Consider the Pros and Cons By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Call centers were once centralized operations that functioned at a singular facility. Yet, thanks to today’s technology, they no longer need to be constrained to one location. This means that today’s call center can function as a distributed enterprise, with some agents working from a […]
Tips to Hire and Retain Top Talent By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD The key to success in any medical call center is people. Your staff is the backbone of your operation. But you know this. That’s why it’s essential to build a strong team. Here are some considerations to help you move toward this outcome. […]
How We Conclude One Year Prepares Us for the Next By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD How has this year been in your healthcare call center? I suspect you’re ready for it to end. Though you may feel that way every year, the magnitude may be more pronounced this year. All the rapid changes and stressors […]
Technology May Save Money but Human Agents Make the Difference By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. We’ve been hearing a lot about artificial intelligence (AI), and we’re going to hear a lot more about it. Some claim AI is the future of the call center industry, saving money and retaining business. Others fear it’s the end […]
How to Survive When Receiving Twice the Calls or Having Half the Staff or Both By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Running a call center is hard, at least doing it right. Even under normal conditions, managers struggle to balance traffic and staffing levels while maintaining high quality and minimizing complaints. But what happens when conditions […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I enjoy the simplicity of companies that email me my invoices and statements. This saves paper and time. What frustrates me is the companies that merely notify me when an invoice or statement is available. I then need to log into their secure website and download the needed file. I […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Last September in my column, “Let’s Play,” I discussed gamification and questioned if it was mostly hype or offered merit. I wondered then – and still do – if gamification has any application in the contact center. Those who talk about gamification mostly do so from a theoretical perspective, lacking […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD For the past twelve years I’ve worked from an office in my house. The benefits of working at home are many: no commute time or expense, no dress code, no need to pack a lunch or go out to eat (another money saver), and no coworkers dropping by to chat […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD A while back, the Connections Magazine sales line was slammed with a phone call— for another company. The calls were from irate individuals trying to call a removal line of the fax service bureau that had sent them faxes. It seems that they had received an unwanted fax solicitation on […]
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD In retail, the term “shrinkage” euphemistically refers to stock which “disappears” before it can be sold. It is product that the retailer bought, but can’t sell because it is has been stolen or lost. In the call center, the inventory is labor and shrinkage is agents who are being paid but […]