Bill walks around the call center with all of the enthusiasm and charm of a meat inspector.

“How you doing?” he asks in a monotone. “It’s your turn, I guess.”

He has just invited a phone rep to a coaching session. Three calls will be played and Bill will share his evaluation of each one with the rep.

Spying his checklist Bill remarks, “You left out your close in this one.”

“But otherwise, it’s fine. You’re mostly staying on the presentation, and this is good. Any questions?”

And with that, another “deep and meaningful” coaching chat concludes.

What’s wrong with this picture?

At least 5 things are askew:

(1) The session is one way: Bill’s. He talks, you listen. This is no way to create a sense of mutuality of purpose or ownership of calls.

(2) Bill scored the call but the rep didn’t. Reps should be trained to score their own calls and then share responsibility for the conduct of and results of coaching sessions.

(3) For this to happen, so-called “quality checklists” must contain more than hollow terms. They need definitions. The phone phenomena that are discussed need to be defined objectively and behaviorally. For example, I’ve seen numerous score sheets that use the term, “sincerity.” This is a dumb category to begin with, because the link between someone sounding sincere and getting great customer results is tenuous, but more important how can Bill tell when someone is sincere? Is he omniscient, all-seeing, able to enter others’ hearts and souls at will? If we define sincerity objectively, however, as the rep’s VOICE behaving a certain way, doing certain things while avoiding others; or as a customer’s VOICE doing certain things or saying certain words, in response, we move onto more solid ground.

(4) There is no assurance Rep A will be coached the same way as Rep B. Fairness in interpreting and applying the checklist criteria isn’t audited or objectively defined or scored, either. Bill could punish Megan, but praise Audrey for doing exactly the same things, but his discrimination or favoritism would evade review and correction.

(5) Most recording and monitoring are done secretly. Reps should know exactly when they’re being observed. We want them at their best at all times, so when we tip them off they’re being scrutinized they try harder, showing themselves and others what they’re REALLY capable of doing. What could be better than that? It’s instant improvement.

Why don’t call centers enhance their coaching techniques? Every one I’ve encountered that remains stuck in the muck claims “We don’t have time to do a more thorough job!”

The same folks then prepare to waste their efforts on yet another generation of phone workers that will turn-over in short order.

They miss the point that a stitch in time saves nine.

Pay full attention to the people you have on board now, be fair and thorough in your evaluations, measuring the right things the right way, and you’ll go a long way toward remedying the turnover and underlying motivational problems that plague calls centers and the people who work in them.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books and more than a thousand articles. His seminars and training programs are sponsored internationally and he is a top-rated faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UCLA Extension, where he has taught since 1999. Dynamic, experienced, and lots of fun, Gary brings more than two decades of solid management and consulting experience to the table, along with the best academic preparation and credentials in the speaking and training industry. Holder of five degrees, including a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School For Communication at USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a law degree from Loyola, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies along with successful family owned and operated firms across America. Much more than a “talking head,” Gary is a top mind that you'll enjoy working with and putting to use. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

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