A report by the Economic Times stated that the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) might soon grant approval to MukeshAmbani ledRIL (Reliance Industries Limited) for carrying out testson its 4G networks.

It has also mentioned that a specific department of DOT, Telecommunication Engineering Service (TEC) has put forward the idea of offering around 10,000 mobile numbers to support its testing process. Furthermore, it has also given a go ahead to InfotelBroadband,owned, and managed by RIL, for connecting its network to other operators wherein these it will be possible for them to make outgoing calls and receive incoming calls using these 10,000 test numbers. This department caters to the research and development of new products and services and is at the helm of establishing new standards.

However, it has levied rules and regulations ensuring that the testing is restricted to specific geographic areas and same equipment is put to use for varied tests effectuated in different circles. DOT has also forbidden Reliance Infotelfrom engaging in offering any kind of commercial services and has announced a definite time for carrying out these testing activities.

While RILclearly rubbished rumors of its tie- up with any other company for offering its voice services earlier this year, it also recently confirmed about its plans of manufacturing its own handsets, in tune with its 4G services. Even as the present telecom policy does not sanction the provision of voice services through 4G licenses, the new telecom policy soon to roll out in 2013, is expected to come as a relief, permitting operators to provide voice services through 4G or BWA, following the deploying of a new framework advocating liberalizationof spectrum utilization, in the country.

A few days back, there were reports of the conglomerate investing $ 10bn on its 4G network wherein it collaborated with Spirit DSP for offering voice and video call services(VVOIP), similar to Skype, in its upcoming LTE network. Thisdeal allows Spirits TeamSpirit voice and video engine to be accredited as Infotels.

Based on the present reports, RIL has set the stage for rolling out its 4G service, in mid2013, in Mumbai and Delhi, initially. For the same, it has embarked on varied collaborations with top-notch companies like Ericsson and Samsung for building its network, IBM for IT support, Microsoft for security solutions, Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd (HFCL) for building optical fiber cable network in targeted cities (Delhi and Mumbai) , where it intends to roll out its services, initially.

The latest generation of call center software allows organizations to monitor agent and department performance at a level that would have been impossible ten or twenty years ago. However these tools are not just for management use. Call center reports provide valuable motivators to agents, inspiring them to excel and boost the center’s productivity.

Giving Agents Control

When agents become isolated, their performance suffers. A workday becomes an endless series of phone calls. There is no sense of progress other than the ticking of the clock, and the only goal is to get through the day. Morale drops. Service quality drops. Customers become unhappy. It’s a death spiral.

Live call center reports allow agents to see how the department is performing in real time. Phone calls are no longer isolated incidents, but rather pieces of an overall flow of call volume. The agent is not alone, but part of a team. Employees can see how individual efforts affect hold times, queue lengths and other statistics. As the number of calls climb they can put in an extra effort, and as call volume falls agents can relax and take a breather.

It’s Like A Game

Goals are an important element of motivation. They allow us to “win” at whatever we are doing, providing a sense of accomplishment. Realistic and achievable objectives improve employee productivity by adding an element of fun to the workday, without undermining the professionalism needed in the position.

Service departments use call center reports in this manner. Agents work to keep queue lengths and hold times below certain levels. They are prompted to work harder to win at the customer service game. Agents take it upon themselves to work harder when needed rather than needing to be browbeaten by management. This internal motivation is an invaluable part of a productive and happy service team.

Service First

There are two things to keep in mind when using call center reports as motivational tools. First, it’s all about customer service. The reason we want to get hold times or queue lengths down is not that it makes our reports look good. It’s because a caller who gets to a human being faster is going to be a happier customer. However when we become so obsessed with getting our numbers down that we hang up on customers before the problem is resolved, we’ve lost sight of the true goal. Agents still need to provide exceptional service to each caller.

The second thing to remember is the motivational benefits of call center reports are lost when we use those statistics to punish rather than encourage. When an agent is not meeting standards something needs to be done, but reprimands and threats often simply lower morale while providing only a token increase in productivity. Low morale service agents may take their bad moods out on customers. Find a positive way to inspire low-productivity employees to work harder.