AGSM call centre research consortium

15 September 2005

AGSM is establishing a research consortium to shed light on key issues in call centre management and employee performance. AGSM is seeking expressions of interest from companies that would like to participate in the research, for which funding will be sought via a Federal Government ARC Linkage Grant.

Steve Frenkel, Professor of Organisation and Employment Relations at AGSM, said, “there is a shortage of skilled customer service representatives (CSRs) in call centres. Why? Perhaps the job of CSR has been upskilled but pay and conditions have failed to increase commensurately. Or work may have become more stressful as CSRs are expected to both serve and sell, and learn all about new products and services as well as navigate new software. The research project aims to address issues of job design, engagement, stress and employee retention."

Other key research challenges concern employee-customer relations. Dr Markus Groth, Senior Lecturer in Organisational Behavior at AGSM comments: “Competitiveness in service industries depends a good deal on the customer experience. CSRs must express and manage their emotions, in effect, producing an attractive face to the customer. Negative emotions may need to be suppressed especially when dealing with difficult customers. These observations lead to some critical questions: How does the expression and management of emotions affect job performance and labour turnover? Which CSRs are most likely to be negatively affected by emotional display requirements and how can CSRs be trained more effectively?

“How does the display of emotions by CSRs affect the customer experience? Does it affect their satisfaction and loyalty? What about friendliness that is not perceived as 'real' by customers? Does ‘fake friendliness’ that can be detected by customers as being feigned (rather than a genuine display by the CSR) enhance the customer experience? Or does it reduce customer satisfaction?” says Dr Groth.

Professor Frenkel notes that there are larger themes to explore: “How can new technology be used more effectively? One argument is that technology as designed by software engineers reflects the technically most efficient solution, however with human use comes psychological costs. CSRs may prefer to use the technology in ways not envisaged by the designers or they may avoid using the technology or most likely, they will use it as required but with unintended consequences such as high labour turnover. Can emerging technology be designed so that it is flexible and open to choice so that the three points of the service triangle – the customer, the worker and the manager - remain highly satisfied?

“Can we imagine a new type of call centre that appeals to the imagination of all concerned? If Toyota could envisage and develop a new type of factory for auto manufacturing, is it possible to do the same with the 21st century service factory?” asks Professor Frenkel.

For expressions of interest contact:
Professor Steve Frenkel
Email: stevef@agsm.edu.au
Tel: +61 2 9931 9503