Q: What separates COPC Inc. Six Sigma training from other organizations?
If you conduct a web search on "Learning Six Sigma methodologies in call centers, you will find a host of institutions that seem to offer generic training in a rainbow of "belt" offerings. In actuality, if you dig deep, you will find a few entities offering specialized focus as one learns the methodologies, tools and techniques of Six Sigma (i.e., IT, Healthcare, Financial Services, etc.). You will then discover that the wave of the future is to offer recorded lectures or in some cases live meeting sessions where the student has the ability to post questions after the lecture is complete.
Without arguing the delivery method, one can see there is not an offering that allows for true contact center examples. Of course a student of the contact center world could make their own comparisons for their environment. Would it not be best to understand how much variation is "acceptable" within the call center world?
For example, AHT (Average Handle Time) has far more complexities than a "generic" course could help a student understand. Talk, Hold and Wrap are the typical AHT measures within the contact center world, but one must consider the process of the call and understand the time components found there (i.e., Opening, Qualification of Caller, Resolution, Close, etc.). There is certainly comfort learning with an audience where everyone understands the lingo of your particular work environment.
COPC Inc.'s Six Sigma training uses real examples and improvements found in the call center world, allowing one to walk out the door today and apply their learning's tomorrow. Further, the learning methodology for COPC Inc. Six Sigma training requires participants to use their own data for activities and practice. Applying learning's to the students real world problem areas while under the direction of the trainer allows for even better levels of learning through direct real-time feedback. The environment is one of sharing between participants, which leads to increased levels of understanding by being exposed to the problems others face in similar situations. For example, a comparison of drivers of CSAT led a participant to change their survey questions as they realized they were not addressing the true key drivers of their customer's satisfaction during a feedback session.
The rigor, pace and engagement required of the COPC Inc. training methodology has led to feedback from participants indicating this is one of the best trainings they have ever experienced, training that they could take home and apply right away. The exam is not a multiple choice assessment but, rather one that truly demonstrates that a student can build a hypothesis, use data to demonstrate the validity of that hypothesis and a develop a plan to dig deeper to find the root cause or abandon the idea as a "busted myth."
Cheryl Coppens
Director