All Alone on the Holidays?
1 Nov, 2004
By: Bob FurnissRemember the movie “Home Alone,” where the young boy was mistakenly left alone for the holidays? Somehow his parents forgot about him and he was left to fend for himself. The same thing occurs in a few contact centers, but many managers plan to make the holidays a special time in their contact centers. The nature of the business may require people to work during the holidays, but being alone and forgotten is not an option! The key is in knowing how to turn a negative situation into a positive opportunity.
Recognize the Pain and the Possibilities
Most people can immediately identify with the feeling of not wanting to work on the holidays. Unfortunately, this is just not possible in contact centers. And the issue has been the same for at least 25 years. The contact center schedule often is based on seniority and, for the first few years of employment, most new hires get stuck working major holidays. Not a lot of fun!
After interviewing managers across many industry sectors, it’s evident that the majority of contact center managers try to make their holiday schedule as employee-focused as possible. Several managers said they first ask for volunteers and also rotate who works the holidays. Other managers indicated they were fortunate enough to have employees who request to work on holidays to escape their dysfunctional families, adding a whole new twist to forecasting!
A step in the right direction is for companies to show they care about their employees and recognize the pain associated with working on the holidays.
Ann Grausam, Director of Video and Telephony Support for Cox Communications, said her company sees the holidays as a great time to build employee loyalty. “While treating employees with respect and support is a 365-day expectation, we see the holidays as an excellent time to generate good will with employees.”
The holidays offer a special opportunity to connect with people at a personal level. The possibilities for creating an employee-focused culture are endless. Consider giving time or giving gifts to agents or the community.
Giving Time
In some contact centers the holidays create a huge amount of work; retail customer service, catalog sales and travel are all examples of centers where traffic actually increases. Many centers must cancel all vacations, require that all employees work, and make overtime a requirement. Managers interviewed noted that rewarding employees with time off is still an option; for example, offering days off with pay in January and February if the person agrees to work overtime in November and December. The overall per-hour costs were high, but the program reduced the need to hire and train part-time or temporary employees for the holidays. Mangers were then able to schedule fewer hours in January during the decline in calls the first months of the year.
For centers that support business-to-business calls or technical support, there may be a decrease in calls during the holidays. In these situations, mangers generally allow people to leave early during slow days. Many agents value the time off more than the money, and the center can actually reduce costs by allowing people to leave early or take an extra day off without pay.
Managing occupancy differently during the holidays to allow for more interaction and holiday cheer is another option. Michele Crocker, Vice President of Distributor Services for Herbalife, suggested, “Consider lowering your occupancy rate from 85 percent to, say, 75 percent to increase the number of hours scheduled, which will ensure agents required to work do not have to work in an environment where there are back-to-back calls. This allows supervisors to have more time to interact without affecting the customer.”
Of course, it is important to manage the forecasting process to ensure there are not too many agents sitting around waiting on the next call. But, remember, there is also a need to set a lower expectation for work time, since we want agents to have time to participate in holiday meals and other special activities.
Crocker also stressed the importance of having the management team work with the agents. “We feel that managers and supervisors should remain on their regular shifts during the holidays,” she said. “This shows the agents that supervisors are also committed. In fact, we ask the supervisors to actually schedule more of their time on the floor and in the break rooms, talking to agents and interacting on a personal level.”
At the Love Worth Finding Ministries’ contact center, Christmas has a special meaning. “For our agents, this time of year is not just about taking an order but about fulfilling Christmas wishes and sharing our message and ministry,” explained Carol Meyer, the center manager. “Our agents use that motivation to motivate themselves to work even harder. As in most contact centers, we have an abundance of holiday food – maybe a little too much at times. Our agents have created a family atmosphere that allows them to celebrate in a special way.”
Giving Gifts
The holidays are a great time for giving gifts to agents and the management team. It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant. It can be as simple as a coffee mug with candy or a movie gift certificate. Gift exchange or Secret Santa programs for agents are also a great way for all to share in the fun. One center’s supervisors actually pitch-in and buy gifts for every agent. The gifts are wrapped and placed in the official “Santa Bag”, where each employee had the opportunity to reach into the bag to find their gift. One outsourcing company said their clients provided special gifts for agents during the holidays (items with logos and food are also favorites).
Since the holidays are a time for giving to others, many centers encouraged employees to give back to the community. One contact center manager said they always “adopt” several families and the employees bring gifts specific to the family’s needs. Collecting food for the local food bank or mission is also a great idea.
Recognize the Person
After recognizing the pain and the possibilities, managers must shift their attention to the person. One of the simplest yet most effective ideas is found in a pen, a small piece of paper and an envelope. Take the time to write a personal thank-you note to employees who worked the holidays. In contact centers of all sizes in cities of all sizes, one consistent element is found in agent’s cubes—the simple yet very effective thank-you card.
Many managers talked about their efforts to create a family environment in their centers. Being “alone for the holidays” is really not an option. In today’s contact center, building an environment of caring management and support is really the only choice!
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Holiday Ideas
“We have a family atmosphere in our contact center, so Christmas and the holidays are important. We try to create a positive employee environment year-round, so we see the holidays as just an extension of devotion to employee satisfaction. We work hard to create a balance of work and family-life. We also try to instill in our agents a devotion to the customer. While they would rather be at home, they understand the need to service the customer… .” Pat Gayton, Director of People Services, Cox Communications, San Diego, Calif.
“We have what is now an annual ‘Bowling for Turkeys’ event. This is not your typical bowling; we bowl with frozen Cornish hens as balls and traditional bowling pins. For a strike, we give a raffle ticket for a chance to win a turkey. We also give away the side dishes to a traditional holiday meal—bag of potatoes, can of yams, or pies.” Theresa Craddock, Director of Customer Care, Corporate Express, Aurora, Colo.
“We decorate a tree with special decorations with information about a needy child given to us by a local welfare agency… . Each employee chooses a specific decoration and buys the presents requested by the child… . We also have a post-holiday company party for all employees and their significant others. It is held in mid-January after the hoopla of the holidays is over. It is a great time to socialize and get to know co-workers.” Paul LaCroix, Customer Service Manager, Corporate Express, Lawrence, Mass.
“We have a tradition in our center of decorating the work cubicles. Before or after work, on their own time, agents use their creativity and imagination to decorate the cubicles in the spirit of the holiday. The displays are judged by several members of management, and our associated vendors/suppliers donate prizes for the winners. This is a no-cost solution for the company, but it allows the reps to bring a piece of ‘home’ to work with them and stay upbeat through the season.” Scott Blackburn, Customer Service Manager, Corporate Express, Hanover, Md.
