Call center agents have a difficult job; they speak to many customer every day, and often those customers are calling because they are upset or frustrated. An agent’s day can also be unpredictable, as they are called upon to perform a number of very different tasks and solve a variety of problems. The day-to-day can be stressful, which is why it is so important to preemptively take measures that keep agents performing at their best. Here are a few ways to help call center agents perform at their highest standard:
- Participation
Call center agents are much more likely to work hard when they feel like important, valuable employees. Including agents in some of the daily decision-making processes can help to build a sense of company loyalty and can drastically improve performance. In the same vein, it can be beneficial to provide real time metrics to agents so that they can quantify their own performance and compare it to that of their coworkers. Keeping agents in the dark about operations can make them feel undervalued, but providing them with useful information and requesting their feedback can help instill a sense of pride in their work.
2. Gamification
Nothing increases agent performance quite like good old-fashioned competition. Publicly awarding prizes or rewards to high-performing agents or those that tactfully handle a difficult situation, and creating daily/weekly/monthly goal-oriented contests can make work seem more fun, and can break up monotony. Gamification provides agents with tangible ways to “win,” which can be much better incentive to work hard than simply completing the task at hand.
3. Appreciation
All people word harder when they know their work is appreciated. Scheduling employee appreciation events, such as a pizza party or theme-dress day, lets agents know that their hard work isn’t going unnoticed. Events can also break up the often-repetitive schedule of a call center. Making agent performance and appreciation a priority goes hand-in-hand with high productivity; agents that feel valued are much more likely to perform with integrity. A positive work environment also helps cut down on turnover, which is great because skilled agents are far more productive than their green counterparts.
Despite the fact that call center can be a difficult place to work, the above methods can help keep call center agents happy, valued and productive. Creating an environment in which employees are happy to be at work and excited to do their best benefits your customers just as much as your bottom line.