King County 911 Call Center/Discovery Process

August 24, 2009

 

To:          Scott Sotebeer

From:    John K. Buller

Re:         Update – Consulting Opportunity

 

 

King County Sheriff’s Office

 

Creating a High Performance, Efficiency, and Positive Culture

for the King County Sheriff’s 911 Call Center

 

SCOPE OF WORK

 

Overall Objective

 

• LowerCallCenter Turnover
• Have a Positive Impact on the OverallCalCenter Culture
• Create an Experience that Improves Staff Efficiency
• Create an Experience that ensures Call Center Users have Positive and Effective Interaction, and feel High Regard for the Outcome of their Call

 

Vision

 

By engaging the Call Center’s Leadership and Staff in an interactive/participation approach to those operational behaviors that must go right in every 911 communication, the entire Organizational Team will have 1) greater ownership; 2) increased accountability; 3) less performance ambiguity; and 4) higher efficiency for each call that comes to the Center.

 

This clarity and broad-based ownership of these critical behaviors will have significant positive impact on the Center’s culture – which will improve performance and lower turnover, increasing the positive impressions of the users’ experience.

 

This effort must provide a Positive Impact:

• Enhance the User Experience
• Improve the Team’s Overall Work Attitude
• Improve the Team’s Efficiency
• Lower Turnover

 

This effort must not:

• Create Conflicts as to “What” is Important
• Create a Them vs. Us Attitude

 

This process will be divided into three distinct areas:

1. Discovery
2. Workshops
3. Initiatives

 

DISCOVERY

 

After meetings with the Senior Management of the CallCenter, one-on-one discussions were held with all Supervisors and some shift personal.  These discussionsl:

 

• Defined this process
• Took comments and feedback on how to make this successful
• Ask for a clear statement of their hopes as to how this might have a positive impact on the CallCenter’s operation
• Ask for a clear statement of their fears in doing this process
• Any other topics they choose to discuss

 

Timing:

                        16 interviews completed on 7/29th – Notes attached)

 

Deliverables:      Interviews with CallCenter Management – 1 Hour per Person

Publish Notes so all participants will be able to review what was said.  Notes Attached.

Presentation Meeting to Leadership – to discuss the notes

 

Cost:

 

Discovery Phase Completed.

 

WORKSHOPS

 

In coordination with Human Resources and Call Center Management, hold 6 or 7 1-1/2 hour Workshops (time to depend on discussion with Senior Management).

 

These Workshops will focus on:

 

• Identifying those critical CallCenter transactions and clearly defining those critical behaviors that must go right in each phone conversation
• These Teams will define these behaviors into a clear descriptive statement that can be used to make sure all Management and Staff understand the behaviors
• These Teams will then brainstorm ways to make sure all team members are trained to know the behaviors and are held accountable for consistent execution on every call

 

 

After all 6 or 7 Workshops, John Buller will compile the notes with emphasis on how each shift differed in their approach to this exercise.

 

Timing:                 These Workshops to be executed in September.

 

Deliverables:      Scheduling of the Workshops, in conjunction with the Call Center Management

Facilitation of the Workshops

Packaging of the notes and outcomes from the Workshops, discussion with Management about the results, and (if desired) the presentation of the defined behaviors to the Team Members

                                Creating a clear and consistent set of must-go-right behaviors so that each incoming call to the Center goes right.

                                In conjunction with the rollout of the King County Mobile CAP System, create a clear and consistent set of behaviors that will redefine the radio protocol for conversations between the Field Officer and Dispatcher.

                                Clearly define the potential protocol differences between the 3 primary working shifts – day, swing and graveyard.

Cost:

                                                      “Case Study Summary”                                January 1 2010

King County Sheriff’s Office

Creating a High-Performance, Efficient, and Positive Culture

For the King County Sheriff’s 911 Call Center

 

 

Overall Objectives

 

• Lower Turnover – “save money”
• Have a positive impact on the overall Call Center Culture – “reduce bullying”
• Create an experience that improves Staff Efficiency
• Create an experience that ensures Call Center Users have a positive and effective interaction, and feel a high regard for the outcome of their call

 

Timeline

 

June 15, 2009                                     Scope of Work proposal given to the Sheriff’s Office

Three phases – Discovery, Workshops, Initiatives

 

August, 2009                                     Discovery

 

15 individual interviews were conducted with a wide variety of CallCenter employees – Managers, Dispatchers and Call Receivers.  Each shift was represented and special attention to interviewing a wide variety of employees with many years of service as well as just hired.

 

August, 2009                                      Employee Interview Results and first pass at Call Center Initiatives

 

Notes were collected in all interviews and summarized in the following conversation areas:

• Why people do this work
• Traits to look for when hiring
• Reasons for turnover
• Issues with supervisors
• Employee abuse on a daily basis
• Consistency of policies and procedures
• The internal communication in the CallCenter and within the department
• Definitions needed

 

 

The following areas were identified as “Initiatives” for the CallCenter:

• Hold Workshops for all employees focused on what “must go right” when taking a call from a citizen and supporting the Field Organization
• Hold regular Roll Call Meetings
• Refocus Supervisors on case study discussions and positive reinforcement to build common sense
• Create a more regulated Review Program
• Allow Supervisors and Trainers more input on hiring
• Get more consistent and regular User Feedback
• Create a sense that this is a Profession
• Update and keep updated the Standard Operating Procedures
• Involve everyone in being a Trainer
• Define clearly why we need to change the Culture

 

August – September, 2009          One-on-one coaching of Call Center Management

 

Throughout the Discovery phase, meetings with the Captain assigned to the CallCenter and the civilian Operational Manager were held regularly to ensure all employee environment strategies were executed consistently.

 

Late September –early October, 2009    Employee Workshops

 

In late July, we held six 2-hour workshops for all 90 employees.  These were facilitated discussions with the following topics:

• How do we have the right people
• What is common sense and group common sense
• What must go right between 911 Caller and Call Receiver (transaction 1)
• What must go right between Call Receiver and Dispatcher (transaction 2)
• Thoughts about what must go right between Dispatcher and the Field Organization (transaction 3)
• A suggestion to improve overall climate/culture – each employee was asked to suggest 3 specific ways that the Captain, the Operations Manager, and the Supervisors could act differently.

 

October 2009                                     Workshop Notes completed and distributed

 

Notes from all workshop discussions were compiled and distributed to all employees.

 

October, 2009                                    Continued Management conversations by meeting between 1 to 3 times per week with the Call Center Management.

 

 

October, 2009                                    Introduction of a new Scheduling Protocol and Tardy Policy

Throughout the Discovery Process, 2 policies seemed to create the most uneven management oversight – the Scheduling protocol and the management of the Tardy policy.  The Management Team was challenged to agree upon a more consistent way to manage these 2 issues.  The Management Team used a Google Blog approach to discuss the issue and agreed upon a consistent approach that would be used by each shift.

 

Late October, 2009                         Presentation to Sheriff’s Office Leadership

 

A comprehensive updated presentation was made to the senior leadership of the King County Sheriff’s Office defining the activities that had taken place and what the next steps would be.

 

November – December, 2009    911 Caller Survey

 

A 911 Caller Survey was conducted with 200 phone conversations asking the caller questions about two basic transactions:

• The 911 Caller to Call Receiver experience (6 questions)
• The Dispatched Officer to Citizen experience (10 questions)

 

These results represented a baseline for a future 911 Caller Survey Program. [Survey results attached]

 

December, 2009                               CommunicationCenter Employee Survey

 

All employees of the CommunicationCenter were asked to complete a 23-question Employee Survey.  This cultural-climate survey was based upon the Gallop work discussed in the book “1^st Break All the Rules”.  The employee survey scores will serve as a baseline for future employee surveys.[Survey results attached]

 

January 19, 2010                               CommunicationCenter Senior Management 8-Hour Workshop

 

After 6 months of facilitating employee conversations, taking employee input and defining initiatives, we gathered all of the senior leadership with the specific goal of having this group discuss and decide how to become more consistent in their approach to managing the CommunicationCenter:

• How do we use meetings/roll calls, assign seating, use the new laptops, train more consistently
• How do we create more positive feedback by giving praise to employees with 911 Caller feedback
• How do we do reviews and quality assurance reviews, deal with out of bounds employee behavior, and deal with conflict
• How do we make information transfer from the Call Receiver to Dispatcher more consistent, and improve the respect between these two functions

 

 

February – June, 2010                    Implementation of CallCenter Initiatives [Phase 1]

 

During the next 100 days, many specific Initiatives were executed:

• The Scheduling and Tardy policy was handled consistently
• Managers discussed the Cultural Climate employee survey and how to improve the lower scores
• The CallCenter added personal computers to help improve overall communication as well as streamline SOP updates
• The Captain in charge did his first employee news letter focused on policy updates and general employee information.
• The Operations Manager moved her office into the main Communications room
• On March 16^th, a standing Managers Meeting was devoted to the progress reports and all on-going initiatives
• One of the senior managers became the leader of a team of Trainer/Department Supervisors that were charged with working to streamline and redefine the protocol/standards for a Quality Assurance Review Program so that training, reviewing, and user feedback all work together
• On April 15^th, the Training Committee met and redesigned the call receiver Quality Assurance [QA]  process
• During the months of May and June, the entire staff participated in the revised Caller Receiver QA process

 

 

July-Oct, 2010                                    Phase 2 Initiatives Completed

 

• All the individuals that were interviewed in the Discovery Process will be re-interviewed to make sure they know there voice was heard in what has taken place to date, as well as in the steps going forward.

 

• Final revised Quality Assurance Review standards Written and distributed to all supervisors and trainers  [Standards Attached]

 

• All trainers and Supervisors started doing regular group Quality Assurance Reviews on the same recorded Calls to improve consistency between training and Supervisor reviews. [Sample Attached]

 

• 911 Caller –200 individuals were  re-surveyed  to judge impact of this work.[Survey attached-plus comparison scores to 1^st survey]

 

• The Employee Cultural Survey was be re-surveyed to determine impact of this work.[survey attached –plus comparisons to 1^st survey]

 

 

INITIATIVES

 

This process has created a list of Initiatives that the Call Center Leadership will want to discuss.  For sure, this effort will have an impact on Job Descriptions, Training Programs, and Performance Reviews.

 

Attached is a preliminary list of Initiatives from my point of view.  DJ has an additional list of Initiatives that are more focused on the day-to-day operations.

 

Upon completion of the Workshops, these Initiatives will represent the active list to be discussed with the focus being:

 

• Lower Cal Center Turnover
• Positive Impact on the Overall Culture
• Improved Staff Efficiency
• Improving the Call Center’s Users’ Overall Experience

 

The major discussion will be directed at letting the Users – Citizens that call in and Field Officers – the opportunity to give feedback to the Call Center employees.  (I will have methods and prices to accomplish this Initiative)       

 

CONCLUSION

 

This process is designed to engage the Call Center Management and Staff in discussions about having everyone “on the same page” with regard to critical behaviors that must go right every time there is a call.  This includes the structure of those behaviors and also the tone/voice as to how the behaviors are communicated.  The Teams should own the behaviors and will also give input to how they are judged on their performance.

 

We are making steady progress toward our stated goals.

 

Sheriff’s CallCenter

Employee Interview Results

We conducted 15 interviews, which included all Supervisors and at least one Call Receiver and one Dispatcher from each of the three shifts (day, swing, and graveyard).  There was over 275 years of experience, with the most tenure being 35 years and the least was 1 year –  the average being almost 19 years of experience.

 

The work environment has many unique variables – people need to be able to make split-second decisions in a very limited timeframe with variable amounts of information.  In all the interview conversations, we asked why/how did you get into this work, what traits were important, what were the reasons for turnover, and then had a variety of discussion about consistency and how they believed we could improve the hiring, training, and overall culture of the CallCenter.

 

These Notes reflect the majority of the conversations and thoughts from the interviews.

 

NOTES

 

Why People Do This Work

• The work is very exciting, lots of variety.  You come to work not knowing what will happen.
• We make a difference, we help people.
• This job is a lifestyle and it becomes a person’s identity.
• The work is challenging, always different.
• I have compassion for helping other people.
• I was looking for a job where, when I went home at night, I felt I had been of service – making a difference for people.
• The job is difficult, new things every day.
• I thought I had seen everything, but I am constantly proven wrong.

 

Traits to Look for When Hiring

• Flexible, but able to make decisions.
• Need to be a strong personality.
• Different needs for different shifts:
  • Swing Shift – are the youngest and newest.
  • Graveyard – more valiant – these people feel more control because you can’t pass off the call to the day-time staff.
  • Day Shift – more black & white – more places to send the call – less valiant.
• Having people with great common sense – this might be tied to the concept of emotional intelligence.
• Needs to be cool under pressure – ability to multi-task, and find solutions.
• 50% of the callers are mad or angry – need to have experience handling angry people.
• The biggest requirement is the ability to listen to the entire person through the background noise – and get the right information fast.
• Need to have good computer skills – typing, advanced windows ability.
• We need people with their motivation “if I wasn’t challenged, I would not be happy”.
• There seems to be a difference in how people view the job based upon age – younger people are more technology savvy, but seem less engaged.

 

There are several Reasons for Turnover

• We did not clearly define the work expectations.
• People get this job but wanted a different job – we take too long to hire people.
• They didn’t pass training.
• Our environment and culture – many of our employment policies and attitudes make it hard to belong:
  • Seniority and its impact on scheduling shift assignments.
  • How calls are handled, especially when the new people are always assigned the “put on hold calls”.
  • The Tardy Policy – very formalized, makes enforcement too uneven.
  • No formal New Employee Orientation concept – the attitude is that new employees need to earn the respect of the elders before they are accepted.

 

Issues with Supervisors

• The communication style of the Supervisor has a huge impact on the culture of the organization.
• Blunt and upfront, but not rude.
• Very little feeling of comradery and support.
• Very strong personalities – with strong feelings about what is the right way to do things – not consistent from Supervisor to Supervisor.
• The physical structure puts pressure on how corrective action is handled – all conversations can be heard by others.
• With 50% of the callers being negative and the Supervisors also tending to be negative, there is very little positive reinforcement.
• The Supervisors are not consistent on how they handle the top 10 behaviors and the Trainers also seem to have different approaches to key processes.
• The CallCenter physical space creates some of the problems – the Supervisors sit in an enclosed space and cannot hear what is going on.
• The job can be a lonely responsibility – you are plugged in and there is very little community building in the shift.

 

Employees Get Abused on a Daily Basis

• Some employees are allowed to have negative behaviors, while others are held to a different standard.
• There are no clear, well understood definitions for accountability, discipline, motivation and passion.
• Policies and standards change regularly, but the staff has no email so this is all a manual issue – hard to read new policies when you have to stay at your post.
• The management culture is all one-on-one as no Team Meetings are held.
• Answers to most needed behaviors of Supervisors are:  1) be approachable, 2) speak positively.
• When the Dispatcher is under pressure and the Officer is requesting more information, there is a tendency to raise voices and become demanding – it is just the way of the pressure.
• Very little in the way of formalized positive reinforcement – most everything is about what you should not have done vs. what you did right.
• There is a need for more consistent feedback and more frequent reviews and dialog about how to handle most frequent calls.

 

Consistency of Policies and Procedures

• The business is a very responsive activity and there seems to always be issues with consistency on how to execute.
• When taking information from a caller, what is needed vs. what is not needed?  This is different from Dispatcher to Dispatcher – also, there are lots of different opinions from the field as to what is needed.
• Trainers train to different processes – people report they are told to do it one way, and a 2^nd Trainer or Supervisor will say that is wrong – do it a different way.
• There is a strong perceived feeling that policies and holding people accountable are different for different individuals.
• Some individuals with highly visible disruptive behaviors are allowed to continue these behaviors – even though everyone knows it is not right.
• There are many situations that are not clear as to what the correct response should be – do we send an Officer or not.
• There seems to be a feeling by the Dispatchers that they prefer not to send an Officer because the Officers question why they are being sent.
• There have not been evaluations for a number of years – so there is very little feedback as to how people are doing, which leads to lots of misunderstandings.
• There are very few benchmarks and feedback loops.  There is a need for more ways to report how we are doing as a Team.
• Lots of discussion about common sense and how people need to have it, but very hard to define it.
• Less experienced Call Receivers are told not to ask their peers questions, yet Trainers and Supervisors differ on what the right execution should be.

 

The Internal Communication in the CallCenter and within the Department

• The general pattern of communication between Call Receivers, Dispatchers and the field teams need to get on the same page – what information is required or needed, and what levels of professional courtesy are required.
• The shifts have no roll calls – very little group interaction.
• The work stations do not have email, so everything is manual or one-on-one and everyone is tied to their stations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitions Needed

• What is a Communication Specialist?  How do we make this title the driving force for turning the culture?  First pass – professionals at helping people solve their problems using a ton of common sense.
• What is a Communication Specialist, Supervisor or Trainer?  We need to create an ethos that these people are always talking about common sense.
• What is a Communication Team?  We need to make the Communication Group and the Field Teams “Communication Teams” with a common-sense approach to the way we talk and listen to each other to make sure we get it right.
• What is good judgment or common sense?  The top two traits talked about when asked to describe what makes a great Call Receiver or Dispatcher were 1) care about helping people, and 2) has great common sense.

 

Controls Conversation Courteous & Professional Proper CAD documentation Officer Safety Issues Correct Priority/Type Code Teamwork Customer Service Reasonable Create to Entry Time

These are the categories we said needed to have ratings, not just YES or NO.  The category descriptions are from current call receiver DOR category descriptions and very old dispatch DOR category descriptions.  The source is in (BOLD behind the initial descriptions.  Also there are some more category descriptions at the end that may be helpful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 and 2?  Interview Skills:.  The employee conducts interviews in a timely manner, remaining accurate and thorough.  The employee asks questions clearly, in a logical order, while politely controlling the conversation.             (CR 8.3.)

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed: Does not follow the proper procedure when answering the phone.  Does not ask questions to solicit information, or asks improper questions.  Needed information is not obtained.  Facts are not clarified.  Engages in unnecessary questioning or conversation. Fails to verify ANI / ALI information.

 

Minor Improvement Needed:  Does not conduct interviews in a logical order. Is not able to use accepted techniques to calm hysterical or angry callers.

 

Meets Standards:  Uses the proper phase when answering all calls.  Consistently directs conversations to quickly and accurately obtain and relay the essential information in the correct order of importance.  Solicits missing information as needed.  Gains control of hysterical callers in most cases using proper voice tone, word choice and inflection.

 

Exceeds Standards:  Directs conversations to gather all pertinent information quickly and accurately.  actively listens to obtain information without repeating questions.  Additionally, deals with the callers in  a constructive manner, making an extra effort when handling callers with special problems.

 

3.  Detail Composition:  The employee produces CAD entries that are clear and concise, with all of the pertinent information.  CAD entries are in the accepted format.          (CR 8.4.)  

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed:  CAD details are very difficult to decipher.  Details are too wordy too short, or do not follow a logical sequence.  Does not use standard abbreviations.  Supplements are done at inappropriate times, with too much, or too little information.  Displays no understanding of the use of priorities, or type codes.

 

Minor Improvement Needed:  CAD details have the correct information, but are difficult to understand because of the sequence of information, or use of unusual abbreviations.

 

Meets Standards:  The employee produces CAD entries that are clear and concise, translating the caller’s needs well without unneeded information.  The CAD entries contain all pertinent information in a logical sequence.

 

Exceeds Standards:  CAD entries are clear and concise.  Employee uses supplements appropriately.  Changes automatic priorities, type codes, and other detail content when necessary and appropriate.

 

 

4.  Officer Safety

The employee is aware of potential dangers associated with each call and assigns proper number of units, and back-up units.  Knows the general location and type of calls officers are on without referring to CAD and checks their status in a timely manner. Uses correct procedure in closing and opening the air.  Know what information should be broadcast on closed air, and handles limited traffic on an alternate frequency.        (old disp 18.) 

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed:  Has no retention of where officers are or what type of calls they are on without CAD.  Assigns single units to domestics and other “hot’ calls.  Fails to check officers         on traffic stops, or other in-progress calls.  Closes air without naming an alternate frequency, takes traffic of a non-emergency nature on closed air, fails to promptly open the air.  Forgets to notify units when alternate frequencies that main air is open.

 

Minor Improvement Needed:  Most of the time, is aware where officers are and what type of call they are on without consulting CAD.  Occasionally needs reminding of potential danger and the need to assign back-up on some calls.  Occasionally forgets status checks.  Uses correct procedure when closing and opening the air.  During ‘closed air’, may still take unrelated or non-emergency traffic that should be routed to an alternate frequency; may take other than urgent traffic on the alternate frequency

 

Meets Standards:  Is aware of potential dangers associated with each call and assigns the appropriate number of units.  Knows where the officers are and on what type of calls, without relying on CAD.  Checks status of units in a timely manner to ensure their safety and generates back-up when a routine situation turns potentially dangerous.  Uses correct procedure when closing or opening the air.  Knows what and when information should be broadcast during closed air.  Enforces closed air and is able to handle limited traffic on an alternate frequency.

 

Exceeds Standards:  Is aware of potential dangers associated with each call and assigns the correct number of units and promptly initiates back-up units for an officer when a routine situation becomes potentially dangerous.  Always knows where officers are and what type of calls they are handling.  Additionally, recognizes problem individuals and locations that have been dealt with in the recent past.  Checks status on units on traffic and other potential “hot” calls in a timely manner.  Checks the status of officers on any assignment for a prolonged or unusual length of time to determine availability for details.  Knows and uses correct procedure in closing and opening the air and will take the initiative in closing the air if necessary.  Enforces closed air and keeps up with urgent traffic on one or more alternate frequencies in addition to related phone traffic.

 

 

5. Correct Priority/Type Code –

Nothing specific on the current DORs, but we probably should include some language from the SOP section, “Priority”.

 

The following priority descriptions serve mostly as guidelines.  Although there are some specific guidelines for particular types of calls, the priority you choose for the majority of incidents will be based on your interpretation of the call.  The priority code descriptions and examples given should help you in matching incidents of a particular nature with a specific priority.  Some basic guidelines for priority assignment are:

 

If you are in doubt about the most appropriate priority, it is better to assign the higher one;

contact details, regardless of their nature, will always be assigned a priority 1, 2 or 3 (obviously based on the individual circumstances);

priority 4 will not be used for contact details.

 

 

6 .  Teamwork – The employee is able to provide and ask for assistance promptly and efficiently.  The employee makes an observable effort to get along with other employees.  Performs without conflict.  Effectively completes own part in shared tasks. The employee admits own errors and takes responsibility for them.  The employee implements training suggestions quickly and in a positive manner.               (CR 2.1 Attitude) 

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed:  Patronizes or argues with coworkers and trainer. Belittles others, gossips. Is not cooperative.

 

Minor Improvement Needed:  Generally assists others when asked.  Occasionally duplicates work already being done by others.  Usually maintains good peer relationships.

 

Meets Standards:  Maintains objectivity.  Assists coworkers and citizens when asked.  Is service oriented.  Good peer relationships. Adheres to Chain of Command.

 

Exceeds Standards:  Performs  work-related tasks without having to be asked.  Cooperates fully with coworkers and supervisors.  Peer group leader.  Demonstrates a willingness to assist others.

 

ALSO from old dispatch DOR categories

2.  Teamwork

The employee maintains a positive approach when requesting assistance from other Comm center employees. other agencies and officers.  Assistance is also provided by the employee promptly and efficiently.  The employee relates to everyone he/she deals with in a positive and professional manner.  Performs without conflict and makes an observable effort to get along with others.  Personal relationships do not interfere with the employee’s ability to maintain an unbiased attitude.

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed:  Is argumentative, belittling, sarcastic, patronizing and/or arrogant in dealing with coworkers, trainer, other agencies and/or officers.  Fails to demonstrate sensitivity to multicultural issues in the workplace.  Personality conflicts are reflected in exchanges with coworkers, field personnel and others, impeding effective communications.  Interpersonal exchanges are abrupt and unprofessional.

 

Minor Improvement Needed:  Is usually patient when requesting clarification from coworkers and field personnel.  Most exchanges are kept brief and business related.  Generally assists others when asked.

 

Meets Standards:  Willing to share opinions with others and listens attentively to others.  Professional behavior and good communication skills contribute to the promotion of positive morale in the CommCenter.  Consistently demonstrates the ability to get along with others and is sensitive to multicultural diversity issues.  Is quick to assist the officers, coworkers and others.  Understands the stress inherent in this position and makes the effort to maintain a positive and open work environment with coworkers and officers.

 

Exceeds Standards:  All communications and contacts are performed with utmost courtesy, while remaining objective and professional.  Consistently demonstrates the willingness to make an extra effort in maintaining a professional demeanor regardless of personal relationships.   Actively seeks to improve own knowledge and when information is obtained, freely shares that information with others.  Never has to be reprimanded for belittling or embarrassing others.

 

 

 

7.  Customer Service – The employee is able to maintain a professional and courteous demeanor with all contacts.  They provide assistance or offer alternatives if the request is beyond our scope of services.            (CR 2.2) 

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed:  Patronizes or argues with callers. Doesn’t offer assistance, just says we can’t help you. Abrupt, interrupts rather than guiding interview.

 

Minor Improvement Needed:  Employee is pleasant with most callers, but not consistently.  Only provides the basics.  Occasionally displays annoyance or boredom.

 

Meets Standards:    Consistently pleasant and courteous to all contacts.  Always strives to offer  alternative solutions.

 

Exceeds Standards:  Employee provides excellent customer service above and beyond what is expected or required.

 

 

8  Reasonable Create to Entry Time –

There is an old memo from 2002 that gave specific times as:

Generally primary calls handled in less than 1 min 45 seconds and secondary calls less than 8 mins.

 

 

 

ALSO, do we want/need to use anything from the following areas?

 

(CR 8.1.)  Listens Carefully –   The employee is able to hear all callers, and interpret what they are

saying without asking them to repeat themselves.  The employee can easily understand the caller and usually hear all of the indicators that tell a different story.

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed:  Repeatedly asks the caller to say things several times and repeat over and over again.  Is not able to understand what the caller is saying,  or understand what the caller is reporting, and constantly relies on the trainer to tell them what was said.

 

Minor Improvement Needed:  Employee does not rely on the trainer for help in what was being said, rarely asks callers to repeat themselves and usually understand what the caller is saying.

 

Meets Standards:   Usually understands caller without any problem, only asks to repeat if caller is hysterical or otherwise hard to hear.   Doesn’t ask the trainer for help.

 

Exceeds Standards:  Never asks a caller to repeat what was said, and can understand what the caller is saying without assistance from the trainer.

 

 

(CR 8.2.)  Clear Speaking Voice:   The employee is able to communicate effectively.  Pronunciations are correct, while use of jargon and slang are avoided.  Explanations are clear, and rarely has to repeat themselves.

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed:  Does not use a clear speaking voice.  Voice level is either too high or too low, causing the caller to repeatedly ask the employee to say it again. Confuses or angers callers by what is said and / or how it is said.   Also confuses the caller using “jargon”.

 

Minor Improvement needed:  Employee has good “diction” and rarely repeats themselves.  Callers understand what is being said to them.  Employee is forgetting to “mute” microphone and is distracting caller while talking to the trainer.

 

Meets Standards:  Employee doesn’t forget to mute microphone and has good clear voice while talking to callers.  Only repeats themselves when the caller is having the problem hearing.

 

Exceeds Standards:  Never repeats themselves and never leaves microphone on.

 

 

(CR 8.3.)  Interview Skills:.  The employee conducts interviews in a timely manner, remaining accurate and thorough.  The employee asks questions clearly, in a logical order, while politely controlling the conversation.

 

Unsatisfactory:  Continually makes those errors described in the “significant improvement needed” rating.  Training has been provided, yet little or no progress has been shown.

 

Significant Improvement Needed: Does not follow the proper procedure when answering the phone.  Does not ask questions to solicit information, or asks improper questions.  Needed information is not obtained.  Facts are not clarified.  Engages in unnecessary questioning or conversation. Fails to verify ANI / ALI information.

 

Minor Improvement Needed:  Does not conduct interviews in a logical order. Is not able to use accepted techniques to calm hysterical or angry callers.

 

Meets Standards:  Uses the proper phase when answering all calls.  Consistently directs conversations to quickly and accurately obtain and relay the essential information in the correct order of importance.  Solicits missing information as needed.  Gains control of hysterical callers in most cases using proper voice tone, word choice and inflection.

 

Exceeds Standards:  Directs conversations to gather all pertinent information quickly and accurately. actively listens to obtain information without repeating questions.  Additionally, deals with the callers in  a constructive manner, making an extra effort when handling callers with special problems.