Need to improve your listening skills within the call centre? Christine Knott of Beyond the Box provides us with her top tips.

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I encourage my staff to build rapport with callers, rather than following a script.

Instead of just simply entering details into the computer we use the opportunity to make the call into a conversation.

For example a caller may look for a quote for travel insurance. We would normally ask “Where are you travelling to?”

Rather than simply plugging the details into the computer we encourage our agents to build rapport with caller and something like “I bet that it would be lovely at this time of year” or “I’ve heard that it’s a great place to go to”. The caller has a bit of a chance to build the conversation.

Talk times have not increased very much but our conversion rates have improved.

- Amy Rose, Call Centre Manager at CPLTD
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How did you feel on your first day of your new job? We all know that the induction process is critical to welcoming new starters and getting them effective as quickly and painlessly as possible.

In this article Carolyn Blunt delivers some top tips about how to improve your induction programmes.

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A ‘How to’ guide:
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What to look for when buying an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD):
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Are you looking to introduce flexible working for the first time?
Macfarlane Telesystems offer their six tips.

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One resolution for the year, which everyone should make and keep up, is to work smarter.
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On the run-up to any major holiday period, there isn’t a more important time for call centres to recruit temporary staff.

But just how can you be sure you pick the correct temps in the first place? Steve Usher investigates.

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Helen Camm reckons that train the trainer programmes are the perfect antidote to the circus of development initiatives that take place year in, year out in the call centre
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Ideas to improve your staff recruitment and retention:-
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