How to support your Contact Centre agents who are supporting vulnerable customers

Contact Centres act as the face of many different brands, some facing more challenging issues than others. Debt recovery is one such challenge, with agents communicating with vulnerable customers at moments of high stress on a daily basis.

To ensure these responsibilities don't lead to burnout, Contact Centres must commit to bolstering initiatives around agent wellbeing and introducing technologies that help agents to navigate highly sensitive conversations with customers. Automation, workforce management and analytics can only go so far in supporting agents. Within roles that require professionalism and empathy, the value of the human and personal touch should not be underestimated.

In this month's #IPIWellnessWednesday blog, we are sharing ideas, strategies, and tools that Contact Centres can utilise to uplift its people and their customers.

The human connection remains important

It's a simple concept, but it can be overlooked. Technology can only go so far as to ensure that agents feel like they are getting the respect and support they need from their employer, particularly when dealing with high frequency calls from vulnerable customers. Having an explicit port of call for any agent who has just closed an intense and emotionally charged customer call is a must for Contact Centres if they don't want agents to bring negativity from their lives or other calls to the next customer.

Whether this is a mentor, manager or even a small team shared initiative, investing in people and spaces for people to safely discuss challenges is fundamental to uplifting a workforce.

Agents can be vulnerable customers too

Few have avoided the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, and Contact Centres need to be wary that their own agents may have also been affected. Particularly where agents are dealing directly with customers in similar situations, it’s important that Contact Centres are cognisant of any potential vulnerabilities amongst their people and make sure they have appropriate mechanisms in place to help agents in these trying times.

Empathy training

Experience is the greatest educator, but on occasions where an agent doesn't have this, empathy training is essential for agents dealing with vulnerable customers. This can include practising scripts and running calls that give agents mock experiences before they speak to an actual customer.

AI can also be used to enhance agents’ training. AI-powered coaching platforms offer personalised feedback, training modules, simulations, and interactive exercises. This supports agents' professional development, and boosts skills, and overall job satisfaction.

Technology to streamline the customer journey

When used well, technology streamlines the work of a Contact Centre agent, opening up time for them to spend with more vulnerable customers, rather than rush through sensitive cases and risk alienating customers. Tools like IVR can gather customer information during hold time, enabling efficient call routing and personalised service, and allowing agents to maximise the value of their time with customers, rather than simply gathering routine information.

Some customers with personal struggles, however, tend to prefer channels without any human interaction, that allow them to self-serve. Chatbots cater to tech-savvy customers, providing instant assistance and valuable data to provide answers to the most frequently asked questions and improve the customer journey. Implementing these technologies boosts efficiency, and also delivers service with a greater degree of empathy, essential for industries such as utilities and debt collection, that anticipate highly vulnerable customers.

Improve understanding with analytics

Speech and text analytics are great tools for staying abreast of common themes in customer interactions, including rising vulnerabilities, as well as for informing training materials to improve agent interactions on sensitive topics. Whether customers contact an organisation by phone or via text-based channels, their comments contain valuable data and feedback about products, processes, and services that can then be used to inform innovations and progress.

Furthermore, sentiment analytics allows organisations to monitor customer emotions and can alert customer service agents to respond accordingly.

Scheduling

Effective resource planning is essential for managing a hybrid workforce, particularly within those industries dealing with high volumes of vulnerable customers. Automated forecasting and scheduling accurately predicts staffing needs and schedules work across multiple channels. Where agents are multi-skilled, such tools allow Contact Centre managers to ensure that agents are rotated around and staff different channels, therefore ensuring that the same agents aren’t always tasked with telephone-based enquiries. This helps to prevent agent overload and burnout from repetitive or stressful inquiries.

Take opportunities to uplift both in and out of work

Everyone likes to have something on the calendar to look forward to, and work events are a great way to build personal connections among colleagues. Virtual or in-person activities– such as mentoring or celebrating birthdays – can bring together office-based and remote agents, promoting meaningful connections and adding an extra level of job satisfaction to all agents’ lives.

Engaging agents of all levels

Creating a positive team culture should be a priority for retaining valuable agents with the skills to handle tough calls. These agents can also act as mentors to support junior team members and help them to understand necessary etiquette for the unique issues that arise when dealing with vulnerable customers. They can partake in ‘lunch and learn’ or even host drop-in sessions to share their knowledge and provide junior agents with a friendly face to go to with any question.