Call Center Research Articles

Managing Service Quality And Efficiency In Call Centers: A Tautology Or Contradiction?

This article reports on the experiences of managers in outsourcing telecommunications call centers in South Africa on service quality and efficiency, and whether service quality is sacrificed for service efficiency. This qualitative case study collected data from eight participants through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Inductive reasoning was applied in this study. Participants were purposively selected through criterion sampling based on their experience within the call centre industry. Thematic analysis were conducted whereby themes and sub themes were identified. Call center managers use different metrics to manage service quality and efficiency and two thirds of them suggests that service quality is not sacrificed for service efficiency, and a quarter feels otherwise. These findings contradict previous studies on service quality and efficiency. The article provides actionable insights for the management of outsourced call centers on managing service quality without compromising service efficiency. The findings can be implemented in the operations of inbound and outbound call centers.

The Work-related Stress and Awareness of Ergonomics Principle among Call Center Workers

Background and purpose: Work related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not mastered to their knowledge and abilities which challenge their ability to cope. Work related stress can be caused by poor work organization (the way they design jobs and work system, and the way we manage them), by poor work design. Aim: The aim of the study is to know the stress level among the call center workers and how ergonomic principles help relieve them. Method: 80 subjects of age group of 20-40 years were picked from a random call center and their stress level was calculated with the help of work place stress scale. Ergonomic exercises were advised and a six-week training were enabled to them. The outcome measure was evaluated by calculating the change in the stress level after the ergonomic program. Result: Result of this study was analyzed in terms of reduced score of Work place stress scale. Paired Sample‘t’ test was used to analyze the pre and post differences for stress level of work place stress scale. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05 for all tests. This showed extremely significant improvement in stress scoring after giving ergonomic interventions Conclusion: The study concludes that a work place exercise that is ergonomics are useful in reducing the stress of workers in call centers. The study showed significant improvement in the quality of stress from severe to mild or calm state.

Prevalence of Vertigo in Headphone Users of Call Center of Faisalabad City

In recent years, call center operations have become a global phenomenon. Call center operators reported headaches, tinnitus, and vertigo as the most common symptoms of wearing headphones for 7 to 9 hours daily. Objectives: To determine the association between vertigo in headphone users and in age, working hours and professional experience. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of vertigo in headphone users in call centers of Faisalabad. This study followed pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria and the sample size of 450 participants were included in this study. SPSS 24 was used for data entry and analysis. Results: This study reported a significant association between working hours(p=.000), years of work experience (p=.000), and between age (p=.002) and percentage of people with vertigo in VSS. Conclusion: It can be concluded that vertigo has association with age, working hours, years of work experience. While, vertigo has no association with gender, life style, residence and smoking habits.

감정노동, 콜센터 상담사의 문화적 재현과 사회적 의미 -소설 『콜센터』(2018)와 영화 <혼자 사는 사람들>(2021)-

콜센터 상담사의 근무조건과 근무환경을 개선하기 위한 사회적 노력이 조금씩 전개되고 있다. 이러한 움직임에 비추어 문화계에서도 장편소설 『콜센터』와 영화 <혼자 사는 사람들>처럼 콜센터를 소재로 한 문화상품이 출현하고 있다. 콜센터라는 직장을 소재로 한 문화적 재현은 목소리로만 존재하고 눈에 쉽게 보이지 않는 ‘그림자 노동’에 대한 사회의 관심을 높이고 임금체계, 휴식시간 등 실질적 처우 개선을 위한 사회적 지지의 확산을 촉구하는 일종의 문화적 시민운동으로서 사회화의 기능을 갖는다. 노동의 가치를 제대로 평가받지 못하는 직종의 하나로서 콜센터의 문화상품화와 대중적 소비는, 다른 형태의 비정규직 노동자의 존재까지 상기하게 하면서 노동을 존중하고 노동자의 평등한 사회적 권리를 보장하는 의식 확대와 인간의 존엄성을 보호하고 공생하는 공동체의 사회문화 및 사회적 규범을 구축해야 한다는 가치 추구의 일환으로서 사회적 의미를 확보하고 있다. 또한 인간다운 삶을 살기 위한 구성 요소로서 감정이 매우 중요하다는 점이 극심한 감정노동의 콜센타를 매개로 강조되면서 한 번 사는 짧은 인생, 자신의 감정에 충실하며 진정한 인생을 살고자 하는 사회문화 형성과 불합리한 억압 문화 해소에 본고의 문화상품이 일정하게 기여하는 사회적 가치를 확보하고 있다.

Data-driven subjective performance evaluation: An attentive deep neural networks model based on a call centre case

AbstractEvery contact centre engages in some form of Call Quality Monitoring in order to improve agent performance and customer satisfaction. Call centres have traditionally used a manual process to sort, select, and analyse a representative sample of interactions for evaluation purposes. Unfortunately, such a process is marked by subjectivity, which in turn results in a distorted picture of agent performance. To address the challenge of identifying and removing subjectivity, empirical research is required. In this paper, we introduce an evidence-based, machine learning-driven framework for the automatic detection of subjective calls. We analyse a corpus of seven hours of recorded calls from a real-estate call centre using Deep Neural Network (DNN) for a multi-classification problem. The study establishes the first baseline for subjectivity detection, with an accuracy of 75%, which is comparable to relevant speech studies in emotional recognition and performance classification. We conclude, among other things, that in order to achieve the best performance evaluation, subjective calls should be removed from the evaluation process or subjective scores deducted from the overall results.

ANALYSIS IMPLEMENTATIONS OF MATERNAL AND NEONATAL REFERAL NETWORK INFORMATION AT PUSKESMAS TANAH TINGGI TANGERANG BANTEN

One of the efforts to reduce the maternal mortality rate (MMR) is to adopt the EMAS (Expanding Maternal And Neonatal Survival) program SIJARIEMAS (Information System for Maternal and Neonatal Referrals in the prevention of '3 Too Late. This study aims to obtain an overview of the implementation of SIJARIEMAS in terms of sources. Human resources, the availability of facilities and infrastructure, as well as procedures at the Tanah Tinggi Public Health Center. The research was carried out using the Rapid Assessment Procedure (RAP), a technique of collecting data using a quick assessment to obtain in-depth and relatively brief information. These are Doctors on Watch, Midwives, and Nurses. The data were collected with 3 focus group discussions. The data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that officers still found it difficult to refer patients to the hospital due to the long response of the SIJARIEMAS Call Center in finding a hospital. There are still officers who do not follow the referral soup. Obstacles faced by officers in making emergency referrals resulted in delays in handling that could lead to death. Conclusion: SIJARIEMAS makes referrals easier, but the response of the old SIJARIEMAS call center, Puskesmas officers, still deviates from the SIJARIEMAS procedure. Efforts are needed to improve call center response and services by Puskesmas officers.

Efektivitas Layanan Sahabat Perempuan dan Anak (SAPA) 129 (Studi Kasus Kualitas SDM Pada Layanan SAPA 129 di Kementerian PPPA)

The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection has launched the Call Center Service Friends of Women and Children (SAPA) 129 in collaboration with PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (PT Telkom Indonesia) on March 8, 2021. The SAPA 129 service is one form of implementation of Presidential Regulation Number 65 of 2020 related to the addition of the duties and functions of the Kemen PPPA as a final referral service provider for women victims of violence. The SAPA 129 service is a revitalization of the public complaint service as a tangible manifestation of the state's presence in protecting women and children. SAPA 129 services are carried out by the Deputy for Protection of Women's Rights and the Deputy for Special Protection for Children. Based on data from the PPPA Ministry, the number of reports of cases of violence against women and children from March 2021 to February 2022 increased sharply. However, this increase in the number of reports did not increase with the increase in the number and quality of Human Resources (HR) owned by the Ministry of PPPA. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of SAPA 129 services related to handling cases of violence against women and children. The research method used is a qualitative approach, with primary data sources in the form of interviews, observations, and data triangulation. An alternative solution that can be provided is by conducting training or technical guidance related to the 6 functions of SAPA 129 services. The strategy adopted is networking with cross-Ministerial / Institutional and Community Institutions, especially those that have service institutions for handling cases and children in the implementation of training and technical guidance as well as sharing knowledge / good practice in optimizing SAPA services 129.Keywords: Public Service; Violence; Women; ChildrenÂ

COMPARISON OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AMONG ADULTS WITH VS WITHOUT VAPING, SMOKING, AND DUAL USE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN A CALL CENTER IN QUEZON CITY

SESSION TITLE: Late Breaking Lung Cancer and Tobacco Cessation PostersSESSION TYPE: Original Investigation PostersPRESENTED ON: 10/18/2022 01:30 pm - 02:30 pmPURPOSE: To describe and compare the respiratory symptoms among call center agents who are vapers, smokers, dual users (mixed vapers and smokers), and non-smokersMETHODS: The investigators divided all respondent into four groups: (1) dual users, (2) current smokers, (3) current vapers, and (4) non-users of tobacco products and e-cigarettes. Call center agents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were invited to participate in the survey through email, with a link to access the online survey. There was no face-to-face contact. The survey was disseminated through coordination with their team leaders. The investigators ensured that no identifiers can be found to protect the privacy of the respondents.RESULTS: The respiratory symptoms that were asked from respondents include presence or absence of cough, phlegm, breathlessness, wheeziness, and sensation of chest colds and illnesses. Almost all except for one (1) respondent answered the questionnaire properly. Out of the 151 respondents, 119 (78.81%) had presence of one or more of the above-mentioned respiratory symptoms. The most common respiratory complaint was breathlessness (56.12%) followed by wheeziness (47.2%), sensation of chest colds and illnesses (40.43%), phlegm (44%) and cough (26.81%).CONCLUSIONS: Conclusion:This study documented a potential relationship between smoking and e-cigarette and an increased risk of developing respiratory symptoms. Another observation was an interaction between dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes has a decreased risk of respiratory symptoms compared to cigarette smoking alone, which showed an increased presence of respiratory symptoms. Acute and Long-term harmful effects in the body of Cigarette smoking are well established. However, E-cigarettes are relatively new; thus, very few studies have examined their impact on chronic health conditions.CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results are informative regarding providing advice to patients about the risks associated with smoking and, also to vaping.Therefore, promoting complete cessation of both smoking and e-cigarette will have the health benefit of maximizing the risk reduction of wheezing, breathlessness, and other related respiratory symptoms.DISCLOSURES:No relevant relationships by Ma encarnita LimpinNo relevant relationships by Catherine Tubig SESSION TITLE: Late Breaking Lung Cancer and Tobacco Cessation Posters SESSION TYPE: Original Investigation Posters PRESENTED ON: 10/18/2022 01:30 pm - 02:30 pm PURPOSE: To describe and compare the respiratory symptoms among call center agents who are vapers, smokers, dual users (mixed vapers and smokers), and non-smokers METHODS: The investigators divided all respondent into four groups: (1) dual users, (2) current smokers, (3) current vapers, and (4) non-users of tobacco products and e-cigarettes. Call center agents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were invited to participate in the survey through email, with a link to access the online survey. There was no face-to-face contact. The survey was disseminated through coordination with their team leaders. The investigators ensured that no identifiers can be found to protect the privacy of the respondents. RESULTS: The respiratory symptoms that were asked from respondents include presence or absence of cough, phlegm, breathlessness, wheeziness, and sensation of chest colds and illnesses. Almost all except for one (1) respondent answered the questionnaire properly. Out of the 151 respondents, 119 (78.81%) had presence of one or more of the above-mentioned respiratory symptoms. The most common respiratory complaint was breathlessness (56.12%) followed by wheeziness (47.2%), sensation of chest colds and illnesses (40.43%), phlegm (44%) and cough (26.81%). CONCLUSIONS: Conclusion: This study documented a potential relationship between smoking and e-cigarette and an increased risk of developing respiratory symptoms. Another observation was an interaction between dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes has a decreased risk of respiratory symptoms compared to cigarette smoking alone, which showed an increased presence of respiratory symptoms. Acute and Long-term harmful effects in the body of Cigarette smoking are well established. However, E-cigarettes are relatively new; thus, very few studies have examined their impact on chronic health conditions. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results are informative regarding providing advice to patients about the risks associated with smoking and, also to vaping. Therefore, promoting complete cessation of both smoking and e-cigarette will have the health benefit of maximizing the risk reduction of wheezing, breathlessness, and other related respiratory symptoms. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Ma encarnita Limpin No relevant relationships by Catherine Tubig

The Effects of Marketing Strategies and Management System of Islamic Banks: Evidence from BIBD Bank, Brunei Darussalam

The objective of this study is to identify to what extent, the waiting queue system of the banking system has a significant impact on customer satisfaction along with testing how and why a long length of time in the queue system is necessary for every customer. This study has constructed a structured interview comprised of twelve (12) components; to get exact information and perception from customers of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) Berhad. This structured interview consists of five main different segments of questions; Branch Appearance, Branch Staff, Digital Banking, Call Center, and General Questions. This study develops a convenience sampling technique for the sample above 18 years of holding and a valid bank account. The construct analysis through mediation regression analysis is used to elaborate on analytic scores such as written numbers, equations, and figures without any kind of analytical diagrams for BIBD Islamic bank customers. The results of this study describe that all the variables are statistically significant to expect two variables such as banking services and digital banking. Whereas, most domestic and foreign customers are not satisfied with this waiting queue system. This study is unique in its nature and domain as we didn’t find any comprehensive study on this topic in the context of BIBD bank customers’ perceptions regarding the waiting queue system inside and outside of the bank.

A Study on Personal Demographic Traits of Farmers towards Kisan Call Centre in Ayodhya District of Uttar Pradesh

India is known as the "Land of Farmers" because agriculture employs the majority of the country's population. The current scenario of farmers' socioeconomic status should be studied in regards to substantial government initiatives to raise the status of both the agricultural sector and the farmers to a commendable level of development. Socio economic condition of farmers have a connection with the level of efficiency and success rates of government projects and initiatives. This study was conducted on 150 farmers reaching out to the Kisan Call Centre of Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh about their queries.

Artificial intelligence at work: The problem of managerial control from call centers to transport platforms.

There has been much recent research on the topic of artificial intelligence at work, which is increasingly featuring in more types of work and across the labor process. Much research takes the application of artificial intelligence, in its various forms, as a break from the previous methods of organizing work. Less is known about how these applications of artificial intelligence build upon previous forms of managerial control or are adapted in practice. This paper aims to situate the use of artificial intelligence by management within a longer history of control at work. In doing so, it seeks to draw out the novelty of the technology, while also critically appraising the impact of artificial intelligence as a managerial tool. The aim is to understand the contest at work over the introduction of these tools, taking call centers and transport platforms as case studies. Call centers are important because they have been a site of struggle over previous forms of electronic surveillance and computation control, providing important lessons for how artificial intelligence is, or may, be used in practice. In particular, this paper will draw out moments and tactics in algorithmic management has been challenged at work, using this as a discussion point for considering the possible future of artificial intelligence at work.

An Exploration of the Public's Attitude toward Antibiotic Use and Prescription in Light of the Recent Ministry of Health Regulations: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Restricting antibiotic (AB) use with prescriptions and ensuring proper knowledge and attitudes toward AB use is important to reduce antibiotic resistance (ABR). To prevent resistanse problem, several countries have applied prescribing restrictions. Thus, the aim of this work was to re-evaluate the public knowledge and attitudes related to AB use in light of the recent Ministry of Health (MOH) restrictions on AB prescriptions. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based survey was distributed through various social media platforms. The survey was distributed via email and personal social media. Data were collected and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Result: A total of 1333 participants completed the survey. Most participants were female (i.e., 70%), aged 18–24 years old (i.e., 40%), and were aware of the AB restrictions implemented by the MOH. In addition, 77% of participants were aware of the MOH Emergency Call Center (i.e., the 937 Service), but most did not know that it could be used to obtain an AB prescription. Conclusion: Although the knowledge and attitude of the general Saudi population appear better than before, it remains clear that some elements of the population’s knowledge, attitude, and practice need to be strengthened. This could be achieved by utilizing effective channels such as the MOH 937 Service and increased advertising.

Customer Mistreatment and Employee Performance in Call Centers: the Role of Brand Identification

Customer mistreatment of employees is a major concern to service sector workers, particularly in call center organizations. This article contributes to our knowledge of customer mistreatment of employees and its effects on employee performance. Using the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we examined the daily relationship between customer mistreatment of employees in call centers and their daily performance as captured by the two indicators of daily productivity and employee sabotage. Further, we considered the moderating role of employee brand identification to mitigate the effect of customer mistreatment on employee performance. We collected data from 43 customer service employees for 10 consecutive working days at a call center in Morocco. Results showed that customer mistreatment of employees decreased employee performance. Employee identification with the company’s brand moderated the effect of customer mistreatment on employee sabotage and employee productivity, such that customer mistreatment did not associate with employee performance for employees who identified with the brand, and customer mistreatment positively associated with employee sabotage and reduced productivity for employees with low brand identification.

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Cases at the 112 Emergency Call Centers in İstanbul

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Cases at the 112 Emergency Call Centers in İstanbul

Post Modern Youth Sensibility in Chetan Bhagat's One Night @ the Call Center

Post Modern Youth Sensibility in Chetan Bhagat's One Night @ the Call Center

Organizational Virtuousness and Burnout among Call Center Employees: Moderating Role of Affective Commitment

Objective. The present research was conducted to examine the role of organizational virtuousness in affective commitment and burnout among call center employees. It was also intended to determine the moderating function of affective commitment in predicting burnout from organizational virtuousness. In addition, group differences were also investigated across personal (gender) and organizational (job experience) demographics in relation to study variables. Method. Sample (N = 450) comprised of night shift call center employees (men = 203; women = 247) with age range 22 to 38 years located in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Measures of Organizational Virtuousness Scale (Cameron et al., 2004), Affective Commitment Scale (Meyer &amp; Allen, 1997), and Burnout Scale (Erickson &amp; Ritter, 2001) were employed to assess organizational virtuousness, affective commitment, and job related burnout; respectively. Results. Results showed that organizational virtuousness positively predicted affective commitment and negatively predicted burnout; while, affective commitement was negatively linked with burnout. Findings further indicated that affective commitment buffered the relationship between organizational virtousness and burnout. Implications. Group differences revealed that men and employees with lesser work experience exhibited better perceptions of organizational virtuousness with higher level of affective commitment and lesser burnout as compared to their counterparts. Managerial implications of the study were also discussed.

HİZMET SEKTÖRÜNDE BAĞLILIK İLE TÜKENMİŞLİK İLİŞKİSİ: ÇAĞRI MERKEZLERİ ÖRNEĞİ

Çağrı merkezi faaliyetleri yapılan işin doğası gereği planlama, gözetim ve denetim fonksiyonlarını fazlasıyla taşımaktadır. Bu noktada özellikle personel bağlılığı ve kalıcılığı, oluşacak müşteri memnuniyeti ve kurum başarısının sürdürülebilirliği ile de doğrudan ilgilidir. Müşteriler ile birebir ve düzenli ilişki kurma zorunluluğu bulunan bu çalışanlar zaman içinde yıpranmakta ve tükenme yaşayabilmektedirler. Müşterinin veya kurumun iletişim kurmaya karar vermesi ile başlayan ve telefon başta olmak üzere herhangi bir iletişim kanalı üzerinden iletişime geçilmesi ile devam eden tüm bu süreç içindeki; tanıtım, bilgilendirme, rezervasyon, satış, pazarlama, destek gibi çağrı merkezi hizmeti faaliyetleri çalışanlar ile müşteriler arasında gerçekleşen birebir hizmet fonksiyonlarıdır. Bu fonksiyonun yerine getirilmesi esnasında yapılan işin yapısı gereği iş yoğunluğu ile stresli iş ortamı oluşması ve gerekli önlemler alınmazsa tükenmişlik yaşanması kaçınılmazdır. Tükenmişliğin işten ayrılmaya kadar giden olumsuz ve maliyetli sonuçları bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, bağlılıkları arttırılmış olan çağrı merkezi çalışanlarının tükenmişlik düzeylerinde azalmalar olacağını araştırmaktır. Araştırma kapsamında teorik bir model oluşturularak çağrı merkezi sektöründeki duygusal bağlılık-tükenmişlik ilişkisi incelenmiştir. Hipotezi test etmek için İstanbul ili ve Anadolu illerinde faaliyet gösteren çağrı merkezlerinde çalışan 850 kişiye anket uygulaması yapılmıştır. Katılımcıların verdikleri cevaplar istatistiksel olarak analiz edilerek hipotezin desteklendiği görülmüştür. Buna göre duygusal bağlılık ile tükenmişlik arasında negatif bir ilişki vardır.

COVID-19 Fear, Health Behaviors, and Subjective Health Status of Call Center Workers.

Background: Fear may be critical in explaining individual and social behaviors. This study investigates the association between COVID-19 fear and health behavior and subjective health status changes of call center workers in the COVID-19 era. Methods: This cross-sectional study uses an online survey with 339 call center workers. We measured COVID-19 fear, health behaviors, and subjective health, and analyzed with the Macnemar or paired t-test, ANOVA or χ2 test, Scheffe’s test, and multiple linear regression. Results: COVID-19 fear was associated with poor stress management, shorter sleep hours, and binge eating. Moreover, COVID-19 fear and time pressure at work were negatively associated with subjective health status. Conclusion: Strengthening the support system for call center workers to manage the COVID-19 fear might be essential. Moreover, there is a need to improve dense environments and reduce time pressure by ensuring adequate rest time and increasing physical activity.

Impact of Motivation and Workload on Service Time Components: An Empirical Analysis of Call Center Operations

We study the joint effects of motivation and workload on human servers’ service time. Using operational and survey data from a call center with a pooled queue structure and limited financial incentives, we examine how individual differences between servers’ trait intrinsic motivation (IM) and extrinsic motivation (EM) impact their average offline, online, and total service times in response to changing workloads. We find significant differences in the patterns of workload and service time relationships across different stages of the service request between servers possessing different combinations of trait motivation. For example, servers with a combination of high IM and low EM were approximately 15% (161%) faster in processing the offline portion of service requests than their peers with the opposite combination (low and high) when workload levels were low (high), respectively. In contrast, servers with high IM-low EM were approximately 35% (5%) slower in processing the online portion of service requests than their low IM-high EM counterparts when workload levels were low (high), respectively. Our findings suggest important nuances in how servers with different trait motivation types respond to changing workload across different stages of the service request. The behavioral pattern shown by high IM-low EM servers is consistent with the preferences of productivity-seeking call center managers who favor speedup and slowdown at certain stages of the service request, conditional to workload. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for trait-based individual differences for a more complete understanding of the complex relationship between workload and service time. This paper was accepted by Charles Corbett, operations management.

Preventing Homelessness Through the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans: Analysis of Calls and Service Referrals.

This study was the first to examine the characteristics and referral outcomes for veterans calling the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV). The authors analyzed data from NCCHV and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care records. Between December 2018 and October 2020, the NCCHV received 266,100 messages, with no major increase in the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 110,197 veterans who contacted NCCHV, 69.6% were at risk for homelessness, and 20.1% were homeless. Most contacts (90.2%) resulted in a referral or transfer to a local resource. About 59.5% of NCCHV veterans had a medical record in the Veterans Health Administration; their use of homeless programs increased from 25.9% to 81.3%. Uses of mental health services, substance use treatment, and medical services showed small-to-moderate increases after NCCHV contacts. NCCHV is important for linking veterans to health and social care. Additional work is needed to assess veterans' outcomes after an NCCHV contact.