Press Release

Is Your Service Center Ready for Swine Flu?

If the flu is severe, customer service centers may have trouble manning the phones and otherwise serving customers.

(Boonton, NJ, Nov 9, 2009) — The flu season is getting under way in many parts of the country, and there are mixed indications of just how severe it might be. If it is severe, however, some customer service centers might have trouble manning the phones and otherwise serving customers some cold winter morning.

The November issue of industry publication Customer Service Newsletter, details the business continuity plan created by Language Services Associates of Horsham, PA. The plan helps ensure that customers get the service they need no matter how severe the flu outbreak.

Some of the many precautions they have taken include:

• Cross-training employees to provide customer service backup.
• Maximizing the work-at-home capabilities of staff.
• Assigning backups to key staff members.
• Adding space between agents where possible.
• Providing hand sanitizer and sanitary wipes to staff.
• Initiating a flu vaccination incentive to reimburse employees for getting flu shots.
• Encouraging employees to stay home or work from home if they feel sick.
• Passing along tips on staying healthy to staff.

Whether or not the Swine Flu outbreak is severe, flu season is an annual event, which every service center should prepare for.

###

About the Customer Service Group

For more than 20 years, the Customer Service Group has helped customer service, call center and help desk managers increase productivity, improve service quality and boost customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention. The Customer Service Group publishes Customer Service Newsletter and The Customer Communicator.

Website: http://www.CustomerServiceGroup.com