Call Center Characteristics And Information Systems

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Over the last several years, rapidly changing business environment that we are involved forces businesses to develop new products, new ways of satisfying customers and increases their responsibility toward customers through offering a variety of services after sale. Today, companies not only sell their goods or services but also offer after sale services for the purpose of attaining a loyal customer. The aim is to be preferred in the future business activities through establishing loyalty.

Call centers play an important role in fulfillment in terms of place and time but they have to manage and establish relationship with large number of customers. These factors led to call center to born. Call center acts as the intermediary role between company and customers. On the one hand, customers want a company that generates fast and clear solutions to problems. On the other hand, companies want a communication tool that establishes a loyal relationship and satisfaction between customer and the company.

Integration of variety of technologies is required to maximize the use for information for call center operator. Development of new technologies, integration of various technologies and their adaptation accelerated the growth and importance of call centers throughout the world. Computer and telephone are defined as two major technologies that converge call centers into more efficient and productive operation in the business world. In the last three decades, the importance of information technology as a potential contributor to an organization`s productivity has been increased..

The aim of this project is to define and explain call center characteristics and information systems that are used by call centers and impact of these call center technologies on call centers. Some of the technologies that will be explained are PBX, ACD, IVR, CTI, call management systems, voice recording, wallboard, issue tracking system, automatic callback, automatic dialer, workforce management, collaborative browsing, CRM, and complaint management systems. The maximum value can be obtained by businesses if the information technology investments are strategically driven. According to the researches, there is a positive relationship between strategic vision, process objectives and IT-driven process redesign. Call center demonstrates the best example of this concept. Call center design has been enabled by the use of telecommunications technology and its ongoing integration with information technology.

OVERVIEW OF CALL CENTER

What is Call Center?

Call center is defined as a unit that serves a group of agents who handle large volume of incoming calls to increase sales, services, or other type of specialized transactions (Omari & Al-Zubaidy, 2005). Call center is defined by Taylor and Bain as a dedicated operation whose purpose is to receive inbound calls and transmit or make outbound calls (Russell, 2009).

When a customer call is connected, it will be routed immediately to an available server. If all servers are busy with other calls, the customer will be asked to wait until a server becomes available. Some customers wait for a server to become available, while others will hang-up or abandon after waiting for some time. Call center management want to limit the time that customers wait for service. As a result whenever the number of customers waiting to be served exceeds a threshold value, the call will automatically be ended and the customer will be asked to call back later. Some of the disconnected customers will redial and try to access the call center again but customers do not like waiting, being disconnected, or attempting a call several times, so the job of call center management is satisfying customers while minimizing the costs (Aguir, Aksin, Karaesmen, & Dallery, 2004).

Call Center Characteristics

Call center basic characteristics can be described as providing supporting culture, focusing on quality while taking into consideration expectations of customers, managing the call center as a whole process, constituting it as systematic and participative, forming combination of human and technology and investing their employee’s development and knowledge (Sharp, 2003).

The use of call center is significant in three areas; in customer service and retention, in direct marketing and as sources of management information and customer feedback.

Customer service and retention: In business, call centers are the primary contact point with customers, and serve as the means by which the organization creates a long - term relationship with individual customers and keep customer satisfaction. If the customers are enough satisfied it will lead to retention and to word-of-mouth recommendations.

Direct marketing opportunities: Consumers expect to find service integrated with product offerings that are available by phone and on the internet through support provided by call center. This way of the contact with the customer can lead to new opportunities to help customers to choose additional product or services.

Source of management information and customer feedback: A call center that has good software can accumulate a great number of information about customers. Information can be obtained by analyzing call documentation data, or by directly presenting questions to certain customer (Anderson, 2008).

Particularly developments in information and communication technology led to large size call center to handle large volume of telephone calls but the expectation of customers has been always increasing. Call center is appropriate approach to serve more accessible, establishing more communicator and having more satisfied relationship between customers and companies. Customers expect an effective institutional system that knows them, their history, requests and making solutions in short-term period.

Call centers are different in the mission and function, so it means there is no unique solution for all customers, because if one thing fits to one, it does not mean that it will fit all. Because of it, it is important to find that what are the needs and the goals and then to build the processes and systems that will help these goals to be achieved in efficient and effective ways

An Overview of Relationship between Call Center and Technology

Large increase in the number of call centers came from the advances in telecommunication and information technology. In most call centers, many services are fully automated, but there are still some transactions that are still processed through service agents interfacing between customers and technology. The quality of service depends on the characteristics of the human and information technology components of the resource base (Sieben, Grip, Longen, & Sorensen, 2007).

Call centers started operations in 1970s in U.S.A. In the early 1970s, the automatic call distributor was used by Continential Airlines. It was started to develop software program and systems through the development of technology in later times. In the early of 1990s, the businesses in Europe started to meet this service technology (Prestowitz, 2007). Before the call centers were built on PBX equipment owned and hosted by the call center operator. That PBX system provides functions like Automatic Call Distribution, Interactive Voice Response and skill-based routing. The most of maintenance of the equipment and necessary upgrade of software were bear by the call center operator (Spohrer & Maglio, 2009).

Virtual call center technology emerged by the software as a service technology delivery model. In this type of call center, the equipment that the call center runs on is not own, operated or host by the call centers operators. Instead they are subscribed to the service for a monthly or annual fee with a service provider that host call center telephony equipment in their own data center. That kind of vendor can host many call centers on its equipment. Agents are connected to the vendor`s equipment using traditional PSTN telephone lines, or over Voice over IP. Calls to and from contacts originate from or terminate at the vendor`s data center, rather than at the call center operator`s premise. The vendor`s telephony equipment then connects the calls to the call center operator`s agents. Virtual call center technology allows people to work from home, instead, of in a traditional centralized, call center location, which allows people with physical or other disabilities that prevent them from leaving the house, to work (Bergevin, Kinder, Siegel, & Simpson, 2010).

The first system that was used in call centers had analog system later passed to digital system and then passed to IT based structure. Businesses gained benefit in a way of reducing cost, investment of system equipment and hardware. The technologies used in call centers have been developing dramatically (Sharp, 2003). These developments can be divided into three parts as analog systems, digital systems and IP systems.

The Relationship between Information Systems and Call Centers

Information technologies increase the functions of call centers. On the one hand, call centers carry importance in a way of establishing relationship between the company and customers. On the other hand, the productivity of employees must be measured. These aims enforce call centers to use the information technology. Call centers have to invest on technologies to provide the best service for customers and being one step further from their competitors. There are different types of technologies that are used by call centers. Those technologies can be divided into three groups in terms of their functions. PBX, ACD, email, web chat systems are included in the first group. These technologies provide communication directly from customer to call center and from call centers to customers.

The second system manages the information, recording and ensuring the contact to call center agent when needed. There is one-sided interaction. These systems are not affected by customers. Customers just transmit their requests to system or call center agent and cannot see data and information about themselves which is established by the call centers. Limited information is provided to customer. Complaint management systems, CRM, CCMS can be shown as an example technologies used for these purposes.

Third group technologies include voice/screen record, workforce management system. These systems are requirements to manage call centers. There are the supplementary systems that add more quality to service.

All these systems are the results of the developments in information systems. Improvement in information systems are reflected into implementation of call centers.

Call Center Technologies and Systems

Companies are customer oriented to have competitive advantage over another. Therefore, it is necessary make investment on the technologies and systems that meet and satisfy the expectations of customers. When it is looked at relationship between call centers and information systems, the reason is obvious to meet the expectations of customers.

Companies determine which technologies to use in a call center based on the business qualification, data on hand, need of staff, software and hardware, and capacity needed for call center (V.S.Bagad, 2009).

Mostly used call center technologies are defined below.

PBX

PBX is a switch station that is used for the telephone system. Incoming call are connected firstly to PBX system. Most PBX systems can be programmed to function as ACD. Call center must select carefully their PBX system because it is not provided ACD software on some of the PBX systems. Part cabinets, control cabinet and part circuit card are included in basic PBX system architecture. Calls can be placed over telephone company trucks through the shared pool access method by PBX station (Sulkin, 2002).

ACD

ACD System is central component of call center. It was developed to handle large volume of calls and transfer them to designated answering position automatically. Screening, routing, queuing, and answering are the call center processing functions that ACD system is programmed. An ACD system must handle large volume of call types. It has software programming feature that screen, route and distribute calls to agent positions fast and efficiently (Sulkin, 2002).

All reports that is related to calls and performance information of call center representatives are taken from ACD system. Therefore, type of services and facilities are affected by feature of ACD system.

Call center operations are monitored, tracked and analyzed through integrated MIS reporting system. Producing report is a benefit of ACD and data can be exported in variety of formats. Call center market segment is denominated by PBX and ACD system (Cleveland & Mayben, 1997).

CTI (Computer Telephony Integration)

CTI is defined as any technology that combines some of real-time, from person to person, and company communication. Customer information is reflected on screen through CTI when call is connected. When call is ended, the information of customer is closed on the screen of call center agent. First CTI industry wide standards were developed in late 1980s. DEC and IBM were the first companies that took initiative. European Computer Manufacturer Association developed CTI standard in Europe. Microsoft developed its own CTI standard (Sulkin, 2002).

It can be given deeper report regarding to transactions by CTI like where the calls are routed, how long calls queue, how long calls last, computer response time, providing of on screen assistance, and keystroke sequence (Cleveland & Mayben, 1997).

Firstly, large corporate call centers implemented CTI in the mid-1980s. Advancement in technology and cost reduction allow CTI affordable and available to broader range of organizations (Sharp, 2003).

CCMS (Call Center Management System)

It is a call management system that controls both call and customer information. The key measures about call are captured by this system such as call waiting time, length of call. This information is used to monitor call center performance. When the call starts the information about customer is started on this system. It is bought mostly as an integrated part by most call centers (Association, 2007).

IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

IVR is a telephone interviewing technique in which the human speaker is replaced by a high quality recorded interactive script to which the respondent provide answers by pressing the key of touch telephone (Corkrey & Parkinson, 2002). IVR are not being able to answer 100% of off-hour questions. It is found that 60% of the calls could be handled by a call center. According to customer profile, it must be paid more attention to this self-service technology much or less. For instance, eBay’s Director of Customer Experience states that their customers are more comfortable on the internet, e-mail or chat.

IVR can be personalized. Interactive voice response can answer based on the customer’s previous inclinations. Speed of reading can be arranged. The menu that is used frequently is read. Personalized/customized IVR is preferred particularly by call center that serve for private banking and telecom sector (Tezcan & Behzad, 2012).

Voice Screen Recorder

It is mandatory to record the conversation and inform the customer about the recording by call center. Therefore, voice recording system is important component for call centers. Additionally, it can be requested to record procedures of call center agent by the company. This screen record depends on the importance of operations/procedures (Association, 2007).

3G Video and VIVR

Video IVR offers customers to have experience IVR and video to enhance the experience. It offers customers to use 3G technology on mobile phone with the support of dynamic video. System serves a dynamic side while answering the customer’s question. The video is showed to the customer as an answer. The information is given through video.

All centers can serve as video call center. softPBX and platform are used to give this service. Customers can contact face to face with call center agent (Association, 2007).

Call back

When customer cannot find an agent, his/her call back request is transferred to the system. System calls the customer on the date he/she wants. This service is for generally for private customers. Customer is informed about expected waiting time and customer decides whether to leave number to be called back or balk (Armony & Maglaras, 2004).

CRM

A good designed CRM application can provide business to increase sales, profit maximization, and competitive advantage. Work procedures can be managed based on the expectations of customers. CRM is significant to have regular contact channels with customers. (Armony & Gurvich, 2006).

Complaint Management System

Customer complaint defined as measurement and consequences of customer dissatisfaction. It is reflection of customer sound. Therefore, complaint management system is becoming critical factor in business environment. Recording of complaints and suggestions, tracking the steps of evaluation of problems and solutions, and informing the customers about the result of the problems are functions of the system. Complaints are considered as opportunity for improvement by best practice companies because the link between complaints resolution and customer loyalty is understood by companies. Because of this, they have to pay close attention to resolution of problems (Hegazy, Afify, & El-Sayed, 2011). Therefore, having a proper complaint management system has direct effect on customer retention and satisfaction.

Automatic Dialer

It has three models as predictive, preview, and progressive. Predictive dialer is computer based system trying to anticipate the number of free agents at the time who contact to customers. It is used to make outbound calls. If the calls met with fax machine, answering machine, busy signal or unanswered, the predictive dialer ends the call. This increases productivity in call centers because call center agent does not have to wait someone to pick it up. The calls that are not given answer are rare to contact to an agent (Buist & L’Ecuyer, 2005). Preview dialer is a method that call information is sent to call representative before making call. Progressive is defined as once every call ended, a new outbound call is started for agent.

Wallboard

A digital display on the wall of a call center that displays phone call data such as call waiting and call handled. It can be easily seen key information (Malcolm Carlaw, 2002).

Issue Tracking System

Issue tracking system is a software tool that collects, manage, and maintain requirements, issues and tracking their progress needs by the organization. Every problem can be recorded and followed the progress until the problem is resolved. Call center establish, update and resolve recorded/reported customer issues.

A knowledge base is obtained in the issue tracking system for each customer and solutions to common problems. Increasing satisfaction of users and customer’s answering requests acceptability and increasing productivity team are benefits of the system. Process is customizable and it is not deal with unnecessary documents (Janak, 2009).

Collaborative Browsing

Co-browsing is software enable technique that agent take virtually by sharing the screen and controlling the customer’s key board and mouse. They both see the same thing. Customer’s web browser is used to help them by call center agent. Regular telephone, e-mail, internet phone and fax are included in collaborative browsing. This system allows customer navigate the system effectively (Suomi, 2006).

The key concept behind this technique is allowing two or more users to see the same web page on their browsers. If one browser is moved to another page, the browser of all other pages moves to the same page. For instance, if a customer has difficulty in ordering on the net, call center representative could help by using this technology (Gehani, 2003).

Workforce Management

In the mid-1980s, it was felt lack of capability of scheduling and staffing activities. This led to workforce management software industry. The software picks up where ACD reporting leaves off. Calculating staffing requirements, forecasting, and organizing schedules are the functions of the system. If a call center has large number of employees and receives large volume of calls every day, it is impossible to calculate how many employees work at which hour and get them ready on that hour. The system gives directly decision on these issues based on call center data. For this reason, it is crucial to integrate workforce management into call center system. Otherwise, it has to be handled manually.

If a workforce management is used correctly, it performs a lot of laborious work out of planning and management provides historical and real time information. As a result, accuracy is improved.

These technologies are preferred by call centers according to their needs. It is decided to which system to be used, at what level and what type of service to offer the customers. After selecting which system to be used, situation becomes more complex because a lot of different components/systems come together and it is expected to work properly. Call center consulting companies can be helpful in terms of integrated call center system. This is also another crucial point. Consulting company must be selected carefully. The success of consulting company will be directly proportional of the success of call center systems (Cleveland & Mayben, 1997).

Importance of Information Systems on Call Centers

Service level quality in call centers is significant in terms of satisfaction of customers and getting competitive advantage against competitors. Information systems place an important role in offering this service quality by developing products that allow to measure satisfaction by using metric methods. Customers always evaluate the service level based on their experience. Therefore, perceived service level by customers is important to measure.

Call center managers give simulation, theoretical training and prepare call scripts for every situation as a guidance. Call centers use information systems to catch the service level that customer want. Simulation progress, repeating programs, call evaluation programs and call evaluation forms are some example of them. Call evaluation form provide data regarding to provision of quality of service. It can be seen mistakes in service delivery against need and level of knowledge for call center agents in a specific period (V.S.Bagad, Management Science, 2008).

Speech recognition system was developed in a way of analyzing every call and alerting management if it is needed. For instance, if a customer talks on the phone angrily, the system recognizes and alert management. Additional support can be provided for operator. Call center can also analyze customers who were dissatisfied. It can be stated that information systems serve to reach the service level quality that customer request.

Productivity and performance are the two most important components for all type of business as well as for call centers. It is targeted high performance. In call centers, many events are held in hands of customers, not under control of call center agent. Performance management tools needed to be used to set the target.

The criterias for performance and production are ASA( average speed of answer), queue time(amount of time caller is in the line for answer), percentage of callers who have satisfactory resolution on the first call, abandonment rate(the percentage of callers who hang up or disconnect prior to answer), average talk time(total time caller was connected to telephone service representatives), adherence(are agents in their seats as scheduled), average work time after call( time needed to finish paper work, do research after the call itself has been completed, percentage of calls blocked (percentage of callers who receive a busy signal and could not get in to the queue, time before abandoning(average time caller held on before giving up in queue, inbound calls per TSR eight-hour shift, TRS turnover(the number of telephone service representatives who left in a period of time usually annually, total calls, service levels (calls answered in less than x seconds divided by number of total calls (Feinberg, Kim, Hokama, Ruyter, & Keen, 2000). CRM systems provide information about solved calls, CCMS provide information about call service quality and data of other criteria are provided through ACD systems. Workforce management system also mostly used tool in call centers. As it is stated before, this system determines meal time, break time, and annual off-days. It is necessary for call center business that works under 7*24 hours conditions.

CRM plays an important role in management customer relationship and service diversity. Companies must understand and meet the expectation of customers. Attracting a new customer is much more costly than keeping the existing one. Thus, the aim of the companies is to have loyal customers. Effective CRM system is expected to have following features: regular customer information, customer follow-up, customer identification, customer service history, analyzing of deferred, accepted, lost and cancelled calls, accessing to detail information and following of complaints and requests. There are more features that good CRM system has. If the system is used effectively, company get benefit in a way of providing better customer service, responding quickly and accurately, increasing in speed and clarity of marketing and sale process, increasing of customer profitability, and having loyal customers (Sun, 2006).

CONCLUSION

Call centers that are spreading in business environment allow the companies to be one step further from its competitors by providing nonstop service and satisfying customers. Call centers and information systems are combined and information systems have developed different technologies that serve different purposes for call centers. Call centers are increasing their service quality through the developments in information systems. The role of call center is important to contact with customers.