Performance Analysis Report

for Team 3
March 20, 2016

Introduction and Background

PJ Enterprises, a six year old retail store and mail order catalog company has hired Team 3, Inc (T3I) to develop
curriculum for catalog training. T3I met with the management team at PJ Enterprises and it was agreed that T3I would
conduct a performance analysis to take a closer look at the overall operation to ascertain the exact training needs of the
company.
PJ Enterprises management articulated that they have had a high turnover in personnel, particularly with customer service
employees. Also, customer complaints regarding the service received from the telephone operators have increased 30%
over last years numbers for the same time frame. With these factors in mind, the company has set some business
objectives to include focus on quality and customer service with a goal set for a ten percent increase in customer service
scores. PJ Enterprises is also focused on cultivating a quality work environment and staff development.
Collaborating with client stakeholders, T3I identified several populations for primary research: Management, Supervisors,
Telephone Operators, Information Technology, and Human Resources. With the permission of PJ Enterprises leadership,
T3I conducted primary research. After analyzing findings, solutions are proposed to address performance gaps.

Purpose of the Report

The purpose of this report is to communicate to PJ Enterprises the findings of the Performance Analysis conducted by T3I.

Analysis Methods
After receiving approval, T3I conducted research to identify potential solutions for PJ Enterprises:

Survey conducted of telephone operators to understand the jobs, duties and tasks of the operators along with overall
job satisfaction, training and product knowledge.

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Interviews were conducted with Supervisors to define the following:

o

Call monitoring and quality practices

Job duties and responsibilities

Common complaints from escalated calls, and how those complaints are addressed

Training or mentoring provided to the phone operators

Process for escalating a call to supervisors, situations that result in customers being asked to call back later, and
frequency in which this occurs

Familiarity with the products and ordering software

Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction

Recommendations to make their jobs easier

Interviews were held with Management personnel to understand key initiatives, strategic direction and challenges.

Human Resources Department provided the following information:

Identify recurring factors for employees leaving PJ Enterprises by reviewing exit interview responses.

Records on the on-boarding process and initial training new associates receive.

Employee demographics

Employee handbook, evaluations and position descriptions.

T3I gathered and evaluated data with respect to the following areas:
o

Evaluation of current training materials.

Call volumes by shift, days and quarters.

History of technical issues reported by customers and phone operators, along with the frequency of system
issues.

Average call length, speed of answer, and hold time and what situations result in customers being asked to call
back later, and how frequently this occurs.

Customer satisfaction surveys.

Observations were conducted by T3I to document telephone operators work flow, time management skills, soft
skills and product knowledge.

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Identify recurring factors for employees leaving PJ Enterprises by reviewing exit interview responses.

Records on the on-boarding process and initial training new associates receive.

Employee demographics

Employee handbook, evaluations and position descriptions.

Data Summary: Catalog Sales Targets

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Data Summary: Annual Training Expenditures

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Data Summary: Telephone Operator Ratings

Data Summary: Call Reports

Observation of the telephone operators provided insight on:

Customer interactions

Data entry skill

Phone etiquette

Order entry accuracy

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Product knowledge

Environment

The above chart represents the findings from the observation of the phone calls demonstrating the need for increased
customer service training and the implementation of a searchable catalog database for TOs.

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Findings, Needs, and Recommended Solutions

Finding
Difficulty in obtaining product
information from systems when
needed Order entry and
information systems do not
communicate. Order entry system
can be slow at times. This leads to
increased call time and frustration
for consumers as they wait for
agents to find information.

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Need

Recommended Solution

Reference systems are user-friendly,

easy to update, and efficient.

Integration of product
information and order entry
systems. - Allowing the Simply
Order system to import product
information in response to order
entry/search. This gives immediate
access to products a customer is
interested in without extended hold
times. Implement an electronic,
searchable document that is
accessible to the TOs to bridge the
gap. Work with IT on
implementation of the new
SimplyOrder system to ensure it
comes loaded with product
information. This will reduce agent
learning curve.

Finding

Need

Recommended Solution

Difficulty in obtaining product

information from product
references when needed Agents
report difficulty in locating
information in the product guide.

Product information is accessible

and easy to use.

Replace paper-based product

guide with searchable electronic
resource - An electronic product
resource can searched by TOs faster
than a paper-based catalog. For
example, an electronic product
guide can be indexed by item name,
item number, and keyword, making
it easy to search for needed
information. Electronic resources
can be updated much faster than
printed guides as product offerings
change.

Difficulty in recall of product

information Quarterly trainings
often run out of time to cover all
products. Refresher training is not
offered for those that join staff
between offerings. This often leads
to problems remembering products
that change frequently.

Product information is accessible

and easy to use. Reference systems
provide enough information for
agents to answer customer
questions.

Focus on systems training rather

than catalog training If systems
are integrated, system training on
how to look up information makes
TOs more efficient. Skills at
locating and referencing
information persist, even as the
featured products change. Adding
additional practice sessions in
training room for new hires is
recommended.

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Finding

Need

Recommended Solution

Lack of comprehensive new hire

training - Training of new
employees consists of one day
orientation consisting of only 4 real
hours of job training. TOs are
provided quarterly product training,
but are provided no customer
service training.

A comprehensive training program

is available for all TOs that is easy
to access and reference. Onboarding
process is robust and measured
effectively.

Develop a comprehensive training

program covering product
knowledge, customer service and
phone etiquette, listening skills,
vocal coaching, and how to ask
follow-up question, technology and
performance standards. A more
hands-on & visual approach to
trainings is needed. More time
should be allotted for training, but
in shorter increments. Provide
multiple delivery methods, such as
instructor-led training, computerbased training, job shadowing, etc.
Include formative and summative
assessments in the training program.
Options for developing this training
include contracting with external
instructional designers, instructional
design training for Sheena Perez,
etc.

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Finding

Need

Recommended Solution

Quarterly product training does

not adequately convey product
information- Quarterly trainings
often run out of time to cover all
products. Refresher training is not
offered for those that join staff
between offerings. This often leads
to problems remembering products
that change frequently.

Agents are knowledgeable about

existing catalog offerings and can
answer customer questions.

Improve product trainings

Revamp catalog training. Shorter
quarterly meetings could focus on
catalog themes for the spring,
summer, etc. and have available
samples from some objects. This
gets the qualitative feel and allows
answers for questions, but removes
the need for rote memorization for
information that changes frequently.
Also reduces cognitive load and
gets TOs back on phones faster.
Provide a product guide during the
training for TOs to use as reference
and method of taking notes. Printed
PowerPoint decks may be
substituted. Offer as needed training
for new hires.

Knowledge gap for supervisors

New supervisors are not provided
training in basics of supervision.
These individuals have been
promoted from most talented
agents, which are entry level
positions. This leads to lack of
formal processes such as
performance reviews, call
coaching/monitoring, etc.

Supervisors understand and

maintain company policy, provide
professional development, in
addition to troubleshooting
customer issues.

Provide new supervisor training

By setting the expectations for new
supervisors, they can be leveraged
in additional ways. Training on
existing tools to support
performance reviews and call
monitoring/coaching helps align TO
performance with company
standards.

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Finding

Need

Recommended Solution

Lack of standardized processes

Agents do not have references for
standard operating procedures.
These include such processes as
standard customer service greeting
or scripts, issue escalation for
frustrated callers, order handling,
returns, etc.

Standardized procedures are easy to

locate and reference when needed.
Supervisors hold agents accountable
to these guidelines.

Create job aids that cover FAQs by

customers i.e. shipping cost,
delivery time, discounts etc. Create
standardized call scripts for TOs to
follow, such as placing an order,
processing time, shipping costs,
shipping timelines, etc. Operators
give consistent information for
these questions.

Performance standards are not

well-understood by employees
Employees not held accountable for
performance standards. Current
performance review process
includes self-reported data, but does
not include objective measures.

Employees understand and are held

accountable to performance
standards and coached on poor
performance. A concise and
balanced evaluation program to
adequately assess job performance
with tangible incentives to increase
productivity.

Implement call coaching and

improve performance reviews
Leverage supervisors to monitor
calls and provide coaching on key
performance indicators. This helps
TOs understand performance
standards. Create evaluation
program to enhance employee
performance and articulate
standards. Communicate this
evaluation program to all personnel
so that it is genuinely understood,
utilized and where feedback is
encouraged.

Position descriptions are not wellunderstood by the employees.

Performance responsibilities only
are discussed at the job interview.

Responsibilities should be
understood and reinforced.

Hold employees accountable for

expectations Implement
attestations for reading employee
handbook. Staff should read the
existing document developed to
cover company history, mission and
vision statements and company
policies and programs.

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Finding

Need

Recommended Solution

Employee meetings are optional

and poorly attended Lack of
knowledge leads to customer
complaints. Risk of unfair labor
complaints.

Job-relevant information is
communicated to all staff.

Mandatory, paid employee

meetings during working hours Working with scheduling to allow
for agents to attend in small groups
during regularly scheduled hours.
Paying TOs increases satisfaction,
ensures they will attend, and lowers
risk of complaints to external
entities. This also provides small
group venue for supervisors to
provide refresher training exercises.

Incentives are not on target for

employee population - Employee
discount awarded is too short in
duration to be used effectively and
reduces take home pay.

Incentives are well-regarded and

well-utilized by staff.

Restructure incentives Provide

incentives that the TOs actually
want for doing their job well.
Implement PTO-based incentives
for error-free work and annual wage
increases tied to performance
ratings. Hourly wage increases tied
to performance outcomes give
agents an incentive to perform at
higher standards. One key nonmonetary incentive could include
positive feedback from supervisors.

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Finding

Need

Current call processing

expectations are not met Current
call processing standards are not
being met by agents. System is
reported at 85% usage.

Expectations for call processing and

call volume are reasonable and
evidence-based.

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Recommended Solution
Evaluate current call processing
expectations Based on historical
records, track call processing
metrics to see how they vary over
time, season, day of the week, etc.
Set staffing levels as appropriate.
Revisit these standards every 6
months as improvements are made
or business needs change.

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Proposed Solutions for Consulting Firm to Carry Out

Priority

Solution

Description

Design and implement

searchable electronic product
guide.

Searchable electronic product guide will allow TOs to locate

product information quickly and easily.

Develop comprehensive
training program for TOs.

Training program will cover product knowledge, customer

service and phone etiquette, listening skills, vocal coaching, and
how to ask follow-up question, technology and performance
standards.

Develop new product training

template

Revamp catalog training. Provide a template to use at shorter

quarterly meetings that focus on catalog themes for the spring,
summer, etc. and have available samples from some objects.

Develop new supervisor

training

Training on existing tools to support performance reviews and

call monitoring/coaching helps align TO performance with
company standards. Use combination of computer based and
instructor-led role play

Develop job aids for use by

TOs

Create standardized call scripts for TOs to follow, such as placing

an order, processing time, shipping costs, shipping timelines, etc.
Operators give consistent information for these questions.

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Evaluation plan
The Kirkpatrick/Phillips model will be used to evaluate training:
Level 1 (Reaction): Post-training evaluations will be used to measure learner reactions to training. Evaluations will
measure satisfaction with training content, materials, delivery, and venue. This will give the team insight into how well the
training was received by our audience.
Level 2 (Learning): Pre-test and post-test assessments will be used. Assessments will be given before and after training
intervention. Scores on both assessments will be compared. Analysis of changes and trends in learner scores will be used
to measure learning transfer. This will give the team insight into what was and what was not learned, or suggest gaps in
training content.
Level 3 (Behavior): Pre-training, 30, 60, 90 day, and 6 month evaluations will be used to measure change in learner
behavior. TOs will be measured using a quality assurance checklist before training intervention. This new tool will
measure indicators of performance on key metrics to include greeting, courtesy, product knowledge, and responsiveness to
customer needs. These assessments will be conducted by PJ Enterprises call center supervisors. Follow up evaluations will
be conducted at 30, 60, 90 day, and 6 months post training. Comparison of scores and analysis of performance trends will
be conducted. This will help measure overall behavioral outcomes and measure if training content has desired outcomes.
Level 4 (Results): Pre-intervention and 6 months post intervention business metrics will be compared. T3I will review
indicators to include employee turnover, sales figures, customer complaint numbers, and customer satisfaction survey
data. We will measure the benefits to the business, employees and bottom line. At 6 months we will review turnover
reports, sales reports, and customer complaint reports and compare with desired outcomes. Analysis of trends will be
conducted. These trends will be compared against the cost of training development and delivery to help demonstrate the
return on investment for PJ Enterprises.

Request for Proposal [PLJ]

T3I has taken great care to work alongside Jane and the team at PJ Enterprises to ascertain the needs of the company in
order to facilitate future growth and continued success of PJ Enterprises. T3I excels in the development of training tools,
human resource tools and assisting with managing organizational change. At your request, T3I welcomes the opportunity
to team with PJ Enterprises to develop the items outlined in the Proposed Solutions for Consulting Firm to Carry Out.

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