It is imperative for call centers to drive operational performance excellence in order to remain competitive in the industry. Not doing so risks losing valuable customers and call center talent in an industry that’s already known for high agent attrition rates.
Leverage Call Monitoring & Scoring
Following the agent interview and selection process, managers should be keyed into how best to facilitate ongoing agent support, growth, and training. Quality monitoring software, such as speech analytics, automatically monitor and score 100% of calls, helping managers deliver objective feedback and improve agent performance. Call scoring evaluation forms can also be helpful for enhancing quality assurance within the call center.
Effectively Communicate with Agents
In addition to call monitoring and scoring, managers and supervisors should also make it a point to schedule in time for targeted coaching sessions with agents. The advantages are two-fold: Managers get to share ideas for agent performance improvements and agents get to communicate their thoughts and impressions of their performance.
As noted in an inContact blog post on successful agent coaching, “a best practice approach is to have the agent do most of the speaking during a coaching session. Collaborated communication is beneficial by allowing the agent and supervisor to share their specific observations on strengths and opportunities.”
Avoid Negative Language
In general, call center best practices include the creation of a script which recommends professional language, an upbeat tone, and key phrases to leverage. However, it is also worth training agents to avoid certain phrases and types of language to avoid negative interactions. For example, instead of telling a caller “I’m going to put you on hold”, encourage agents to use phrases like “I’m sorry, I’m actually not the best person to answer your query, but let me transfer you to our resident expert who will be with you in two minutes. Thanks for your patience.”
