[Stuart]

Originally Posted by timewarrior2001

I dont see what the problem is, I work in 1st line support, we have a 5min average call length.
25 agents supporting 140,000 users. we hit and smash our targets, green right across the board, GOS is 96% and thas after a major software release on monday.

The average length of call will depend on how complex the thing you are supporting is. It also depends on the understanding of your users. If you are supporting one software product on a computer maintained to set specifications, it will take less time to diagnose a problem than if you are supporting multiple programs on a customer's PC where you don't know the setup

For instance, the average call may well be "My Internet doesn't work". There could be any number of reasons for this (ranging from modem/line failure to firewall configuration and any spyware on the computer). It's entirely feasible it could take longer than 15 minutes to get the customer's connection working.

One other thing. I don't work in telephone technical support, but I do lab-based technical support for students. If a student has a problem, it is entirely feasable that I will spend more than 15 minutes with them. Having said that, some of the software we support is extremely complicated, and between the 6 of us, we support around 30-40 applications in many areas (multimedia, web design, maths and stats, programming, database applications and MS Office).

Now I understand that to fix everything takes time, however if they are timing the calls, then i asume theres a 2nd and 3rd line support route? We use these, only about 60% of calls we get COULD be a first time fix. and I think we are actually hitting about 50% of these.

There is quite possibly a second or third line support route. However, bearing in mind it's NTL we are talking about, they have probably done it on the cheap.

Oh yeah and incidently I work for manpower also.

Any disciplinary action has to have reason, if thye even tried to disciline him for call lengths he would appeal I would hope. I didnt appeal and took my first and final written for abusing email.

Some call centres do discipline people for handling calls too slowly. My friend's wife worked in a call centre (on a complaints line for a well known travel company), and she was disciplined for spending too long on each call. This is despite the fact that in a lot of cases, she persuaded the customer to book other holidays after the company fouled up their holiday (therefore helping with customer retention).

To me it sounds more like mis-management by the TL etc. and possibly a bit of sour grapes because things have changed and the job isnt as "cushty" as it used to be etc etc etc. Manpower are a good company to work for, you just need to understand that you are NOT irreplaceable.


Also can I point out, these rules may be enforced by manpower, however they are the rules by which NTL or IBM entered into the contract with manpower, so griping at a company that is bound by the same rules is not going ot get you anywhere. Manpower dont run tech support, manpower proide the people to staff tech support.

I don't believe she (for it is a she) is complaining because her job is no longer "cushty". I've met a few people who work for NTL, and I don't think the job has ever been "cushty".