INDUSTRY VIEWPOINT - Bringing the human touch to IT
Wendy Humphreys, director of customer services at Ingram MIcro, gives some advice on how to set up a successful telebusiness centre.
Ingram Micro has opened its Telebusiness Centre, but if you are thinking of spending millions setting up a similar venture, let me give you one piece of advice - don't, unless you have all the other ingredients that need to go with it.
'How does she know?' you may ask. I admit, I'm new to the IT industry, but the ingredients for a successful telebusiness centre environment are universal and the technology alone will not deliver top class service.
A telebusiness centre is a customer service, telemarketing sales environment by another name. It is not new that organisations wish to obtain the maximum value from their biggest investment - their staff. This requires not only good support tools to enable maximum efficiency and a strong and motivated leadership to allow a customer focused culture to develop.
The telebusiness centre will be successful because it is the manifestation in practice of a culture which is gathering momentum. Everyone is well aware of the changes that have taken place at Ingram. There is a revamped management team which is committed to motivating and managing through values-based leadership.
The concept is simple - it's about applying the basics of human behaviour in business. Be honest and fair, respect yourselves and your customers.
Give your staff the tools to do their job properly and enable them to make informed decisions for the benefit of customers and the organisation.
A telebusiness centre in isolation will not resolve anything unless you have all the other bits to go with it. Answering the phone quickly will not give a company the maximum opportunity unless its employees are knowledgeable and confident.
Some customers and business partners might wonder whether this type of working environment will result in a deterioration of service. Dedicated account management is critical in a business-to-business sales environment, but I am sure many of you reading this will have experienced times when your named account manager is on holiday, off sick or leaves the organisation - what happens then? Telebusiness centres will enable companies to develop team ownership of customers, which will enable them to give better service in these circumstances.
The Ingram centre is not just a refurbished building with a new phone system, powerful PCs and fancy desks. It is the culmination of thousands of hours of training for managers and representatives in skills and products which will enable us to deliver the sales environment that will add value to our customers and business products.
Just having the technology isn't enough. But if you have the right people, in the right place, with the right culture, training, rewards and tools, they will deliver the right stuff to their customers and business partners. Time will tell.
Ingram will welcome all and any feedback.