Call Centre Successful Teams

Whether you are the shift manager or the ceo of a big call centre, there are certain aspects that you cannot overlook. Building work teams is not easy, it is expensive and very time consuming. Management needs to know the payoff for the investment in team building.

The team concept benefits everyone involved - the customer, the business, the operations management, and the individual team members - and is well worth the investment.

By definition, one of the most important roles for management is to get work done by, with and through people. Many times we don't discuss that level of definition or explanation; we simple say we work with teams. Here are my three versions of teams.

1. The Directed Team: The directed team is driven by management, like a team of horses pulling a wagon. This type of team does not provide opportunities for individuals to contribute or learn, and not much is expected from the individuals. Team members are told to keep pulling, and if work doesn't get done, a whip is cracked.

2. The Managed Team. The managed team is like a baseball team where we have many team members who have different roles to play and need different skill sets. Members have different roles or positions to play from the pitcher, the home run slugger, to the outfielders. There are different skill levels required within the team, and there are certainly superstars. These superstars are individuals who many times have their own agenda and their measures of success are not necessarily the team's measures. Management directs the daily work, makes all the major decisions, and worries most about making the numbers.

3. The Self-Directed Team. The self-directed team is ideal in the business environment. The self-directed team understands its customers and business, focuses on achieving business results by learning from each other, has tools to monitor how it is doing, improves quality, and improves personal and team productivity. The team does the work and it takes on more and more responsibility. The team builds a culture where everyone is committed to continuous improvement. Everyone - management and the team - are now concerned about making the numbers. This unique team is truly appreciated and rewarded for its efforts.

What are some of the important team skills for customer service and customer care?

Team members need to:

  • Build customer and team relationships through strong communications.
  • Address group dynamics and build interpersonal skills.
  • Know how to facilitate, promote active participation, and reach consensus within the group.
  • Learn how to influence and support others.
  • Look for opportunities to give and receive feedback that promotes business, personal and team improvements.

What are some of the important skills for management and supervision in a team environment?
Managers need to be able to coach team members, provide guidance, and help colleagues learn and grow. Managers should also model and reinforce effective performance.

And they should take every opportunity to build collaborative relationships, encourage desired behavior and motivate for success.

What will a successful team look like?
People will be energized and excited about what they are doing. Everyone will be contributing and making improvements in everything that they do.

Productivity will be steadily increasing. Quality and customer satisfaction will also be improving and will eventually become the key drivers and key measures of success.