Managing a contact center, or even working the phones, can be an art and a science.  At its heart is cultivating good relationships with customers, but it can also be a process in which one has to learn how to juggle numbers, human needs, and technical intervention.  Like any discipline, it requires continuing education and fine tuning.  For the manager or agent who is interested in refining his or her own craft, the following are a few highly recommended books from experts in contact center operations and customer service.

1. First on our list is How to Become a Great Call Center Manager.  Written by Dan Cone, this book is practical and inspiring.  It includes tools like worksheets and step by step strategy guides.  It’s a great fit for team leaders, supervisors, managers, and heads of staff.
2. Those heads of staff might also relish the next book on our list – Managing and Motivating Contact Center Employees.  The book was jointly written by Malcolm and Peggy Carlaw and outlines best practices for incentivizing staff to really shine.  As the leaders of an organization grow in vision and intentionality, the positive changes will affect the whole work environment.
3. Book number three shifts the focus to customer relations.  With a provocative title, Getting Naked: A Business Fable about Shedding the Three Fears that Sabotage Client Loyalty invites the reader to take a healthier approach to brand identity and the business-customer relationship.  It emphasizes vulnerability, transparency, and a sense of purpose.  It’s also written by and based on the ground experience of superstar consultant – Patrick Lencioni.
4. Back to the world of call centers for book number four: Call Center Recruiting and New Hire Training.  O.k., the title is not as exciting as “Getting Naked;” however, it’s written by a panel of experts who are all too familiar with the challenges of finding, training, and retaining high quality personnel.  It promises to be a lively read to anyone who has been down that road or is just starting out.  With a wonderful sample of industry research and diverse opinions, it offers both techniques and comradery.
5. Fifth on our list is Customer Experience 3.0: High Profit Strategies in the Age of Techno Service.  Author John Goodman tackles what outstanding customer service looks like in a digital age.  He explores the power of word of mouth, staying up to date, and harnessing CRM systems, insightful metrics, and voice of the customer to design a business strategy that meets the modern customer where they’re at – mobile, ipad, or via social media.
6. Book six is a classic and a solid place to start if you’re new to the world of contact centers: The Call Center Handbook - Fourth Edition.  Authored by Keith Dawson, it is a thorough manual with great range and applicability.  It acquaints the reader with how to set up, maintain, and take to a new level a call center business.  If you have questions like which phone switch is optimal or how to track performance, this book is your best friend.
7. The final book on our list is Dan Coen’s Building Call Center Culture.  The unique and valuable contribution of this book is the acknowledgment that a contact center’s morale, motivations, and fun make a difference.  With actionable tips and attitude adjustments, Dan Coen assists supervisors in shaping a shared set of values and goals that will give the center, and its’ staff, both cohesion and substance.

Inspired to hit the library yet?  It’s not just about doing your homework; reading up on industry standard, blazing new connections, and exploring theories of what works and doesn’t can help you be a better employee, a better boss, and a better team player.