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Staffing and training initiatives increase in spite of self-service technology advances, according to Chartwell research
Staffing and training initiatives increase in spite of self-service technology advances, according to Chartwell research
ATLANTA – April 8, 2008 – Despite the push for customers to use self-service avenues, The Chartwell Customer Care Center Report 2008 shows full-time equivalent staffing in utility contact centers grew about 15% between 2003 and 2007 to offset the rise in call volumes.
Since 61% of utilities reported an increase in calls, the additional staffing helped utilities achieve the best ratio between customer service representatives and phone contacts of the past three Chartwell surveys.
Self-service technology, which the study also found continues to make inroads at utility companies, typically handles simple customer inquiries, but some companies say handle times have risen and problem resolution decreased because more difficult calls are coming into the center. As a result, CSRs undergo 22% more in initial training and receive an additional 11% of ongoing training from three years ago, Chartwell reports.
Electronic communication also is making headway, according to The Chartwell Customer Care Center Report 2008. A higher percent of CSRs now handle customer emails, and some utilities are looking to implement online chats between agents and consumers.
The Chartwell Customer Care Center Report 2008 is based on surveys from more than 100 North American utilities. As a flagship publication in Chartwell’s Customer Care Series, the 244-page report includes the survey responses from all of the participating utilities and features more than 20 charts and graphs detailing contact center issues such as:
- Top customer care center challenges;
- IVR impact on customer satisfaction;
- Stage of deployment on speech recognition;
- Agent-occupancy rating;
- Outbound-calling campaigns;
- Salary information for CSRs; and more.
The Chartwell Customer Care Center Report 2008 is available only to members of Chartwell's Premier and Customer Care Research Series. For information regarding the Customer Care Research Series or Chartwell's Premier membership, contact Kristy Dickens at (404) 237-9099 or (800) 432-5879; or visit www.chartwellinc.com or Chartwell’s Energy Library at www.energylibrary.com.
ABOUT CHARTWELL INC.
Chartwell Inc. is a specialized information provider that facilitates knowledge exchange among utility professionals responsible for management practices and technology solutions. Chartwell publishes best practices case studies, quantitative research and electronic newsletters, and hosts conferences and other events for utility professionals.
Press Contact:
Doris Yon
(404) 237-9099
dyon@chartwellinc.com
