6 Good Practices To Motivate Call Center Agents

In a recent article, Hagai Shaham discusses a topic that has been a very big issue for many call centers throughout the world: agent attrition rate. The daily grind mixed with consistently dealing with angry/frustrated customers leads to agents being easily worn down, and Shaham points out that the key to reducing attrition is to keep agents motivated and give them reasons to stick with the job. Having motivated agents who feel like they have a real purpose at the company leads to better performance, performance scores, and KPIs.

So, what does it take to motivate call center agents and give them a sense of purpose? Shaham’s article says that in order for anyone to feel they have a purpose in their position they have to see how they’re impacting the company in a valuable way and know that they are respected for their input. The article offers the following six good practices to motivate call center agents.

1) Put emphasis on customer service for the big picture of the company’s success so agents see that their job is valuable to the company.

2) Give agents freedom outside of strict scripting with customer calls and trust them to use their own judgment in them to resolve issues.

3) Ensure agents are equipped with the right technology and tools to develop and master their craft.

4) Request and utilize agent feedback and input.

5) Put emphasis on the quality of work (customer satisfaction) and not strictly metrics such as AHT.

6) Celebrate agents when they do a great job and recognize effort and achievement.

These six practices are great for reducing agent attrition within call centers. It’s not the most complicated system, yet leaders within call centers often fail to provide this type of environment. People want to be treated with respect and feel like they’re in a work environment where their input and production matter, but call centers can often be extremely hectic and overwhelming and grasping the big picture can be a challenge.

It’s the job of leaders within call centers to let agents know that they’re valuable to the company while putting emphasis on the significance of the role that customer service plays in the big picture. In addition, leaders need to instill trust in agents that they have their back during difficult times and that their feedback is vital to the success of the call center. When people feel like their voice is heard and their opinions and input matter, they’ll be more likely to put more effort into their job and produce better results.

This blog post is based on an article from CustomerThink. To read the original article, please click the link below:

Call Center Attrition Rate – The Problem, Symptoms and Cure – Hagai Shaham