The benefit of outsourcing Call Centers to overseas locations has been a well-investigated topic over the last several years. However, despite the numerous advantages, companies are often forced to manage various challenges, most notably in the area of communication. Although offshore Call Center agents are proficient in English, a variety of communication issues still exist.

For example:

1. Less concrete forms of English such as idioms, slang, acronyms, and shades of meaning can be misleading.

2. Tones and style of voice can be confusing.

3. Nonverbal aspects of communication (facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and posture), which constitute at least 75% of all communication, are absent.

4. Variances in the production of English sounds can result in misunderstandings due to non-neutral accents. The integration of these language, cultural, and pronunciation challenges can create communication barriers that result in frustration for both agents and callers. These negative experiences ultimately lead to profit losses, which have caused many of the world’s largest organizations to pullout of offshore operations. The significance of training for agents in the area of communication is apparent.

Thankfully, there is a relatively simple training solution to penetrating these communicative barriers. Atlanta Accent Management (AAM), an Atlanta-based company of Speech Language Pathologists, offers a unique and effective Call Center training solution. AAM has created a “Total Communication” package, while eliminating concerns of past Communication Training modules. By bringing together trainers from a variety of professional areas (i.e., Speech Language Pathologists, English as a Second Language Instructors, Cross Cultural Trainers), AAM offers immediate results, documents objective improvement levels, and provided follow up services. In this way, AAM addresses the entire picture. A Call Center agent completes a program with:

1. A 50 to 60% reduction of accent

2. Enhanced language skills

3. Increased cultural knowledge

4. A boost in confidence.

These newly learned skills provide improvement in communication and achieve immediate results in employee productivity as well as customer satisfaction. Outsourcing has many benefits. AAM assists Call Centers in taking advantage of these benefits by eliminating one of the key obstacles. Producing competent and confident employees is a training priority. Let Atlanta Accent Management integrate a “Total Communication” Program that will allow you to maximize the benefits offshore outsourcing can bring! For more information, you may call 770 578 4428 or visit Atlanta Accent Management on the web at www.atlantaaccentmanagement.com.

About Atlanta Accent Management (AAM): Owned and operated by Jennifer Adams, M.Ed. CCC-SLP and Johanna Chapman, M.Ed. CCC-SLP, AAM is dedicated to producing confident and effective communicators. In 2001, their common interest in the area of Speech Pathology and Accent Reduction led to their partnership and formation of Atlanta Accent Management. AAM employees 10 communication specialists who have further certification in Accent Reduction Training. AAM and its instructors have had the privilege of working with a variety of universities, businesses, and individuals from all over the world. Visit us at www.atlantaaccentmanagement.com.