CALL CENTERS (CENTRES) - Faculty of Industrial Engineering and ...

understanding of call centre work and neglects the social component. Detailed work analysis revealed
new software requirements. It also showed the need for revised task analysis instruments.
(Appears also in Section VI.)
27. Pregnolato, F. Call center—a participatory office. In Quality of Work and Products in Enterprises
of the Future, H. Strasser, K. Kluth, H. Rausch and H. Bubb (Eds.). Ergonomia Verlag,
Stuttgart, Germany, 2003, 633–636.
Abstract. This study of a call centre layout had the following goals: To act in real time on the
environmental quality with regard to effective use of space, performers’ well-being and company
evolution, to single out a unitary model for all local offices. On the basis of direct experience
of performance, daily full immersion in activities, interviews and naturalistic observations, the
model worked out is an ‘interaction’ structure of basic spaces and services, which promotes high
relational continuity and compatibility among user needs, activities, organization and ergonomics
standards: A participatory office based on a modular structure that gives equilibrium to work
environments characterised by high degrees of entropy.
28. Sheeder, Tony and Jennifer Balogh. Say it like you mean it: Priming for structure in caller
responses to a spoken dialog system, International Journal of Speech Technology, 6 (2), 2003,
103–111.
Abstract. In this paper, we report results of a study undertaken to evaluate the initial prompts
of ‘open prompt’ style call-routing applications. Specifically, we examined how placement and
phrasing of examples in the initial query affected caller responses and routing success. We looked
at the comparative effectiveness of placing examples before and after the initial query and of
phrasing these examples such that they promoted either a succinct structure in the form of a
keyword or phrase, or a more complex but natural structure in the form of a question or statement.
Findings indicate that examples encouraging a more natural structure, when presented
prior to the initial query, result in significantly improved routing performance. We discuss this
result in the context of using initial prompts to prime for desired structure in caller responses.
Keywords: Call routing, Call Steering, Natural language, Prompting, Dialog strategy
(Appears also in Section III.)
29. Smith, M.J. and A.D. Bayehi. Do ergonomics improvements increase computer workers’ productivity?
An intervention study in a call centre, Ergonomics, 46 (1–3), 2003, 3–18.
Abstract. This paper examines whether improving physical ergonomics working conditions
affects worker productivity in a call centre with computer-intensive work. A field study was conducted
at a catalogue retail service organization to explore the impact of ergonomics improvements
on worker production. There were three levels of ergonomics interventions, each adding
incrementally to the previous one. The first level was ergonomics training for all computer users
accompanied by workstation ergonomics analysis leading to specific customized adjustments to
better fit each worker (Group C). The second level added specific workstation accessories to
improve the worker fit if the ergonomics analysis indicated a need for them (Group B). The
third level met Group B requirements plus an improved chair (Group A). The findings showed
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