Am I a bad CSR?

steven_azari · 19-11-2004, 18:45

Ok, NTL's CSR are monitored on AHT (Average Handling Time), this means the faster you handle a customer, the happier the managers are.

I dont think this works, because every customer has a unique story and this can add the length to the call and the matter.

on average my AHT is around 390.

but my manager wants a max of 300 (seconds per call that is).

Rather than rushing the customer, Im happy to listen to customer, say what Im going to do, action it, then give the customer a response and make sure the customer knows exactly what I've done. Rather than say "Ok thats all done for you now" and basically send the customer off thinking "what if?" because I get alot of those customers calling me back.

I then get my manager on my case simply because Im looking after the customer. My manager freaked on me because I had alot of outgoing calls. But this is simply because I had to call other departments and then call the customer back! Im not going to have the customer wait with me while I speak with Field support (engineering department...kind of) because that's usually a 45 minute wait!

So my question lies: Would you the customer rather someone that takes the time to explain to you what the situation is? or would you rather someone not tell you what the problem was and just do it and send you on your way?

dilli-theclaw · 19-11-2004, 18:46

Personally I'd rather know exactly what's happening and why it has happened.

Gareth · 19-11-2004, 18:50

It's a fine line.... normally I'd say take yer time with each caller, but in NTL's case, it drives me mad when I get the message about a 45 minute wait to speak to someone. If it's something that can be quickly handled or resolved then I say just cut to the chase.

Steve H · 19-11-2004, 18:51

Completley agree with you.

What the hells the point in having Customer Services if all they're there to do is fob you off?

Maybe if they allowed people like you to properley sort issues out, as you're trying to do.. then there wouldn't be as many calls as there was in the first place. Many a time I've rang up to be told it was a problem my end (After they'd tryed fobbin me off with, reset the box, lalala).. and that they couldn't do anything. Always ended up ringing back the next day.. If the issue was solved there and then, there would be no ringing back.

MetaWraith · 19-11-2004, 18:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

Personally I'd rather know exactly what's happening and why it has happened.

and when it's going to be resolved.

Neil · 19-11-2004, 18:52

ntl & their bloody stats driven regime.

19-11-2004, 19:00

Steven, from what I've seen of your helpfulness on this site, I would say you are just the kind of CSR that a customer would want to find on the other end of the phone. It makes me mad that call centre managers are so obsessed with turnover, rather than quality - I know if I called because I had a problem, I would like to think the CSR would stay with it to a satisfactory conclusion - not cut it short because of some KPI.

- what is better, 10 unhappy customers an hour, or 8 satisfied ones, grrr.

Thanks for your input on here

MetaWraith · 19-11-2004, 19:00

AHT's are just another type of statistic.

As Disraeli said, there are lies, damned lies,and statistics.
Statistics are meaningless without a knowledge of the context in which they are set/derived/used sample size and other such things.

I can see your managers side, as he wants to drive AHT's down as that will also reduce Call Waiting times. However as a customer, i'd rather have a CSR that didnt shoot the bull, spout of the prepared excuse of the day, actually cared about resolving the problem, provided meaningful, helpful advice, and arranged whatever support action was necessary.

As to the question in the thread title, only you can truely answer that.

dilli-theclaw · 19-11-2004, 19:01

Sorry - i didn't actually answer the question raised by the thread title.

NO I DON'T THINK YOU ARE A BAD CSR....

OK

paulyoung666 · 19-11-2004, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

Sorry - i didn't actually answer the question raised by the thread title.

NO I DON'T THINK YOU ARE A BAD CSR....

OK

same here , what i wouldnt mind knowing is this something your local manager has introduced off his / her own back to make him / her look better or is this general ntl policy

Escapee · 19-11-2004, 19:49

You are a good CSR from the customers point of view, but a bad one from your managers point of view.

The employees who take it upon themselves to learn that little bit extra knowlege and then see a fault through to completion takes time, these employees are not seen as an asset in a stats driven environment.
The ones who keep their head down, dont kick up a fuss and do just enough to survive by using any means to met their targets are the ones who get the best deal and a pat on the back at appraisal time in most companies.

Some people have a sense of responsibility and conscience like yourself.

It's the same for the network guys, there are ones who are very experienced and end up with the 5% of faults that are the most difficult. When it comes to redundancies and the decisions are based on stats these are the guys that dont measure up.

Andy E · 19-11-2004, 20:19

No mate you're not a bad csr ... as Escapee says your a csr that cares .

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=3553

Andy E
ntl pirate

swoop101 · 19-11-2004, 20:25

You are the type of CSR that I would like to speak to when I call.

You are not alone either, on more than one occasion I have called faults when service has failed and they have phoned me back later on to check that things are ok and back to normal.
This is the sort of service that the customers deserve, and I would like to thank you for being one of the CSR's that do care.

greencreeper · 19-11-2004, 20:37

I have, apparently, a call closure rate of 2 (that's two tickets/calls) a day and I'm only available to take calls for about 2 hrs a day. So on that basis, I'm crap at my job - which is why I have just been sacked. Stats only tell you about what you have measured. No one measures how often customers are calling back because it's not important - it's all about answering the phone and being seen to handle calls. What you basically have is a hierarchy of politics where your manager wants x from you because his manager wants y from him and doesn't care how it's achieved. And it's the people at the bottom that get the crap to deal with. With me, I spent up to 90 minutes on a call, and I spent hours in call back mode phoning users and looking at their IT problems. No one measures that.

My advice would be to leave and find a company that values and supports you - if you stay where you are you'll crack up with the stress of fighting your nature.

Chris W · 19-11-2004, 20:39

All call centres are subject to AHT targets amongst other things- because this is the best way to make sure people are indeed working hard and not slacking.

I can't comment on the AHT for csrs, but a good tech can easily meet the targets we have and also give some courtesy support and decent explanations for problems.

And i have no idea if you are a good csr... which centre do you work in and i'll find out