Teamwork Touted at Sundance

By Donna Loyle

In their ongoing efforts to maintain and improve customer service, managers at the Sundance catalog instituted in June 2000 an ingenious "levels program." Tim Taggart, contact center manager at this apparel and home furnishings catalog, explains how the program works.

New customer service reps (CSRs) at the Salt Lake City-based cataloger begin by taking a two-week training program comprised of classroom work and time in a training bay environment on the phones. They're then placed on a team whose leader, during the next two weeks, will monitor their progress. Leaders determine when trainees become level ones, at which time they get a raise of 75 cents per hour. As level ones, CSRs can discuss with customers basic product information and take orders and catalog requests, says Taggart.