Leader in the customer experience and communications landscape, NICE inContact, recently conducted a new research study. The report details the experiences and challenges of contact centre agents. According to NICE, these agents play a crucial role in improving customer loyalty and satisfaction.
The study commissioned by ICMI and NICE inContact spoke to 150 agents in 20 industries to understand where they feel they have the biggest impact on customer experience. The report found that agents are essential to ensuring the long-term and sustainable growth of the contact centre. These employees are at the front lines of the interactions between businesses and consumers. Without satisfied agents, companies can’t have happy employees.
Agent Experience is Crucial to Success
Gartner previously found that 86% of CX executives consider employee engagement to be crucial to delivering improvements in CX. By addressing issues for agents, and eliminating skills gaps, contact centres can ensure a more engaging and consistent customer experience, driving more positive outcomes. NICE InContact’s study builds on this insight, with findings like:
- Tools make or break an agent’s ability to resolve problems: 29% say the top motivation for agents is to help customers. However, 30% of agents say that their biggest challenge is struggling with hard-to-use systems to achieve this goal
- Contact centre staff don’t have enough training: Around 55% of supervisors and 50% of agents get less than 2 hours of on-the-job training per month. When training is provided, it focuses mainly on processes, rather than problem-solving skills
- Transparency is key to agent satisfaction: Agents with performance metrics that are closely aligned with the goals of the business are more engaged (16%) according to NICE. Additionally, the impact the agent has on the company’s goal is the second most motivational factor among agents polled
According to the CEO of NICE inContact, Paul Jarman, customer expectations are evolving at a rapid pace. However, responding to those expectations also means making sure that agents are properly supported. Agents need seamless solutions so that they can deliver the speedy resolutions customers demand. The latest NICE inContact study highlights this need.
Agents Need More Support
The contact centres examined in the latest study support a selection of different channels. 69% said that they currently offer five or more channels for service. According to NICE inContact, agents working in SMB contact centres had the highest levels of satisfaction (68%). Additionally, training programs can differ depending on contact centre size. For instant, large contact centres are more likely to have formal training. Alternatively, smaller environments provide more on-going support.
Companies that want to learn more about supporting their agents and improving customer experience can reach out to NICE inContact today. The NICE team is offering an Agent Experience maturity assessment to support businesses in assessing AX readiness. You can take the assessment online today.
