Call center comments from McKinsey

The McKinsey Quarterly Web exclusive for April 2005 is titled Getting more from call centers by Keith A. Gilson and Deepak K. Khandelwal (free registration required).

Here’s an outline of the article:

Defining a customer service strategy

• Don't overmanage costs
• Integrate call centers with the organization
• Segment customers

Choosing the right infrastructure

• Pause before outsourcing
• Use technology with care

Ensuring execution

• Develop effective coaches
• Manage performance
• Reduce employee turnover

From the executive summary:

A good customer service strategy should balance costs, quality, and revenues. Companies that restructure call centers in this way can often cut their costs by up to 25 percent and boost the revenue they generate by as much as 35 percent, thereby transforming them into strategic assets that provide a competitive advantage.