Agents are the contact centre’s frontline problem-solvers. They have the power to make or break the customer experience (CX) and build up or destroy an entire contact centre. Despite serving as the heart of customer service teams, agents are less engaged in the workplace than ever before, contributing to a turnover rate of nearly 50 percent. Losing employees is also an expensive process as it can cost a single contact centre more than US$300,000 a year to recruit and train new agents. Save money, increase productivity and improve the customer experience by implementing these tactics to reduce turnover and make agents happier.
Provide ongoing in-line training
From week to week, agents only get about 7 percent of their manager’s attention for training, which leaves them uneducated on how to handle the pressure and workload of dealing with unhappy customers. Fight this battle by enlisting in technology that provides in-line training for agents. Managers are then able to proactively monitoring all interactions and route conversational coaching opportunities for improved retention and efficiency. It also allows agents to be coached on various scenarios and provided with relevant feedback in real-time.
Reward top performers
With better training, the most engaged agents will begin to shine as top performers. These individuals are valuable resources, making it vital to offer incentives so they remain a long-term employee. One way is by incentivising training opportunities to recognise top agents. For instance, if an agent is interested in working in another department, start an inter-company mentor program. For those who desire to serve in a management role, create a management trainee class. Not only does this showcase how the company invests in the success of its employees, but helps determine which agents are well-suited for management positions.
Implement stay interviews
“Stay interviews” are one of the easiest agent-retention programs to execute and require no additional monetary investment. During the interview, the goal is to gather important information about employee engagement and happiness to gain insight into the agent’s longevity with the company. These details can help supervisors assemble action plans to address issues and enhance workplace enjoyment. Results from stay interviews have been astoundingly positive with some call centres saving hundreds of thousands of dollars and reducing agent turnover by 20 percent or more.
Offer flexible schedules
All employees crave flexibility in the workplace. One way to accomplish this is by self-rostering, which has been shown to reduce absenteeism and turnover. With this process, peers work together to agree on their schedules, rather than be assigned a schedule from a manager.
Another way is through annualised hours, which calculates the number of hours worked per year as opposed to per week. For instance, if an agent takes four days off the job, they can make up those hours over the next few months by taking on extra shifts. On this system, contact centres can more easily allow agents to take time off for vacation or personal days, contributing to less stress and more happiness in the workplace.
Decrease stress levels with technology
Even with flexibility and top-notch training, stressors will still present themselves daily. However, investing in new software can help decrease stressful situations by streamlining work processes. For instance, up-to-date software from leading vendors makes agents’ jobs easier by allowing them to seamlessly switch between applications and communication channels. Agents are then able to gather all relevant data with a single click and move from channel to channel without ending interactions.
Set clear KPIs with consistent feedback circuits
First Contact Resolution, service level and Average Handle Time are all important data points to measure. But agents need to understand a manager’s goals and expectations so they know when they are underperforming. Without clearly defined goals and the necessary support, agents will be at risk of failing. Always make sure to keep expectations clear and communicated on a consistent basis.
Final Thoughts
Reducing agent turnover by employing an agent-first mentality is crucial and does deliver a more robust workplace environment that translates to high-quality customer service and more loyal customers. The time is now to implement these actions to improve contact centre culture and create better agent experiences.
Guest Blog by Pam Hynes, Vice President of Client Experience at Sharpen Technologies
Pam Hynes is the vice president of client experience at Sharpen Technologies, a contact centre platform with an agent-first focus. Sharpen’s cloud-native contact centre platform helps midsize to enterprise-level companies create perfect customer experiences. Designed for agent productivity and efficiency, Sharpen offers a solution for both customer support and outbound sales teams. Through better technology, the company is creating happier agents and seamless customer experiences.
