Call center wallboards are relatively inexpensive but what benefits do they bring to your business and is it worth investing in one?
Most call centers now have some form of wallboard display, a big screen that can show performance metrics, motivational messages or show business information. But are they necessarily a good thing? A badly implemented wallboard can prove to be a distraction and it may disrupt your workforce or even be ignored.
If you decide you do need to have a call center wallboard then it’s vital to have a clear idea of what you want it to achieve. Every time an operator looks up from their work to check on a wallboard vital seconds are being used so you need to make sure that they’re being used effectively. If information is relevant and easily digested then those seconds are being used to best advantage and can result in improved productivity and performance.
Effective Wallboard Tips
So you want to make certain that your investment is worthwhile which means you need to discover call center wallboard techniques that work effectively. That means displaying the right data in the right way. Here are some of the most important things to consider:
Keep it simple: Less really can be more, most analysts agree that it’s hard for people to handle more than seven pieces of information at one time so your display needs to be easy to read. Avoid long text messages and make sure that metrics are easy to grasp and require minimal interpretation by the reader.
Magic numbers: A wallboard lets you display all kinds of data from numbers of calls waiting to sales targets. However, it’s important to show only the metrics that are relevant to your operators in their day-to-day work. The latest software will allow you to extract and show only the most vital data so make sure you don’t display numbers just for the sake of it.
Keep it business like: Most wallboard software will allow you to have special effects like exploding stars or animated characters walking across the screen. As a rule these are best avoided, they only serve as a distraction. If you must use them save them for out of hours to celebrate the reaching of a goal or an employee birthday.
Put it in the right place: If you’re going to distribute information via a wallboard then you need to ensure that everyone can see it. Positioning is vital as is the size of the screen. In a large open plan office you may need to provide one or more repeater screens to ensure that everyone has a clear view.
The medium isn’t the message: Putting up a wallboard isn’t an alternative to effective management. It’s only a channel for providing information. You still need to ensure that your staff know how to interpret and use that data effectively.
In summary then, if you’re in any form of communication-based business it’s vital to discover call center wallboard strategies that are effective for your day-to-day operation.
AUTHOR BIO: Karl Manston is a freelance writer specializing in business technology. He knows that for customer facing companies it’s vital to discover call center wallboard benefits to the business.