Job Seekers, Look Out For Scammers!

As a temporary I often take time between assignments to answer ads for customer service jobs that are advertised as either being 'in my area", that is, local to my home, or home-based, requiring a computer and a small amount of paid training.
I find these jobs on a variety of web pages, from Craigslist to Dice, to CareerBuilder and Monster.com. Some of these pages deal with the technology sector, such as ManhattanJobs, but more often they deal with the entire gamete of  career choices, spanning warehouse to call centers.

Recently I hit on a couple of ads that advertised accounting and face-to-face customer service, so I applied via email. What I got back shocked me: emails that seemed to have been written by kindergarteners, full of grammatical and spelling errors, some that seemed genuinely friendly and cordial, and some that asked for much more technical experience than I am used to dealing with.

Of those that were obviously false were those asking me to accept payments for them. Oh, you must use your own bank account - just cash the checks we send to you, and then send us a percentage. What was the problem? Sheik Ramma Damma Ding Dong lives in Arabia and cannot leave the country to do his business, and needs a trusted secretary to handle his affairs in NY.

Then there was the London Banker, who will send me the keys to his bungalow where I will find various wire transactions on his person computer - and all I need to do is accept them, go to his bank, pick them up and leave them in his safe for future use.

What about the email from a company that needs me to take Western Union receipts to my local supermarket, cash them, and then deposit a percentage into their account?

It amazed me how little these people know about email tracking. Sure the name on the email seemed genuine, but in the face of spelling errors, I usually decide to check the header of an email to see where it originated from.
If you don't know how to check this, it's simple: hover over the collapsed original email summary, and right-click. The menu will ask you if you want to "view header", so just clck on that option. A new window will open, showing the exact path that the email took to get to you. This list will include the original email account, the DNS servers that touched and passed it on, and what countries they are in, and the curious but tell-tale renaming of the sender of the email.
It's so simple, a child can do it.

Use this tool to check emails that send you links, too. Have you ever noticed a couple of links in spam emails, that are named differently, hoping to get you to click one or the other, just because one seemed more like the information that you needed? Just hover your mouse over the link carefully for a moment, and the link address will display, regardless of what the link is named. You'll probably note that they all go to the same place! Just be extra careful to keep your fingers off the mouse button. One false click could send you to a site that looks like your bank, but absolutely isn't.

I have written back to these scammers, warning them not to try it on me again. It's a matter of email and postal fraud, usually, and that can land them in the slammer for a goodly long time. Rarely do I ever get a reply back.

Beware of companies that ask you to work at home as a customer rep. Very often they pay by transaction, and this can mean that you may be working for cents instead of dollars an hour, all the while paying for your own equipment, telephone line and Internet service. Sure, you can work anytime you want, but that does not guarantee that you will process any transactions at 2am. Sometimes they won't pay you unless you get the customer to click on a link for you, or fill out a survey at the end. More than often it is completely commission based.

With a little know-how and common sense, you can navigate the Internet job search to lead you to fulfilling, well paying jobs that will not land you in jail.
  

Customer Service and Stress: Heart Attack Risk Reported

Are Customer Service Reps at Risk For Heart Attacks?

1010 WINS News Dr. Brian McDonough reported today that stress adversely affects hear health, especially after angry outbursts, but what he didn't connect was the possible reflection-factor that happens when customers direct their anger upon unwitting customer service representatives.

It's been proven that customer service reps often experience depression as a result of emotional injury, which can contribute to stress that can cause heart attacks.
See here. Guy Winch's detailed article describes injuries resulting in significant stress for customer service reps, what to do about it, and how to reduce the possibility of sickness.
This includes a link to a helpful article on rumination after frequent exposure, as well as tip for people who deal with customer service on a regular basis.

Harvard, CNN and the European Heart Journal also reported significant problems as a result of angry outbursts:

The Link Between Stress and Heart Disease
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/the-link-between-stress-and-heart-disease

CNN Reports Angry Outbursts May Raise Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/03/angry-outbursts-may-raise-heart-attack-stroke-risk/

European Heart Journal
http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

What can we do to reduce the effects of reflective anger?

1. Remember, customers are not angry with you; they are angry with their situation.
2. Assure the customer that you will help them. Just the thought of turning around the situation will give you a positive boost.
3. Follow through. Make sure that each and every angry customers' problem results in a positive outcome. Don't leave problems unresolved, as they will only become worse with time.
4. Make sure that you share your problems with your supervisor if you cannot find an adequate resolution. Very often your managers and supervisors will be able to approve solutions for certain situations.
5. Breathe! Take the time to get up, walk away from your telephone, even if it's just to go to the bathroom or stand in the hallway and breathe. Just a short two or three minute break will afford you time to cool down and think straight.

Here's another helpful article on calming angry customers:

Rude service Reps Anger Customers
http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/traditional/rude-service-reps-anger-consumers-what-qualities-calm-them-38174/

Call Mayhem: Software That Can Help

We've all witnessed the moment in a call center when the software just couldn't keep up. Frozen screens, the alarm bell ringing in the background, and CSRs turning around and peeping over their cubicles toward the supervisor's office.

Was the software failing, the server bouncing, or the pipeline too narrow to handle the traffic?
A little investigation is in order. Invariably, the software engineer that you need is a phone call away, but how soon can he determine your problem? I've experienced resolution within minutes (bouncing the program) to months (when an engineer got an outside consultation that cost the company tens of thousands of dollars).

Check out some lists of the best software available:

http://www.softwareadvice.com/crm/call-center-comparison/
http://www.avaya.com/usa/product/avaya-aura-call-center-elite
http://www.reviews.com/crm-software/
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/top-15-crm-software-enterprise-solutions.html

How do you want to connect with your clients? Online businesses go for Chat, Text, and email. Will your system be able to handle all those apps at once, or do you just need email? Opting for the most apps is the growing trend, see Zappos (shoe sales on the web) and you'll notice that they employ every method of communication, 24 hours a day. Complete communication is a growing trend.

Whatever you do, go with a package that fits your call volume (measure from your highest daily traffic, and add on for growth to foresee call volume in the future). Be sure to select the package that will assure your company of 24-hour resolution. Don't go cheap. It's a problem that plagues businesses - and when you need help, if your package isn't up to par you'll lose revenue with every dropped call.

Don't make the mistake of utilizing a slapped-together program based upon some platform that was never meant to handle calls. I've seen that too - where a trouble-ticket system devised for tracking was converted into a telephone answering system. Talk about buggy! Now you'd hopelessly tied to the person who integrated the software for you, and you have no guarantees of workmanship.

I've used Sage/Enterprise, Avaya and Oracle-based homemade systems. None of them performed up to extreme traffic levels unless the networking was hooked up to T1s. These days I've noticed only the Internet Service Providers and top 500 companies using T1s,and very soon, we'll need even more room to handle all the data. Telephone systems are increasingly being hooked directly into networking, for instance - Cisco has entire lines of cable-ready telephones, conference, and call systems that are virtually plug-and-play.

If you think carefully, devote the finances that you'll need, and examine traffic trends in the future along with the latest in Big Data analytics to install the right software, you will find yourself not needing to replace your CRM/CMS for many years With the right package you will be sure to forestall outages, increase client contact, thereby increasing total profitability for your company.
  

Writing Gigs Without PayPal Payments Non-Existent

Okay, all of you writers out there, how many of you have paid Internet writing gigs that don't pay through PayPal?
I'm guessing that there aren't a lot of you. After reviewing hundreds of sites that pay for articles, blogs, and reviews, I've come to the conclusion that it's impossible to be paid without a PayPal account. So all of you writers who somehow removed, destroyed, screwed up, or otherwise had your PayPal accounts frozen - are not able to make a single buck on the Internet.

Yes, I shopped around. I Googled like mad, and I did find a couple of sites that offered to pay via check. I signed up, and viola! The websites spat out a message stating, "We are not accepting new writers / blogs at this time."

So what to do? If you're like me, you'll get a new account via a VISA prepaid card, or something similar to it. Then you create a new PayPal account under a slightly different name.

How to do it? Well, there are loads of tutorials all over the Internet. Just follow the instructions to the letter, and expect to pay $20 to get your card activated. I'd also be wary of any fees associated with its use, however, from what I understand it can be tied to your bank account so that the money that goes on the card can also be transferred. That is, possibly, for a fee.

Getting down to the bottom of this article - I'm  bit angry at all the websites that pay only through PayPal. With a little effort, they could deposit the money themselves, saving themselves fees and extra steps. But no, they choose the "easiest" way out - and the toughest to regulate. Alas, since they are the "buyer" and you are the "seller", often you will discover that the PayPal universe is highly stacked up against you. Should there be any problem in a transaction, you will be held liable, not the purchaser of your article.

So for now, we writers scratching out a living on the Internet will continue to be frustrating if not nearly impossible without a PayPal account. I wonder how many there are of you out there who are trying to do it without one?

Top Ten Qualities Of A World Class Customer Service Department:

Within the past week I've been barraged with articles and questions related to the formation of a world class, top performing customer service department, yet only a handful pf people have been able to understand the few essential qualities that are needed to create one. In my years as a customer service representative I've learned what it takes to keep on top of customer issues, up-sell, and move a call center forward into the age of Social Media Marketing. Here are just a few hints (simplified) on what it takes to be competitive in the art of Customer Service:

1. Start off with solid computing. 
Call centers are basically cubicles with a computer and a telephone. What you do with them is usually industry-related, but all successful call centers utilize some form of ticketing or tracking software. Each cubicle is networked with a call center server that routes calls using a call answering system as well. By utilizing the incoming call server in concert with ticketing or virtual queue software, inbound customer calls can be linked up with existing trouble tickets, have new tickets created, and existing tickets can be escalated with ease.
As you can see in the above photo, one can have screens floating over the whole floor, showing trouble ticket software in real time, so that if a call is held within the queue for too long, or priorities are changed, it will be instantly reflected in those screens. Very often the most  critical tickets flash red when in need of attention. It's essential  that the call answering software interact well with the ticketing software. This make it much easier for CSRs to do their jobs.

2. VOIP or Landlines?
Either has possibilities, but VOIP is usually the way to go these days. Not many buildings have the wiring for numerous telephones, so networking is made easier by setting up routers, bridges, and hosts. Use of VOIP depends completely upon the capability of a company to have a large/fast pipeline - bandwidth is essential in this instance. The whole idea of fast reaction to callers is lost due to slowdowns in Network traffic - if your pipeline is not capable of handling afternoon traffic, it's useless. CSRs will be tapping on their desks and apologizing to callers because the "system is slow right now," when it's actually you network that's at fault. Always monitor your network and upgrade bandwidth for smooth service.

3. Monitoring Calls
Each call should be monitored for duration, speed of pickup (rings) and handling (escalation). Recording of selective calls may be performed if the answering system contains a comment that calls "may be monitored for quality assurance". Weekly reviews of call center personnel can be performed to insure that calls are being processed correctly. Playback of such calls is constructive in training CSRs by allowing them to hear their mistakes.

4. Printer Backup
Almost every call center will occasionally get backed up. For those who strive to followup calls or hold issues for discussion with a supervisor, the option to "print screen" becomes a priority. Notes can be made on the printouts, and printouts easily placed in categorical order for later use. Hard copies of chat logs can also be created, in case of issues with certain customers.

5. Internet Access / Network Security
Many call centers also require web access in order to link with customers' web pages, systems, networks, and applications. One of the easiest ways to accomplish a monitored network of Internet usage is to create an Intranet that contains bookmarked links to all websites and applications that are needed by the CSRs,. Web monitoring, sharing and restriction can also be applied, so that Internet over-use will be curtailed, thus saving bandwidth. Email can also be linked up with the Intranet, making it easier to contact personnel from the inside rather than having to operate a separate program for email alone.Occasional reviews of Internet usage (pages visited) should be performed to assure security, cut down on wasted timed (browsing) and insure that no piracy is being performed at your workplace.

6. Customer Service Personnel
Carefully screened and trained personnel are the driving force behind a good customer service department. Some skills needed: Telephone etiquette, a calm, clear speaking voice, customer empathy, computer and Internet familiarity, typing and spelling, and the capability to determine when a call should be escalated in order to further customer retention. Some of these qualities can be acquired, others are naturally occurring. All are incredibly important in the processing of customer service issues.

7. Supervision
Very often call centers will be divided into teams that specialize in different aspects of service, for instance: Ordering will be separate from Returns for ease of tracking. Likewise, accounts may be separated when they grow to need specialized attention.
Each group should be overseen by a team leader. Over that should at least be a shift leader, or call center manager. Team leaders specialize in the work that their group handles, and are particularly knowledgeable in the needs of their team's accounts and services. Call center managers oversee the teams by interacting with the team leaders and acting as a go-between for CSRs and corporate management. Very often  the call canter manager will be tasked with reviewing recording of calls and checking the stats for call duration, rings, and handling. Both team leaders and call center managers should have over 10 years in call center representation before being considered for their positions.

8. Environment
Sound-proofed ceilings and cubicles often afford a call center representative a little better capability to correctly hear the caller as well as their own voices. In non-protected rooms, sound bounces off walls and can be picked up by headsets dung inopportune moments. Dampening rogue sounds and crowd volume has the affect of giving the CSR more time to think, rather than concentrating on the sound of the person next to them. Customers get a feeling of well-being when they can only hear their own CSR, rather than an entire room full of voices all speaking at once. Newer directional (and noise-cancelling) microphones will help.

9. Headset versus handset?
Having both headsets and handsets is the way to go. Very often CSRs will have used a particular piece of equipment, and favor it. Older users tend to prefer handsets, and newer users prefer wireless headsets. If the headset breaks down, handsets are a sturdy backup that anyone can use. Headsets can also be plugged directly into host computers or phones, whereas handsets must be plugged into telephone jacks. Batteries and backup equipment will be needed on a constant basis due to breakdown, wear-and-tear, and occasional mishaps.

10. Flexibility
The call center has become an ever-changing environment, utilizing meeting software, chat, ticketing systems, web-based applications, email, fax, and telephones. The rise of social media has placed extreme demands upon call centers to deliver promptly and  prioritize immediately to get the customer what they need. Being able to take advantage of all the different methods of answering requests insures that the customer will be satisfied through their own (choice) method of contact.

In my next article I'll explain the possibilities in the creation of a call management system. We'll investigate Automatic Call Distribution versus the Erlang C Formula, and in future articles I'll compare methods of training, ACD and IVR, Virtual Queue, and a whole lot more. 

Amanda Vollaro is a seasoned CSR, Assistant Supervisor and File Administrator with over 25 years of telephone and computer experience.