Call center articles by Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD People often contact me looking for information about the outsourcing call center industry. Sometimes I am able to point them to content residing on the Connections Magazine website or one of our other related online resources. These queries are the easy ones. Other times the inquiries relate to benchmarking and […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD My son, Dan, recently completed his first year of college. After spending last summer relegated to working a smattering of part-time odd jobs, he desired a different outcome for this year’s educational respite. He learned that it was important to start his search early to beat out the competition. By […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD My daughter graduated from college this spring. She majored in English and minored in Math; her focus — and passion, however — is elementary education. Although reports abound of a teacher shortage, that is not the case in our area. With above average compensation and several respected local schools churning […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Last month’s column, entitled “Answering the Call,” discussed the decreased call volume that most inbound call centers experienced in past years; many are still in the throes of this downturn. At this same time, a groundswell against outbound calling and its associated practices occurred, ultimately led to the enactment of […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD A few weeks ago, I did something outrageous. I stopped answering my phone. Although that is a bold, foolhardy step for anyone in business, it is heretical for someone whose entire professional career has revolved around the telephone. However, before you plan an intervention on my behalf, let me assure […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I had been thinking about it for quite some time. However, something inside seemed to say that, “today is the day.” What was that something? It was seemingly simple and of no real consequence. I was going to reposition my computer monitor on my desk; it would be moved a […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD It seems that lessons can be found all around us – life lessons, business lessons, lessons of what to do, and lessons of what not to do. I wonder how many of these learning opportunities are missed because I am too busy, too caught up in myself, or too preoccupied […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Perhaps you’ve heard this story. Imagine you’re sitting in a college class. It’s one of those big classrooms, with tiered seating, able to accommodate hundreds of students. The class is assembled in eager expectation; what will the professor do today? At exactly 8 o’clock, he strides in and without acknowledging […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD A few days ago, I casually entered the conversation with some friends; they were talking about chess. One gave me a sideways glance, “You play?” It was stated as a question, but an underlying astonishment was imbedded. I nodded affirmatively. “Any good?” came the follow-up query. Good is a relative […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD In my office is an evocative black and white aerial photo of my grandfather’s chicken farm, circa 1960. Grandpa and Dad ran the farm, along with a revolving assortment of hired help. The farm consisted of five barns, in two interconnected groups. Together they accommodated 15,000 hens. Four buildings housed […]