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Part 1. Organization, Finance and Management

Chapter 4. Resource Guide for Managers

Section 16. Accounts Management Guide for Managers

1.4.16  Accounts Management Guide for Managers

1.4.16.1  (01-04-2008)
OVERVIEW

  1. Accounts Management (AM) managers must provide leadership and direction to employees responsible for telephone, paper inquiries, and unresolved accounts.

  2. The purpose of this -section is to provide supplemental guidelines and instructions to Accounts Management managers

  3. AM managers must become familiar with Internal Revenue Manuals, Part 1 (Organization, Finance and Management) and Part 21 (Customer Accounts Services). For example:

    1. IRM 1.1.13.11.4, Wage and Investment (W&I);

    2. IRM 1.4, Resource Guide for Managers, includes:

      IRM 1.4.1, Management Roles and Responsibilities

      IRM 1.4.6, Managers Security Handbook

      IRM 1.4.16, Accounts Management Guide for Managers

      IRM 1.4.18, ehelp Desk Managers Guide

    3. IRM 21.1 (Accounts Management and Compliance Overview) through 21.7 (Business Tax Returns and Non Masterfile Accounts) provides managers and Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) with guidelines and instructions.

    :.

  4. AM managers must become familiar with systems and job aids that will increase Quality. For example, Desktop Integration (DI), Correspondence Imaging System (CIS), Accounts Management Services (AMS), Customer Account Data Engine (CADE), , Electronic Probe and Response Guide (e-P&R)/Interactive Tax Law assistant (ITLA), Technical Communication Documents (TCDs), and Servicewide Electronic Research Program (SERP) - Job Aid for IRM 21, Jeeda, Standard Work Flow Tool (SWFT), ) and Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS) Decision Assisting Program (IDAP).

  5. The AM Website provides further clarification and definition of those roles for positions in Accounts Management. Refer to W&I Accounts Management (AM) Responsibilities, http://win.web.irs.gov/Accounts.htm.

  6. Each manager and employee must be properly trained to perform their daily duties.

  7. Accounts Management Leadership chartered a team to address management concerns regarding gaps in the content and delivery of leadership training. The Team developed two products;an Index and Development Guides.

    The Index houses locally-developed material gathered from the sites. The index is organized by topic area and features training material and reference documents.

    The Development Guides are created for first-line, mid-level, and senior-level managers. The Guides are organized by topic area and contain activities for those newly selected for that position and for those aspiring to the next leadership level. The web site where the Index and Development Guides are housed can be accessed two ways:

    • AM web site - on the home page under AM Training, select AM Leadership Development

    • SERP - select the Learning Tab, select Account Management Leadership Development

  8. The IRS Leadership Courses are:

    New Front Line Leader Curriculum

    Administrative Procedures for Manager (APM) Component#15345&15346 - Online
    Employee/Labor Relations Skills for Managers (ER/LR) Component#15350 &15351 - Online
    Management Aspects of EEO (MAEEO)
    Component#13466 - Online
    Front Line Manager Course (FLMC)
    Component#15349 - Classroom

    Experienced Front Line Manager Curriculum (3+ Years)

    Leading Teams (LDG TMS) Component #15344 - Classroom

    Senior Leader Curriculum

    Senior Manager Course: Leading Through Others (SMC) Component#15347 & 15348 - Classroom

    Experienced Senior Leader Curriculum

    Leading Change Seminar (Ldg Chg)
    Component#15341 - Classroom

  9. Information regarding Customer Service Representatives (all AM employees) courses can be located on the Enterprise Learning Management System (ELMS), the JOC Website (Training Assumptions), and by contacting your Training Coordinator for assistance. Refer to IRM 1.4.16.10.

  10. The Training Assumptions includes necessary information for managers to deliver proper training. Training material is updated each year and subsequent updates are posted to SERP, Learning Tab, Supplemental Training and as SERP Alerts.

    Note:

    The Program Management and Process Assurance (PMPA) Training Coordinator/Policy Analyst and Policy, Procedures and Guidance (PPG), Training and Miscellaneous Section is available to assist you with Training requests.

  11. All AM employees are to be treated with the same respect as IRS's reputation with taxpayers. Training material is available to ensure all employees learn their job and can be treated with the respect they all deserve.

1.4.16.2  (01-04-2008)
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES

  1. The Accounts Management managers are accountable for:

    1. Providing timely and accurate resolution of inventory cases

    2. Ensuring telephone staffing for their functions are commensurate with schedule by half hour

    3. Meeting telephone monitoring standards, and paper and electronic case review standards, to ensure Quality products

    4. Delivery of their team's performance, as related to program goals

    5. Utilizing Employee Engagement Survey data to enhance work environment and holding regular meetings with employees

    6. Updating e-Workforce Management (e-WFM) data regularly with team information

    7. Developing and maintaining positive relationship with National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) organization

    8. Listening to and informally resolving employee's concerns

    9. Sharing continuous performance feedback with employees

    10. Leading, mentoring and coaching subordinate employees

    11. Identifying potential process improvements

    12. Ensuring best practices are properly documented (e.g., IRM, SERP Alert, Training Document) and shared with Headquarters

    13. Ensuring appropriate training is delivered to subordinate employees, and personally participating in technical training classes with employees

    14. Ensuring the maintenance of a safe, healthy work environment

    15. Communicating issues and concerns upwards, downwards and laterally

    16. Performing conduct and/or Leave counseling

  2. Accounts Management managers must:

    1. Determine the number of positions (staff hours) needed in each specific skill group to meet staffing requirements within acceptable program guidelines.

    2. Manage the work force and the Automated Call Distributor (ACD) to meet the fluctuations of the actual workload experience.

    3. Develop staffing schedules.

    4. Schedule staff in order to deliver telephone, paper, and frozen account staffing requirements and scheduled inventory volumes within scheduled resources.

    5. Ensure the site meets its half-hour staffing adherence commitment

    6. Use Employee Satisfaction Survey (ESS) data to improve work environment

    7. Deliver quality customer service.

    8. Coordinate with other site/campus managers to address programs and inventory issues as they relate to the entire business operating division.

    9. Establish a procedure within your Team where employees are required to seek guidance from their Manager/Lead prior to inputting a SERP Feedback. NOTE: It is not required they state this in their feedback, however, it would be helpful information for the Content Owners who respond to feedback.

1.4.16.2.1  (01-04-2008)
Strategic and Program Plans

  1. Follow the IRS and W&I Strategic and Program Plan and Accounts Management (AM) Program Letter. The W&I Strategic Plans and AM Program Letter is updated each year.

    1. Refer to: http:llwin.web.irs.gov/cas/casdocs/PAC_2C_Measures_for_2006-2007_SPP.doc . This document is the Accounts Management portion of Document 12325, Wage & Investment Strategy and Program Plan Addendum Performance Measures and provide Accounts Management managers clear targets and program goals to achieve in your business operations

    2. Refer to: http://win.web.irs.gov/Strategy/stratdocs/SPP2006-2007_final.pdf for the entire W&I Strategic and Program Plan.

    3. Refer to: http://win/web.irs.gov/accountsmgmet/accounts_%20prgmltr.htm for the Accounts Management Program Letter. This letter provides specific guidelines and instructions from the Director, Accounts Management to ensure consistent communication. The program letter does not supersede or replace IRM instructions

1.4.16.2.2  (01-04-2008)
Work Plans

  1. Goals for Accounts Management telephone, correspondence, and frozen accounts inventories are determined on an annual basis in the Planning and Budgeting process.

    1. Work plans and schedules are based on projected workload, which includes anticipated growth, overage, and uncontrolled cases.

    2. Quality of answers/responses is as important as the volume of calls answered and cases closed. The evaluative measure applied to the plan does not focus only on calls answered, services delivered or the number of receipts closed.

  2. Toll-Free must schedule available staffing for each planning period based on the telephone staffing schedules, no attempt is or should be made to catch up on scheduled services within a planning period or in any other planning period.

  3. Program Management and Process Assurance, in coordination with the Joint Operations Center (JOC) can make the decision to shift staffing to or from the telephone program, as required to achieve program goals within the business operating division.

  4. Adjustments Correspondence and Taxpayer Relations must schedule available staffing based on inventory. Assistance to reduce inventory may be required. Approval must be coordinated with Program Management and Process Assurance, as appropriate.

1.4.16.2.3  (01-04-2008)
Toll-Free Staff

  1. Staff efficiency is one of the keys to meeting Services Provided and Total Handle Time Delivered objectives, refer to See IRM 1.4.16.2.4.1.

  2. Managers must ensure planned efficiency of your staff is realized. An increase to the Average Handle Time (AHT) can impact Level Of Service (LOS) as Average Speed of Answer (ASA) and other business measures and in turn increase the need for staff. Circuit availability may also be impacted.

  3. Information is available from system reports for you to monitor the efficiency of your staff. Reports available include:

    1. Average Handle Time

    2. Wrap Time

    3. Idle Report

    4. Agent Activity Report

    5. Sign On/Sign Off Report

    6. Ready Report

1.4.16.2.4  (01-04-2008)
Measures and Diagnostic Goals

  1. AM measures focus on business results (including quantity and quality), customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction.

  2. Diagnostic goals are developed to determine how to manage and assess performance. Refer to the definition below.

1.4.16.2.4.1  (01-04-2008)
Toll-Free Measures

  1. The toll-free measures include:

    1. CSR Level of Service

    2. Total Assistor Services

    3. Total Weighted Services

    4. Total Handle Time Delivered

    5. Average Speed of Answer

    6. Customer Satisfaction

    7. Employee Satisfaction

    8. Customer Accuracy

    9. Timeliness

    10. Professionalism

    11. Quality

  2. The Total Services measure compares the planned volume to actual volume of services delivered. A toll-free service is defined as a call answered by an assistor, including calls that are transferred.

  3. The Total Weighted Services is a comparison of the "planned services" to "services delivered" using a weighting scheme to equalize the value of all services, based on the relative average handle time.

  4. Total Handle Time Delivered measures success in delivering the planned customer interaction time (sum of talk, wrap, and hold times from Aspect). The handle time planned is based on the work plan/schedules and is determined by the type of work (accounts/tax law/refunds, etc.) assigned to each site.

  5. Customer Satisfaction results are captured by the on-line customer survey in which toll-free callers participate.

  6. Employee Satisfaction results are captured through the Employee Survey Process.

  7. See IRM 1.4.16.7.1 for information on Customer Accuracy, Timeliness, Professionalism and Quality.

1.4.16.2.4.2  (01-04-2008)
Toll-Free Diagnostic Goals

  1. The toll-free diagnostic goals are:

    • Assistor Utilization

    • Transfer Rate

    • Application Staffing

  2. The Assistor Utilization diagnostic goal suggests unwarranted "slippage" and/or inaccurate time charged. It is a comparison of Aspect Ready Report to Form 3081, Employee Time Report.

  3. Verify compliance with Assistor Utilization goals by using the Enterprise Telephone Data (ETD) site measure reports. Compare the Aspect Ready Report data to the data reported by your employees on Form 3081, and resolve any discrepancies prior to input of the Form 3081 data.

  4. The Transfer Rate goal compares the number of calls transferred by Customer Service Representatives to the number of calls handled. Ensure employees are following the Telephone Transfer Guide and the Business Operating Division's (BOD) transfer policy.

  5. Each application has a transfer rate goal. Use the ETD agent transfer reports to verify compliance with the transfer goals. Calls may need to be transferred for a variety of reasons:

    1. Caller has questions on more than one type of issue,

    2. Caller made the wrong selection when responding to script,

    3. Assistor may not have had training for issues,

      Note:

      Customer Service Representatives must prepare a referral instead of transferring the call,

    4. Systemic problem caused call to be delivered to wrong application

  6. The Application Staffing diagnostic goal measures the delivery of required staffing to primary applications. The goal for sites is to meet or exceed 95% of each half hourly staffing requirement for 85% or more of the total half hours of operation.

1.4.16.2.4.3  (01-04-2008)
Toll-Free Diagnostic Indicator

  1. The Diagnostic Indicator of Agent Availability indicates the percent of agent availability to total handle time delivered. This is used in conjunction with other data to give a complete picture of performance.

  2. Variances from plan may indicate:

    • Forecast of workload mix or call volume is off-target

    • Skill gaps [lack of specific training]

    • Sites not delivering skill requirements

    • AHT lower than planned

1.4.16.2.4.4  (01-04-2008)
Adjustment Correspondence Measures

  1. Adjustment Correspondence Measures are:

    1. Customer Accounts Resolved

    2. Adjustments Productivity

    3. Customer Accounts Customer Satisfaction

    4. Employee Satisfaction

    5. Quality - Customer Accuracy, Timeliness, Professionalism

  2. Customer Accounts Resolved is the number of closures including Adjustments, International and Taxpayer Relations (TPR) cases.

  3. Adjustments Productivity in effect means meeting the scheduled rate. This is determined by dividing the Function 710 closures by direct staff hours.

  4. Customer Accounts Customer Satisfaction results are captured from responses to mail surveys issued to customers whose adjustment case is closed.

  5. Employee Satisfaction results are captured through the Employee Survey process.

  6. Quality is measured by closed case reviews conducted at each site in accordance with the Embedded Quality guidelines and input to the National Quality Review System (NQRS) by the Program Analysis System (PAS) reviewers.

  7. The Program Management/Process Assurance (PM/PA) staff monitors the Adjustments overage and uncontrolled inventory on a weekly basis. They use the following indicators to assess the state of Adjustments Inventory:

    • Inventory and overage volumes,

    • Days in inventory,

    • Prior week's closures compared to scheduled closures,

    • Actual productivity rates compared to scheduled productivity rates

    • Closure to receipt ratio,

1.4.16.2.4.5  (01-04-2008)
Taxpayer Relations (TPR) Measures and Workload Indicators

  1. Taxpayer Relations (TPR) balanced measures include:

    • Customer Accounts Resolved (Includes Adjustments, International and TPR cases)

    • TPR Productivity as scheduled by program

  2. TPR Workload Indicators include:

    • Overage Percentages as scheduled by program

    • Closure to receipt ratio actual to Scheduled Closures

    • Statute Awareness

    Note:

    Each W&I AM Campus Planning and Analysis (P&A) staff must submit a quarterly Statute Awareness Program Report to the BOD by the 15th day of the month following the close of the quarter.

  3. Refer to the current W&I and Small Business/Self Employed (SB/SE) Program Letters for additional information regarding the TPR programs.

1.4.16.2.5  (01-04-2008)
Read and Meet Time

  1. Schedule read and meet time each week throughout the year with your employees. Generally, do not schedule during peak hours or on the following peak days:

    • Mondays

    • Tuesdays following a Monday holiday

    • April 1 to April 15 (unless employees need new procedures)

    • August 15

    • October 15

  2. Read time is 60 minutes each week. This time is generally spent on reading and filing activities (e.g., IRM Procedural Updates, IPUs, SERP Alerts, All Employee Memorandums).

  3. Meet time is 30 minutes per week with an additional 30 minutes, if needed. This time is generally spent clarifying IRM procedures, supplemental training or administrative information.

    Note:

    If additional supplemental meet time is needed, coordinate with your department manager and schedule around the workload.

  4. Ensure the correct Organization, Function and Program (OFP) codes are used on Forms 3081 with the actual times used. Refer to IRM 121.9 OFP Code List andDocument 5995-A Valid OFP Combination .The codes are:

    • 990-59221 - Read time

    • 990-59222 - Meet time

1.4.16.2.6  (01-04-2008)
Job Aids and Desk Guides

  1. Use IRM exhibits, Job Aids for IRM 21, SERP Alerts, Technical Communication Documents (TCDs), e-P&R, e-ARG, Jeeda, SWFT, ITLA ,IDAP and training material to increase Quality and performance.

  2. Local Job Aids are not permitted and must be included in an official IRS document (e.g., Job Aid for IRM 21) To obtain approval for a job aid or desk guide contact: Training and Miscellaneous Section, Tax Analyst - Robert Perez via E-mail.

  3. Include the IRM references within the job aids/desk guides.

  4. All information must be consistent with the IRM.

1.4.16.3  (01-04-2008)
TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE SERVICE

  1. Refer to IRM 1.4.21, Accounts Management and Compliance Service Systems Administrators/Analysts Handbook, for information and guidelines regarding the telephone environment.

  2. The Joint Operations Center (JOC) monitors the telephone traffic and outgoing notices for Accounts Management

1.4.16.3.1  (01-04-2008)
Virtual Call Center (Enterprise)

  1. The Virtual Call Center (Enterprise) links through a central location all high-capacity Automated Call Distributor (ACD) systems used in Accounts Management sites.

  2. The Intelligent Call Router (ICR) routes calls based on ACD data (specific set of characteristics) as follows:

    1. Scans for a site with an available agent within a specific skill group

    2. Scans for a site with the least amount of wait time

  3. All tax law calls are routed to tax law screeners, trained in Cell 1, with at least one year of experience.

  4. A web based Enterprise Telephone Data (ETD) Warehouse stores the current and historical data gathered from all ACDs in the enterprise. It also contains data on business measures, site level measures, and quality data.

  5. Managements' role, in the Enterprise environment, is to ensure the right number of people with the right skills are available to answer calls.

1.4.16.3.2  (01-04-2008)
Managing Features

  1. JOC programs the call control tables for maximum call routing efficiency, based on demand and assistor availability.

  2. Aspect 8.4 through 9.2 application and software provides monitoring capabilities, data based records and management information.

  3. Aspect Teleset Supervisor key gives managers and Systems Analysts (SAs) access to most of the expanded features such as:

    1. Leaving messages for employees (each site has its own policies based on voice port availability)

    2. Reviewing the answering pattern of a Call Control Table

    3. Monitoring agents (listening in on calls in progress)

    4. Notifying agents (notifying an agent whom you are monitoring to call you)

    5. Monitoring trunks (monitoring conversations on specific trunks)

    6. Monitoring specific Aspect application groupings

    7. Availability of agent

    Note:

    Depressing the Supervisor key twice rapidly will reconnect you to the prior employee monitored.

1.4.16.3.3  (01-04-2008)
Automated Call Distributor (ACD) Announcements

  1. ACD announcements are controlled by the JOC.

  2. Recorded announcements are valuable tools to:

    1. Inform callers of answering delays

    2. Give the option to call Tele Tax

    3. Advise of tax law changes

    4. Order from the Centralized Inventory Distribution System (CIDS)

      Note:

      ACD announcements are standardized for all sites.

  3. Accounts Management call site announcements include the following:

    1. Information announcements (1) - Caller receives specific automated tax information that answers their inquiry without human assistance,

    2. Announcements (A) - Caller hears information on queue times, Announcement does not attempt to satisfy an inquiry

    3. Prompts (P) - Caller is given a limited amount of information and the option to press a number to get further information/assistance.

  4. Categories of announcements/messages are:

    1. Greetings/Thank You—gives a salutation

    2. Delay Message—advises taxpayer to wait for assistance

    3. Account Inquiry—requires account research

    4. Call Again Message—advises taxpayer to call back

    5. Spanish messages recorded in Spanish

    6. Office Closed—advises taxpayers the office is closed

    7. Hours of Operation—advises taxpayers of office hours

    8. Refund Inquiry—Advises taxpayer of refund status

    9. Tele Tax Message—referral to Tele Tax

    10. Tax Law Inquiry—referral to tax law

    11. Miscellaneous Messages—all other messages not identified above

1.4.16.3.4  (01-04-2008)
Availability and Efficiency

  1. Regardless of the type of equipment managers must elevate service given to taxpayers and to determine the availability and efficiency of the telephone staff.

  2. Managers and Systems Analysts (SA) must determine, by application on a half-hourly basis, if the staff is available as scheduled. If less than the desirable number of agents are signed on, per adherence guidelines established by JOC/PMPA, an explanation is required.

  3. Managers must ensure their employees are signed on to the telephone system and taking calls when scheduled. This reduces shrinkage.

  4. Shrinkage is a combination of one or more issues, such as:

    1. Extended read and meet times

    2. Tardiness

    3. Leaving early

    4. Higher than expected attrition for day (e.g., sick leave)

    5. Scheduled breaks not being followed

    6. Unauthorized breaks

    7. Extended breaks or lunch periods

    8. Details-out-scheduled at peak periods

    9. Unanticipated workload

  5. The JOC/PMPA and sites must make daily real-time adjustments to the schedules based on the actual demand and actual staffing.

  6. Use the Tele-Center Workload Management Systems (e-WFM), including Real Time Adherence (RTA) to assist you in scheduling to meet peak staffing requirements.

    Note:

    e-WFM procedures for database management, exception entry, and report generation are found in the e-WFM Standard Operating Procedures .

    Reminder:

    Effective 2004 e-Workforce Management (eWFM) was phased in at all call sites to replace e-WFM. Information on eWFM and the upgraded version of RTA (v6.2) is found at .

1.4.16.3.4.1  (01-04-2008)
Average Times/Values to Monitor for Efficiency

  1. Use available data to monitor and analyze efficiency. This includes:

    • Idle and Sign-on times

    • Average Handle Time (AHT)

    • Average Wrap Time

  2. Idle time consists of those times employees are signed on the telephone system, but not in the Ready, Wrap, or Out call mode.

  3. The approved Reason Codes for employees to use when not taking calls (in Idle Status) are:

    1. 1= Temporarily off Phone (TOTT)

    2. 2= First Available to take calls - Inventory 1 (INV 1)

    3. 3= Second Available - Inventory 2 (INV 2)

    4. 4= Training/Meeting (TPA)

    5. 5= Read Time (READ)

    6. 6= Break (BREAK)

  4. Refrain from conducting meetings, training, observances, etc., during peak periods/days.

1.4.16.3.4.2  (01-04-2008)
Average Handle Time

  1. The Average Handle Time (AHT) is based on scheduling assumptions.

  2. Unreasonable talk time compromises program goals and increases the amount of abandoned calls. It is usually an indicator that additional training in conversation control is needed.

  3. Identify Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) who may be using excessively long or short times in handling calls. Monitor a few of their calls to identify problems such as:

    1. Training deficiency,

    2. Failing to keep call brief while maintaining standards of courtesy and full service,

    3. Placing a call on hold during the research process when it is inappropriate instead of arranging for a call back,

    4. Answering a large volume of unusually complex questions; or,

    5. Failing to provide a complete or accurate response.

1.4.16.3.4.3  (01-04-2008)
Average Wrap Time

  1. Wrap is a teleset mode that is used to complete a call after the customer has been released. As account adjustments are made while on-line or on hold with the caller, use of wrap time should be minimal except in rare instances.

  2. This indicator enables you to gauge if your staff is coping effectively in a call site environment, and assists you in determining the amount of time your staff is unavailable for calls.

  3. Possible reasons for high percentages of wrap time are:

    1. Level of training

    2. Extensive research for call backs

    3. Excessive requirements in reporting call backs

    4. Minor illness (e.g., headache) which caused the CSR to take short rest periods between calls

    5. Excessive conversation among CSRs

    6. Excessive research

1.4.16.3.5  (01-04-2008)
Custom View Screen

  1. The Custom View Screen can be designed to:

    1. Display call center activity on demand

    2. List agents (CSRs) and their current Aspect status

    3. Display general call information for the application handled by the site or individual.

  2. The Custom View Screen can assist Account Management managers in the following ways:

    1. Gauge telephone traffic demand

    2. Choose the most convenient times to monitor or share information with an employee

    3. Confirm the number of agents who are ready and/or taking calls to provide a complete picture of staff available to meet customer demand

  3. The Custom View Screen shows the number of Customer Service Representatives who are actually at their work stations handling incoming calls. This data, compared to the total number assigned, provides information about the realization of the scheduled staff.

1.4.16.3.5.1  (01-04-2008)
Aspect Status on Custom View Screen

  1. Use the Custom View Screen to observe the CSR's Aspect status immediately after the call ends. Managers can determine the mode the CSR has selected at the end of the call and the length of time spent in that mode. Either of the following configurations may apply:

    1. One user configuration automatically places the CSR in wrap when the call is disconnected. The CSR selects the ready mode to take incoming calls.

      Note:

      CSRs are allowed autowrap after completing a call.

    2. In another configuration, the CSR is in idle mode at the call's end, with reason (e.g., break or lunch) and then selects the ready mode to take the next incoming call.

  2. Also, use this screen as a tool to indicate if an employee might need further monitoring or action. This may include:

    1. Monitoring the end of a call exceeding 20 minutes (or locally established time frame) to determine if the issue is being resolved as expeditiously as possible

    2. Checking with employee to see what activity is creating the need to be off-line in wrap time.

    3. Identifying an employee with headsets connected, etc., but not in ready mode to take the next call.

1.4.16.3.6  (01-04-2008)
Fluctuating Call Volume

  1. Managers ensure all employees assigned to answering calls are available and are taking calls.

  2. Since the circuits remain constant, either of the following affects the number of calls answered:

    1. If unexpected demand occurs (e.g. new legislation), overflows are affected as well as calls answered. If complex legislation, expect increase in talk time).

    2. If scheduled adherence is not met (e.g., weather, other higher unanticipated employee absences), queue times increase and result in a higher abandoned call rate.

1.4.16.3.7  (01-04-2008)
Queue Time

  1. Queue time is the time the customer must wait before their call is answered by a CSR. As excessive queue time is a common customer complaint, often resulting in increased abandons. Managers need to be aware of the causes.

  2. Excessive queue times may be caused by:

    1. Failure to anticipate demand

    2. Understaffing of positions

    3. Excessive call length (CSR does not retain control of the conversation)

    4. Insufficient technical referral point If no qualified person is available, a call-back should be arranged.

    5. Complex account calls

    6. Insufficient training

    7. System and routing problems

1.4.16.3.8  (01-04-2008)
Outgoing Calls

  1. Outgoing calls may be necessary for the CSRs to secure additional information to resolve an inquiry.

  2. Customer Service Representatives on outgoing calls are not considered in schedule staffing adherence, or in the evaluation for routing of incoming calls. Managers must closely monitor the number of outgoing calls and ensure they are necessary.

  3. Customer Service Representatives may require their class of service on Aspect changed to allow outgoing calls. Contact your SA for assistance.

  4. A CSR's wrap time on outgoing calls should be appropriate to the type of call.

1.4.16.3.9  (01-04-2008)
Default Calls

  1. A site may receive calls normally not handled when the Intelligent Call Router (ICR) cannot find available resources in the enterprise.

  2. In this case, the screener must transfer the call or write-up a referral.

1.4.16.3.10  (01-04-2008)
ASPECT Assistance

  1. The SA/TA is a valuable resource person regarding the features of the ASPECT system.

  2. Managers must coordinate with their SA/TA on any activity limiting the site's ability to deliver its commitment for scheduled ACD time.

  3. The SA/TA provides assistance on the following:

    1. Information about system operations and call routing

    2. Explanation of various ASPECT reports

    3. Identification of data availability and creating reports

    4. Assessment of current call site performance

    5. Networking information