By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. Working in a call center is challenging and demanding work. Daily activity all too often consists of reacting to the urgency of the moment. There is little time to plan and few opportunities to look beyond the confines of the call center. Yet, looking beyond is exactly what is needed. […]
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Given the uncertainty of these times, it is easy to be pessimistic. Therefore, it is good that Thanksgiving Day comes around to provide us with the opportunity to reflect on all the numerous good things we have to be thankful for—things that many […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Five years ago, the call center industry was confronted head on with the DNC (Do-Not-Call) legislation. As millions signed up to block most telemarketing calls to their home, the pool of prospect numbers shrank dramatically. Since then, the face of outbound calling in the United States has been unalterably changed. […]
I enjoy math and like working with numbers. It is therefore not surprising that I track weekly blog readership. The week prior to the US Presidential election, I noticed that the reading of my blog dropped 25%. At first I assumed this was because too many of my musings were about the election; perhaps people […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Astute entrepreneurs are always seeking ways to improve their business, increase revenue, and diversify into related business lines. During this time of doubtful economic conditions, with possible decreased sales and smaller profits, it is even more critical to explore ways to bolster business prospects. One such way is by working […]
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Tomorrow afternoon, I’m heading off to the ATA (American Teleservices Association Meeting) in San Antonio, Texas. It should be a great meeting and I’m excited about it (all except for the traveling part). I won’t likely be blogging while I’m gone, but do plan to submit some convention reports on the […]
By Peter DeHaan, PhD How often have you called someplace and wondered if you reached the right number? All too often, calls are answered hurriedly, haphazardly, or incompletely. Or perhaps the agent seems out of breath by the time they complete a lengthy, tongue-twisting answer. It is vital that all calls be consistently answered in […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. My friend, Dan, was seeking summer work during college and did an Internet job search. The job site allowed him to conduct his query for positions within a specified radius of home. He put in five miles and, although he lived in a relatively rural area, he got a match. […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD In my recent blog entry “Express Mail is Urgent and Should Be Delivered Immediately – Unless Fuel Is Expensive” I complained about a perplexing development from the United States Postal Service (USPS). A Lament: Each month the USPS sends me two Express Mail deliveries. Each contains a CD of address […]
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD You say and believe that your call center is the best, but can you prove it? The truth is that your competitors are also likely saying that they are the best. Remember that only half of any group can be above average and only one out of 100 can be in […]