Practical case submitted as term paper for the MSc in Work Psychology and Business
The UK Call Centre industry has grown by almost 250% since the mid-90s, and it is expected to continue growing (DTI, 2004). By 2007 this industry will employ almost 1 million people in approximately 6,000 call centres (DTI, 2004). The banking and finance services are the business sector that runs the most of the Call Centres in the UK employing more than one quarter of the total call-handlers.
This essay is structured as follows; firstly, definitions are given of what constitutes a Call Centre (CC) and what is a call-handler. Later, descriptions of the current working practices and general problems in the CC industry are explained, giving attention to Lloyds TSB CCs (LTSBCC) in particular. The second part of this essay begins with a description of the working practices in the Birmingham LTSBCC (BirmCC), giving special importance to the job design (variety, autonomy, and completeness) and the hygiene factors (Herzberg, 1966). Later a comparison between the BirmCC and other LTSBCCs are carried out in order to highlight the deficits of the BirmCC. Advice is also given regarding ergonomics issues. To conclude, recommendations and steps for their implementation are provided.
Table of Contents
1. An overview of the Call Centre industry
2. Definitions
3. Working practices
4. Challenges at Lloyds TSB’s Call Centres
5. Analysis of the Lloyds TSB Call Centre located in Birmingham
6. Identification of problems, critical analysis and recommendations
Research Objectives and Themes
This essay aims to evaluate working practices and ergonomic standards within the UK call centre industry, specifically focusing on the Lloyds TSB Birmingham call centre. The core objective is to identify how job design and management strategies impact employee well-being and to propose improvements based on industry best practices.
- Analysis of the UK call centre industry growth and operational challenges.
- Evaluation of job design models (Mass Service vs. High Commitment Service).
- Examination of employee well-being, turnover, and stress factors.
- Critical review of ergonomic standards and workplace health safety.
- Recommendations for operational improvements and training development.
Excerpt from the Book
Working practices
Most of the problems facing the CC industry are not only entwined but also have their origin in the current economical era of ‘cost minimisation’ which leads many companies to adopt ‘mean and lean’ strategies.
Korczynski (2002) pointed out, the objectives of the companies behind call centres are two fold; they are driven by the need to be cost-efficient and the desire to be customer-orientated. Two aspects that are contradictory, that is, if the cost-efficient goal is achieved by increasing the speed in which calls are processed, it would be difficult for call-handlers to achieve the quality standards when providing solutions for clients.
Companies may prefer bureaucratic efficiency when the call centre serves a high-volume market. This ‘mass service’ model (Schlesinger & Heskett, 1991) leads to standardised services, Taylorist job designs, and neglecting employee related issues such as well-being (Holman, 2003). The election of this model can be also favoured by the economic realities of the area in which the call centre is located (e.g. high unemployment). ‘Mass service’ call centres are comprised of a cheap labour force with low skills and characterized by high levels of monitoring control and poor training, low job security, low control, status and variety in their job design to name but a few (Holman, 2003; Deery & Kinnie, 2002). On the contrary, ‘High Commitment Service” model (HCM) is adopted by companies which want to provide a customer orientation focus to their call centres (Korczynski, Shire, Frenkel, & Tam, 2000). Companies choose this model when the goal is to maximise profits by providing a customised service to a specific customer segment (Holman, 2003). Thus, organisations need to invest heavily on recruiting, training and maintenance of their workforce.
Summary of Chapters
An overview of the Call Centre industry: Provides an introduction to the rapid growth of the UK call centre sector and outlines the structural scope of the essay.
Definitions: Establishes clear, academic definitions for the terms "Call centre" and "call-handler" to guide the subsequent analysis.
Working practices: Explores the contradiction between cost-efficiency and quality service, contrasting "mass service" models with "High Commitment Service" models.
Challenges at Lloyds TSB’s Call Centres: Discusses specific management challenges within Lloyds TSB, focusing on job security and geographical disparity.
Analysis of the Lloyds TSB Call Centre located in Birmingham: Investigates the specific working conditions, recruitment, training, and ergonomics at the Birmingham site through direct observation.
Identification of problems, critical analysis and recommendations: Offers a final assessment of the Birmingham site, providing strategic recommendations for training, ergonomics, and management practices.
Keywords
Call centre, call-handler, job design, ergonomics, Lloyds TSB, mass service, high commitment service, employee well-being, staff turnover, cost minimisation, work environment, training, performance monitoring, absenteeism, management strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research evaluates the operational and ergonomic practices of call centres, with a specific case study on the Lloyds TSB centre in Birmingham to determine how management decisions affect staff performance and well-being.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
Central themes include the impact of cost-minimisation strategies on job design, the trade-off between speed and service quality, employee turnover, and the necessity of ergonomic standards in office environments.
What is the main goal of the study?
The goal is to identify current deficiencies in the Birmingham call centre and to provide actionable, evidence-based recommendations that align the facility with "Best Practice" standards to improve productivity and staff satisfaction.
Which research methods are employed?
The essay utilizes a literature review of academic and industry sources combined with qualitative primary data collected through a field visit and managerial interviews at the Birmingham facility.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the structural differences between mass-market and high-commitment service models, analyzes the specific case of the Birmingham call centre, and critiques its training and ergonomic practices.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as call centre ergonomics, High Commitment Service (HCS), job design, staff retention, and workplace well-being.
How does the author categorize the Birmingham call centre?
The author categorizes the Birmingham site as a "mass customized bureaucracy," representing a hybrid between the low-cost mass service model and the more human-centric high commitment model.
What role does the "High Commitment Service" model play in the recommendations?
The model serves as the ideal benchmark, which the author recommends the Birmingham site transition toward in order to gain a competitive advantage and improve employee retention.
What is the author's stance on current training at the Birmingham site?
The author considers the current training at the Birmingham site as "primitive" compared to other accredited sites and advocates for a significant upgrade to support employee career development.
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- Marcos Alonso Rodriguez (Autor:in), 2006, Design of Work Environments Ergonomics: H&S. Call Centres, a practical case, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/277501
