There’s a huge difference between having a quality assurance system and getting the most out of it. For Call center quality assurance to be effective, it has to be reliable, and center managers need to know how to check their quality processes to ensure that reliability is ongoing. Luckily, there are a few easy and sustainable call center QA program processes to help with this reliability. That way, your call center delivers more to its customers because your QA team is delivering more to the call center overall.

Step One: Gap Assessment

Knowing where you are and where you want to be allows you to break down the gap between those performance levels into steps that your employees can easily take. To get a baseline, start by comparing where your operations are at against what is generally accepted as standard operating procedure. Once there’s a solid measurement there, it is easier to set goals and to devise processes to bring those goals to fruition. To do that:

• Determine where your gaps occur and which processes create them.
• Devise a plan of action that avoids creating circumstances that lead to gaps.
• Put the plan into place to control for that situation.
• Measure any changes that occur to your overall call center performance.

There might be numerous rounds of adjustment to make for each area where gaps are identified, both because incremental goals are easier to achieve and also because correctly identifying the best control for a process often takes a couple of pilot attempts before you lock in the best solution for your call center QA program.

Step Two: Avoid Silo Processes

Generally, businesses are more successful when their various departments and divisions pull together, because all of the various efforts throughout the company coordinate and synergize as the organization moves toward its goal. Practically, this can be more difficult to achieve, because larger companies often have departments or divisions that are spread widely enough to make close communication more difficult.

The best way to combat this is by bringing together the various measurements and goals of call center management in different departments through the QA program, so that everyone is using everyone else’s data to ensure their quality controls are effective, without causing unintended consequences. This move also has the effect of streamlining the flow of information for call center quality assurance personnel, so they have access to the tools they need to be successful.

Step Three: Measuring and Tracking Improvement

Incremental improvement on a day to day basis is both more sustainable and more practical, in terms of meeting performance forecasts, than expecting a total overhaul. To promote this kind of growth, though, measuring and tracking performance is essential. That way, not only are you sure your new procedures are effective, you also gain the ability to address plateaus and surges, so your training and quality assurance continue to be effective.

Step Four: Training for Every Day Improvement

The last step in ensuring QA reliability is turning its processes and controls into actions that employees are able to monitor and use effectively. Disseminating information throughout the company, so that employees understand both the goals and processes of your QA program, is key to this. Employees who understand quality assurance goals are better able to report relevant developments to QA personnel, improving the flow of information and the reliability of the program overall.

This blog was first published on LinkedIN