Factors That Affect Average Handle Time

When you hear the word “call center” the first image that pops into your mind is an agent waiting for the phone to ring. Such a scenario might have been a reality for most agents in the industry’s heyday. However, thanks to technological advancements, they have come a long way since then.

What is Average Handle Time?

One of those advancements is operational indicators like Average Handle Time (AHT). As the name implies, AHT is the amount of time that a call center agent spends on taking or processing a call. The process involves several key components in order to work efficiently. For example, it includes total talk time, After Call Work Time (ACW) and Hold Time.

Why is it Important?

Average Handle Time is a record of all the calls that are processed by a call center, over a specific period of time. Like every business, call centers have to constantly evolve in order to expand, something that can be accomplished by maximizing efficiency. Such goals call for the pertinent measures that can make them possible. This is also why AHT, ASA (Average Speed of Answer), Occupancy Rate and Service Levels are staple operational functions in all call centers.

However, it is AHT that takes precedence over all operational indicators and for good reason. Service Level, operating budgets and employee requirements all depend on it. For instance, the lower a company’s AHT is, the fewer employees it will require. This is not to mention how little you would have to spend on operational expenses.

Sadly, there are some factors that can throw a wrench in the works, especially when it comes to AHT. Some of them are as follows:

1. Efficiency and Agent Behavior

If you have ever worked in (or own) a call center, you might have realized how much time agents spend on calls. In fact, you might also have noticed certain disparities in the AHT of multiple agents. In other words, you need to learn what causes such a disparity in the first place. In order to determine what affects an agent’s AHT you would need to keep the following questions in mind –

· Do the agents with reduced AHT use different tools than the rest?

· Do they differ in terms of tenure or the level of training that they received?

· Have the agents with better AHT managed to come up with better processes that help them streamline their tasks better?

Besides that, management also needs to determine whether certain agents skip some steps in order to save time. For instance, if an agent fails to process interactions with customers according to company guidelines, it will take him/her more time to process calls successfully. A well regulated AHT has an enormous impact on customer service. Such an unprofessional attitude is bound to affect customer satisfaction (or lack of) sooner or later.

2. System Usability

This goes without saying. Call centers depend on software to regulate operations. Needless to say, the more user-friendly the system is the more productive the agents will be. A well designed system will help call center agents speed through tasks that usually take them a lot of time or regulate tasks that have a tendency to extend call time unnecessarily.

For example, an automated process can help employees access multiple systems for the information that they need, like product delivery confirmations and account balances. Other than that, agents can also input key customer info into multiple systems at once as well as record call details, process forms and update account information to name a few.

Source by Maya Barak

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source http://blog.bigfinancial.co.uk/factors-that-affect-average-handle-time/

The Benefits and Advantages of Using Caster Wheels

When it comes to moving heavy industrial equipment and machinery, it can be exhausting to have to move these things across the floor without any wheels.

Caster wheels are the perfect solution to your problems, as you will find that these sturdy wheels create much less friction on the ground and thus make it much easier to move items that are fairly heavy.

Casters are wheels that are mounted inside a housing, but with a special bearing race added to ensure 360 degree range of motion and rotation. This makes it easy for the item to be pushed every which way without the chassis needing to change direction.

The distance and angles of the bearing race and axle can be altered according to the performance of the caster, and there are even rigid housing casters that will only go in a single direction.

What are the benefits of these caster wheels?

The main benefit is that moving heavy machinery is much easier when there are wheels attached to the machinery. They make it easy for you to move nearly anything, and casters are the best wheels to give you free range of motion and easy turning when trying to move your heavy industrial equipment.

Casters are incredibly easy to work with, as they are designed to provide the maximum support with the least resistance.

You can see caster wheels in action on any supermarket or grocery store shopping cart. The wheels will usually turn with the cart, but the cart frame doesn’t need to move as the wheels turn. The wheels provide the least resistance against the floor of the supermarket, and the same is true of the industrial casters that will make moving any heavy machine or equipment much easier.

One great thing about casters is that they can handle a good deal of weight without breaking.

Seeing as the wheel turns around an axle and a bearing race, the caster wheel has much less pressure placed directly on the wheel than any regular wheel. The wheel moves when you turn rather than the chassis, meaning that their load bearing capacity is a lot greater than a regular wheel.

Another benefit of using caster wheels is that you can find them in all shapes, sizes, and materials.

The larger caster wheels are better for reducing the amount of effort required to move heavy objects, and they will be durable for moving machinery and equipment that weighs more than you can move.

The smaller wheels are perfect for light and compact objects, and they can be used in nearly any situation.

The materials of the caster wheels ensure that you can buy the casters that will be best for your industrial building.

You can find cast iron wheels, elastic wheels, rubber wheels, wheels with polyurethane tires and aluminum rims, wheels with pneumatic tyres, resin wheels that can withstand high temperatures, and even nylon wheels.

Source by Steven Michaels

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source http://blog.bigfinancial.co.uk/the-benefits-and-advantages-of-using-caster-wheels/

Some Awesome Starter Vendors for Business Credit Building

You must start a business credit profile and score with starter vendors. Starter vendors are ones who will give you initial credit even if you have no credit, no score, or no tradelines now.

Most stores like Staples will NOT give you initial starter credit so DON’T even try applying.

Here are some awesome starter vendor accounts to consider:

Laughlin Associates, deals with corporate setup and compliance. Report to Experia. Only 411 listing and EIN required. Reports in 30-60 days and net 30 Terms.

Quill Office Supplies, office, packaging, and cleaning supplies. Report to D&B. Must place initial order first unless D&B score is established.

Usually they’ll put you on a 90 day prepayment schedule. If you order items each month for three months, they typically approve you for a Net 30 Account.

Gempler’s, work supplies and products. Report to D&B. Place initial order over $50 and select “Invoice me” option.

They will pull credit. If not approved, pre-pay for order and keep purchasing and choosing “invoice me” option until approved for Net 30 account.

Reliable Office Supplies, office supplies and promotional products. Report to D&B, Experian and Equifax.

Place initial order, then request your order to be invoiced or billed to your company. They will pull your credit.

If not approved, keep ordering and requesting to be invoiced or billed. The more orders you place the better your chance of approval for Net 30 terms.

Uline Shipping Supplies, shipping, packing, and industrial supplies and reports to D&B.You must have your DUNS number.

They will ask for two references and bank reference. First few orders might need to be pre-paid to initially get approved for,Net 30 terms.

Monopolize Your Marketplace, everything you need to know about marketing and business 10 audio CD set. Report to Experian and a true starter account.

Upon check out choose “4 equal payments of $59.99” option and first charge takes place in 30 days. Need bank account, EIN, and deliverable address and 30-60 days for reporting.

You might need to get some vendors you won’t often use just to build your initial credit. Do NOT put your SSN on the applications.

Remember to pay your bills EARLY, the key to a good score.

Do NOT start with store credit… you’ll get denied… wait until you have five accounts reported.

And do NOT apply for cash credit until you have 10 reported accounts.

Contact us today to learn more about building credit for your business!

Source by Manmohan Mehta

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source http://blog.bigfinancial.co.uk/some-awesome-starter-vendors-for-business-credit-building/

Medical Billing – Electronic Or Paper Claims

Sometimes there are things in life that are very obvious. In the medical billing world, this isn’t always the case. Many on the outside would automatically think that electronic billing of claims is the sure pick over sending paper claims via the United States Post Office. And while electronic billing certainly does have its advantages, is it really the be all and end all of medical billing? In this article, we’re going to take a good look at each method of sending claims. Sometimes the grass is greener but sometimes it isn’t.

Let’s take a look at the facts of each type of billing. With paper claims, you have to either manually fill out the claims by hand, especially if you’re a small office and can’t afford expensive software, or at best you need the software to fill out the claims as they are printed off your dot matrix or laser printer. Most software products for this industry don’t support Inkjet printing. For that matter, most carriers won’t accept anything but laser quality anyway.

With paper claims, you also have the wait. Because insurance carriers are desperately trying to move on over to electronic billing, they process paper claims at a snails pace. It could be anywhere from 30 to 60 days to get paid on your paper claim. This is not a maybe. This is indeed a fact. Paper claims get paid slower.

Another fact of paper claims is that they carry the additional cost of having to keep forms in inventory. These forms are not cheap. Even if you get them included in your software package, the cost of billing a paper claim, at least on a per claim basis, is much higher than electronic transmissions.

Another fact of paper claims is that they have to be mailed. This adds the cost of postage to the already high cost of paper claim billing. Plus, with paper claim billing, there is always the chance that a claim can be lost in the mail. While this is not necessarily a given that it will happen, it is a definite possibility.

Now, let’s look at the facts of electronic billing. For starters, electronic medical billing is faster. The claims are literally transmitted to the insurance carrier in a matter of seconds, depending on how big the claim file is. Larger files do take longer, but for the most part, this is a much quicker process.

Electronically billed claims get paid faster. There is no question about this. Insurance carriers do this as an incentive for medical billing agencies to use electronic billing methods.

Electronic billing requires software and transmission hardware such as a modem or an Internet connection. This adds an expense to electronic billing that you don’t have with paper claims. This is a fact. There is no way to send claims electronically without some kind of software and transmission device.

Those are the facts of each. On the surface, it appears that electronic billing is the hands down choice. But before you make that decision, you must realize that unless you have a large enough client base to justify electronic billing, the cost of the software alone might make it unprofitable. Plus, with electronic billing, you’re going to have technical issues that you won’t have with paper claims, meaning you’re going to have to hire a networking staff and other technical persons.

The truth is, there is no perfect world with either paper claims or electronic transmission. So please consider all factors before deciding which way you’re going to go.

Source by Michael Russell

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source http://blog.bigfinancial.co.uk/medical-billing-electronic-or-paper-claims/

Five Characteristics of Great Business Names and Five Popular Trends to Avoid

Deciding on a name is one of the most exciting parts of starting up a business.

The only problem with choosing the name of your business is that so much rides on your business name. It’s a little like choosing a name for your baby. A little like? Make that a lot like! It’s no easier choosing a name for your business than it is choosing a name for your baby.

What’s in a business name? You want it to be everything. Sadly, many business names are nothing. Deciding on a great business name takes time. It takes thought. Moreover, getting it wrong could spell disaster for your business. Getting it right, however, will give customers a reason to hire you, connect you to your niche market, and save you thousands of marketing dollars.

You want your business name to have a big impact on people. This, in turn, will have a big effect on your market. A name that’s too far out may make it difficult to brand. A name that’s too generic and common is easily ignored. Naming your business “Sarah’s Cookies” may make all the sense in the world to you. In most cases, however, your own name means very little to your customers because it says nothing memorable or of distinction.

The key to picking a great name for your business is to make it memorable. Make it distinctive. Don’t make it silly or cute. Your name should reflect your market niche and identity and be able to reach your customer base easily. So don’t mess it up!

Top Five Characteristics of a Great Business Name

1. It’s short.

2. It’s specific and reflects a specialized business: Jiffy Lube, Home Depot.

3. It’s unique. Consider using words that are not in the dictionary: Alkamae, Google, Squidoo.

4. It’s creative. Don’t copy, borrow, or modify existing famous brand names. Got Milk? has its own branding. Leave Victoria’s Secret to Victoria.

5. It’s an easy name to say, spell, and remember. Use proper English construction so that when put in a sentence, it will work: “I just purchased a book from Amazon.”

Five Popular Business Naming Trends to Avoid

1. Don’t abbreviate your business name. Though it may make communication and correspondence easier, acronyms are sterile.

2. Avoid anything that ends in “global”, enterprise”, or “Inc.” They’re passé.

3. Avoid using your own name. Build your brand on your company, not on your name. That way, if you decide to sell your company one day, it will be easier to sell.

4. Don’t hyphenate your business name. It makes remembering and writing it difficult. Plus, a hyphenated web name is hard to read.

5. Avoid geographical names unless you’re trying to create a strong local affinity. The name “Willow Oak Center for Arts and Learning at Robertson County” works because this is a business targeted specifically for Robertson County in Tennessee.

Once you’ve found your name, consider trademarking it through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and registering it through the Secretary of State offices. If your business operates on the Internet, be aware that domain names are not registered through state or local government, so just registering them at domain registration sites is not enough to protect your great business name.

There is more to naming your business than just coming up with something that sounds good, is clever, or you just happen to like. Naming your business is a serious matter. Your business name reflects your image, your brand, and your position in the marketplace. Because your business name is crucial to your overall branding success and marketing efforts, make your business name count.

Make it great!

Source by Susan L Reid

The post Five Characteristics of Great Business Names and Five Popular Trends to Avoid appeared first on Big Financial BLOG.

source http://blog.bigfinancial.co.uk/five-characteristics-of-great-business-names-and-five-popular-trends-to-avoid/

What’s the Difference Between Presenting, Training and Facilitating?

There are three primary forms of being in front of a group: presenting, training and facilitating. There is certainly an overlap in skill sets – such as dynamic delivery skills, a good stage presence, a high likeability level, the ability to “read” the audience. But while they are similar skills, they’re not interchangeable. It’s valuable to explore the differences among the three processes, so the trainer or presenter or facilitator knows how to accommodate the different situations.

Presenting: The objective is to present information in a dynamic, interesting way

Training: The objective is, using engaging delivery, to increase participants’ level of knowledge or skill

Facilitating: The objective is to manage the structure and focus of a team’s decision-making process

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Presenting: Audience can be any size

Training: Number of participants varies, but it’s usually an average of 10 to 30

Facilitating: Team size is typically smaller, usually under ten

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Presenting: Audience is there to receive information

Training: Participants are there to learn

Facilitating: Participants are team members who have a common goal

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Presenting: Speech outline creates logical flow of presentation

Training: Course outline creates the learning structure

Facilitating: Agenda structures the flow of the meeting

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Presenting: Presenter is a provider of information

Training: Trainer is a catalyst for learning

Facilitating: Facilitator manages dynamics of group-generated information

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Presenting: Presenter primarily answers rather than asks questions

Training: Trainer asks questions to stimulate and evaluate learning

Facilitating: Facilitator uses questions to encourage individual involvement

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Presenting: Visuals are used to present or clarify information

Training: Visual aids are used to illustrate learning points

Facilitating: Flip chart is used to record group’s ideas and input.

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Presenting: Presenter communicates largely one way from presenter to audience

Training: Trainer uses involvement so participants can learn from others and retain interest

Facilitating: Facilitator manages the process of communication that takes place among team members

Source by Barbara Busey

The post What’s the Difference Between Presenting, Training and Facilitating? appeared first on Big Financial BLOG.

source http://blog.bigfinancial.co.uk/whats-the-difference-between-presenting-training-and-facilitating/

How Does the Media Influence the Economy?

Does the media have any influence on the economy? The media has influence, good or bad, on the economy. I am not stating that it is the only thing driving the forces of the economy, but if you think about all of the bad news that has been out about how little people are spending, layoffs, a downed economy, and other variables; it does have some influence on what people do.

When the news coverage talks about how bad an economy is doing, it can help to drive fear into the lives of people and force people to spend less in an economy. That fear can also trigger businesses to slow down on spending, which can also have an effect on other businesses. Have you ever watched the news and heard stories about various crimes that may have happened and felt like crime is rising in your area? You see, businesses rely on other businesses to make money as well. Doctors use other doctors to get referrals and businesses do the same with other businesses. Here is one example. A slow economy means that fewer homes are built due to slower sales. This would also mean less lumber, flooring, tile, paint, sinks, bath tubs, dry wall, light sockets…and the list goes on for the supplies being used to make homes. And the products are made by more than one manufacturer. This also would mean less sales people and workers would be needed for all of these industries.

You should ask yourself how do you feel about things after hearing about it on the news? Do you think good or bad depending on how the topic is covered? And does it affect or influence your decisions about buying a particular product? Automobile recalls can help to decrease the confidence of consumers to buy a particular automobile. Even though the recall could be on one model, people may stay away from the brand if it is publicized repeatedly in the media. Why? People may be conditioned to think that the product, or products, that the manufacturer makes are unsafe.

The good news is that in this economy, all businesses are not suffering. The news that most people hear is only about companies that are laying off workers or companies that are completely going out of business. But why do we not hear about all of the other companies that are doing well, increasing margins, increasing profits, and expanding in this economy? It is probably because bad news sells faster than good news. People are sometimes more interested in bad or tragic news verses being more interested in good and prosperous news. If you think about any changes that you have made in your life during the recession and how you are spending more or less money. This is also a contributing factor that a lot of people have been doing as well.

You can look at discount stores and know that they are drawing in more people than normal during the recession. Why? The reason is that people are looking to save more and keep more money in their pocket. When this happens, people tend to go to other resources that are available to get some of the same things that they are used to getting. You can also look at the stock markets. They tend to fluctuate when instant media coverage of financial cuts for the government of businesses are announced. This happens in real-time since the information is available everywhere online, television, cell phones, and radio. Have you been affected by the news that you hear or watch? The media can be a power influence on us all. I am not saying that it is a bad thing, but it does have some influence on what we do and how we think.

Source by Charles R. Davis, Jr.

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source http://blog.bigfinancial.co.uk/how-does-the-media-influence-the-economy/