Multi-channel customer service is the new norm, but it also poses many challenges for call center agents. They have to handle different types of queries, switch between various platforms, and maintain consistent quality across all channels. How can you help your agents perform better in this complex environment? Here are some best practices to consider.
One of the first steps to improve agent performance is to align your channels with your customer expectations and your business goals. This means choosing the right mix of channels, such as voice, email, chat, social media, and self-service, that suit your customer segments and service levels. It also means ensuring that your channels are integrated and synchronized, so that your agents can access the same information and history across all touchpoints. This will reduce duplication, confusion, and frustration for both your agents and your customers.
Call center management is, by no means, an easy job. It requires strategic vision, hard work, difficult decisions, the ability to motivate people to hit tough targets, and much more. Effective leaders in the call center industry need to be familiar with every aspect of their business, lead by example, and work within strict budgets. It can be overwhelming at times.
Another key factor for agent performance is training. Your agents need to have the skills and knowledge to handle different types of customers, situations, and channels. You should provide them with regular and relevant training on your products, services, policies, and procedures, as well as on communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills. You should also use simulations, role-plays, and feedback to help them practice and improve their multi-channel capabilities. Additionally, you should offer them opportunities to learn from each other, such as through peer coaching, mentoring, or shadowing.
Providing training on all the different aspects or inter department training is essential in a multi channel workplace. By providing multi Chanel training to employees a company ensures that they are able to equip their employees with the required skills for their organization. This also ensures a great number of staff retention as employees might first want to go to a different department instead of simply deciding to leave the company altogether if they maybe wanted a change from their current position or department.
It’s essential for successful call center management, but few managers put enough time and energy into hiring the best employees for the job. Call centers need people with a natural ability for customer service, good listening skills, effective communication skills, an excellent memory, and an enthusiastic attitude. It’s the intangibles like enthusiasm and ability to listen that often make the best employees. And the tricky thing is, these traits can’t be taught. That’s why it’s so important that savvy managers take the time to screen new employees for attitude and aptitude.
A third way to improve agent performance is to empower them with the right tools and authority. Your agents need to have access to the best technology and software that can help them manage multiple channels efficiently and effectively. For example, you can use a unified desktop, a CRM system, a knowledge base, and an AI chatbot to help your agents find information, automate tasks, and provide personalized service. You should also give your agents some autonomy and flexibility to make decisions, offer solutions, and escalate issues when needed. This will increase their confidence, motivation, and satisfaction.
Hiring is only a very small part of successful call center management. Granted, it’s an important part, but hiring mistakes can be mitigated through a thorough onboarding process that teaches good habits and communicates your high standards. We recommend putting special emphasis on training employees how to deal with customer complaints. The bulk of their calls will probably be of this type so it’s important to prepare them right from the beginning. Make sure that your employees see customer complaints as an opportunity to provide great service rather than an obstacle that needs to be crossed. With a thorough onboarding program in place, your new employees will feel better able to handle any type of call that comes their way.
A fourth way to improve agent performance is to monitor them regularly and consistently. You need to measure and evaluate how your agents are performing on each channel, using both quantitative and qualitative metrics. For example, you can use KPIs such as average handling time, first contact resolution, customer satisfaction, and net promoter score to track and compare your agent performance across channels. You should also use quality assurance tools such as call recording, chat transcripts, and customer feedback to assess and improve your agent performance on each channel. Moreover, you should provide your agents with timely and constructive feedback, recognition, and rewards to help them grow and excel.
Call centers have a notorious reputation as difficult places to work. Whether that label is true or not, it can make attracting good employees and minimizing turnover an overwhelming job. Attracting good employees starts with the hiring process, but minimizing turnover is a direct product of employee engagement. Effective employee engagement can be as simple as talking with your employees each day, or as elaborate as a team retreat. Engagement activities like holding brainstorming sessions, or a team happy hour, can make your employees feel like part of a team, and keep them on point and ready to handle customer problems. Take the time to institute some employee engagement programs to keep your team’s motivation and performance.
A fifth way to improve agent performance is to schedule them optimally and strategically. You need to forecast and plan your staffing needs based on your channel demand, volume, and complexity. You should also balance your agent skills, preferences, and availability with your channel requirements and priorities. You can use workforce management software or tools to help you create and adjust your agent schedules according to your multi-channel needs. Furthermore, you should communicate and coordinate with your agents regularly and clearly about their schedules, shifts, breaks, and changes.
Working in a call center can be a high-stress job. That stress can have a negative effect on your employees. The moment they begin to feel overworked, their ability to perform at a high level decreases. That’s where proper scheduling comes in. Giving your employees enough downtime to recharge and refocus, can ensure that your customers receive the patient and friendly service they deserve. But even a small-sized team can be difficult to schedule. There are so many variables and moving parts to contend with that the job can seem well-nigh impossible.
When scheduling your agents, I find it productive to identify their strengths and or allow them to indicate their preferred channels.
A sixth way to improve agent performance is to support them emotionally and mentally. Working in a multi-channel environment can be stressful and demanding for your agents. They may face challenges such as high workload, low morale, burnout, or turnover. You should provide them with adequate and appropriate support to help them cope and thrive. You can do this by creating a positive and collaborative culture, fostering a sense of team spirit and belonging, offering counseling and wellness programs, and encouraging work-life balance. You should also listen to your agents, understand their needs and concerns, and involve them in decision-making and improvement processes.
Factors such as what is good for the call center, peak and low hours, employee ability, employee availability, and a whole host of others, can turn scheduling into a full-time job. That’s why it’s important to make use of the best tools available for the job. A digital solution like Sling can simplify and streamline the scheduling process so you can focus less on just getting bodies in chairs, and more on putting together the best team for the shift. This can mean the difference between the highest quality of service possible and merely average service.
Having a good working relationship with your agents is very important. I believe management needs to also earn the trust and respect of the agents, not just expecting or demanding it. Showing agents that you care goes a long way toward building that relationship. When your agents trust and respect you, they are more willing to bring things to your attention. This helps eliminate problems before they become major issues. This could be customer facing issues, process issues, or personal issues they are struggling with. Addressing these issues helps reduce the agents stress which can raise morale and increase productivity.
Drive standardization and knowledge sharing are key. Make sure there are resources such as knowledge databases, and documentation like standard operating procedures (SOPs), policies and best approaches for solving issues. Also building communication channels for agents to share experiences or ask questions or help in real time.
Creating a clear feedback loop where agents share areas where they need to improve to offer quality service to clients. Drive clear standard operating procecedures and process, defined and clear KPIs and motivational initiatives for the agents. Call center work can be tiresome because of mutiple resolutions agents make daily. Appreciate and recongnize the effort of the top performers and as well the most improved agents. Its prudent for leaders to ensure that the communciation flow is smooth and team members are adequately supported with functional working tools, resources and systems to deliver the results.
Eficiencia en procesos, sistema de resolución en el primer contacto, disminuyendo tiempos y aumentando efectividad, esto disminuye tráfico futuro en todos los canales, la omnicanalidad es eso ser eficientes en todos los canales tratando de visualizar el futuro de forma proactiva