What Ready does is improve 'positive seat attendance' by minimising excess levels of Not Ready and at the same time, maximising Ready to a least a level of 75%.

Ready 75%

Not Ready 25%

This improves self-management and the culture, advisors are now in control of their own behaviour, they are aware of the negative effects of Not Ready and will even start clock-watching when on a break!

Targeting Ready greatly improves morale, as self-management avoids the need for team management to shout-out 'log-on please', the trait of an over-bearing management style.

What Ready also does is bring along the 'won't do's' the staff who take 'liberties' and do regular disappearing acts.  Delivering Ready means staff have to take their fair share of calls, as by being Ready means they will be Available.  This greatly increases morale of the staff who have generally had to take more than their fair share of calls.

There are signs you will need to check for, as advisors know all the tricks in the book, just take a look at John's stats below:  The first thing to check was whether John was working a similar shift time to Janet, or at a quieter time - he was indeed working at the same time.

The first thing to check was whether John was working a similar shift time to Janet, or at a quieter time - he was indeed working at the same time.

John knows how to deliver Ready, but doesn't fancy all the calls that go with it!  You can tell by the variation in Talk & Available percentages and calls taken, even though Ready time is comparable.  John knows how to play the game, he is aware that if he goes in and out of After Call Wrap quickly, he will always be the last in the queue to take a call!

Improving motivation and morale is key to call centre success and communicating the Ready success of staff is a highly motivational tool.  Sensible practice is to show all advisors meeting or exceeding ready target - not to show those dangling at the bottom of the list.  There is a great drive to improve one's own performance and even those not achieving target, come forward and ask why and what it is they can do to improve - although they should already have received your coaching feedback as to why.

Team competitions can also improve Ready by around 10-15% - teams can play against each other, daily, for points to win a monthly team prize.