BPO TRAINING: Quality Matters the Most

The quality of service (QoS) depends on the type of training

the employee receives and subsequently how he implements his knowledge while

working. This becomes particularly important in the Indian context when there

has been lot of criticism over the quality of service and training of the call

center agents. In initial days call centers companies saw training as a burden

on their revenue and preferred giving ‘some’ in-house training. However,

slowly the need for specialist trainers was realized and training today, has

been developed as an integral part of the whole process.

l To Outsource

Training or Not: The BPO industry is still evolving and people are experimenting

with various models to draw a feasible training structure. Most of the big

companies have made their training section a part of the human resource

department and onsite training is preferred than sending their agents to a

external center.

However, a mixture of both outsourced and in-house training

schedule makes perfect combination and financially viable for the BPO companies.

Outsourced training may have two streams:

l Outsourced-onsite

Training: In this the trainer is provided by the training company but the

classes is conducted within the premises of the call center. This model has been

popular as it reduces the headache of supporting training staff and developing

course material. The call center HR just has to monitor the quality of training

being given and at the end of the day pay fees to the training company.

l Complete

Outsourcing: Outsourcing training completely means that a training agency is

hired and either the recruited agents would be sent to the agency for further

grooming or the agency trains and then company picks the candidate. But this

model has not gained popularity as BPO firms have difficulty in monitoring the

quality of training. In case of pre-trained agents, often the training given is

not up to the mark or is not relevant to the company.

However, many call centers have their own trainers and have

developed their own course material to suit their needs. Companies like North

Star Call Center College started as a training institute, and entered into call

center business. Their students get absorbed in their call center. But for large

BPO firms maintaining trainers and developing course material means deviating

from their core competency and this model does not make good business strategy

either.

It makes more sense for a company to outsource their initial

training, which is conducted onsite, and have a few in-house trainers for

subsequent skill enhancements. This model also leaves the company free to focus

on their service provider business than struggle to update course materials. In

telemarketing and product-specific outsourced services, it is better for the

vendor to give product specific training.

l Training

Modules: Every training course keeps in mind that degree of skill requirement

varies according to calls being handled and situations being tackled. The task

of the trainer is to provide those skills to the agents on a varying scale. This

scale has to be adjusted not only as per the needs of the call centers, but also

that of the individual.

The degree and type of training would vary for domestic or

offshore call centers. The scales would tilt further according to the diverse

cultural background of the country from where the call originates.

A training plan has its priorities set according to the

requirements and ideally, would be categorized into ‘must know’ (vital

information that the trainees need in order to do the job effectively) or ‘should

know’ (the knowledge which is useful but not essential to the job) sections.

The ‘should know’ training of an agent is almost the same

for all call centers. The first step for a call-center fresher would be the

induction orientation. He will then graduate to culture-training module. Culture

training depends on the clients that he would be dealing with and helps in

acclimatizing and empathizing with the customer’s lifestyle.

Then comes the training in voice and accent. For Indian

agents, learning an accent is not the first priority. Rather he needs more of

accent neutralization. By the time a graduate joins the BPO industry, it is very

difficult to teach him the grammar of foreign languages as well as train him in

accent. At the most, he can be trained not to let his mother accent take over,

while speaking to a customer. India has the first mover advantage of knowledge

of other languages, but the accent still needs to be modified according to the

client requirements.

The next module is the campaign training. This is a process

that never ends and the agents are constantly updated on the current campaign.

Campaign training is attached to the product being offered and is often

conducted by the clients or the vendors themselves. Regular trainers are also

used for this module but they have to be familiarized with the campaign first.

l Quality and

Standard of Course Material: Though the need to have the content certified has

been felt across the industry, as of now, there is no government or private

authority which monitors or regulates the course content. Creating such an

authority will improve the quality of training, but there is no immediate plan

or move to create such a body.

Initially, most of the course material was developed abroad,

but now foreign course modules form the base on which India-specific courses

have been developed. This has been done by the training institutes and each one

claims that their course complies with the industry standards.

The basic training modules would not change, but there is

always a scope to improve the training aids and methods. Some agencies have

adopted the latest software, which scans the facial movements and suggests ways

to improve the accent. Interactive and practical techniques have been introduced

to give the agent a feel of things before he is put on the job. And as the

market matures and demand for better training arises, the industry will adopt

newer methods.

l Training Never

Stops: The traditional wisdom says training is an ongoing process and is never

completed. The BPO companies have to find strategic alternatives to outsource

training. Realizing that very qualified students will are not likely to make

make this a career, companies are preferring people with low skill set and

trying to train and retain them in the outsourcing business.

This poses another challenge as far as training goes. The

intensity and the style of training have been changed accordingly. For this

trainers have to be specialists with a high level of understanding of the job.

As the market matures, an academy to train and certify trainers is also being

recommended. A good call-center agent needs to have the 7 Ps of tele-services–being

prompt, prepared, professional, polite, precise, practical, and positive.

Learn to Solve the Problem

In the business process outsourcing sector, the middle management–team

leaders or shift heads upwards–have shied away from being trained. This

in-turn has affected the performance of the agents. A common trend among BPO

firms is to promote the best agent as the team leader and he gets trapped

between his agent mindset and pressures to improve the process for efficiency.

If the training is taken out of the subject specific mould and instead process

specific training is given, then the employee can be trained to fit in the

larger picture instead of being tied to one project. If a person knows the

process he will devise ways and means to resolve a problem as and when they

arise instead of looking for a trainer to teach him how to wriggle out of the

issues.

The training modules must not be prepared with the buyer or the client in

mind. Rather long-term planning must be done keeping in mind the future of the

market. If one understands how business will shape up in the future, he will be

in a better position to train his staff for better returns on his investments.

Also, availability of cheap labor should not be an excuse to hire more agents

than necessary. As efficiency takes the center-stage, over manning would not

work in the long run.