Performance Analysis Report

for Team 6
March 20, 2016

Introduction and Background

The President and Sales Director of Concept Creators met with
Mike Merrill, Vice-President of Sales of PJ Enterprises, on Feb. 29,
2016, to discuss his concerns about training. PJ Enterprises
management believes that increased knowledge and skills in
describing the features and benefits of the products in the
catalog are necessary to increase catalog sales and reduce
customer complaints. He asked Concept Creators to design,
develop, and deliver a learning program for the telephone
operators and customer service supervisors to address the
companys focus on quality customer service with 10%
improvement in customer-service scores.
Prior to determining the best way to serve PJ Enterprises,
Concept Creators recommended conducting a Performance
Analysis to determine if training is in all, part of, or not an
appropriate solution to PJ Enterprises performance issues.
This report is submitted to Jane MacKenzie, Director of Sales
Support of PJ Enterprises and the project sponsor.

Purpose of the Report

The purpose of the Performance Analysis is to provide PJ
Enterprises with the results of our analysis, including findings
and recommended solutions, for improving customer service to
the project sponsor and to seek approval to move forward.

Analysis Methods
In order to determine the gap between PJ Enterprises goals and
existing achievements, Concept Creators collected and gathered
key information by utilizing the following analysis strategies:

Interviews

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Survey Questionnaires

Observations

Focus Groups

Data and Document Analysis

Data Summary: PJ Enterprises Shared Vision and Goals

From the data and comments compiled in the Gap Analysis, one
message has become clear: Everyonefrom upper management
to supervisors, trainers, telephone operators, and even
customersdesires positive change. The shared vision and goals
are provided below.

Data Summary: How Telephone Operators Interact with

Customers
Our Gap Analysis revealed that telephone operators interact
with customers in a myriad of waysand many result in
negative outcomes. Below is a breakdown of our recent
research.

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Data Summary: Customer Complaints of Telephone

Operators
From the customers viewpoint, the pie chart below reveals more
closely the type and breakdown of complaints customers have
regarding their shopping experiences with telephone operators,
with the operators telephone etiquette garnering the most
complaints.

Data Summary: Telephone Operators and Job Success

From the telephone operators perspective, most operators
agreed that they would feel more successful if they were more

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

proficient on the computer / computer system, received training

in shorter timeframes, and were presented with multiple ways to
learn.

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Findings, Needs, and Recommended

Solutions
The Performance Analysis describes the current condition of PJ Enterprises. It lists problems and
unfulfilled needs, provides solutions, and makes recommendations. Note: In the chart below,
telephone operators are referred to as TO or TOs, and Customer Service Supervisors are
referred to as CSS or CSSs.

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Finding
Catalogs
Catalogs are missing key
information for customers

Resources
Product guides given to the
telephone operators
preceding the training; paper
copy that falls apart within a
couple of weeks; not in
alphabetical order or by item
number; changes in names
for products; i.e. wide shorts
or shorts wide; written in
paragraph form
No scripts provided for TOs;
some have self-scripted

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Need

Recommended Solution

Catalogs that provide the

customer with key
information needed to make
orders with appropriate
shipping costs for order
amounts

Identify the key information

customers are asking for
and document in next and
future catalog release(s)

A product guide that is

better organized for easier
access to information

Create a product guide

database with search
capabilities to assist TOs
while on customer calls
Integrate product guide
database with new order
entry system when it is put
in place

Standard scripts for TOs

Create telephone scripts for

TOs to utilize during
customer calls, along with
possible scripts for handling
customer issues before
sending to a CSS

Employee handbook has no

formal job descriptions with
associated duties, skills,
aptitude; not specific to job
or department information

Formal job descriptions

written and communicated
regarding duties, skills, and
aptitude.

Identify and document

formal job descriptions to
be included in employee
handbook; create employee
handbook specific to job
and/or department;
communicate these
changes with TOs and CSSs

Specific information
included in employee
handbook

Finding
Resources, continued
Training room contains LCD
projector; no other
equipment

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Need

Recommended Solution

Additional equipment for

trainings

Create a training room that

includes workstations for
possible computer-based
learning and simulations of
customer calls

Product Training
Quarterly half-day product
trainings over new products
(50 each catalog); typically,
not all products are covered,
and there is no time for
questions; product training
occurs two weeks prior to
product catalog release

PowerPoint slides for product

training are used but not
made available to the
employees for review; format
of training is verbal with
minimal visuals; doing and
seeing are TOs learning
preferences

Finding

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Smaller chunks of
training; time for questions;
time for learning about all
new products

Develop a comprehensive
training program for new
product releases; this
training would be for all
telephone operators and
customer service
supervisors; create
instruction in small chunks
over a longer period to
allow for absorption of
information needed;
suggest pre-shift huddles to
focus on single product
each day following training

Different learning styles

accommodatedfor
example, kinesthetic,
auditory, visual

Include interactivity with

hands-on with practice
using demonstrations and
role play

Need

Recommended Solution

Product Training,
continued
Training manuals for
facilitators and trainees
with formal training
documents

Include facilitator guides,

learner workbooks and job
aids

No knowledge checks
incorporated or formal
assessment methods used

Formal and informal

assessments, including
knowledge checks

Training to include
formative and summative
assessments

Trainers have neither training

nor call center experience

Experienced and trained

instructors

Use experienced and

trained instructors. Train the
training instructors to help
facilitate more effective
instruction preparation and
training in the future

No expert SME point of view

of products (vendors)

Product expertise to
demonstrate or explain
benefits of product

Consider using vendors to

provide product demos as
part of training

No product training manuals

for facilitators or trainees; no
formal training documents;
product training includes
product information only;
Product guides are given
following training

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Finding
Product Training,
continued
Training sessions are held in
morning and early evening;
night shifts usually stay for
morning session

Need

Recommended Solution

Training sessions for night

shift

Add an additional training

session for night sift
employees

New Hire Training

Full-day new hire: 2 hours of
company information, 2
hours of order system
information, 2 hours of
product information; no
etiquette training

Comprehensive training
that includes customer
relations and full product
training

Develop a comprehensive
training program for new
hires; training for all
telephone operators and
customer service
supervisors would include
product, order entry, and
customer relations training

Telephone operators take a

few days to get up to speed
after initial training

Customer relations training

Progressive training to
include job shadowing

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Progressive training

10

Trainers have neither

telephone sales experience
nor training experience

Finding
New Hire Training,
continued
No training materials for
automated telephone system
demonstration of procedure
only; no hands on practice or
simulation

TOs cannot recite companys

mission statement

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Experienced and trained

instructors

Use experienced and

trained instructors. Train the
training instructors to help
facilitate more effective
instruction preparation and
training in the future

Need

Recommended Solution

Training manuals for

facilitators and trainees
with formal training
documents; learner guides
and job aids

Include facilitator guides,

learner workbooks and job
aids; include interactivity
with hands-on with practice
using demonstrations and
role plays

The employees should know

the general mission
statement of the company
they work for, inclusive of its
overall goals

Include information on
companys mission
statement in training
materials

11

Order Entry System

Out of date and slow
(especially during peak
season)

Up-to-date order entry

systems

Implement online (webbased) ordering for

customers

Product guides built into order

entry system

Develop quicker adoption of

an order entry system and
order information system
that talks to one another,
along with an integrated
product guide that is
keyword accessible

Need

Recommended Solution

New order entry system not

expected to be ready until
late in the third quarter 2016
but at this time roll out is
behind schedule, according
to IT
Order entry system and order
information system are
separate and do not talk to
each other; product guide not
built into new system
initially; intend to see what it
would take to include product
information

Finding
Order Entry System,
continued
New system will have all TOs
transition at one time

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Progressive roll out of order

entry system

Implement layered rollout of

new order entry system to
allow for issues to be
resolved without creating
issues for the entire
department

12

No comprehensive order
entry system trainingjust
demonstrations

Order entry system training

with demonstrations

Create comprehensive
training on new order system
to include simulation of
customer calls for TOs

Workstations
Out of date and slow
(especially during peak
season); includes standard
workstations with separate
telephones and handsets

Updated workstations to
handle volume appropriately

Install new workstations and

headsets

Monthly Meetings
Monthly meetings are unpaid,
offered twice (morning and
early evening); they are
optional and not attended by
most staff

Compensated monthly
meetings

Make monthly meetings

paid and mandatory with
predetermined agendas;
record monthly meetings
for night shift employees as
an option to attending
meetings that are outside
their normal work day

TOs state they would need to

make meetings convenient
and be paid to attend

Finding

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Need

Recommended Solution

13

Monthly Meetings,
continued
Monthly meetings are
intended to motivate
employees to sell more but
monthly meetings only
communicate negative sales
numbers and are viewed
negatively by staff (TOs feel
that it is only to berate them)
Work Environment/Morale

Use meetings to review

training, products, and
procedures, and to
recognize employees and
communicate new policies.

Positive, holistic
motivational meetings

Include team-building as
part of monthly meeting

All TOs and CSSs work 8-hour

shifts; there is not enough
staff during peak seasonal
times or for customer service
surveys to be taken

Part-time, full-time and

seasonal shifts; temporary,
seasonal employees for high
workload times

Create and/or hire both parttime and full-time shifts;

temporary employees for
peak seasonal and high
workload times

Incentives based on sales

and error-free performance: a
percent off of personal orders
for the next week; TOs
complain of type of feedback
and that expectations are
unreasonable

Incentives based on
employee feedback

Develop incentives and

motivations based on
employee feedback; paid
time off or money

Lack of consistency among

supervisors; only some use
checklist of call behaviors

Leadership training on
effective interactions with
subordinates

Identify and document new

protocols for CSS
interactions with TOs

Documented protocol for

supervisor interactions

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

14

Finding
Work Environment/Morale,
continued

Need

New performance/selfevaluation criteria where TOs

rate themselves; many
unaware of the process

TO training in new
performance criteria

Typically no interactions
between TOs and
supervisors. Supervisors not
readily available to assist TOs
when they lack knowledge
about products

Better communication
among staff at all levels

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Recommended Solution

Create
training to
inform and
educate
all staff on
new
performan
ce
evaluation
criteria
and
process
Create training for CSSs
regarding management,
processes, and
interpersonal skills

15

Morale low among TOs; more

than 40% of TOs are
dissatisfied with their jobs to
the point of wanting to leave

Better skills and knowledge of

customer relations, the order
entry system, and products

Develop a comprehensive
training program for new
product releases; this
training would be for all
telephone operators and
customer service
supervisors; create
instruction in small chunks
over a longer period to
allow for absorption of
information needed;
suggest pre-shift huddles to
focus on single product
each day following training

Finding
Work Environment/Morale,
continued

Need

Recommended Solution

Eight out of ten TOs feel they

are not paid enough; eight
out of ten TOs are unaware
that customer complaints are
up by 30% over previous
year

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Better communication with

staff at all levels

Create management
training for effectively
monitoring performance,
evaluations, and effective
interaction with
subordinates

16

CSSs report they need more

information; CSSs feel
unsupported; CSSs do not
feel that their supervisors
and/or managers are
concerned with their wellbeing

Leadership training on
effective interactions with
subordinates

Create management
training for effectively
monitoring performance,
evaluations, and effective
interaction with
subordinates

CSSs are not sure what the

qualities of an excellent CSS
is or what they need to
become excellent; CSSs feel
they are doing a good job,
feel deserving of their job,
and dont see themselves as
part of the problem; CSSs
believe that their feelings
about things will never be
asked

Documented job
descriptions and
performance objectives for
each position/level of
advancement; performance
review standards; better
communication with staff at
all levels

Create formal job

descriptions and
assessments and training
for CSSs regarding
management, processes,
and interpersonal skills

Finding

Need

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Recommended Solution

17

Customer Service
Feedback
TOs complete customer
surveys themselves

Computerized or phone
surveys for customers

Identify possible
computerized or third-party
surveys for customer
surveys

Customers complain of time

kept waiting while
information is researched

Standards regarding time

expectations for calls

No script for dealing with

customer

Standards for customer

interactions

Customer complaints up 30%

over prior year

Standards regarding
customer complaint
reductions

Not all supervisors use the

checklist for call behavior
(but it may be outdated)

Standards for use of

supervisor checklist for call
behaviors

Create a checklist for CSSs

to use when evaluating TO
call behaviors

Training for current and

newly promoted supervisors

Create management
training for effectively
monitoring performance,
evaluations, and effective
interaction with
subordinates

Create training for TOs for

proper telephone etiquette
(customer relations) and
time management for calls,
including scripts,
simulations or role plays
with formative and
summative assessments

Employee Retention
No management training for
CSSs

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

18

Finding
Employee Retention,
continued

Need

Recommended Solution

CSSs chosen based on

employment longevity

Hiring and promotion

standards that include job
performance evaluations

Create training for CSSs

regarding management,
processes, and
interpersonal skills

High turnover: TO time in job

averages less than one year

Incentives for longevity and

promotion within company

No opportunities for trainees

to practice and apply new
skills

Opportunities for trainees to

practice and apply new skills

Develop incentives for

longevity and promotions
within the company to
create motivation and
desire for advancement

Employee Evaluation/Staff
Development
Desire to have training as
part of the new staff
development initiative; no
additional training other than
new hire and quarterly new
product training

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Training on new products,

customer service,
performance evaluations,
and leadership

Develop training focusing

on new products, customer
service, performance
evaluations, and leadership

19

No formal job assessments of

TOs or CSSs

Finding
Employee Evaluation/Staff
Development, continued
TOs do self-ratings of
customer response
timeliness, politeness, and
accuracy of orders

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Formal assessments for TOs

and CSSs

Create
formal job
assessmen
ts for TOs
and CSSs

Need

Recommended Solution

Performance evaluation
training and expectations
for TOs and supervisors

Create
training to
inform and
educate
all staff on
new
performan
ce
evaluation
criteria
and
process

20

Description of error-free
performance not aligned with
TO duties

Standards for each role that

involves customer service
across the company

No staff development plan

Staff development plan

Identify
and
ensure
that
standards
and
evaluation
s are
document
ed for
customer
service for
every role
applicable
Identify and document
company goals
Create staff development
that addresses and
communicates company
goals

No track leading to
opportunities for
advancement

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

Advancement opportunities

Create
opportuniti
es for
employees
to feel
successful
and
advance
within the
company

21

Proposed Solutions for Consulting Firm to Carry Out

Priori
ty
1

Solution

Description

Employee Handbook

We will review and revise

the latest employee
handbook to ensure that
it reflects all process and
procedural changes,
including descriptions of
roles, opportunities for
advancement, and
standards for employee
performance evaluations,
incentives, and
accountability.

Leadership Training

We will develop training

to include managementrelated best practices,
such as team building,
effective interactions with
employees, employee
supervision, employee
performance evaluations,
and integration of new
standards, policies, and
procedures.

Telephone Operator and

Customer Service
Supervisor Initial Training

We will develop a
comprehensive training
program that includes
customer relations,
products, and the order
entry system. It will
include activities such as
role playing, order entry
and product-lookup
simulations, and will
include job aids to assist
TOs on the job.

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

22

job expectations, and the

evaluation process.
4

Training of New Hires

We will develop a newhire process that includes

comprehensive and
progressive training on
products, customer
relations, and order entry.
It will include activities,
such as role playing,
shadowing, and order
entry and product-lookup
simulations.

Telephone Operator and

Customer Service
Supervisor Ongoing
Training

We will develop online

training for easy access
and reference of training
materials

Evaluation Plan
Concept Creators will work with PJ Enterprises to determine the
effectiveness of the proposed solutions through frequent
evaluations that will be conducted by Concept Creators every 60
to 90 days for at least one year. We will reassess and determine
the need for retraining and/or changes to existing training based
on the results.
We will measure:
Customer complaints/feedback: Compare to standards
Customer sales: Compare to the previous year
Sales per hour: Compare to standards
Employee turnover: Compare to previous year
Employee morale and teamwork: Compare to previous
year
Order Accuracy: Compare to standards and previous year

Request for Proposal

Having successfully worked with PJ Enterprises to conduct both a
Needs Assessment and a Performance Analysis, Concept

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

23

Creators would like to submit a proposal to move forward on the

solutions addressed in the section, Proposed Solutions for
Consulting Firm to Carry Out above. Our expertise in developing
training and assessments will be invaluable to assisting PJ
Enterprises in meeting its company goals of quality customer
service.

Performance Analysis: Team 6 / Concept Creators

24