The most powerful assessment of any call center is provided thousands of times each day by customers. Thus, the best assessment of any call center’s delivery will replicate the customer interaction experience to the greatest extent possible.
“Mystery shopping” provides qualitative analysis that, when coupled with the center’s statistics, provides a far more valid view of the call center through the customer’s eyes. Policies and procedures manuals present call centers in an ideal state. Live tests demonstrate the extent to which those policies and procedures (a) are implemented and (b) deliver the best possible customer experience at present.
– Choose a number of calls that will be achievable while providing a representative sample of call-center volume. Ideally, the test should include at least 500 calls.
– Schedule the test calls over a variety of time periods that fairly reflect call volumes. If half the calls are typically received between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., make half the test calls during that time period. Be sure to include peak times, key break times, late nights and weekends. If more than one center is employed, sample each proportionately.
– Create tests that represent different customer types and/or customers of different value or importance to the firm. Observe the different levels of treatment, if any.
– Recruit test callers who represent the caller population. Consider recruiting from outside the employee population, if necessary.
– Don’t forget that union rules may require employee notification when there’s an audit.
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