Developing an Effective Call Center within the Financial Aid Office Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Fall 2010 Conference

Developing an Effective Developing an Effective Call Center within Call Center within

the Financial Aid Officethe Financial Aid Office

Texas Association of Student Texas Association of Student Financial Aid AdministratorsFinancial Aid Administrators

Fall 2010 ConferenceFall 2010 Conference

PresentersPresenters

Christopher D. Murr, Ph.D.Christopher D. Murr, Ph.D.DirectorDirector

Financial Aid and ScholarshipsFinancial Aid and ScholarshipsTexas State University-San MarcosTexas State University-San Marcos

Anita FordAnita FordSupervisorSupervisor


PurposePurpose

This session will focus on the process of creating a This session will focus on the process of creating a successful call center within the Texas State successful call center within the Texas State

University financial aid organization to address University financial aid organization to address effectively inbound customer calls and emails, effectively inbound customer calls and emails, while improving customer service and reducing while improving customer service and reducing staff stress. The session will address both the staff stress. The session will address both the benefits and challenges of implementing a call benefits and challenges of implementing a call

center, as well as the related use of technology, center, as well as the related use of technology, quantitative measures, training and more.quantitative measures, training and more.

OverviewOverview

Challenges to Customer ServiceChallenges to Customer Service Objectives of Creating A Call CenterObjectives of Creating A Call Center Organizational Change – First-Tier Customer Organizational Change – First-Tier Customer

ServiceService Hedge-hogging in The Call Center Hedge-hogging in The Call Center Hiring the Right PeopleHiring the Right People Leveraging TechnologyLeveraging Technology AssessmentsAssessments Call Center ResultsCall Center Results Continuing Challenges of Continuing Challenges of Operating A Call CenterOperating A Call Center Future ObjectivesFuture Objectives

Challenges to Customer Challenges to Customer ServiceService

Callers during peak season waited as long Callers during peak season waited as long as 45 minutes to speak with a financial aid as 45 minutes to speak with a financial aid representativerepresentative

Staff that answered calls also worked the Staff that answered calls also worked the service counter and answered office emailservice counter and answered office email

Call supervisor lacked the ability to Call supervisor lacked the ability to centrally track call, counter or email centrally track call, counter or email customer contactscustomer contacts

Lacked staff and Lacked staff and studentstudent accountability accountability mechanismsmechanisms

Training took too long to allow staff to Training took too long to allow staff to go go livelive and be productive and be productive

Suffered from high phone staff turnoverSuffered from high phone staff turnover

Objectives of Creating A Call Objectives of Creating A Call CenterCenter

Focus select staff on answering callsFocus select staff on answering calls Achieve a 70% (31.5 minute) reduction in caller Achieve a 70% (31.5 minute) reduction in caller

wait timewait time Achieve a 60% (3 minute) reduction in talk timeAchieve a 60% (3 minute) reduction in talk time Achieve a 90% good or excellent rating for phone Achieve a 90% good or excellent rating for phone

advisors on customer satisfaction surveyadvisors on customer satisfaction survey Provide phone team with the tools and training Provide phone team with the tools and training

necessary to be successfulnecessary to be successful Increase staff Increase staff and customer and customer accountabilityaccountability Reduce training time for new staff by two monthsReduce training time for new staff by two months Reduce phone staff turnoverReduce phone staff turnover

Previous First-Tier Customer Previous First-Tier Customer Service Organizational Service Organizational

StructureStructure

Phone and CounterSupervisor

Counter – FA Assistant Phone – FA Assistant

Counter – FA Assistant Phone – FA Assistant

Phone – FA Assistant

Revised Organizational Revised Organizational StructureStructure

Call Center Supervisor

Phone Advisor Phone Advisor



Hedge-hogging in The Call Hedge-hogging in The Call CenterCenter

Removed secondary duties from call Removed secondary duties from call center supervisorcenter supervisor

Focused advisors on answering phonesFocused advisors on answering phones Centrally located phone team staffCentrally located phone team staff Reduced incoming financial aid emails, Reduced incoming financial aid emails,

which phone advisors answer, by 90%which phone advisors answer, by 90% Limit review of lists and other tasks to Limit review of lists and other tasks to

those activities that can be performed in those activities that can be performed in a multi-tasking environmenta multi-tasking environment

Staff read such books as Staff read such books as Good to GreatGood to Great

Hiring the Right PeopleHiring the Right People

Hire potential phone advisors through Hire potential phone advisors through temporary agency (allows for temporary agency (allows for evaluation period)evaluation period)

Focus on hiring those with previous Focus on hiring those with previous call center experiencecall center experience

Assess learning and ability using a 100 Assess learning and ability using a 100 question assessment instrumentquestion assessment instrument

Raised base salary by 10% to a level Raised base salary by 10% to a level comparable to financial aid counselorscomparable to financial aid counselors

Leveraging TechnologyLeveraging Technology Phone recording and screen capture softwarePhone recording and screen capture software Financial Aid Answer Bank – reducing email Financial Aid Answer Bank – reducing email

inquiriesinquiries Online call tracking and unresolved issues Online call tracking and unresolved issues

application logapplication log Integration of call and lobby (walk-in) tracking Integration of call and lobby (walk-in) tracking

systemssystems Developed online document emailer Developed online document emailer

applications for phone staffapplications for phone staff Developed online work lists for special programs Developed online work lists for special programs

and revisionsand revisions Dual monitorsDual monitors

AssessmentsAssessments

Evaluation of phone recordings Evaluation of phone recordings (formal and informal)(formal and informal)

Average talk time and wait time per Average talk time and wait time per phone staff member is a quantitative phone staff member is a quantitative measure incorporated within his measure incorporated within his or her annual evaluation or her annual evaluation

Knowledge tests (e.g., Title Knowledge tests (e.g., Title IV withdrawals) with IV withdrawals) with supplemental trainingsupplemental training

Call Center ResultsCall Center Results Successfully dedicated staff to answering inbound Successfully dedicated staff to answering inbound

calls to FAScalls to FAS For 2008-2009, average wait time was reduced to For 2008-2009, average wait time was reduced to

1:441:44 For 2008-2009, average talk time was 3:14For 2008-2009, average talk time was 3:14 For 2008-2009, achieved a 96% good or excellent For 2008-2009, achieved a 96% good or excellent

rating for phone advisors on customer satisfaction rating for phone advisors on customer satisfaction surveysurvey

Successfully implementing technology to facilitate Successfully implementing technology to facilitate staff efficiency, effectiveness and job satisfactionstaff efficiency, effectiveness and job satisfaction

Increased staff Increased staff and customer and customer accountabilityaccountability Reduced training time for new staff by two monthsReduced training time for new staff by two months Reduced phone staff turnover by approximately Reduced phone staff turnover by approximately

40%—2 year attrition rate40%—2 year attrition rate

Continuing Challenges of Continuing Challenges of Operating A Call CenterOperating A Call Center

Phone staff burnoutPhone staff burnout Being too “Big Brother”Being too “Big Brother” Being too quantitativeBeing too quantitative Keeping staff engaged during Keeping staff engaged during

non-peak periods non-peak periods Reduce the feeling of being Reduce the feeling of being

tied to the desk tied to the desk Keeping engaged with officeKeeping engaged with office

Future ObjectivesFuture Objectives

Incentivizing performance on an individual Incentivizing performance on an individual basisbasis

Implementing a call board systemImplementing a call board system Online scoring of phone callsOnline scoring of phone calls More flexible scheduling (e.g., 4-day work More flexible scheduling (e.g., 4-day work

week)week) Designing new work space Designing new work space

geared specifically for a call geared specifically for a call center and the phone staff center and the phone staff

Making the job more funMaking the job more fun

Christopher D. Murr, Ph.D.Christopher D. Murr, Ph.D.DirectorDirector


[email protected]@txstate.edu512.245.3975512.245.3975

Anita FordAnita FordSupervisorSupervisor


[email protected]@txstate.edu512.245-3633512.245-3633

Documents

Developing an Effective Call Center within the Financial Aid Office Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Fall 2010 Conference