VyStar Credit Union redesigned its Contact Center training program in 2023. The Contact Center is a primary method through which more than 900,000 members across the globe conduct their banking business. Some 15 percent of VyStar employees handle member (customer) calls.
Program Details
The revamped program is structured into three phases that gradually increase in complexity of knowledge and skills. Each phase includes several days of classroom instruction and employs various teaching methods such as:
- Web-based training modules
- Live demonstrations with training systems
- Practice exercises
- Real-world examples review
- Skill practice scenarios
- Interactive discussions
- Knowledge review
Trainees also listen to recorded calls to gain a foundation on expected behaviors regarding quality service standards and phone security measures. As trainees progress, they gradually are introduced to more complex processes and systems, which align with the level of difficulty of member queries in the phone queue.
During each phase, there are on-the-job (OJT) training days where trainees have the opportunity to apply their learning by handling actual member calls. OJT facilitators in the Contact Center department and Technical Training facilitators in the Learning and Development department provide support during these moments. After each OJT session, the class collectively discusses the calls, receiving coaching feedback from the facilitators. This time also allows for peer learning and self-evaluation in a supportive environment.
The OJT facilitator team conducts call review evaluations and class observations during training to ensure consistency with meeting key performance indicators. After training, the Quality Assurance (QA) team completes four call reviews, and the new employee’s assistant manager completes two call reviews. Feedback and coaching are provided based on the call reviews.
After six months, QA completes two evaluations per month as does the employee’s assistant manager. Ongoing evaluation coaching sessions with their managers continue throughout the employee’s career. If scores drop, the frequency of call evaluations increases. Overall results and trends are shared with the Learning and Development team.
Results
The time for a new employee to achieve average handle time has been reduced to six weeks, beating the company’s goal. In addition, at the end of July 2023, average Google and Yelp Survey scores were 4.65, above the goal for Contact Center calls.
This training initially included VyStar’s Contact Center, but in July 2023, the credit union expanded it to include all Branch employees.
