Formatted: Left: 1", Right: 1", Top: 1", Bottom: 1",

Width: 8.5", Height: 11"

Module 2 Project Gap Analysis Strategy

for Team 3
March 12, 2017

Project Description [BB]

The management of PJ Enterprises has set goals for the next
year including aggressive growth and profitability, improved
customer service and improved work environment. In order
to tackle address these goals, management has expressed a Commented [jem1]: probably not the most professional
need to design, develop and deliver a training program for word . Address?

telephone operators. The target audience is customer service

supervisors and telephone operators.

This course is intended to replace the training course that

was previously conducted by Sheena Perez, the
merchandizing manager, and Judie Thompson, the catalog
director. Management believes that an increase in
knowledge, and skill and in and describing the features and
benefits of products in the catalogue is necessary to increase
catalog sales and reduce customer complaints. Although
product knowledge has been identified as the culprit,
Director of Sales Support, Jane MacKenzie would like an
outside opinion as to whether there are other factors
affecting customer service. They have asked Instructional
Solutions to provide counsel regarding acquisition
attainment acquisition of goals via training.

Information Needed [CM]

The goal for this analysis is to gain information on the
current status of procedures, challenges, and needs within
JP enterprises.

We will need to collect both human and non-human

information from multiple departments. From the Director
of Sales, we need information about the customer service
 goals, employee standards, and the expectations for the new
training. During our interview with the manager of the new
sales system, we need answers to questions about the new
telephone operator procedures, training requirements, as
well as the issues with the current system. We also need to
gain information from the customer service supervisors to
shed light on the implementation of job recognition,
employee on-boarding, and their opinions on the current
trainings. We also need to understand the new HR policies,
staff-development opportunities, and the off-boarding
process.

Before working with the telephone operators, well need to

collect data focusing on the past customers and their
purchases. Data will also need to be collected on the average
number of calls, and the average number of known product
information. By observing the operators, well be able to
document their current systems, procedures, and decisions.
We will also interview the telephone operators to obtain a
transparent perspective of management and job recognition Commented [jem2]: Im puzzled by the use of this word
at the company. Additionally, we need information on here. How does transparent apply?

product training materials, customer feedback, and Commented [jem3]: is this part of training?
assessments that were used during the seasonal trainings.
Concluding this analysis, we need to interview and observe
the warehouse employees to learn about the documentation
process, handling protocols, and typical daily workflow.

With this information, we will be able to describe

performance gap and determine if training is a possible
solution.

Team Strategy [KA]

JP Enterprises has set aggressive business goals for next
year, but needs to ensure current weaknesses with customer
satisfaction are resolved to ensure that their goals can be
met. To further investigate the root causes for the
dissatisfaction, we will be investigating the following
individuals, teams and data:
Understand Project Goals
Interview the Merchandising Manager (Sheena Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.5", Hanging: 0.5"
Perez) and Catalog Manager (Judie Thompson) Commented [jem4]: FYI - using a hanging indent, such
Interview with Sales Support Director (Jane as what I did above, makes the questions/paragraphs
easier to read.
MacKenzie) and Vice President (Mike Merrill)
Commented [jem5]: for parallelism
Interview with the mmanager of new sales system
Commented [jem6]: again, to make parallel with the
installation project (Tsien Yun) and Intranet manager
first bullet which uses the word interview as a verb not a
(Lucy Feldman) noun

Investigate Gaps Commented [jem7]: but isnt all of this to determine

specific gaps? Be specific here - investigate what to
Individual interviews with select customer service
determine what gaps or if gaps.
supervisors.
Interview with HR manager
Review HR documents (description of what we will Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.5", Hanging: 0.5"
look at are in the analysis plan)
Survey past customers

Identify Current Practices Commented [jem8]: with regards to what?

Survey telephone operators
Conduct a focus group of telephone operators
Observe telephone operators

Through the data we gather, we will have substantial

evidence to identify what gaps exist, and make
recommendations on how PJ Enterprises can intervene to fill
each gap. While training has been initially discussed as a
possible solution for PJ Enterprises, this gap analysis process
will review all possible causes and current practices to
determine what the best solutions might be to help the
company to continue to grow.
Analysis Plan [DL]
Note: this table landscape on purpose as well as to have no rows break across pages; if a row is too big, add a continued row. Also keep
heading row as a repeating row so that it shows on all subsequent pages where this table appears.] Commented [jem9]: this was a note in the template to
be removed when you submit.

It looks like you made the whole document landscape.

Lets talk about using breaks for different layouts in
Research Target Audience Information You Hope to Gain Team Member Responsible
Word.
Method I did a bit of fixing like making this table only in
landscape and the rest of the document portrait. You can
do that on the Page Layout Tab. As an FYI, for corporate
1. Individual Mike Merrill (VP) and This interview will gain information on the following: Colleen and Keith communications, usually the predominate layout is
Interview Jane MacKenzie (Sales portrait with occasional tables, like this, in landscape.
support Director) Customer service performance goals
Specific areas they see needing improvement and why
Employee standards
Corrective measures taken in the past to address deficits
Employee recognition/reward standards
Business and financial objectives and rationale
Current perception of work environment and staff development
opportunities
Rationale/expectations for new training

2. Individual Tsien Yun (manager of This interview will gain information on the following: Nicole and Brittney
Interview new sales system
installation project) and New Ssales system including new telephone operator Formatted: Strikethrough
Lucy Feldman (Intranet procedures that may or may not influence future employee
manager) training and subsequent workflow
Is it possible to locate product information in this new the Formatted: Strikethrough
current system?
Additional training requirements for use of new system?
Any issues with current system that could be affecting workflow
or orders?
Software/Hardware issues and benefits
Network capabilities
 Research Target Audience Information You Hope to Gain Team Member Responsible
Method

Accessibility
Limitations

3. Individual Customer Service This interview and document review will gain information on the Keith and Nicole
Interviews Supervisors following:

Understanding of job standards for self and lower level

employeesTOs
Protocols
Implementation of job recognition/rewards and
accountability/corrective measures for poor work
View of management and lower level employees TOs Formatted: None, Indent: Left: 0", First line: 0.25",
Participation in on-boarding process (role in training new Space Before: 0 pt, Don't keep with next, Don't keep
lines together
employees)
Feedback on customer interactions
Perception of products (quality/amount)
Feedback on workflow on an average day
Implementation of new HR policies
Opinion on current training, including catalog and initial
Expectations for new training

4. a. Individual Human Resources This interview and document review will gain information on the Colleen
Interviews following:

Hiring prerequisites and standards for employee candidates

Onboarding process
b. and New HR policies and rationale
Document Previous HR Policies
Review Staff development opportunities
Feedback on current training
Expectations for new training
Off-boarding process
 Research Target Audience Information You Hope to Gain Team Member Responsible
Method

Training and work environments for employees.

Potential training audience demographics.
Previous meetings/agendas

5. Survey of Past Customers This survey will information on Brittney

past
customers Frequency of purchases
and review of Perception of products (quality and amount)
recorded Perception of customer service product knowledge
calls Average time it takes to call in order (separate into total time,
time in queue, time talking to customer service) Commented [jem10]: you may also be able to better get
Perception of customer service etiquette this info, especially the breakdown, by listening to
Rank of items for perceived level of importance recorded calls.
Likelihood of doing business with PJ Enterprises again

6. Survey Telephone Operators This survey will include information on: Brittney

Average calls taken per hour

Average number of customer calls s referred on to customer Commented [jem11]: what does this mean? Average #?
supervisor Or what are the customers like that they refer on?
Perception of seasonal catalog training
Average number of products operators has knowledge
Perception of amount of products
Perception of onboarding and initial training
Expectations for new training
Perception of management
Rewards and recognition for achievements
Accountability for low standards

7. Focus Group Telephone Operators This focus group will utilize a contingency diagram to determine what is Danielle
considered providing poor customer service. It will include product
 Research Target Audience Information You Hope to Gain Team Member Responsible
Method

knowledge, telephone etiquette, and efficiency of call queue to

determine perspectives on the conditions of these items. Commented [jem12]: I use contingency diagrams a lot,
but Im curious as to how youll use it to determine their
perspectives.
8. Focus Group Telephone Operators Other focus group discussion to determine additional information Danielle
gleaned from telephone operator survey, including:

Understanding of job standards

Job recognition and rewards
View of management
On-boarding process
Current training barriers and opportunities
New HR policies
Perception of work and training environments

9. Individual Sheena Perez This interview and document review will gain information on the Colleen
Interviews (merchandising following:
and manager) and Judie
Document Thompson (catalogs) Product training materials
Review Assessments used during training
Feedback surveys from product training, if available
Product information
Average product turnover
Customer feedback regarding products
Information on the product guide

10. Observation Telephone Operators Observation of daily workflow and customer-operator interactions to Danielle
determine the following:

Average calls per hour

Typical phone dialog including product knowledge and etiquette
Call efficiency
Research Target Audience Information You Hope to Gain Team Member Responsible
Method

Work environment
11. Observation Warehouse Employees Observation of daily workflow and conduct interviews to determine the Keith and Nicole Commented [jem13]: as we discussed, this activity is
and following: interesting, but Im not sure itll shed light on the
Interviews performance of the TOs and the problems PJ is
Any noticeable issues with shipping highlighting call wait time, TO product knowledge, TO
politeness, and # of calls handled.
Documentation
Inventory availability and location in warehouse
Handling protocols
Typical day workflow
Shipping timeline
Job standards
Training requirements
Percentage of defective products
Percentage of returns from customers
 Formatted: Left: 1", Right: 1", Top: 1", Bottom: 1",
Activity 1- Individual Interviews: Mike Merrill and Jane MacKenzie [DL] Section start: New page, Width: 8.5", Height: 11"

Details of Activity/Method
Colleen and Keith will interview Mike Merrill and Jane
MacKenzie to determine specific business, financial, training,
and staff performance goals.

Questions to Ask
Financial and Business Goals

We see that this year you are targeting to have a net

profit of $2 million. What are you plans for achieving
this goal? What resources will be utilized to meet this Commented [jem14]: thats an interesting way of
goal? phrasing it. Id think youd want to know their plans for
achieving it first.
How do you plan to account for a 40% increase in
Commented [jem15]: again, interesting word choice.
customer lists this year? You really know how they plan to increase their lists by
What is your plan to improve customer-service 40%, right? Not how theyre going to explain if they do
have the increase.
scores by 10%?
How do you plan on utilizing warehouse and Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Hanging: 0.25"

customer service employees to increase catalog sales

to $13 million? Commented [jem16]: this is the real question. I might
If an increase in sales is achieved, will the warehouse add, how are warehouse employees involved in
increasing sales? Perhaps you need to ask, if sales do
be able to handle the volume with the same level of increase, will the warehouse be able to handle the
delivery accuracy and service? volume with the same level of delivery accuracy and
service.
What effects will your new financial goals have on
product acquisition and turnover? Commented [jem17]: I dont understand this question.

Customer Service Commented [jem18]: they really dont have a customer

service department. They have sales, but we dont hear
o Can we see a job description for both the telephone operators and them referring to a customer service department.
the customer service supervisors? Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial

What are your customer service goals? Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Bulleted + Level: 1 +
Aligned at: 0.75" + Indent at: 1"
What type of training is done for this department?
How did you determine your training needs for this
department?
How long do you expect a caller to be in a queue
before being attended?
Are there any items you think need improving in this Commented [jem19]: what does this word mean here?
department? Do you mean aspects?

Warehouse

What are your goals for shipping and handling of

items?
What is your policy on returned items?
 What is your policy on returned items that are
defective?
How did you choose the current technology being
used to handle, ship, and track orders?

Customer Complaints

How do you receive your customer complaints? E-

mail, phone, survey, etc?
What are customer complaints typically regarding?
What is the process for addressing complaints?
Please describe any corrective action taken to
remedy complaints.

Order Processing Questions

What is the process from a customer ordering an

item to a customer receiving an item like? What is the
timeline goal? What is the actual timeline?
On average, what is the order volume on a daily,
weekly, monthly, and seasonal basis?
On average, which products are purchased the most?
Are any products not purchased? Commented [jem20]: this is a question for the product
folks.
Recognition and accountability

Describe your system for recognizing your best

employees.
How do you handle poor procedure implementation?
What metrics do you use to measure success for
employees?

Hiring/Firing Commented [jem21]: this section is really more for HR.

What knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality

traits are you looking for in a customer service
employee?
What knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality
traits are you looking for in a warehouse employee?
What knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality
traits are you looking for in a supervisor in the either
the call center or warehouse?
What is the disciplinary policy leading to
termination?

Wrap-up
 What is your timeline for this project? Formatted: List Paragraph, Right: 1", Don't keep with
next
Please describe your goals for training and preferred
delivery method.
Surely the training we are providing is part of the Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Hanging: 0.25"
new staff development initiative. Is there a staff
development plan in place and if so, may we see how
training fits into the overall initiative?
Is there anything else you would like to talk about
that hasnt already been mentioned?

Activity 2- Individual Interview: Tsien Yun and Lucy Feldman [BB]

Details of Activity/Method
Nicole and Brittney will interview Manager of New Sales
System, Tsien Yun, and Intranet Manager, Lucy Feldman, to
determine how the new current sales system affects the Formatted: Strikethrough
performance of telephone operators, if performance gap
exists, and possible solutions.

Questions to Ask
New State of the Current Sales System Formatted: Strikethrough

Describe the new current sales system Formatted: Strikethrough

How does the operator locate product information in the current

system?

How is the new sales system different from the previous system? Formatted: Strikethrough
Formatted: Strikethrough
How does the new sales system include new telephone operator
Commented [jem22]: youre asking how, but you dont
procedures? know if.

Performance Goals

Why was the sales system updated? What updates should be made to Formatted: Strikethrough
the new system?

What are the goals for the new system?

How wouldhas the new system met its intended goals? Commented [jem23]: its not implemented yet.

What are some limitations of the new current system? Formatted: Strikethrough

Causes of Performance Gaps

What is your perception of the new system? What are some Commented [jem24]: too vague.
limitations of the current system? Formatted: Strikethrough
 Formatted: Indent: Left: 1", No bullets or numbering

Is it possible to locate product information in this new system?

Are there any technical issues with the current system that could be
affecting workflow orders?

How accessible is the new sales system as compared to the previous Formatted: Strikethrough
system?

Are there going to be any changes to the Intranet to support this

program or will it be easy to utilize without any additional upgrades?

Solutions and Impressions

How would you improve the new system? Commented [jem25]: since the new system hasnt been
implemented yet, how does this apply?
What changes would you suggest to improve the system? Formatted: Strikethrough
Formatted: Strikethrough
Activity 3- Individual Interviews: Customer Service Supervisors [DL]
Formatted: Strikethrough

Details of Activity/Method:
Nicole will interview Customer Service Supervisors for 20 to
30 minutes each. The interview sessions will be conducted
during the workday, and the Customer Service Supervisors
will not be expected to make-up this time for work. The
purpose of these interviews will be to determine the
effectiveness of the current training, implementation of
policies and procedures, training involvement, call volume,
catalog knowledge, and various relationships at different
levels.

Questions to Ask:
Job Standards

o How many years of experience do you have as a Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Bulleted + Level: 1 +
Aligned at: 2" + Indent at: 2.25"
Customer Service Supervisor?

o Describe your positions roles and responsibilities.

What type of training did you have to complete for
this position?

o How do you recognize your best employees?

o How do you handle poor procedure implementation?

o What metrics do you use to measure success for

telephone operatorcustomer service employees? Commented [jem26]: they arent considered customer
service employees; theyre TOs.
 What is the disciplinary policy leading to Formatted: Bulleted + Level: 1 + Aligned at: 2.19" +
Indent at: 2.44"
termination?

Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.94", Hanging: 0.19", No

bullets or numbering
o Are you involved in the hiring process? If so, wWhat Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Bulleted + Level: 1 +
knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality traits do Aligned at: 2" + Indent at: 2.25"

you seek in potential employees? Commented [jem27]: you dont even know if theyre
involved in the hiring yet.
o How do you provide the telephone operators
feedback regarding their customer interactions?

Call Center

How long do you expect a caller to be in a queue

before being attended?

Describe the nature of the calls received by the

customer service center.

What is the process for addressing customer

concerns? Please describe any corrective action
taken to remedy complaints.

On average, what is the call volume on a daily,

weekly, monthly, and seasonal basis?

On average, how many calls are referred to you on a Commented [jem28]: in what time frame?
typical day?

How have the new HR policies affected the call center

environment?

How do you feel about the catalog organization of the

product guide and ititems use? Commented [jem29]: I find this to be odd and a little
broad. Are you looking for them to tell you they like
Training them or hate them or what?

What type of training is done for this department? Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Hanging: 0.25"
How are you involved in the training process?

Based on your experience, what are some areas of

weakness idisplayed by telephone operators that are
not currently addressed in training?

What is the overall moral in the customer service

center? Commented [jem30]: again, no such thing.

Tell me about the catalog items

 Discuss how you utilize the product guide during
customer calls.

Does the product guide training appropriately

prepare you to use the product guide in your work?
and the training surrounding them. Commented [jem31]: what are you expecting here?
Since there are so many items, do you want a list? I think
Inter-department Communication and Id also separate this question into two parts, but for the
one about the products, Id ask much more specific
questions.
Relationships
Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.5", No bullets or
numbering
How does the customer service center communicate
Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Bulleted + Level: 4 +
with the warehouse? Aligned at: 2" + Indent at: 2.25", Tab stops: 1.75",
Left + Not at 1.5"
o How does the telephone operators and supervisors in
Commented [jem32]: ??
the customer service center communicate receive
Commented [jem33]: ??
information from with management regarding goals
and metrics for success?

o How would you describe your relationship with the

customer service employeesTOs?

o What is the company mission and how is this mission

communicated to employees?

Wrap-up

Is there anything else you would like to talk about

that hasnt been mentioned?

Activity 4a- Individual Interviews: and Document Review: Human Resources [CM] Commented [jem34]: After I made a comment on a
question that you could get from documentation, I think
you should maybe separate out the people and the
Details of Activity/Method document.
Colleen will interview each member of the Human Resources Commented [CM35R34]: Separated into part a and
team for 60 minutes. The purpose of these interviews is to part b. Included the question about the document at the
gain information on recruitment strategies, selection and end of the paragraph in part b.

hiring processes, training programs, and management of Commented [CM36R34]:

employees.

Questions to Ask
Hiring prerequisites and standards for employee candidates

How are the position descriptions defined and

written?
 Which prerequisite skills are included in the position
descriptionsdo you look for infor telephone operator candidatess? Commented [jem37]: As I read this, Id be more
interested more in what skills they expect, regardless of
how the job description is written. So, asking them what
they look for in candidates . . .
What prerequisite knowledge is included in the Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", No bullets or
numbering
position descriptions for telephone operators?

Which prerequisite skills are included in the position

descriptions for customer-service supervisors?

What prerequisite knowledge is included in the

position descriptions for customer-service supervisors?

What length of prior experience is required for new

telephone operator candidates?

What length of prior experience is required for new

customer-service supervisors?

Where are the job vacancies posted?

Which posting locations elicit the most applications?

On average, how many applications are received per

posting?

What other recruiting methods are used outside of

posting on websites?

How are the interview questions developed for the job

postings?

Are the telephone operator candidates presented with

any customer-service scenarios during the interview
process?

Onboarding process

Please describe your employee onboarding policies

and processes.How are new employees made to feel welcome in the
company? Commented [jem38]: youre assuming that they do.
What you really want them to tell you is what their
Please describe the orientation for new emWhat onboarding policy is like.

programming exists for new employees. orientation? Commented [jem39]: what does this word mean here?
And again in the next line.
Does the orientationprogramming contain interactive Commented [CM40R39]: Removed the word
components? programming
Commented [CM41R39]:
 Are new employees paired with mentors?

Does the orientation programming include both

specific role focuseds training in addition to more big
picture training?

Would you say that the onboarding process is more

employee-centered or more employer-centered.? Commented [jem42]: again, get them to describe how
they do it and what they do, and youll be able to discern
New HR policies and rationale the answers to these questions. I wonder if any HR
person would tell you the onboarding is company-
centric, even if it is.
Please describe the new HR policies.
Commented [CM43R42]: Removed this question and
included in the first bullet above. I left the period so the
How were the new HR policies introduced to the staff? comment would remain.

What was the rationale for developing the new Commented [CM44R42]:

policies? Commented [jem45]: Id first want to know what they

are.
How often are the employees formally evaluated Commented [CM46R45]: Added above
under the new HR policies?
Commented [CM47R45]:
What are the components of the performance
evaluation process?

Are the specific criteria for the performance

evaluation shared with employees?

Is there a remediation plan for employees who do not

meet the specified criteria for the performance
evaluation? If so, what is the timeline for this
remediation plan?

Do the employees set goals as part of the evaluation

process?

How often do employees complete the self-evaluation

component?

Is the company handbook delivered via hard copy,

electronically, or both?

Is the company handbook written in a user-friendly

format? Commented [jem48]: this you get from looking at the
handbook, not from talking to HR.
How did the staff respond to the new policiesave the
new HR policies been met with any resistance? Commented [jem49]: better to ask, how did staff
respond to the new policies?
What are the details of the upgrade to the pension
plan?
 Previous HR Policies

How long had the previous HR policies been in place

prior to the new ones being introduced?

Prior to the performance evaluation and self-

evaluation process, how were employees evaluated?

Staff development opportunities

Outside of the catalog trainings, what opportunities

exist for ongoing staff development?

Are employees offered the opportunity to attend staff

development outside of the offerings at PJ
Enterprises?

Feedback on current training Commented [jem50]: so, its okay to get their opinion
but best to evaluate the training materials and ask TOs
Do you feel that the current training is targeted to and Sups whether they feel prepared to do their jobs.

learner needs? Its really your job to make this determination for
yourselves based on what you learn about how its done
Are the current training materials suitable for the and the materials you can get.
goals of the training? Commented [CM51R50]: Added the question about
preparedness at the top.
Do you feel that length of the current training is Commented [CM52R50]:
appropriate for the amount of information to be Commented [CM53R50]: Oops, then I deleted it
covered? because I realize these are HR questions. That would be
an appropriate question to add for employees.
What follow-up is conducted after the training to Commented [CM54R50]:
answer additional questions that may arise? Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", No bullets or
numbering
What feedback have the employees given regarding
the length, presentation style, and general
effectiveness of the current training?

Off-boarding process

What steps are taken in the off-boarding process?

Do employees participate in exit interviews upon

resignation?

Does company policy dictate how much notice must

be given by the employee before terminating
employment?

How do you ensure that an exiting employee has a

smooth transition out of the company?
 Training and work environments for employees Commented [jem55]: what about this?
Commented [CM56R55]: It was a formatting issue. It
Where is the current catalog training held? Is it in the appeared as a bullet instead of a heading so it looked like
warehouse or an offsite location? an unfinished question.

How frequently do employees receive on-the-job Commented [CM57R55]:

training? Formatted: Indent: Left: 1", First line: 0.5", No
bullets or numbering
Commented [jem58]: not necessary.

Potential training audience demographics

What is the breakdown of the 4 customer service

supervisors by:

o Gender

o Age

o Racial/Ethnic Background

o Length of time working for PJ Enterprises

o Length of previous experience working in

customer service industry

o Length of previous experience working as a

customer service supervisor

What is the breakdown of the 25 telephone operators

by:

o Gender

o Age

o Racial/Ethnic Background

o Length of time working for PJ Enterprises

o Length of previous experience working in

customer service industry

o Length of previous experience working as a

telephone operator

Wrap-up
Is there anything else you would like to talk about that hasnt
been mentioned?
 Document Review: Previous meetings/agendas and changes to
HR policies.
The previous meeting minutes and agendas will be reviewed
to determine the frequency and duration of meetings. They
will be further reviewed to elicit specific information on
hiring practices, specifically on the preferred and required
qualifications of telephone operators. The new HR policies
will be reviewed and compared to previous HR policies. The
employee handbook will be reviewed to determine user-
friendliness.

Activity 5- Survey: Past Customers [DL]

Details of Activity/Method
The survey will be sent to past customers, explaining that
additional feedback is appreciated to improve the customer
experience. When distributing the survey, Brittney will
emphasize that all responses will be kept anonymous. The
results will be compared against the companys customer
surveys. Any patterns in responses will be documented for
analysis.

Questions to Ask

This survey will ask the following questions:

1. What is your identifying gender?

Male

Female

2. What is your age?

Younger than 20

20-25

26-30

31-35

36-40

41-45
 46-50

over 50

3. How many items have you ordered from PJ Enterprise in

the last year?

I havent ordered any items in the last year.

I have ordered one to three items.

I have ordered four to six items.

I have ordered six to nine items.

I have ordered ten or more items.

4. How would you rate the quality of the products that you
have received in the past?

Poor

Fair

Good

Very good

Excellent

5. How would you describe the knowledge of the individuals

in the customer service center?

Poor

Fair

Good

Very Good

Excellent

6. How would you describe the manner in which you were

treated by s of the individuals in the customer service center? Commented [jem59]: interesting term. And just getting
a rating doesnt tell you specific reasons for the ratings . . .
or even what some people see as good/poor manners.
Poor
 Fair

Good

Very Good

Excellent

7. On average, how long were you on hold until you reached a

customer service representative?

8. On average, how much time did you spend with a customer

service representative?

9. Have you ever been transferred to receive additional

information or answer a question?

10. Rank the following in order of importance

Product selection

Product Cost

Product Quality

Customer Service

Shipping and Receiving

Product Warranties

11. What is the likelihood of you choosing to do business with

PJ Enterprises in the future?

Poor

Fair

Good

Very good

Excellent

12. Feel free to provide any additional information that was

not addressed in this survey below:
Activity 6- Survey: Telephone Operators [BB]

Details of Activity/Method:
Brittney will distribute an anonymous survey to all
telephone operators in order to determining expectations of
training, job satisfaction, and perception of training.

Questions to Ask
Background

How long have you worked as a telephone operator

for PJ Enterprises?

What shift do you work?

How many seasonal catalog trainings have you

attended?

Have you attended any other trainings for PJ

Enterprises? If so, which ones?

Expectations of training

Please rate the helpfulness of the seasonal catalog

training.

Not at all helpful

Somewhat helpful

Very helpful

Extremely helpful

What do you perceive to be the purpose of the

trainings?

One of the main goals of training is to increase

product knowledge. How would you rate your
product knowledge as a result of training?

Poor

Below average

Above average

Excellent
 What was the most important thing you learned in
training?

Please rank the operator skills in order of

importance, 1 being most important, 4 being least important.

Product knowledge

Customer service

Sales system knowledge

Technical and equipment knowledge

Please rate your confidence in your ability to perform

your job following the catalog trainings. Use the
following scale with 4 being most confident and 1
being least confident:

What percentage of products in the catalog are you

familiar with?

100-75%

75-50%

50-25%

25-0%

Fill in the blank: The amount of products in the

seasonal catalog is _________.

Too much

Just right

Not enough

Job Tasks

How many times do you utilize the automated entry

system in a typical workday?

On a typical day, approximately how many calls do

you take?
 Of the calls that you take during a workday,
approximately what percentage how many are Commented [jem60]: percent is tough. How about
referred on to the Customer Service Supervisor? asking the number of calls.
Formatted: Strikethrough
0-25% Formatted: Strikethrough

26-50%

51-75%

76-100%

Job satisfaction

On a scale of 1-5, 5 being excellent and 0 being poor, please rate your
job satisfaction.

How is excellent performance rewarded in your team?

How are operators you operators held accountable for poor service? Formatted: Strikethrough

Activity 7- Focus Group: Telephone Operators [DL]

Details of Activity/Method
This activity will require that 5 telephone operators per shift
participate in a 30-minute focus group activity. This activity
will be conducted during the work day, and the employees
will not be expected to make -up this time for work. In this
activity, we will use a whiteboard to write down answers to
the question, What is really poor customer service? This
will cause the focus group to identify standards for
themselves. In this way, we can determine telephone
operators awareness of the standards to good customer
service. After we complete the poor customer service chart,
we will reverse the question, and ask the focus group to
identify ways to provide excellent customer service. This
will raise awareness of occasions the telephone operators
have provided excellent and poor customer service without
judging or calling them out for their actions. The end goal is
to identify job standards and raise awareness of these
standards. Commented [jem61]: this is much clearer and a really
good use of the technique.
Activity 8- Focus Group: Telephone Operators [DL]

Details of Activity/Method:
Danielle delivers a focus group discussion to determine
additional information gleaned from telephone operator
survey, including:

Questions to Ask

Perception of work environments

What does your typical shift look like? Commented [jem62]: what does this mean? What kind
of information are you looking for?
What does your supervisor do to reward excellent service?

How does your supervisor address poor work or bad service?

Possible solutions

If you were a supervisor, how would you improve the workspace?

If you were supervisor, how would you motivate operators?

Perception of training

What is the purpose of catalogue training?

Formatted: Outline numbered + Level: 2 + Numbering

Style: Bullet + Aligned at: 1.75" + Indent at: 1"
What is the most important part of training, or which part was most
helpful for you?

Which part(s) of training were NOT helpful for you?

What percentage of products are you familiar with? Commented [jem63]: again, how does someone figure
percentage?
Possible solutions

How would you improve the seasonal catalog training?

If you were in charge of training, what would you add? What would
you take away?

Wrap-up
 Is there anything else you would like to talk about that hasnt been
mentioned?

Activity 9- Individual Interviews and Documentation Review: Sheena Perez and Judie
Thompson [DL]

Details of Activity/Method: Part One- Interviews

Colleen and Nicole will meet with Sheena Perez and Judie
Thompson for an hour during the workday as their schedule
allows. The purpose of this interview is to determine the
process surrounding merchandise selection, catalog
development, and the development and delivery of product
training.

Questions to Ask: Part One- Interviews

What is the mission of PJ Enterprises?

Can you tell me a little bit about your position and role
at PJ enterprises?

Can you describe how you communicate information Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Hanging: 0.25"
with customer service? Do they only interact with you Commented [jem64]: ???
at the quarterly training sessions, or are you available
for product questions??

Can you describe how you communicate with the

warehouse employees?

How do you expect telephone operators to fulfill the

mission statement of PJ Enterprises in their daily work
with customerWhat is your understanding of Commented [jem65]: what does this word mean?
customer satisfaction in terms of customer service? Arent we really getting at expectations?

Please tell me more about the organization of the

product guide.

On average, which products are purchased the most?

Are any products not purchased? Commented [jem66]: this is a question for the product
folks.
Formatted: List Paragraph, Right: 1"
Please tell me about the product selection process.
 How many products do you select per catalog and
why?

Do you get feedback regarding the merchandise items

and catalog elements prior to finalizing the catalog?
Who reviews this?

Do you have any experience developing and delivering

training prior to your job here at PJ enterprises?

How do you determine what information to include in

product training? Is phone etiquette part of the
training or just the catalog items?

Please describe a typical product training session.

What is the training environment like?

What assessment methods do you used to determine if Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Hanging: 0.25"
the attendees have learned and retained the
knowledge?

What is the overall demeanor of the audience during Formatted: Normal1, Right: 0.94", Don't keep with
next
product training?

Are the training materials available to the staff after Formatted: Normal1, Indent: Left: 1.75", Hanging:
the class for review or do you provide any reference 0.25", Right: 0.94", Don't keep with next

materials for use on the job?

Wed like to learn from your experience providing Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Hanging: 0.25"
training. What worked, what didnt seem to work,
how can it be improved?

What type of feedback have you been given from the

employees who attended past trainings? Have you
adjusted training as a result of feedback?

Have you made any adjustments to training as a result

ofbecause of customer complaints regarding etiquette,
product knowledge, and wait time?

What is the company mission and how is this mission Formatted: Indent: Left: 1", First line: 0.75", Right:
1", Tab stops: 1.75", Left
communicated to employees?

Is there anything else you would like to discuss that

hasnt been covered?
 Details of Activity/Method: Part Two- Document Review
Keith will review all documents from the last four quarters
pertaining merchandise selection, catalog development, and
catalog training. He will pay special attention to the
correlation between the merchandise and catalog and what
instructional strategies and assessment methods were
utilized to achieve the objective of learning the catalog.

Questions to Ask: Part Two- Document Review

What is the selection process for merchandise?

How many items are included in each catalog?

What is the typical lifecycle for an item?

Who are the current vendors?

Who are the past vendors? How are the specifications Commented [jem67]: how do these questions relate to
from merchandise from these vendors utilized in the the performance gap?

product guide? Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.75", Hanging: 0.25"

Are there any comparable prices for the merchandise

items documented?

What training strategies and methods are used?

How are learners assessed during the training?

What type of learn, do, connecft activities were part of Commented [jem68]: this is jargon, and they wont
training? How much time was spent on each type of recognize it. Take the words out, and you still have a
good question.
activity?

What information is covered during training?

How much time is spent on learning the automated

entry system?

If end of course surveys were completed, what were

the strengths and weaknesses of the training course?
Activity 10- Observation: Telephone Operators

Details of Activity/Method:
Danielle will observe two shifts telephone operators for two
hours each in order to collect data on frequency of calls,
product knowledge and etiquette, call efficiency and work
environment.

Questions Observations to Maketo Ask Commented [jem69]: overall, this section is really good,
and youll get a lot of good info from this.
How many calls are received by the call center each
hour?

How many operators are working at one time?

How private are the operators workspaces?

What is the level of product knowledge? Commented [jem70]: what does this mean? Are you
looking at how quickly TOs ask questions, or what?
Are job aids available? If so, what types of job aids are
available?

How often are calls passed on to a supervisor?

What are the reasons for calls being passed on to a

supervisor?

What is the average time of each call?

What is the general demeanor of the employees?

Activity 11- Observations and Interviews: Warehouse Employees Commented [jem71]: these are great questions if we
knew the warehouse had a problem, or if your customer
survey data shows lots of returns and receipts of
Details of Activity/Method: Part one- Interviews incorrect products or long delays in receiving orders.
Right now, we dont have that data.
Nicole will interview warehouse employees to determine if any problems exist in Formatted: Heading 2, Indent: First line: 0", Tab
stops: Not at 0" + 0.06" + 0.5"
shipping and handling that are causing high call volumes or unhappy customer calls to
Formatted: Heading 2, Indent: Left: 0", Right: 0"
the customer service center. A representative sample of warehouse employees and Commented [jem72]: ??
managers will be selected to be interviewed for 15 to 20 minutes each. The interview
sessions will be conducted during the work day, and the employees will not be
expected to make-up this time for work.

Formatted: Heading 2, Indent: First line: 0", Tab

stops: Not at 0" + 0.06" + 0.5"

Questions to Ask: Part one- Interviews

What is your position in the warehouse? Formatted: Heading 2, Right: 0", No bullets or
numbering

How many years of experience do you have at this position?

What are your job responsibilities?

Please describe the training required for your position, including initial training
and any additional required training. How often do you receive training?

What type of software/hardware programs are used in the warehouse? What

are they used for?

What are the procedures for using this technology.

Can you tell me anything else about technology that you use to make the
shipping and handling process faster and easier?

Please describe your current inventory and the location of these items in the
warehouse.

Please describe the procedure for handling and shipping. What is the typical
timeline for an order?

What complications or setbacks are typically experienced in the warehouse?

What is a typical days workflow?

 What metrics are used to determine quality control in the warehouse?

Approximately how many items are returned? What percentage are due to
defections? What percentage are returned and able to be restocked for sale?

Approximately how many items are damaged in the shipping and handling
process?

What companies are used to ship items?

What type of feedback are you given from your supervisors (positive and
negative)?

Is there anything else you would like to share that hasnt been mentioned?

Formatted: Heading 2, Indent: First line: 0", Right: 0"

Details of Activity/Method: Part two- Observations Formatted: Heading 2, Indent: Left: 0", Right: 0", Tab
stops: Not at 0.5"

Keith will spend two days in the warehouse observing the work of the employees Commented [jem73]: probably not appropriate.

here. He will take notes on various procedures. He will be allowed to shadow

employees to determine shipping and handling habits of the employees. He will also
make special notes of the processes for documenting and maintaining inventory and
the time it takes to ship products. All warehouse operators will be notified of this
process prior to Keiths visit, along with the explanation that the observations will be
used to improve training, technology, and work environment for the warehouse
employees.

Formatted: Heading 2, Tab stops: Not at 0.5"

Notes: Part two-Observations Formatted: Heading 2, Indent: Left: 0", Right: 0", Tab
stops: Not at 0.5"

Keith will gather the following work procedure details through observation of
warehouse employees:

What are the typical types of orders being received for fulfillment?

What are the typical types of returns being received? Commented [jem74]: right now you dont care about
these in terms of that. You really want to know how TOs
handle customer requests for returns and why products
What is the work environment like in the warehouse? How are work spaces set are being returned. That data you should be able to
gather from the customer survey data PJ already gather.
up? Is proper safety being followed?
 What is the overall attitude and demeanor of warehouse employees?

When asked a question, do warehouse employees answer confidently or

struggle? For which type of questions? Are any of the questions being referred to the
supervisor and how frequently?

How do warehouse employees follow shipping and handling policies and

procedures?

What is a typical days workflow?

How are warehouse employees handling packages?

How is feedback (positive or negative) being provided to employees?

What are the warehouse supervisors additional duties?

How is the software/hardware being used?

What type of communication exists between the warehouse and other

departments in the organization?

Roadblocks & Dependencies Commented [jem75]: very thorough and well done.

Roadblocks/ Dependencies Mitigation Strategies

The team will set up a detailed, rotating schedule for interviews

which will occur during the workday. Adherence to time frames
It may be difficult to access the phone operators for personal will be a priority to to minimize employees time off the job.
interviews during the needs assessment process.

Interviewees may fear retribution for providing honest responses The team will craft and share common language regarding
during the needs assessment process. anonymity during the needs assessment process.

Given the high turnover rate, it will be essential for the telephone The team will ensure that the focus group schedule is designed in
operator focus groups to contain a cross-section of employees in a way to reflect a balance of veteran and new employees.
terms of length of employment with PJ Enterprises. The new
employees will offer a unique perspective on current onboarding
processes, while the more veteran employees can share
information about how processes have changed over time.
The survey response rate may be low. Incentives may be provided for completion and/or employees
may complete the survey at specific, designated times at stations
during the workday.

The necessary documents may be unavailable for review due to Interview questions will be crafted to ascertain the content of the
lack of policies or lost or deleted older policies. old documents.

Management may not support the teams efforts to schedule The team will have a meeting with management to set common
interviews, to bring together focus groups, or to collect goals for implementation of the analysis plan.
documentation.

Timeline for analysis may be prolonged by scheduling conflicts in Interviews will be scheduled early in the timeline to account for
the interview process. potential rescheduling; a block of time will be set aside for
rescheduled interviews.

It may be difficult to observe the telephone operators due to room The team will review the room setup prior to the observations. If
setup if the operators sit in cubicles. the operators sit in cubicles, the observer will pull a chair into the
cubicle during the observation. Team members will be present for
the duration of one full phone call for each employee that is being
observed.

The telephone operators may be resistant to being observed by an The team will share the purpose of the overall gap analysis with
outside group. the telephone operators. That overview would stress the fact that
we are looking at all components of the company to assess
potential needs, including members of management and human
resources.