Performance

Analysis Report for PJ Enterprises

Team 3 / Module 3

November 13, 2016

Introduction and Background

PJ Enterprises (PJE) is a six-year old mail-order catalog business which employs 50 people. The company
distributes catalogs which feature products aligned primarily toward middle-income women ranging in
age from 25 to 55 years. The catalogs are typically between 40 and 50 pages in length and distributed on a
quarterly basis. Customers primarily order products from the catalog by calling the toll-free number.
Survey data indicates a 30% increase in customer complaints related to their telephone experience,
compared to the same time period in the previous year. The company has seen double digit increases in
sales and a net profit of one million dollars according to last years targets.
PJE has set aggressive revenue and growth goals for the upcoming fiscal year. In consideration of these
goals, DesignFormation Performance (DFP) has been contracted to develop a training program for the
telephone operators to increase their expertise of product knowledge. The end goals of this training
include the following: 1) increasing catalog sales; 2) improving the efficiency of the ordering process; 3)
improving employee engagement and satisfaction; and 4) reducing the number of customer complaints.
DFP strongly recommended a comprehensive evaluation be completed to determine the current state of
operations at PJE, to articulate their desired result, and to identify the root cause(s) of the gap between
current practices and the desired end state. PJE agreed to the analysis and assisted DFP in collecting data.
Should it be concluded that training is the best solution, DFP will collaborate with the appropriate
stakeholders at PJE to develop, design, and implement an effective training program.

Purpose of the Report

The purpose of this performance analysis report is to determine the cause(s) of poor service as well as to
identify potential solutions. determine

Analysis Methods
DFP used the following analysis methods to determine the current state of PJ Enterprises telephone
operator training, job satisfaction, and performance.

Performance Analysis Report for PJE

Team 3/Module 3 11_13_16

Observations included these activities:

shadowed individual telephone operators and supervisors as they performed daily call center tasks
to evaluate job performance, efficiency, and quality of customer service;

listened to randomized samples of live and recorded calls with customers to determine if any
noticeable issues occurred;

attended team meetings to evaluate team cohesiveness, overall mood of the department, and
employee motivation;

sat in on scheduled onboarding/training sessions to gain an understanding of PJE onboarding

process; and

requested copies of existing training materials, job aids, and other documentation related to
product information and service standards for later review.

Interviews included these activities:

met with telephone operators and supervisors to obtain their perspectives on job expectations,
issues occurring during calls with clients, job satisfaction, and recommendations for
improvement;

met with Jane MacKenzie, director of sales support, and Mike Merrill, vice-president of sales, to
gain information regarding their expectation for growth and the changes they see needed to
strengthen the companys growth potential; and

met with Judie Thompson, catalog director, and Sheena Perez, merchandising manager, to
determine job expectations for telephone operators and supervisors as well as to discuss training
details and effectiveness at addressing customer service issues.

Surveys included this activity:

administered an anonymous survey to a pool of randomly selected telephone operators to

determine employee viewpoints on job satisfaction, pay, customer service challenges, and
adequacy of resources.

Training Material and Documents Review included these activities:

reviewed PowerPoint presentation and associated script to gain a comprehensive understanding of

the previous training methods, presentations, and resources; and

reviewed training material (Summary Product Descriptions on Automated Entry System) to

gauge effectiveness of system and efficiency to access the information.

Sales document review included these activities:

Reviewed sales documents to determine the correlation between sales numbers, volume of calls
processed, and individual breakdown of each operators call statistics.

Compared operators rate of calls, sales transactions, and any correlation between customer
service complaints with operator characteristics and statistics.

Performance Analysis Report for PJE

Team 3/Module 3 11_13_16

Data Summary: Distribution of Customer Complaints

Customers consider phone etiquette of the operators to be a bigger problem than their lack of knowledge
of the products.

Data Summary: Requested Tools for Success

Of the 25 operators surveyed, there was agreement that timely training was not an issue. They expressed
an overwhelming preference for a different type of training than what they have been receiving, citing
interest in shorter increments, and more hands-on or visual style training, rather than the current lecture
style. Overwhelmingly, 88% of the operators also felt they needed more efficient software and hardware.

Performance Analysis Report for PJE

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Data Summary: Operator Preferred Training Style

Out of 25 surveyed, nearly three-quarters of the respondents indicated that hands-on training was
preferable to lecture based training.

Performance Analysis Report for PJE

Team 3/Module 3 11_13_16

Findings, Needs, and Recommended Solutions

To address PJEs call center, this table summarizes the performance analysis completed by DFP, including identified needs and
recommended solutions.
Finding

Need

[sa] It is challenging for the telephone operators

to locate the correct product information on
demand from the existing references.

Product information should be current and

[cs] Product information is listed in paragraph

form making it difficult to find specific
information.

Product details should be easy to find

[cs] There are no opportunities for practice nor

assessment on finding product information.

Telephone operators should be able to

easily accessible.

Recommended Solution
Replace the current print reference materials with an

online (or electronic) searchable resource that allows

items to be found by index, keyword, item name, item
number, department, etc. Possible options could
include a .pdf, internal website, or searchable database.
Online resources can be updated on a rolling basis as
new products become available.
Organize product information in a uniform, easy-to-

read manner that will allow telephone operators to

access information more efficiently.
practice as well as assess themselves on
finding product information.

Create a timed assessment on finding new product

information with every catalogue rollout.

Provide rewards and recognition for those who

complete this the fastest.

[cs] New employee orientation includes 2 hours of
demonstration on order entry system, but no
opportunity for practice nor assessment.

New telephone operators should be able to

practice using the order entry system, assess
themselves, and receive constructive feedback.

Incorporate practice tasks that telephone operators will

need to complete into the new employee order entry

system training.
Provide coaching, job aids, and performance feedback.

Performance Analysis Report for PJE

Team 3/Module 3 11_13_16

Finding

Need

[jb] There is no specific training for supervisors to

help them manage telephone operators.
Supervisors are given their positions due to
favorable performance as telephone operators
themselves, without specific preparation, but there
is no clear track for this promotion.

Supervisors should have a defined role within the

call center. This role would include a determined
skill set to meet PJEs customer service
standards, manage telephone operators in
development and performance reviews, and be
given ongoing training for best practices.

Recommended Solution
Create a specific call center supervisor job description

and competitive pay scale.

Determine a hiring track to fill supervisor roles through

internal telephone operator development and/or

through external hiring.
Develop and implement an ongoing training program

for call center supervisors to address PJEs overall

procedures as well as a specific training in
management, employee development and employee
performance reviewing.
Offer these trainings when new supervisors begin their

roles, and bi-yearly to refresh continuing supervisors.

Develop a process for supervisor-led telephone

operator performance reviews and specify review

criteria, which will serve as a basis for operator
development and merit pay raises.
Compensate supervisors for training to increase their

commitment to their roles, and improve employee

motivation.
[jb] Although telephone operators are selected for
their general politeness and good etiquette, there
is no specific training in phone etiquette for call
center operators.

Telephone operators need clearly defined

expectations for phone etiquette and best
practices within the call center, and incentives to
ensure their understanding.

Define clear expectations for best practices in call

center etiquette.
Develop and implement ongoing training sessions for

telephone operators and supervisors to provide

strategies, practice and feedback on phone etiquette
best practices.
Develop a procedure for supervisors to assist operators

in meeting phone etiquette expectations, and evaluate

using structured performance review criteria.
Compensate telephone operators for attending trainings

to increase their commitment to their roles and help

them develop individually.


Performance Analysis Report for PJE

Team 3/Module 3 11_13_16

Finding

Need

[sa] Telephone operators have difficulty recalling

product information. The current quarterly
training model does not sufficiently cover all
product descriptions. Refresher training is not
offered for current or new employees who begin
mid-quarter.

Telephone operators need all product information

to be easily accessible and current. The product
reference system must contain relevant
descriptions for telephone operators to fully
answer customer questions.

Recommended Solution
Train the telephone operators to efficiently conduct a

product search on a proposed online searchable

resource. (Locating and referencing issues may persist
as catalog items change.)
Allow telephone operators to review items when call

volume is low.
Offer refresher training in between quarterly training

for existing employees and new hires.

Incorporate a mentoring program for new hires,

pairing them with high-performing telephone operators

for coaching opportunities.
[sa] Telephone operators do not have a good
understanding of performance expectations.
Current performance review practices do not
include clear measurable objectives. Much of the
information collected is subjective.

Telephone operators need performance standards

to be clearly communicated to them and a
balanced evaluation process to ensure job
performance.

Phase in call monitoring by supervisors as well as call-

coaching simulations to provide in-action examples of

call standards.
Create a comprehensive evaluation process and

communicate the standards to employees.

Implement a balanced evaluation process that

incorporates opportunities for telephone operators to

improve performance.
Involve telephone operators in the evaluation process

by allowing them to identify goals for growth and

feedback about their own performance in one on one
discussions with their supervisors.
Implement incentives to increase engagement and

productivity and achieve performance objectives.

Performance Analysis Report for PJE

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Finding

Need

[sa] Department meetings are poorly attended.

Lack of employee knowledge leads to poor job
performance and customer complaints.

Departmental and pertinent role-specific

information needs to be regularly communicated
to employees.

Recommended Solution
Implement mandatory meetings for which employees

are paid during work hours, and rotate scheduling to

accommodate shift schedules and employee
availability.
Compensation for meeting time will increase

attendance and provide employees with the necessary

information and skills to best assist customers,
resulting in fewer complaints.
These meetings could also serve as mini-refresher

training sessions when appropriate.

Proposed Solutions for Consulting Firm to Carry Out

DFP proposes the following solutions, stated in order of priority.
Priority

Solution

Description

Training on product and catalog.

Split up the face-to-face training to be no more than an hour per session.

Role playing simulation training for

phone calls.

Work with operators and supervisors to develop scenario-based training modules to address employees

Develop training program for new

supervisors

Implement a program that will emphasize leadership and managerial skills for new supervisors, and also

Develop an online searchable

tool/database for reference.

Develop and maintain online resource containing product references for easier searching, an internal

indication that there is a lack of hands-on applied training.

instruct basics in employee development, including performance feedback, evaluation and review
principles.
catalog so to speak.
Work with IT to implement.

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Priority
5

Solution

Description

Update the employee handbook

Revise for updated employee evaluation methods and processes.

Make it available online in electronic format.
Work with HR department to implement.

Develop a training program and

schedule for the new ordering system,
using both face-to-face and CBT.

Make this training timely, ensuring that there is plenty of time for the training sessions, but that they are

close enough to the product rollout for retention.

Split up the face-to-face training to be no more than an hour per session, with no more than 30 minutes for

each CFriday session, to be consistent with other training on product.

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Evaluation plan
DFP will implement the Phillips ROI Evaluation Model to evaluate. This process will consist of
formative and summative assessments.
Level 1: Reaction and Planned Action

Immediately following the quarterly trainings, DFP will survey the trainees for their feedback regarding
the quality and practicality of the content, materials, resources, delivery, and venue. Modifications and
updates to these items will be incorporated as needed for the next training based on the feedback received.
Level 2: Learning

Pre- and post-assessments will be administered to participants to establish a baseline of existing

knowledge and measure progress. Quarterly training sessions will include post assessments, whereby
employees engage in a mock simulation using the new support tool to field customer inquiries. DFP will
set a passing score of 80% and evaluate each result to help pinpoint gaps or determine if the assessment
itself needs revision (e.g. unclear example or question). Learner scores will be used to measure learning
transfer.
Level 3: Application and Implementation

Milestone evaluations and assessments will be conducted on a rolling basis at the specified intervals of
30, 60, and 90 days, as well as six months post-training, to measure changes in employee behaviors.
At the 30, 60, and 90 day intervals:

how

surveys

track number of calls rerouted

survey telephone operators to measure how effectively they are utilizing the new online support
resource and implementing phone etiquette skills;

conduct customer surveys and track responses and compare to results before training. Look for a
10% increase in customer satisfaction by the end of the 90 days; and

track number of calls rerouted to supervisors and compare to pre-training results. Supervisors will
keep a call log and look for 5% reduction in calls that are sent to them at each interval for a total
of a 15% decrease by the end of the 90 days.

At the six month interval:

utilizing

implementation and quality

in survey

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develop and implement a survey for telephone operators to see how they are utilizing the new
online support resource and the consistency at which they use it;

record random calls and analyze implementation and quality of phone etiquette skills by
supervisors; and

develop and include in survey to see if supervisors are encouraging and monitoring the use of the
skills presented in training.

The above-mentioned methods will help measure overall behavioral outcomes and measure if training
content has had the desired outcomes. Additional training could be added if needed.
Level 4: Business Results

Pre-training and six month post-intervention metrics will be analyzed and compared. DFP will review the
data collected and consider influencing factors such as employee turnover, sales figures, customer
complaint numbers, and customer satisfaction survey data. Once the analysis is complete, DFP will
measure the benefits of the training solution to PJ Enterprise stakeholders. At the end of six months, DFP
will review employee turnover reports, sales reports, and customer complaint survey results, and compare
the results with the desired outcomes.
Level 5: ROI

An analysis of trends will be conducted and presented to PJE. These trends will be compared against the
cost of training development and delivery to help demonstrate the return on investment (Level 5: ROI) for
PJE after one year of implementation.

Request for Proposal

To reach PJEs given objectives for growth and improvement in customer service quality, DFP has been
asked to help reach these goals by improving customer service, in terms of customer experience and
employee performance and job satisfaction. Through an extensive needs analysis, DFP has arrived at a
group of solutions to help PJE address their goals, as overviewed in the Proposed Solutions for
Consulting Firm to Carry Out section of this document. DFP would like an opportunity to submit a
proposal to develop and implement these proposed solutions.

Performance Analysis Report for PJE

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