how to control the course of a hotline call

by Prof. Fritz Nikolaus MD 4 min read

What is the hotline phone in control?

 · Use language that lets the customer know it’s time for the call to come to an end. Some suggested lines to consider: “Sounds like we’ve covered everything…”. “I’ll get started on this right away…”. “I don’t want to take up anymore of your time, so…”. “I …

Does the Hotline Connect to any typical network?

 · Step by step here’s how you reach the hotline phone in Control. Interact the lightbulb string three times. This will transport you to a hotel lobby. Ring the bell on the hotel front desk to collect...

Where can I find the hotline?

 · 24/7/365 Service. Seems like a no-brainer, but around-the-clock accessibility is critical to a hotline’s success and the confidence it instills from employees and regulators. Objectivity. One of the primary benefits of a third party hotline is indeed that it’s “removed” from a company. Not only will your employees see it as more ...

What is the Federal Bureau of Control hotline?

Calls should never be answered in an area where others might overhear the hotline operator. Files should be kept in a secure area. Hotline numbers should be “backstopped” against tracing. No caller identification systems should be employed. People answering the calls should not be highly visible to the work force.

How do you take control of a customer service call?

All will have a major impact on customer service quality and your bottom line.Remain in Control of the Conversation. ... Ask Direct Questions. ... Politely Redirect the Caller. ... Listen Carefully. ... Explain Yourself Clearly.

What are call control techniques?

15 Damage Control Techniques For Call Center AgentsAllow customers to talk. Allow angry customers to talk and express their feelings until they release their frustration and calm down.Show you care. Use empathy statements to show you understand the customer's feelings or frustrations.Use the correct tone.

What is call control in call center?

Call control is part art, part science. It's the ability to politely, yet quickly move along a customer service call. These skills were originally a big part of call center agent training back when talk time, or handle time, was considered an essential metric.

How can I improve my call skills?

The time they are on the call....Answer quickly and be ready. ... Qualify the caller and listen to the response. ... Think about your tone of voice. ... Don't leave people hanging on hold. ... Be prepared for well-researched prospects. ... Make every caller feel important. ... Summarise the call. ... Have a follow-up procedure.More items...•

How can I improve my call center skills?

Here are 9 qualities that make for a successful call center agent.Knowledge retention. An agent's mission is to provide the highest quality support to customers. ... Attention to detail. ... Organization. ... Flexibility. ... Friendly. ... Calm under pressure. ... Effective communication skills. ... Speed.More items...•

How do you coach AHT?

How To Reduce AHT – [10 Tips]Automate FAQs. ... Record and Review Phone Calls. ... Use Scripts—But Allow Employees to Go Off-Script, Too. ... Focus on Training. ... Implement IVR. ... Analyze Your Workflow. ... Make Sure Your Employees Know the Product. ... Ask For Customer Feedback.More items...•

What are the techniques to avoid dead air?

The Seven Tips to Avoid Dead Air TimeTeach Advisors Some Polite Phrases. ... Ask Advisors to Tell the Customer What They Are Doing. ... Review and Update Your Knowledge Management System. ... Inform Customers of Promotions and Incentives. ... Engage in Small Talk and Retrieve Customer Information. ... Press the Hold Button When Needed.More items...•

Why is it important to have call control?

Call control is an extremely important skill for customer service representatives to have. It may even be the most important skill. When a representative finds themselves receiving a call where there doesn't seem to be an end, finding a way to resolve the situation and move on to the next call can be a challenge.

How to chunk up a call?

To chunk up, or to take a step back from the details, look for the purpose and overriding point of the information you are being given and repeat it back to the caller.

Why is the caller diverted from adding to the statement?

The caller has been diverted from adding to the statement because the call handler swiftly moved to the next stage – booking the call. Control the conversation so that it flows in ‘big chunk’ mode, but only if it gives you the information you need. Avoid the use of open-ended questions – which encourage small chunking.

What to say when someone says "going out this afternoon"?

You might say, “I know you said you are going out this afternoon so I won’t keep you any longer. Thanks for calling and please let me know if I can assist in the future.” Imply that you are ending the interaction to benefit the customer.

What is a runaway caller?

Runaway callers are sometimes experts at introducing new subjects into the conversation in order to prolong the call. If this is the case keep directing it back to the main discussion which will give you the information you need to resolve the call.

Why do you close questions?

Closed questions reduce the opportunity for your caller to talk at great length and sometimes even digress. If necessary explain to the caller that you have to ask some questions requiring yes or no answers in order to complete the fact sheet. Word your questions accordingly so that you take control of the receipt of short answers.

Can you take care of more than one member on a call?

Some of the calls are for multiple members. If you take care of more then one on the call your time is blown and you can’t come back from it. If you do 10 members in 1 call, you are graded as though it was a single member call and you had no control.

What is the hotline phone in Control?

The hotline phone in Control is a mysterious Object of Power that allows players direct communication with the even more mysterious “Board.” What exactly the Board is you won’t really know at this point in the story, but that said, you know that you need to get to the hotline in order to continue to progress.

Where is the door in the Hotline Chamber?

The door is located nearby where you first were transported. This will bring you back to the Hotline Chamber area.

What is the story of control?

In Control, players are taken on a mysterious supernatural journey filled with confusing twists and problems that initially seem impossible to solve until you remember that things aren’t what they seem. One such spot comes early on in the story of Control. If you’re here, you’re likely a bit confused about how to reach the hotline phone in Control. Allow us to get you unstuck.

What is the best practice for an in-house hotline?

The trend is for employees to use the latter over the former. The best practice is to use a vendor that provides both services.

Why is a hotline important?

A hotline is a critical part of any effective compliance program . It is an important avenue of communication between employees and management, in that it permits employees to report sensitive matters outside the normal supervisory channels. Absence of such lines of communication restricts management knowledge about matters that could be ...

What should be the report on individual calls?

Reports provided. Reports on individual calls should be well written, clear, concise and of high quality. Ask if trending and tracking reports are part of the service.

What should a company be able to assist you with developing operating protocols for following up an allegations and complaints received through

The company should be able to assist you with developing operating protocols for following up an allegations and complaints received through the hotline.

How long is a covered person able to call a hotline?

Covered persons should be able to contact and report to the hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a live operator available, at a minimum during normal business hours over a five day week. Cost of operation. Compare costs of service with the cost to maintain and operate a hotline in-house. Industry expertise.

When do hotline calls peak?

The great majority of calls are received during daylight hours. There is a spike early in morning and they peak during lunch and the couple of hours immediately afterward. For companies operating 24 hour hotline services, less than 10% of the calls are received after normal business hours.

How many calls do you get on a hotline?

A rough way to compute this would be 1-1.5 calls per month for every thousand employees. The great majority of calls are received during daylight hours. There is a spike early in morning and they peak during lunch and the couple of hours immediately afterward. For companies operating 24 hour hotline services, less than 10% of the calls are received after normal business hours. Approximately three quarters or more of the total number of calls will be motivated by human-resources related issues.

What does a poorly managed hotline do?

A poorly managed hotline program can do just the opposite. It can educate people into believing management does not care to hear from them, worse will penalize anyone who tries to use the hotline. This, in turn, can lead to their silence, where they will not warn the organization of a looming problem.

Why is a hotline important?

There are great benefits to an organization in gaining feedback from those who are in the workplace. Information from the hotline may be able to alert management to issues affecting their “bottom-line”, exposure to liability, morale of the workforce, etc. All this is possible, if it is operated correctly.

What is the review of written guidance?

Review of Written Guidance. Organizations with a hotline should have policies and procedures governing all aspects of the function and gathering into a single manual which provide instructions and guidance on the operation of the Hotline . The annual review should verify that the policies provide adequate guidance to Hotline staff; are written in a clear and concise manner; have been distributed to all covered persons; and have been used in compliance training programs. The hotline related policies should address;

Is a hotline effective?

However, just establishing a hotline is not enough; it must be made credible and effective or it will cause more damage than not having one at all.

Can you operate a hotline in house?

The problem for many is trying to determine how and what an effective hotline function should look like. What is clear to most organizations is that they cannot operate their own hotline in house that is cost effective. Hotline vendors provide an extremely cost effective alternative and should be carefully considered.

Should a hotline be subject to audit?

Hotline should be subject of ongoing auditing and monitoring. Have audit performed by those independent of the program. Results should be documented in a written report. Review should document findings/suggestions. Have reports go to senior management and Board for action.

Why do employees not report to the hotline?

The most common reason employees fail to report via the hotline is the failure of receiving proper training and education on how to use it, without fear of retribution or retaliation. Employees are typically reluctant to report concerns through the hotline when they don’t have adequate understanding on how it operates and the protections offered to those who use it to report potential problems. Under these circumstances, employees often fear that they will somehow be identified when calling the hotline and will be subject to adverse actions by management as a result. The availability and means of using the hotline should be incorporated in every employee training session, along with reassurance of no retaliation for its use.

What is the burden of a compliance hotline?

The burden is on the Compliance and/or Privacy Officer to evidence the effectiveness of the hotline operation. Communication between employees and management is essential in an effective compliance program. Furthermore, that communication must flow both ways, from management to employees and back. An effective hotline operation should receive an ...

Why do you need to schedule a focus group meeting?

If you have done all of the above and your hotline calls have, or continue to, drop in number, you may want to schedule focus-group meetings with your employees to learn why they are reluctant to use the hotline as a reporting mechanism. For best results from focus group meeting of this type, you may wish to consider having an expert consultant perform the work. The results may surprise you. More information and articles regarding this subject are available at the Hotline Service Center.

Can you outsource answering of hotline?

Most organizations have outsourced the answering of the hotline. If you have outsourced the hotline or are considering outsourcing you should evaluate whether the compliance hotline vendor can provide all the necessary components. Consider, does the service offer both web-based reporting around the clock with prompts to garner as much information as possible, as well as having live operators debriefing callers? These days, most employees are more comfortable reporting through a secure web-based program, but many still prefer the live operators. As such, if your service offers only one means to report, consider changing vendors to obtain one that provides both services at the same or lesser cost to which you are currently paying. For live operator answered hotlines, the Compliance and/or Privacy Officer, as part of ongoing monitoring, should have someone test the hotline with a test call scenario to determine:

When evaluating the call volume, you may want to consider why employees are not using this communication channel?

When evaluating the call volume, you may want to consider why employees are not using this communication channel and look for opportunities to establish a better connection; or if there is significantly larger call volume then it may reflect some underlying set of issues or problems that should be addressed.

Do hotline calls relate to compliance issues?

Also, in many cases, hotline callers are reporting issues that are within the scope of human resource management’s areas of responsibilities. The result is that only a relatively few number of calls relate to significant compliance issues;

Is it bad to have a lack of calls?

A lack of calls is not always a good sign; it could mean just the opposite. You could have minor to serious problems but people are not letting you know. Conversely, too many calls may suggest some serious institutional issues affecting negatively a large segment of the work force.

What is a hotline in physics?

The Hotline is an Object of Power that enables its wielder to communicate with The Board. It doesn't connect to any typical network, it is a direct secure line of communication with the Astral Plane and the Board, Casper Darling hypothesizes that under the right conditions the Hotline can connect to other planes of existence as well.

Why was the Hotline Chamber created?

Sometime after this, possibly as a result of the incident, a specialized containment zone for the Hotline (the Hotline Chamber) was created to both suppress its noise and keep general Bureau staff away.

What is the Black Pyramid in Hotline?

During the Hotline Astral Plane Challenge, the Black Pyramid can be seen hovering directly over the Hotline, showing how the Object connects the Director to the Board. This is the only time the Pyramid can actually be approached (even if it still can't actually be reached.)

Can the Director pick up the hotline?

Only the Director can safely answer or pick up the Hotline. If used by anyone other than the Director, the OoP will cause lethal harm to them.

Can a janitor access the hotline?

As specified in its documentation, only the Director is allowed to access the Hotline. Bureau janitors are still given access to the Hotline Chamber for cleaning purposes, however.

Where is the control point in a room?

Cleanse the control point. It's on the other side of the room, past the tall filing cabinets and up the stairs.

How to get to the Astral Plane?

Move forward and when the time is right run towards the object of power. Interact with it and you'll be transported to the Astral Plane.

Do not go into the red area?

Do not go into the red area. The hiss is powerful there and will lower your health until you're dead.

Is Control a third person game?

Set in a unique and ever-changing world that juxtaposes our familiar reality with the strange and unexplainable, Control is a third-person action-adventure game combining Remedy’s trademark gunplay with supernatural abilities.

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Ask A Question That Will Elicit Information

Use More Closed Questions

  • These are questions that will deliver ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers or specific information that you request. For example: Closed questions reduce the opportunity for your caller to talk at great length and sometimes even digress. If necessary explain to the caller that you have to ask some questions requiring yes or no answers in order to complete the fact sheet. Word your questions accordingl…
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Chunk The Conversation

  • When we chunk a conversation it means we break it down into manageable parts. Big chunks are used for general ideas, the big picture so to say; small chunks are used for detail and precise information, the minute detail. People who run away with conversations may be small chunkers, and consider the detail of all situations. In this case, if the details are not relevant to the call, kee…
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Use The Customer’S Name

  • If none of the ideas above help you to interject in the call use the old faithful – the customer’s name. We love to hear our own names – it stops us in our tracks. For example:“Oh, Mr Smith, that has just made me think…”.The pause will allow you to take control. Do be patient with those who clearly just want someone to talk to whilst being mindful ...
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