Telebank Call Center

Telebank Call Center Operates As a Socio-Technical System

Telebank Call Center Operates As a Socio-Technical System

Objectives

The broad research objective is to examine the way social and technical systems are used in the work organization of call centers. The phrase "socio-technical systems" indicates the view that technology is not used in a deterministic fashion but rather is chosen and combined with specific social and organizational strategies in controlling production. The project looks not only at the kind of technology chosen and (most importantly) how it is used, but also investigates skills, recruitment, training and worker agency (Taylor and Bain 2008). The interest in recruitment and selection is an important addition to the project.

The Working Environment

Telebank, one of four dedicated call centers used by a large bank, is described in recruitment literature as a 'brand new building set in excellent, landscaped surroundings'. The building is functional in both interior and exterior design, and forms part of a growing industrial park on the outskirts of a large city. It is three storeys high, with a central stairway separating two working spaces on each level. When research began workers were segregated into rows by having partitions in front, but with space at either side (Samson 2003). This minimized noise levels and feelings of containment. However, following complaints about feeling cramped, the partitions were removed leaving each floor open plan. The workers are split into teams of 12 and each team has control over the visual appearance of the walls around them (Kalakota Robinson 2001). 

Training

Teams like this get six weeks full-time training. For the first four weeks they are based in a separate training room and then move to a dedicated area on the ground floor (known as the” paddling pool") to begin taking calls. Trainees are taught about the technical equipment, given some information on basic banking and (with the most emphasis) tutored in communication skills (Richardson and Marshall 2006). During this time trainees are taught how to vary their voice and manage conversations to ensure every caller gets the same level of customer service. Trainees are told they need not only master specific techniques (such as controlling the conversation) but also must learn how to manage themselves; customers should not be able to tell if CSR's are unhappy. Trainees are told that, at times, they must act (Welsh 2007). The training period is also used to institutionalize workers into the social and organizational framework.

This includes 19 "core standards of behavior" to which trainers constantly refer. One of these in particular is stressed - "acting in an open and honest way recognizing that personal conduct reflects on the bank". This is often abbreviated to the "open and honest" and during training is used to give tough facts about the work - workers are not trusted to use their own autonomy, can expect lots of repetitive calls and that they will be continually monitored. A powerful example of this "scene setting" is the first day pep talk given to trainees by the call centre manager when he said "I won't hesitate to sack someone who doesn't provide customer service" and that "we can monitor when you fart". 

The work

What kind of work to these trainees then face? Well ...