Best Practices for Call Quality Monitoring in Call Centers

Table of Contents

• Microsoft Teams and Call Center Quality Assurance
• Tools and Features for Monitoring Call Quality
• Best Practices for Call Quality Monitoring
  1. Define Clear Standards for Success
  2. Monitor Calls in Real Time
  3. Deliver Data-Driven Feedback
  4. Use Sentiment Analysis
  5. Optimize Call Queues with Data
• Enhancing Call Monitoring with Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams
• Conclusion

For universities and colleges, a well-run call center is critical for managing communications with students, alumni, and staff. Whether supporting IT help desks, handling admissions inquiries, or assisting alumni with donations, ensuring quality in call centers improves efficiency and user satisfaction while meeting institutional standards.

Call quality monitoring plays a vital role in maintaining high service levels by identifying technical issues, evaluating agent performance, and enhancing the overall experience for callers. Monitoring calls allows IT teams to troubleshoot problems quickly while supervisors can ensure agents meet expectations, whether addressing first-year students, faculty members, or alumni. This process also highlights inefficiencies like long wait times or overloaded queues, enabling institutions to address bottlenecks and improve resource allocation. 

Microsoft Teams and Call Center Quality Assurance 

As a leading platform, Microsoft Teams provides the flexibility and tools required to support higher education’s diverse communication needs. Paired with tools like Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams, it enables institutions to implement call center quality monitoring best practices. Features such as live dashboards, call analytics, and customizable reporting empower supervisors to track performance in real time, ensure compliance, and identify growth opportunities. 

By integrating call center monitoring software with Microsoft Teams, institutions can create a comprehensive and efficient approach to call quality management, ensuring consistent, high-level service for students, faculty, and alumni alike. 

Tools and Features for Monitoring Call Quality 

Microsoft Teams offers a robust suite of tools for call center quality monitoring and analytics, making it an ideal choice for higher education institutions. These tools empower IT teams and supervisors to track performance, improve agent efficiency, and maintain compliance with regulatory standards. Key features include: 

• Call Analytics: Microsoft Teams tracks crucial call center quality assurance metrics like response times, resolution rates, and call durations. These insights help supervisors identify trends and pinpoint areas for improvement. 
• Real-Time Dashboards: Supervisors can monitor live call activity, assess agent availability, and address issues as they arise, ensuring smooth operations during peak periods. 
• Compliance Tools: Built-in compliance features help institutions protect sensitive information and adhere to regulatory requirements:
  • Customer Lockbox: Provides explicit control over data access, ensuring that Microsoft personnel require customer authorization for access. 
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Prevents unauthorized sharing of sensitive information during calls or chats. 
  • eDiscovery: Enables secure identification, holding, and management of information for legal and compliance purposes. 

By integrating Microsoft Teams with Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams, institutions can enhance these capabilities with advanced features tailored for education. Tools such as sentiment analysis, customizable reporting dashboards, and real-time transcription provide deeper insights into agent performance and caller satisfaction, helping teams implement call quality monitoring best practices effectively. 

Best Practices for Call Quality Monitoring 

1. Define Clear Standards for Success 

Setting clear, measurable standards is the cornerstone of call center quality monitoring. These standards provide benchmarks for evaluating the success of every interaction between agents and callers, whether they are students, faculty, or alumni. Without them, institutions cannot accurately measure performance or identify areas for improvement. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Track: 

• First Call Resolution (FCR): Aim to resolve issues during the first interaction. For instance, a student calling about financial aid should receive all necessary information without needing to call back. 
• Average Handling Time (AHT): Track how long agents spend on each call. This metric balances efficiency with service quality. For example, if housing inquiries consistently exceed target handling times, additional resources or refined scripts may be needed. 
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Collect feedback from callers through post-call surveys to gauge overall performance. Questions like “Did this call resolve your issue?” help highlight trends in caller satisfaction. 

To implement these standards: 

• Train Your Team: Use real-world examples to demonstrate best practices, such as empathetic communication that balances conciseness with thoroughness. 
• Leverage Tools: Platforms like Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams provide real-time dashboards and performance tracking to ensure agents meet these benchmarks. Supervisors can monitor trends over time and refine strategies accordingly. 

Defining and implementing clear standards builds a strong foundation for long-term success in call center quality assurance. 

2. Monitor Calls in Real Time 

Real-time call monitoring allows supervisors to identify and address issues as they arise, preventing minor challenges from escalating into larger problems. For example, if hold times spike in the admissions queue, supervisors can immediately reallocate agents to reduce delays. 

Key Features of Real-Time Monitoring: 

• Live Dashboards: Microsoft Teams’ built-in dashboards display real-time metrics, such as queue lengths and agent availability, allowing supervisors to take immediate action. 
• Proactive Problem Solving: Spot trends like repeated complaints or delays and address them before they affect service quality.
• Accountability: Knowing they’re being monitored in real time motivates agents to adhere to best practices and maintain focus. 

Tips for Effective Monitoring: 

• Redistribute Workloads: If IT support queues are overwhelmed, reassign agents from quieter queues, ensuring no callers are left waiting. Tools like Landis dashboards make it easy to balance resources dynamically. 
• Combine with Transcription Tools: Use real-time transcription to detect escalating calls. Supervisors can either coach agents through the situation or join the call directly to de-escalate. 

By monitoring calls in real time, institutions can maintain consistent service quality, improve response times, and ensure caller satisfaction during high-demand periods. 

3. Deliver Data-Driven Feedback 

Providing constructive feedback is one of the most impactful ways to improve agent performance. Regular feedback sessions help agents build on their strengths and address areas for improvement, fostering a culture of continuous growth. 

How to Structure Feedback: 

• Use Recorded Calls: Review specific calls to highlight both positive and negative examples. For instance, commend an agent who calmly assists a frustrated faculty member, and coach another who places callers on hold without proper explanation. 
• Be Objective: Pair observations with data, such as sentiment scores or call analytics. For example, highlight how sentiment tools show improved caller satisfaction when agents acknowledge frustration with empathy.
• Focus on Improvement: Create a positive environment where feedback emphasizes growth. For instance, “Your handling of alumni donation queries has improved, but let’s focus on reducing follow-up calls for the admissions team.” 

Team-Wide Training: 

When multiple agents struggle with the same issues, such as handling complex inquiries, schedule targeted workshops to address these challenges. Pair individual feedback with team training for maximum impact. 

Feedback, when delivered thoughtfully and backed by actionable data, drives performance improvements and increases agent confidence. 

4. Use Sentiment Analysis 

Sentiment analysis adds an invaluable layer of insight to call center quality monitoring by analyzing emotional tone, context, and keywords in conversations. AI-powered tools like those in Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams provide real-time and historical sentiment scores, helping supervisors better understand caller experiences. 

Applications of Sentiment Analysis: 

• Identify Pain Points: Consistently negative sentiment around tuition calls might highlight unclear payment instructions. Addressing these issues improves satisfaction. 
• Support Agents: Live sentiment monitoring alerts supervisors to frustrated callers, enabling immediate coaching or intervention. 
• Inform Process Improvements: Use long-term sentiment trends to refine scripts, adjust training, or create new resources like FAQs for common inquiries. 

For example, during peak enrollment, sentiment analysis may reveal dissatisfaction with housing inquiries. Supervisors can investigate whether the online portal or agent scripts need clarification, addressing the root cause of the issue. 

5. Optimize Call Queues with Data 

Effective queue management is fundamental to maintaining high service standards in call centers. Poorly managed queues can lead to long wait times, dropped calls, and caller frustration, especially during peak periods like enrollment or donation drives. 

How to Optimize Queues: 

• Analyze Queue Data: Use Microsoft Teams’ call reports to identify trends, such as high abandonment rates in financial aid queues or evening alumni donation calls overwhelming agents. 
• Reallocate Resources: Adjust agent schedules to align with peak demand. For example, increase staffing during morning IT support rushes or registration periods.
• Streamline Scripts: If specific inquiries consistently exceed handling time targets, update scripts to address these issues more efficiently. 
• Prioritize Urgent Calls: Use routing features to ensure high-priority calls, like IT emergencies or faculty requests, are handled promptly. 

Well-optimized queues improve efficiency, reduce caller frustration, and help agents stay focused on providing quality service. 

Measuring Success 

The best practices outlined above provide a roadmap for implementing effective call quality monitoring strategies. Success can be measured through improved KPIs, higher satisfaction scores, and better overall efficiency. By using tools like Microsoft Teams and Landis Contact Center, institutions can transform their call centers into reliable, high-performing assets. 

Enhancing Call Monitoring with Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams 

While Microsoft Teams provides a strong foundation for call center quality assurance, pairing it with Landis Contact Center solution unlocks advanced features tailored to the unique needs of universities and colleges. These tools empower institutions to improve service quality, boost efficiency, and create a seamless caller experience. 

Key Features of Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams: 

• Real-Time Transcription: Follow live conversations to ensure accuracy and intervene when necessary. This feature enables supervisors to provide immediate coaching during escalations or assist agents in resolving complex queries effectively.
• Customizable Reporting Dashboards: Rich data visualization tools track essential call center quality monitoring metrics like First Call Resolution (FCR), Average Handling Time (AHT), and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). Supervisors can identify underperforming areas and track trends over time. 
• AI-Driven Analytics: Advanced insights help pinpoint recurring issues, such as high abandonment rates in specific queues or dissatisfaction in tuition inquiries. These analytics allow supervisors to address problems proactively and refine operational strategies. 
• Integrated Sentiment Analysis: Evaluate the emotional tone of interactions in real time, offering deeper insights into caller satisfaction and agent performance. This data supports more targeted coaching and process improvements. 

By integrating these features, Landis simplifies call monitoring and provides institutions with the tools needed to implement call quality monitoring best practices seamlessly. 

Measuring Success: The Benefits of Better Monitoring 

When call quality monitoring is executed effectively, institutions see measurable improvements in key areas: 

• Improved Caller Satisfaction: Faster, more effective service enhances the experience for students, alumni, and faculty. 
• Boosted Agent Performance: Tools like real-time transcription and sentiment analysis enable more personalized feedback, helping agents refine their skills and excel. 
• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Optimized call queues, actionable insights, and smarter tools reduce wasted time and improve resource allocation. 
• Stronger ROI: Identifying inefficiencies and improving resource use ensures that your call center operates at peak performance while delivering maximum value. 

In the context of higher education, where budgets are tight and expectations are high, these benefits are especially critical. Institutions can deliver high-quality service while managing costs effectively, making their call centers reliable and high-performing assets. 

Conclusion 

Call quality monitoring is more than tracking metrics—it’s about fostering exceptional experiences for the students, alumni, faculty, and staff your institution serves. By leveraging the powerful features of Microsoft Teams and enhancing them with Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams, you can set clear benchmarks, track performance in real time, and provide actionable feedback to drive continuous improvement. 

Whether it’s resolving technical issues, improving agent efficiency, or enhancing caller satisfaction, implementing call quality monitoring best practices ensures that your call center operates at its best. With tools like real-time transcription, customizable dashboards, and AI-driven insights, Landis makes it easier to identify challenges and implement solutions tailored to higher education. 

Is your institution ready to take its call center to the next level? Contact us today for a demo of Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams and see how smarter tools and strategies can transform your operations into a high-performing, results-driven asset.