The Gatekeeper’s Dilemma: “When Should I Transfer This Customer?”

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett A. Hathaway ◽  
Evgeny Kagan ◽  
Maqbool Dada
Keyword(s):  
Call Center ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Good News ◽  
Online Experiment ◽  
Service Request ◽  
Successful Resolution

When Should I Transfer This Customer? “Please hold while I transfer you to next level of support.” Most of us have been on the receiving end of this message. In this study, the authors look at transfers from the service worker’s perspective. They create an online experiment in which participants play the role of call center agents who need to decide whether to transfer a virtual service request or continue attempting to resolve it. Consistent with compensation schemes common in call centers, participants receive a bonus for each successful resolution and may pay a penalty if they transfer. The authors find that these incentives generally work well; however, agents appear to overreact to transfer penalties by handling more requests than they should and transferring too few requests. Although this may be good news for customers who dislike being transferred, such behaviors may be costly for the call center; thus, managers need to be careful when rolling out complex compensation schemes.

scholarly journals A Structural Equation Modelling Evaluation of Antecedents and Interconnections of Call Centre Agents’ Intention to Quit

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Chux Gervase Iwu ◽  
Abdullah Promise Opute ◽  
Olayemi Abdullateef Aliyu ◽  
Chukuakadibia Eresia-Eke ◽  
Tichaona Buzy Musikavanhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
South African ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Intention To Quit ◽  
Organizational Element

Call centers play a significant role in the operational dynamics of different types of businesses. This is especially the case because a call center agent’s demeanor can impair or engender customer satisfaction, which has ramifications for business patronage. Unfortunately, the pressures associated with the role of the call center agent have made staff attrition a norm in the industry. While this does not augur well for the call center or the organizations that they serve, the role of possible antecedents in the equation of staff attrition in South African call centers remains largely unexplored. Using a structural equation modeling approach, this study examined the interconnections between customer orientation, knowledge management, job satisfaction, and employees’ intention to quit. Additionally, the mediating influence of job satisfaction on the association between customer orientation and knowledge management of the intention to quit is examined. This study found significant relationships between knowledge management, customer orientation, and job satisfaction and the dependent variable (intention to quit). In addition, this study establishes that the extent to which job satisfaction may mediate the influence on the intention to quit hinges on the organizational element considered. Two factors limit the extent to which the findings from this study can be generalized. First, this study focused on the call center setting in South Africa. Second, convenience sampling was used in this study. This study points to critical operational practices that call center managers can embrace toward enhancing job satisfaction and reducing intention to quit propensity. Using structural equation analysis, we contend that call centers in the South African setting would effectively address staff attrition if appropriate organizational practices are endorsed toward ensuring employee job satisfaction.

scholarly journals Role of Internal Marketing Practices in the Service Recovery Performance of Call Center Employees

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-175
Author(s):  
Norzieiriani Ahmad ◽  
Nazlina Zakaria ◽  
Munawar Javed Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Call Center ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Employee Training ◽  
Internal Marketing ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Service Recovery Performance ◽  
Recovery Performance ◽  
Call Center Employees

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the internal marketing philosophy is applicable to call centers operating in Pakistan. This study attempted to investigate the role of internal marketing practices assess through internal communication (Huang & Rundle-Thiele, 2014), employee rewards (Boshoff & Allen, 2000), employee training (Boshoff & Allen, 2000), and employee empowerment (Yavas, Karatepe, Avci, & Tekinkus, 2003) on the service recovery performance (Boshoff & Allen, 2000) of call center employees working in inbound telecom call centers. Primary data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 15 telecom call centers located in three major cities namely Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. A simple random sampling technique was implemented to collect data from 318 male and female respondents. Results showed that internal communication, employee rewards and employee training were positively linked with service recovery performance, while a nonsignificant relationship was found between employee empowerment and service recovery performance. Results revealed that internal marketing practices influence toward frontline employee’s service recovery performance. Findings suggested that the call centers operating in the Asian region, especially, in Pakistan, should focus on internal marketing practices to enhance the service recovery performance of the frontline employees.

Mitigating Burnout Through Organizational Justice: Customer Support Workers’ Experiences of Customer Injustice and Emotional Labor

2021 ◽  
pp. 089331892110120
Author(s):  
Heewon Kim ◽  
Rebecca B. Leach
Keyword(s):  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Service Industries ◽  
Interpersonal Justice ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Customer Support ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Employee burnout is a critical organizational concern that can be prevalent among customer support workers whose day-to-day tasks inherently include emotional labor. This study examines emotional labor and burnout among call center workers in customer service industries, specifically focusing on the influences of injustices from customers and supervisors. The findings demonstrate that: (a) customer injustice was associated with an increase in emotional labor, which in turn exacerbated customer support workers’ disengagement and exhaustion; (b) interpersonal justice perceived in the interactions with supervisors was negatively associated with disengagement; and (c) procedural justice perceived in supervisors’ decision-making processes was also negatively associated with disengagement. The findings indicate the mitigating role of interpersonal and procedural justice in reducing burnout among customer support workers.

Work characteristics, musculoskeletal disorders, and the mediating role of psychological strain: A study of call center employees.

2007 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 1456-1466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Sprigg ◽  
Christopher B. Stride ◽  
Toby D. Wall ◽  
David J. Holman ◽  
Phoebe R. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Work Characteristics ◽  
Psychological Strain ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Call Center Employees

scholarly journals Relação entre condições de trabalho e sintomas vocais em operadores de um call center modelo

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bárbara Bento Girardi ◽  
Daniel Lucas Picanço Marchand ◽  
Taís de Campos Moreira ◽  
Renata Loss Drummond ◽  
Mauriceia Cassol
Keyword(s):  
Call Center ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Voice Symptoms

RESUMO Introdução Os operadores de call centers são profissionais da voz com alta demanda vocal e, consequentemente, sujeitos a distúrbios e sintomas vocais. Objetivo: Caracterizar aspectos vocais e laríngeos em operadores de um call center que segue as normas regulamentadoras de ergonomia, mensurando autopercepção vocal, avaliação otorrinolaringológica e análise perceptivo-auditiva vocal. Métodos Participaram do estudo 30 operadores de call center, entre 18 e 41 anos de idade. Todos os sujeitos foram avaliados por meio da Escala de Sintomas Vocais - versão brasileira da Voice Symptoms Scale (VoiSS), avaliação otorrinolaringológica por meio de videonasofibrolaringoscopia e avaliação perceptivo-auditiva da voz com a escala GRBASI, que avalia grau de alteração vocal (G), rugosidade da voz (R), soprosidade (B), astenia (A), tensão (S) e instabilidade (I). Resultados Na Escala de Sintomas Vocais, houve correlação entre o domínio geral e os demais subdomínios e entre os subdomínios limitação e físico. Na avaliação otorrinolaringológica, 12 operadores apresentaram alguma alteração, como acúmulo de secreção à fonação e fendas. A análise perceptivo-auditiva da voz encontrou indivíduos com vozes normais e com grau de alteração discreto a moderado, além de correlação entre o item instabilidade da escala GRBASI com o grau geral, rugosidade, soprosidade e astenia. Conclusão Ambientes de trabalho adequados e que primam por cuidados com a voz podem melhorar a qualidade laboral dos profissionais de call center, amenizando os riscos de desenvolvimento de distúrbios vocais. Contudo, fatores físicos, sociais, ambientais, organizacionais e psicológicos podem ocasionar sintomas vocais nesses profissionais da voz.

scholarly journals Barriers and Enablers to Planning Initiatives for Active Living and Health

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony McCosker ◽  
Anne Matan
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Good News ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Active Living ◽  
Barriers And Enablers ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Subsequent Discussion ◽  
Community Health Practitioners

The response of local government (LG) to issues of rising rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is an important one given their roles as place managers. This article explores the experiences of LG built environment and community health practitioners to identify barriers and enablers to the implementation of healthy planning and associated active living promotion efforts. The role of Australian LG in community health is presented, followed by findings from practitioner surveys and policy analysis undertaken, with subsequent discussion of the barriers and enablers. Six key enablers and barriers to successful project implementation were identified: (1) internal LG functioning, (2) the promotion of co-benefits, (3) partnerships, (4) the value of recognition and good news, (5) placing a mandate for action on LG and (6) funding and resourcing.

scholarly journals Dimensioning a Call Center: Simulation or Queue Theory?

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Aurélio Carino Bouzada
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Method ◽  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Experimental Methods ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Alternative Methodology ◽  
Queue Theory ◽  
Set Up

The objective of this paper is to establish a dichotomy - opposing analytical methods (such as Queue Theory) to experimental methods (such as Simulation) and discussing their adequateness to complex operations - set up in the matter of dimensioning the handling capacity of a large brazilian call centers company. The literature related to the application of such methods at call centers is reviewed, and the way the question is treated nowadays by the company is described. Then an experimental approach is suggested to be implemented as an alternative methodology to deal with the issue, instead of the analytical method in use. The results obtained are used to justify the adequacy of the experimental approach to the modern call centers operation, as long as it is possible to have the model closer to reality. The main implication points to a better understanding of the operation achieved with the new approach

scholarly journals Good news media book in regional bad news year

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-212
Author(s):  
Patrick Craddock
Keyword(s):  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
News Media ◽  
National Development ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Good News ◽  
Journalism Education ◽  
Media Ownership ◽  
The Media

Media, Information and Development in Papua New Guinea is one of the most interesting books I have on Pacific media. It is a collection of different writers, some of whom are current or former journalists. Several of the authors have direct media links as staff working with the Divine Word University in Madang, a private Christian institution. For the uninitiated, the opening chapter gives an outline of the media landscape in PNG. Other chapters explore media ownership, journalism education and the role of media national development. 

scholarly journals Stress and Sexual Dysfunction among Call Center Employees

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. V.D. Kasture
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Work Load ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Positive Thinking ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Female Employees ◽  
Call Center Employees

The call center community often defines itself as an industry, with numerous national and international call centers. But there has some dispute among researchers as to whether it is appropriate to refer such thing as the ‘call center industry’. Bain and Taylor (1999) argue that it is more appropriate to use the term ‘sector’ as call centers are found across a wide range of industries and may be similar primarily in terms of their core technologies. Belt, Richardson and Websler (2000) agreed that call centers are not an ‘industry’ as the term generally defined, but rather represent certain ways of delivering various services using the telephone and computer technologies across traditional industry boundaries. This research results revealed that female employees from international call centers show high stress score and high sexual dysfunction than domestic call center employees, which means the female employees from international call center differed significantly (t=5.26, p=<0.01) than domestic call center female employees. Results obtained from t test showed that female employees from domestic and international call center differed significantly with one another on stress scores and sexual dysfunction. The reason is that international call center employees have more work stress as compare to that with domestic one. This due to heavy work load, not enough time for social interaction and completion of work within a given period of time. The work culture is more strict and systematic as compared to domestic one. International studies in the past have linked stress t sexual dysfunction and infertility among women. The overall results of the present study suggest the need for stress management programs for reducing the stress and developing positive thinking among young female employees working in call centers.

Western Work Worlds and Altering Approaches to Marriage

2012 ◽  
pp. 262-276
Author(s):  
Shelly Tara ◽  
P. Vigneswara Ilavarasan
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Call Centers ◽  
Work Culture ◽  
Women Employees ◽  
Two Cities ◽  
Second Tier ◽  
Call Center Employees ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Depth Interviews

Based on a qualitative empirical study of women call center employees in India, this chapter argues that approaches towards marriage are being altered due to the impact of Western work worlds. In-depth interviews were conducted with eighteen respondent located in Delhi, a metropolitan area, and Jaipur, a second tier city Though, in terms of size, culture, and outlook of people there are great differences between Delhi and Jaipur, the work culture introduced by the call centers is similar in both cities. Consequently, the findings reveal certain similar as well as certain different opinions in the approaches towards marriage at both the cities. Women are negotiating with these approaches to continue with either employment in call center or marriage, or both. By doing a comparative analysis between the respondents of two cities about the decision of marriage, the study provides a range of approaches adopted by the women employees of call centers, while balancing work and the decision of marriage. The chapter also highlights the varying forms of women agency being exercised while dealing with the issue of marriage along with the unprecedented work culture of call centers in India.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document