Monitoring of Processes - Audit of a Call Centre

Hello,

I have conducted an audit of a call centre and issued the following CAR.

- There is no process for monitoring emails being sent to customers, emails need to be monitored to ensure the performance indicators are being met (we monitor phone calls for 'quality assurance purposes', but we don't monitor emails).

I was told by the auditee that it was not my place to make a comment on this, even though I explained we need to monitor our products to ensure we are meeting performance metrics.

What are your thoughts on this CAR, is it valid?

Thanks for your help.

Re: Monitoring of processes

If your company is a customer of the call center, this requirement should be specified in a quality agreement. Otherwise, it is up to the company how to establish their official feedback channels. If this company is your employer, it's Management's decision where they want to focus feedback monitoring. Provided the feedback program is documented, and they're following the procedures, addressing trends, etc. I don't see a solid basis in your finding.

I have a client who's the opposite - they only monitor email communications. My client is a software company - they tend to not interact with people in the face to face world, oftentimes preferring an email exchange. In your situation, you're dealing with a call center - they are naturally more inclined to work with customers on the telephone. They most likely have built in systems that monitor the number of calls, call routing, hold length, length of call, and if they're more sophisticated, they have a built-in survey system - none of which is connected to their email system.

I just finished an audit at a laser manufacturer. They monitor feedback from "select" - not all - customers.

Bottom line is the standard gives a company the flexibility to determine its own best practices and develop its own processes. If the majority of the interaction with customers is on the phone, it's perfectly acceptable - and expected - to focus attention in that area.

Re: Monitoring of processes

Thanks for that! that is very helpful!

I am doing an internal audit, what about monitoring if it's to verify the proces is being followed/product is meeting requirements?

Re: Monitoring of processes

If there is an internal requirement for monitoring email feedback, your wording is off. Be more direct and specific, stating the requirement by procedure number and section quote, then point out where they're deficient. But if there is no procedural requirement, and you feel that monitoring email could improve product performance, or reveal data they're not aware of, it's an opportunity for improvement. They're meeting the requirement of the standard - they could possibly do it better. I should be able to see in your finding exactly what is required and exactly what they're doing to fall short.

meow4easthills said:

Hello,

I have conducted an audit of a call centre and issued the following CAR.

- There is no process for monitoring emails being sent to customers, ............................

Click to expand...

Welcome to the Cove.

Is there a requirement for a process to monitor emails?

meow4easthills said:

Hello,

I have conducted an audit of a call centre and issued the following CAR.

- There is no process for monitoring emails being sent to customers, emails need to be monitored to ensure the performance indicators are being met (we monitor phone calls for 'quality assurance purposes', but we don't monitor emails).

I was told by the auditee that it was not my place to make a comment on this, even though I explained we need to monitor our products to ensure we are meeting performance metrics.

What are your thoughts on this CAR, is it valid?

Thanks for your help.

Click to expand...

You are bringing out a good requirement but at a wrong time and place.
As an internal auditor you are not going to push your thoughts in an audit output.
Out of the audit, when you work in your capacity, you can recommend this and be instrumental for its implementation.
Then as an internal auditor you can see how the same is being followed and how effective it is.....

Your CAR .... Not Valid.

Hello thanks for your help guys.

I think I am misinterpreting the standard...

8.2.4 Monitoring and Measurement of Product

The organization shall monitor and measure the characteristics of the product to verify that product requirements have been met. This shall be carried out at appropriate stages of the product realization process in accordance with the planned arrangements

My interpretation of the above is:

Our product is supplied in the emails we send (the content of the emails that is). The audit determined that there is no monitoring of the product to determine that it meets the product requirements.

Please help me with this :mg:

Thanks

meow4easthills said:

Hello thanks for your help guys.

I think I am misinterpreting the standard...

8.2.4 Monitoring and Measurement of Product

The organization shall monitor and measure the characteristics of the product to verify that product requirements have been met. This shall be carried out at appropriate stages of the product realization process in accordance with the planned arrangements

My interpretation of the above is:

Our product is supplied in the emails we send (the content of the emails that is). The audit determined that there is no monitoring of the product to determine that it meets the product requirements.

Please help me with this :mg:

Thanks

Click to expand...

It is fair to ask how the output is being monitored to verify conformance to customer requirements. If the product is the content of email, I would feel comfortable in focusing on that but I would apply a question to do so and not imply that I am imposing a method to satisfy the requirement, even if it seems obvious to me. If the auditee says "We don't monitor what we deliver to the customer" but that customer satisfaction is established in follow up methods, I would look for that process and verify it is robust enough to be actionable with recognizable results of the actions.

Well, the issue lies here with auditing to the ISO standard and not to the QMS you should have in place. Somewhere in the QMS there should be an indication of how this process is to be measured/monitored.

You should be auditing to that, primarily. It's unfortunate, but to audit to ISO then quote ISO at people only to issue a CAR isn't going to win friends or help make audits effective.

Did you work with the process owner before you audited to understand how they measure/monitor the process? Did you take time to study the "planned arrangements" for the process to see what's required to happen?

If the QMS doesn't make provision for this, then the "design" of the system is flawed - it's back to the drawing board. No amount of auditing will force correction, sadly!

Hello.


I'll give an outline of the process:


CSR receives request from customer for product via email > Product created and attached to email > product sent to client via email.

I relation to how be monitor and measure.

In relation to monitoring and measurement, our QM states "we will apply suitable methods for monitoring and, where applicable, measurement of the process" (our QM is just a copy of the standard).

To measure the process output of the process we measure number of complaints and non-conformities, etc, so I am okay with that.

However in relation to the product:

The product is essentially text - basically a PDF document or some text in an email.

our QM states that we will "monitor and measure the characteristics of the product, at appropriate stages and in accordance will planned arrangements".

No monitoring of the product is conducted at all (prior to release).
so the product is created and sent with no monitoring or measurement.

what should I do as an auditor in this instance?