Mystery Call Project 2011 Results & Action Items Annual AIRS Conference * New Orleans * May 21,

Project Details Basic premise Project logistics Call scenario What we were looking for Final report 2

Results 2010 project = baseline results 2011 results similar to 2010 Performance worse in some areas 3

Results Highlights Did the I&R Specialist give their own name (e.g. Good morning, my name is Jenny)? % of responses 2010 # of responses 2011 % of responses 2011 Yes 31% % No 69% % 4

Results Highlights Did the greeting include an offer to help? % of responses 2010 # of responses 2011 % of responses 2011 Yes 77% % No 23% 54 24% 5

Results Highlights Did the I&R Specialist paraphrase the requested services for clarification and confirmation? % of responses 2010 # of responses 2011 % of responses 2011 Yes 61% % No 39% % 6

Results Highlights Were you thanked for calling? % of responses 2010 # of responses 2011 % of responses 2011 Yes 69% % No 31% % 7

Results Highlights Did the call specialist invite you to call again in the future? % of responses 2010 # of responses 2011 % of responses 2011 Yes 54% % No 46% % 8

The Challenge Improving the Caller Experience: 1. Uniform greeting 2. Accurate assessment of callers needs 3. Closing 9

Action Item#1: The Greeting Greeting & speed of answer first impression You had me at hello The basics: Welcome the caller Clarify agency name Provide first name Offer assistance Practice! 10

Action Item #2: Assessment Establish rapport (e.g. the greeting) Gather information Define need Identify caller characteristics Problem-solve Summarize need & establish next steps 11

Action Item#3: The Closing Does the caller have other needs that have not yet been addressed? Thank the individual for calling Remind caller of centers hours of operation Encourage caller to call back if referrals do not work out 12

Benefits of Internal Mystery Calls Caller experience perspective Measure of quality Identify areas of needed improvement Success stories Hands-on demonstration of service 13

Steps to Implementation 1. Identify appropriate mystery callers 2. Create call scenarios 3. Decide on quality indicators to measure 4. Train mystery callers 5. Debrief 6. Report results to leadership team 7. Discuss results with staff in team meetings 8. Set goals, repeat, and track improvement 14

Questions? Karen Turgeon Maine Janice Harris Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa Alana Kroeber United Way of CT/