Ring! Ring!

(terms and definitions)

part 3


Wit!- it means, no. hehe

AHT - Average handling time. This is the most common measure that a call center/bpo used when checking the productivity of an agent. Like it or not, this is the most important metric they'll ever check if you want to live in your job. Although some call centers give some leway in this, most of the centers don't, especially the outsourced ones. Geez. Don't be surprised if they give a higher target, I mean shortest of calls even the account is very freaking hard, they don't care about. The usual computation for this, talk time plus hold time and ACD/ACW. 

Keri - meaning you can do it, go ahead and yes. 

Escalation/sup calls - of course, number one rule in an CSR role is to avoid sup calls or escalating to an TL because it will affect your AHT and disrupts your TL's work. Worse, and it's true.. Some TL's even they are paid to do it, avoiding sup calls. Worst is your TL can't be found. But not all TL's are like this. hehe It happens in every agent, even me. But anyhow, if you're a veteran, you know what to do. First attempt to calm down the customer and give what he wants if possible, and still if the customer is quite agitated and asking for escalation or more, try to de-escalate and use some reasons. Usual reasons, TL is taking other calls, TL is on a meeting, TL is not around but will call you back in 2 hours. If you're a customer and you hear this, please understand, it simple as TL is not available to answer you. If the customer insists and threat to go to court, ombudsman or legal action, get your TL right away! Once you speak to your TL, give the reason for sup call, what happened, what did you do and tried to do to the customer and the mood of the customer. If TL says yes, step out, and let TL do the job. 

Reliability/Attendance/being present - this is of course, in any kind of work, meaning your presence at work. Even most of the centers consider attendance is a small portion of your scorecard, this is the most important metric in a job. Of course, you cannot reach other stats if you're not present at work. A tip for you, if you don't really like the job, just please inform TL you'll be gone. Because an absent of a team member in a day, really makes your TL in a bad mood. It will affect the stats of the time and will get some spanking from higher ops. But if you're into this industry, and you want to survive, forget the other stats, just be on time and present and it will help you along the way of having perfect attendance. Take it from me. hehe It does help especially if your stats are just falling down.

Absent/Absenteeism - simply not going to work for a day, unplanned and yeah, just making excuses of not going to work. I've experienced a lot of excuses why you will not go to work. TL's have heard all the kinds of excuses of agents not going to work. Ranging from agent got sick, to family emergencies, bereavement, to simply I'm not feeling well but the truth is, the agent is looking for another center. =)  Don't forget always to inform your TL that you'll not going to work because to avoid tagging you as NCNS (no call no show). That tagging, you don't want to see that in your file, because it stays for a long time and 3 NCNS incidents, you gotta find another job. If you got sick, don't forget to have a medical certificate ready when you go back to work. If you're not really sick, just be sure, you've enough cover to show that is the truth and not the all the way around. hehe This metric is high especially for US or night shift schedules. Why? It's better to sleep and give yourself a rest than talking to angry customers. Don't also forget to inform your workforce team if you'll be absent. 

Tardiness/Late - Logging in not on time, for example your shift is 9pm, and you've just log in at 9:05pm, you're late for 5 minutes. You can be late sometimes, but not everyday, or every other week or yeah.. Avoid being late most of the time because it may triggered as absence or worse, be suspended or terminated. To avoid this, simple advice, try to estimate your travelling time from your house to your work. Especially for those who is working very far from home, try at least going out from home 1 hour before your log in time. Or if you can 2 hours so if there is traffic or what happened along the road, you won't be late. It will also make your TL mad if anybody will be late. By the way, most centers, if you're late by 2 hours, or some 1 hour, you might as well not go to work anymore. You might be tagged as absent. 

Tools/Product tools/system - This is the term used meaning of what do you use in serving the client. What kind of tool you use for billing, or tech support, or adjustments/credits, or even tracking calls. Each center has different systems used in serving their customers. Don't be surprised if some still uses msdos systems. Some used siebel which is always lagging behind in reboot. Or others web based systems meaning it's like visiting a web page. Others use Citrix, virtual desktop type, meaning you have a live desktop and this one launches another desktop to have the specific tool run faster. Live with it that is slow which depends what kind of computer you use. Some centers don't upgrade their computer desktop so the tools are damn slow. Or other centers, well, IT is there to fix the problems of the tools and upgrade the software. I know it affects such productivity of an agent but well, gotta live with it and there's nothing we can do about it. There is no perfect system or tool. Nothing is perfect perhaps. 

chos - if a person says this to you, it's like an expression it's a joke or something unbelievable. 


Next will be the last..