flexiblefullpage
interstitial1
Currently Reading

Call Center: An Essential Piece to an Exceptional Company Culture

Advertisement
billboard
Home Improvement

Call Center: An Essential Piece to an Exceptional Company Culture

3 tips to provide purpose, create a supportive environment, and find new ways to make work more fun 


By By Angie Buchinger May 29, 2019

After some of the lowest unemployment rates the United States has seen in decades, our industry is focused both on retaining good employees and incentivizing new talent in creative ways to grow our business. With more competitive compensation packages and incentives becoming the norm, organizations around the country are asking how they can differentiate to keep the great talent they have, and continue attracting the best.

Our solution is to: 1. give people purpose; 2. create a supportive environment; and 3. find new ways to make each workday more fun. Bundled together, it’s called created an exceptional company culture. And finding it for your own business is a matter of asking yourself the question: How can I give my team the best experience? Here are a few helpful tips.

1. Fun and Freedom

Walk into your call center, or whichever area of your business handles sales scheduling. You’ll hear the staff transferring calls to accounting, speaking to salespeople, canvassers, retail employees, and trouble-shooting amongst each other. Staff in this room can typically answer any question ranging from what time Shannon from sales ends her day, up through when and where the company meeting is next month.

The call center/sales scheduling area is connected to each department in a way no other department is, and so attitudes and culture in this nexus of workflow tend to spill over into other departments quickly—which can be great if you foster positivity, and terrible if you neglect it.

Something a lot of remodeling companies with a successful culture do is have open-door policies with leadership, and advancement programs to keep staff motivated. Some of the best cultures in our industry do this while also engaging staff with fun office games and events, and provide opportunities to leave their workspace at their leisure, or even work from home.

2. Embrace Tech to Keep Things Running Smoothly

The big question for most businesses here is: how do I make things fun and still get staff to meet targets?

Technology is key. Start thinking about what technology you already have access to, or what technology exists which can decrease work time in-between calls, and help you obtain a higher connect rate. Software like Five9’s next-generation dialer can help with this, and can be integrated into your CRM—though, double check compatibility. If you don’t already use a CRM, or are considering a switch, look for something with a quick load/processing time. Also, communication tools like Slack work great in a call center environment, because it allows your team to interact in real-time without needing to leave their workspaces. When actually on calls, use step-by-step inbound and outbound scripts (with room for personalization) to keep calls consistent and efficient.

3. Know the Routines

The final touch is fine tuning scheduling, to make sure your staff is never over-burdened. Review call volumes and make sure you’re staffed during high connect rate and high call volume times. Remember high-volume times may differ between hours, days, and times of year, and between inbound and outbound calls. The latter is especially important if you have a large team with a separation of inbound and outbound call agents.

Take what you find and make adjustments to your scheduling, staffing up during high connect rate and inbound times, and staffing down when both are low.

Blending smart scheduling with fun, freedom, and technology should help you obtain a happy and productive call center. Done right, it will serve as a foundation for your organization’s culture.


written by

Angie Buchinger

Angie Buchinger is the marketing manager for home improvement company Tundraland, based in Appleton, Wisconsin. 


Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
leaderboard2

Related Stories

Re-Bath Expands its Reach with New Franchise

The company signs a deal with brothers who are first-time franchisees

Pro Remodeler’s 2024 Pinnacle Experience Reaches New Heights

The sold-out event covered leadership, lead gen, sales, and technology

Brian Gottlieb Receives Remodeling Mastery Award

Presented by industry icon, Mark Richardson, the award celebrated Gottlieb’s extraordinary impact on remodeling

What's Beyond the Hammer?

Working with Brian Gottlieb on the book Beyond the Hammer provided a masterclass on how to build an aligned team 

5 Counterintuitive Strategies to Improve Your Business

Follow these strategies to inspire employees, instill trust, and beat the competition

Couple Act As Much More Than General Contractors

How LBR Partners uplifts and educates their Spanish-speaking trade partners

How to Correctly Hire for Business Growth

Refloor CEO Brian Elias shares exactly how his company hires the correct people for the correct seats

Power Home Remodeling Expands Financing Offshoot with $400M from Goldman Sachs

Industry-leading home improvement company Power plans to grow its fintech offshoot fivefold with new investment

·

Increase sales and grow your business with Momnt Contractor Financing

Give your clients simple, fast, and affordable payment options for the investments that matter most

Great Day Improvements Acquires LeafGuard and Englert

Leading home improvement company Great Day Improvements purchases two major brands from private equity firm Audax

Advertisement
boombox2
Advertisement
halfpage2
Advertisement
native1

More in Category




Advertisement
native2
Advertisement
halfpage1
Advertisement
leaderboard1