Articles by Brooks Mitchell, PhD

Many call centers are entrepreneurial ventures whose success and continued growth is largely attributed to the grit and perseverance of the founder, the entrepreneur. As a professor at the University of Wyoming, I have talked about entrepreneurship with thousands of students. As a founder of three successful ventures, it has been easy for me to combine the academic theory with the practical...Full Article »

This is an awkward column for me to write, but I feel compelled to respond to the many emails I received regarding conspicuously recognizable call center facility. Much of that column referred to the blandness of many call centers and their inability to present a clean and attractive look to their employees. Subsequently, a few readers suggested I address the issue of personal decorum and dress...Full Article »

My wife and I checked into a hotel a few months ago in a large Midwestern city. I looked across the street from the hotel and noticed a large call center which I pointed out to Mrs. Mitchell. She said, “How do you know it is a call center? I don’t see any signs or any other indication that building is occupied by a call center.” Her response hit me like a Mack truck. What a...Full Article »

Let me begin this column by stipulating that I am 66 years old and am fully aware that I have failed to grasp the true significance of much of today’s call center technology, including call center self-service customer service systems. In spite of my apprehension about these call center systems, I honestly understand, however, why there is a need for it. When technology can replace...Full Article »

Customer Management IQ’s Editor Blake Landau wanted me to write a column regarding New Year’s resolutions that call centers could consider for 2010. She suggested that I write something that Emily Post might put in one of her columns. You know, lists such as, eat less, exercise more, stop cussin', etc. Now, readers, that is not easy for me to do. If you have been reading...Full Article »

Sometimes things happen that just make you feel good. Such is the case with Press One, an outbound call center in Fort Collins, Colorado. Press One was founded 10 years ago by my friend Andy Orr. Andy emigrated from Scotland as a child 40 years ago. He saw a business opportunity in the newspaper industry—newspapers and magazines needed assistance with subscriptions and re-enrollments. Some...Full Article »

The holiday seasons are here now and call center management are considering giving gifts to their employees. Be very cautious about this policy in your call center. On the surface, this seems to be a good gesture to your call center representatives at a festive time of the year, and I am sure that most recipients in your call center of holiday gifts are initially very appreciative. But as...Full Article »

I have noticed an increased interest in the desire of call centers to improve their job satisfaction level. Now before I say anything else, I want to be very clear: Job satisfaction in a call center is important, but it is an acutely complex issue and must be considered in context with many other organizational objectives. I think some of the recent interest is due to the bad economy. Managers...Full Article »

The improvement in economic conditions has companies revamping their call center recruitment and hiring strategy. Call center recruitment has become a focus again and, as a result, call center turnover is inevitably increasing. The luxury of having a stable call center workforce during the last few months has begun to evaporate. Once again, call center managers are forced to deal with...Full Article »

Recently, I received an e-mail invitation to attend a webinar titled, “Installing 6 Sigma Standards in Your Call Center.” At first, I thought it was a joke! Then, as I read on, I realized it was serious. The invitation even proclaimed I could earn a “Black Belt” certification in Six Sigma. I struggled to make the association of karate with call center management...Full Article »

Whether or not you know it, you made a contract with your call center representatives when you hired them. This agreement is known as a psychological contract, a well-documented phenomena that occurs at the time of employment. This circumstance was first reported in 1960 by Chris Argyris, a professor at the Harvard Business School. He defined the psychological contract as the...Full Article »