Achieving Performance Metrics During a Steep Ramp

Managing a large customer service function can be a challenge when things are going well, but how can you keep performance high when the team is facing a particularly busy period? This is a common problem amongst Medicare Advantage and PDP health plan providers whose entire years performance is linked to enrollments during a very short window of opportunity.

Managing spikes in business is a problem many businesses face, but when the customer is buying a healthcare product it can be even more critical that calls are answered and questions answered efficiently. As a regulated industry there are expectations that you will provide great service no matter how busy the team is on any particular day.

To ensure that you keep hitting those performance targets even during a steep ramp I would offer these three key tips:

1. Work with a trusted partner. Many companies used to consider outsourcing to be just a cost-saving strategy, but the real value of having a partner is that they can offer you flexibility and skills. If you need to quickly ramp up the team to deal with a business spike then an ongoing relationship with a customer service expert means you will be able to do it easily.

2. Work on your team culture. This is especially important for the management and supervisors. When it gets rough during a big spike the supervisors need to be doing everything they can to make life easier for the agents – not because anyone is forcing them to do it, but because they want to help the agents achieve great metrics.

3. Work on your metrics. It is never a bad idea to review your metrics. Are you measuring the right KPIs? Are you influencing agent behavior positively by using the current KPIs? Could you simplify what is being measured? Don’t continue with your existing measurements just because that’s what the team has always measured – think about it once again.

Scaling up rapidly to manage a spike can put a big dent in your metrics, but with some careful planning and forethought it is possible to greet those busy spikes with a smile.

We are hosting a webinar this Thursday (June 18) with Protiviti where this topic will be discussed – amongst others. To register click here…

Photo by Andreas Levers licensed under Creative Commons.