

Listen - A new CIO should spend lots of time listening. Many CIO spend too much time talking and not enough time taking notes on what they hear. When you're new, you find so much information and get so many ideas, but it's not wise to act on those ideas immediately. Rather, the first 90 days are an opportunity to determine which strategies, people, and processes are healthy and which need improvement.

More...

Now Available: How to Hire, Lead and Motivate Your All-Star Support Team

In case you missed our recent webinar series,"How to Hire, Lead and Motivate Your All-Star Support Team," you can now view them on-demand!

When you register, you will also receive a copy of the slides and an informative article on the same topic. The feedback from all of these events was overwhelmingly positive. Each webinar is chocked full of content and the slides are a valuable resource for any support center professional.

Webinars in the series include:

• Webinar Part 1: "Hiring for Great Service: How to Screen, Attract and Retain Top Support Talent"
• Webinar Part 2: "Leading Support Teams: The Mechanics"
• Webinar Part 3: "Your Cast of Characters: Team Building in a Support Center"

Click here to view all 3 webinars in the series!

9 Surefire Ways To Destroy Employee Morale
Every company has a different corporate culture and every manager has their own unique style. But there are things that should be avoided in most situations if you want employees not to hate coming to work every day. Here are nine guaranteed ways to completely ruin employee morale. Many of them come down to two basic ideals: treat your employees with respect and dignity, and that's how they'll treat you back.
Full Article...

How to Say 'Sorry' to an Angry Customer
You just got word that a customer's angry. The shipment was late or there's a pricing error on the invoice. Or maybe there's a quality glitch. Whatever the problem, you have to apologize. Salespeople often dread having to say they're sorry. That's a big mistake. They should welcome the opportunity to apologize because research has shown that a properly handled apology can increase the customer's loyalty. What's most important is apologizing quickly. If you don't, the customer's resentment may grow.
Full Article...

Empower Contact Center Employees: Give Your External Front Line an Internal Voice
It can be difficult to keep contact center employees motivated and challenged on a daily basis -- and to include all employees with major changes in the company. Because the work environment can be fairly regimented, employees may feel intimidated to voice their opinions. However, giving your front line a voice in process improvement for long term change will impact culture, performance and morale.
Full Article...

5 Ways Leaders Must Get Their Hands Dirty in 2012
The world is watching the continuous disruption of our economic order as our leaders resist confronting the real problems that are impacting employee morale & engagement, reductions in customer service ratings & trust and America's three year decline in global competitiveness. Diminishing performance is no accident. It's a function of how people respond to their leaders. At a time when America needs to find new ways to reboot its momentum that requires more than just hard work; leaders must get their hands dirty in 2012.
Full Article...

How to Retool Your IT Skills for the Cloud
Cloud computing is transforming IT operations and management, but the transition for IT professionals doesn't have to be difficult or daunting. Here, cloud computing experts explain how IT professionals can adapt their skillsets for the cloud and the impact cloud computing will have on five different IT jobs.
Full Article...

Flip the Funnel: How to Use Existing Customers to Gain New Ones
by Joseph Jaffe

In most businesses, it costs roughly five-to-ten times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one, and yet companies continue to disproportionately spend their budgets into the "wrong" end of the funnel -- the mass media or awareness side.

What we haven't paid enough attention to is the "right" end of the funnel-the word-of-mouth component that essentially acts as a multiplier for future business. The economic impact of an active, engaged and loyal customer is tremendous.

And the same is true of the opposite scenario, namely the impact of angry customers and negative word-of-mouth or referrals. It is this thinking that Jaffe has channeled to challenge marketers to "flip the funnel" once and for all. With a renewed focus and energy on customer experience, it is possible to grow your sales, while decreasing your budget -- in other words, getting more from less. Engaging a few customers to spread the word to many.

For more information, or to order your copy...

Free Research on the Service and Support Industry
Are you looking for the latest research available (for free!) on the service and support industry? Then check out the research section of SupportIndustry.com. Some of the current offerings available to members are:

• 2011 People Issues in Customer Support
• Research Insight: Average Speed to Answer, Wait Time and Handle Time
• 2010 Service and Leadership Trends in Customer Support
• Research Insight: Effectively Measuring Customer Loyalty
• Research Insight: Cost Per Contact (Phone & E-Mail)
• Research Insight: First Contact Resolution
• 2009 Service and Support Metrics Survey

All of these reports can be accessed by clicking here...

White Paper: Best Practices for Coaching Your Support Team to Handle Anything
This white paper provides a step-by-step game plan for solving your support agents' worst nightmares, based on the author's experience in successfully "turning around" support performance, as well as current research in the psychology of how we communicate with people. In the process, you will learn how specific, procedural skills -- both for how your agents respond to customers, and how you coach your team -- can change everything about how your interact with customers, in a way that will impact both your support metrics and your bottom line.

Get the full white paper here!

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