Call Center

["Dirk van Putten" <dvanputten@linear.com>]

Hello DEN:

Two things:

1. I was a customer of that Gateway Call Center. It was awful. I am one data
point. Anecdotally, I have never and will never buy a Gateway again because
of my call center experience.

2. I belong to an ISO 9000 Discussion Group. This group used to be a
listserv with daily e mails. The group had almost 5,000 subscribers from
around the world. Usually we had daily 5 - 10 daily postings. Now the
discussion is web based with 200 subscribers and maybe a posting a day.

The DEN has quieted down also. Any thoughts on similar declines in
participation? There are so many variables that this question may launch us
off to the Milky Way, but I miss my daily thought provoking DEN and ISO 9000
Discussions.

Regards, Dirk van Putten
dvanputten@linear.com

-----Original Message-----
From: clauson@deming.ces.clemson.edu
[mailto:clauson@deming.ces.clemson.edu]On Behalf Of John Constantine
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 9:02 AM
To: den.list@deming.ces.clemson.edu
Subject: RE: Statistical Analysis


I've have upon occasion dealt with call centers. Often the pressure
had been to minimize time spent on the particular call, with a target
average length expected to be met by all CSR's. Some exceeded the
average line, others didn't stay employed very long. Charts
everywhere...but very little understanding.

I recall one such center, Gateway...shut down and no longer in
business. You can find the same sort of thinking in any franchise
operation in America, using similar metrics.

Give me flowcharts, run charts, fishbones and commitment, and a little
time...performance is not what you may think it is. Suggest a
re-reading of Red Beads.

Regards,
_________
John Constantine
Cave Creek, AZ
thesfg1@cox.net