Key Initiatives■ Every Little Helps – Adapting a programmedeveloped for the stores, the Tesco contact centre inDundee offered behavioural training to all teamleaders and many CSMs. The new programme is nowthe model for other call centre functions. “I realisedthat we could choose our attitude at work.” “We useclearance skills to clear our thoughts.” “Takes thestress out of working in the call centre.”

■ Firelighters – 130 CSMs and TMs have already completed the trainingand form a nucleus to tackle key issues like absence and the peak shoppingperiods. “We’re seeing that motivation and behaviours aren’t just a nice add-on – they’re the key to delivering the changes and performance.” “You realiseyour TL is human!” “They’re more approachable.”

■ Rapid-Action Teams (RATs) – CSMs and team leaders planned Christmasdifferently this year. Far fewer temps left, sickness was down by a quarter andattrition nearly halved. Other RATs tackled process improvement and makefurther gains. “3 people were employed full time just to find seats for people”“This Christmas was a lot more relaxed and organised.” “I thought we hadlots of extra people.” “1 or 2 things that give you a huge improvement.”

■ Temp recruitment – Most recruitment to the centre is currently on temporarycontracts, especially before Christmas when extra help is required. Search – theagency on-site – now conducts reviews at weeks 1, 2, and 4 where the new startis specifically asked their opinion of how well they’ve been looked after.

■ Show you care is a structured programme of coaching and validation,which guides the team leaders. A number of temporary team leaders werecreated this year to cap the team size and provide the support that could helpnew starts feel valued and confident to do their jobs. “Seem to know more(coming out of training) than they used to” “Show-you-care means the teamleaders have a process to follow.” “Expectations are clear and it’s consistent.”

‘Every little helps’ forChristmas at TescoHow service levels improved by 45% at the busiest time ofyear and attrition by 42%, by resourcing smarter to reducestress and training people to ‘choose their mood’ at work.

© Planning Forum Ltd 2006 www.planningforum.co.uk 5

SummarySee how Every Little Helps at Tesco tapped into a rich vein of talent among team leaders andCSMs, creating Firelighters who feel that if they suggest something it will really happen andimplemented plans that reduced sickness by 28%, attrition by 42% and improved service level by45% in the weeks up to Christmas, despite a 25% increase in call volumes.

“As an OperationsManager, I’ve reallyhad my eyes – and myears – opened!” Steve Coulson

“Absence level used togo through the roofbecause everyone wasstressed and underpressure”TracyCSM

“If you’re picking up thephone in an unhappymood, that will affectthe customer”JohannaCSM

“People are applying forinternal vacancies theywouldn’t have before”NikkiTraining Manager

Contact Centre Innovation Awards 2006

INNOVATION AWARD FINALIST

Contact Centre Innovation Awards 2006

© Planning Forum Ltd 2006 www.planningforum.co.uk6

■ Share your knowledge – Support from experienced CSMs is providedthrough buddying, which starts on Day 1, when new trainees are given thechance to listen to calls before their classroom training, and continuesthroughout the peak period. “Buddying works properly now, because they areproperly trained and have the skills… before it was just ‘who is free’”. EveryLittle Helps provides the foundation that makes all this possible and givespeople room to develop. “Makes you aware you can deal with things in adifferent way.” “If you’re happier in yourself, you’re happier when dealing withcustomers.”

■ Central support is provided from the planning, MI andcommunications teams – for example in creating schedules, finding 30 extraseats, reviewing the daily tactical plan, creating a new quality framework – andthere are performance and absence champions in each operations managers’team. “We look at thestats and if somethingneeds to be done we setup a RAT and say ‘here’swhat we think, what do youthink?’” “If someone hada childcare problem in thepast, we could only markthe absence against them.Now we can be moreflexible and offeralternatives.”

■ Sustainable change –This initiative is a greatexample of achieving aquick win and long-termchange at the same time.In RATs, people feel they‘did it themselves’ andachieved obvious results.Firelighter training isfollowed up by asustainability review andthe trainer is on-site tooffer coaching whenever required. All this creates a momentum of selfdevelopment. “People are applying for (internal vacancies) they wouldn’t havebefore. The experience of interviewing these people is completely different towhat we would have seen before.”

■ Communication is key and formal methods include monthly update fromthe Head of Centre, weekly meetings with Ops Managers, 15 min weekly teammeeting and a forum for agents. “With Team 5, Team 15, Team 30, we nowsee managers on a daily basis”. The formal communication works because ofthe changes that spring from the Firelighters. “The biggest learning is thepower of listening to staff.” “It’s making people feel and see they’ve had aninput – you can never do enough of that.”

Tesco Customer ServiceCentre forms part of theTesco.com business - theworld’s largest on-linegrocery delivery service- andalso handles 7.5 millioncalls pa. for Tesco.com,Clubcard and customerservices for the UK stores.The centre opened in 1996in Dundee, currentlyemploying an average of700 staff, peaking at 840.

Results■ In the 9 weeks leading

up to Christmas servicelevels improved 45%year-on year, absencereduced by 28% andattrition by 42%

■ 85% of customers rateour service as excellentor good – up from 77%

■ 81% of staff said thatthey felt their managerlistened to them.

■ We’ve been able toaccommodate 10-12%growth without additionalmanpower budget.

“We’ve tapped into arich vein of resource inour TL population”Ian NaylorHead of Call Centre

“The managers aremore aware of howthey’re affecting us.They can step backbecause theyunderstand the moodthey are in”LydiaCSM