As a consultant, writer, and speaker, Kathryn combines innovation and practicality with a deep understanding of the role that call centers play in organizations. She pioneered research on concepts we currently take for granted such as the call center’s integration with the Internet and the adoption of customer-centricity by the industry. What will the future hold? The blog allows her to share her groundbreaking ideas with a wide international audience.

In one of the first postings, Kathryn discusses the financial impact of “emotional contagion” on organizations. Kathryn relates that, according to research, customers “catch” the emotion of the service agent that they talk to and react accordingly. It does not matter whether the agent expresses his or her emotion through facial expressions, voice, gestures, or body movements—customers know and respond. She further explains what this converging of emotion may be costing a company and what a company must do to profit from it.

The blog resides on a new Response Design Corporation Web site, www.ResponseDesign.com ; visitors can directly connect at www.responsedesign.com/corner.html.

Each time managers visit the blog, they find not only a relevant research, but also Kathryn’s expert opinion about how the research affects call centers. Each entry is a single dose of uncommon common sense. Because of her 20-years of call center experience, her friendly writing style, and her nose for new and important developments, we expect Kathryn to converse with many loyal practitioners through the “Uncommon Call Center.”

Response Design – Creating the Uncommon Call Center®.
Response Design Corporation helps professionals get more from their call center. It is the how-to source for learning how to profitably manage a call center. Blog visitors are encouraged to explore the RDC site for comprehensive, all-under-one-roof call center solutions. www.ResponseDesign.com

Contact: Kathryn Jackson, Associate, KJackson@ResponseDesign.com

From Bakersfield California to Utica New York, call centers are springing to life to help Katrina survivors find loved ones and vital information. Organizers rely on call centers to coordinate the thousands of volunteers from across the nation who plead for a chance to help. Even offshore call centers are donating seats to the Katrina relief effort.

Suddenly we see that even though call centers may not do everything right, they do one thing very well—they combine a human voice with a body of complex technology to serve mankind one case at a time.

When disaster survivors need help—they need human contact. Herb Morrow, VP of Spherion (an employment agency supporting the Utica effort) says: “These Red Cross call centers are being set up as a way for victims and their families to hear a human voice.” Those close to the disaster realize that no “on the ground” face-to-face effort could accomplish what a call center can.

Springing into life is only half the battle. Now it is imperative these disaster call centers do their job well. They must accomplish what all other call center managers are striving to do in this young industry—ensure survivors and volunteers can easily access the human voice. Each call center agent should be highly trained, full of empathy, and extremely competent. Disaster call centers need sufficient capacity so that those afflicted do not wait in line at phone banks only to receive a busy signal. (Such cases were reported by Katrina survivors.) And organizers must ensure that every call is resolved – attempting to meet the industry’s standard of first call resolution.

In the end, we agree with Jack Altdoerffer, who is involved in the Utica initiative, “Everybody can feel good about providing this assistance to the victims.”

Response Design – Creating the Uncommon Call Center®.
Response Design Corporation® helps professionals get more from their call center. It is the how-to source for learning how to meet customer’s expectations through expert call center management. www.ResponseDesign.com

For additional uncommon call center ideas, don't miss RDC’s blog at http://www.responsedesign.com/corner.html.

Contact: Kathryn Jackson, Associate, KJackson@ResponseDesign.com