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Telecommunications
Can a Dedicated Call Center Boost Enrollment?
1/24/2008
In an interesting twist, MCCC carefully planned the training component of its new call center. Rather than the sort of large staff that is typical of many corporate call centers, the college has just two full-time and one part-time person answering phones. Those staff members were trained by working for extended periods in an assortment of areas that they are now answering questions about. "For example, they worked in the student success area… in the admissions area, in the registration area," Schwartz said, "so that they could better answer questions." To further assist, coworkers in various areas provided a list of "top 10" questions students ask of them, leading to a detailed list of possible questions and answers.
With that sort of background, a call center staff member is able to immediately answer 80 percent of calls that come in. And using the data gathered during the training sessions, as well as additional information added since, they can appropriately route questions they can't answer themselves.
That's where the call center software that MCCC is using comes into play. According to Coordinator of Telecommunications Erick Robinson, the software, which is from Siemens, allows calls coming in to the call center to be sorted and routed by staff to the appropriate expert. The system uses Siemens' HiPath 4000 switch and HiPath ProCenter call center server. According to Robinson, some of the features the Siemens system offered were key, including its ability to not only track call center activity, but to allow calls to be routed appropriately as they come in. The system collects data from each caller as the call comes in, allowing call center staff to quickly and efficiently route the caller to the appropriate if necessary. The Siemens software can tell staff members who in a given area of expertise is available at that time to take a call.
The system also helps administrators by gathering data on when call volumes are heaviest, such as lunchtime, so that support staff can be added at those times. Lefevre and Dean of Student Success Steady Moono both monitor the reports regularly to make sure quality of service goals are being met.
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Linda L. Briggs is a freelance writer based in San Diego, Calif.
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