I work in training for a large call centre and one of the diffculties we face is getting messages out to the team as quickly as possible, People are often on the phone and don't have time to read their emails as quickly as they woudl like. I would also like to get training tips of the week out to the team. Any suggestions on how this can be displayed to the team?I am currently looking into LCD screens but would love any other suggestions.
Thank you
Gillian Davy
5 Responses
Phones?
The LCD screen is a great idea – as long as everyone can see it, of course. You could also use one of those scrolling message screens such as market traders have in their offices (where they display changing share prices). And how about mass texting the training tip-of-the-day to their mobile phones?
Good results
Gillian,
LCD screens although expensive can be really good at getting messages across, but it does often get hindered by different seating arrangements in call centres.
One other way ( security allowing) would be Instant Messaging, allowing the auidence to reply to the information provided as well.
Lots of Methods
Gillian
Believe it or not you are blessed with quite a managable situation in that your audience is all in the same place…
There are various method you can use, and LCD’s should be investigated as they are useful (and reducing in cost)
Electronically some companies use a virtual desktop tool, which basically sends messages or pop ups to a computer screen! If the users access the internet or a web based program, you can set up an intranet page which can open up on starting internet explorer. I have also seen situations where Windows ‘Tip of Day’ has be edited to bring up different tips – be warned though the ease and legality of doing this would need investigating! Speak to your IT team, as they may well know of some good methods also
Other ideas would include ‘espresso sessions’ which is coffee break training sessions which only last minutes…
If you can’t find electronic means of communication, tips of the week etc can be stuck on individuals screens, if you have a canteen these can be handed out with every purchase. The advantages of paper methods are that they can then be kept and pinned on divider screens etc. This can be supplemented by posters with key messages placed in key positions.
Other forms of I’ve seen used are moving in line with modern social tools such as forums, blogs, wiki’s and podcasts but these may struggle to help as can all be time hungry.
Often the challenge will be in not how you deliver the message, but getting people to read/absorb it
Good luck with the project
Rob
Intranet
Hi Gillian!
Our Customer Services home page on the Intranet is labelled “What’s New” and is the place our Contact Centre staff visit to keep up to date with business-critical information.
Over relatively short time visiting this portal becomes habitual… because of the need to know information it contains. Messages are brief, to the point, employee-centric and the screen is not cluttered like an email Inbox.
Speed Safely!
Wayne
group telephone messaging
In addition to the other great responses consider the telephone messaging system, using the ‘groups facility’. For example, we would use it for daily plant updates for the senior management team. Most managers most managers would pick up first thing. It worked much better than email, only took a couple of minutes and certainly appealed to those with ‘audio’ preferences.