It’s easy to say you want better call center agent productivity, but it’s a lot tougher to achieve it. Whether the issues are related to motivation, communication, or teamwork, each manager has different areas to address to improve employee performance. Check out the blog below for 5 best practices for boosting productivity in your contact center!
Hire The Right Agents
Many contact centers have settled for a culture of churn-and-burn--a continuous cycle of new recruits who are let go once productivity dips. Unfortunately, many contact center managers don't realize that instead of cycling through 5-10 agents per month, if they spend the time to hire a handful of quality agents, their contact center productivity will increase due to the natural continuity that occurs with longer tenured agents. Additionally, hiring agents who aren't committed for the long term often bring bad attitudes that can become contagious, helping to destroy the team dynamic and bring everyone’s ambitions down. Focus on hiring agents that are not only committed to improving their own skills, but raising the abilities of everyone around them as well.
Use CTI for More Customer Info
Usually an agent will deliver better results when given more information on a customer. With our CRM integrations, agents can get automatic computer telephony integration (CTI) on-screen prompts containing authentication and specific customer information. Agents can then provide a more personalized experience or route the customer to another staff member who can offer better assistance. In either case, less time is wasted, a more streamlined customer experience has unfolded, and call center agent efficiency has improved.
Consistent Coaching & Training
Coaching and training are critical for building call center productivity over time. Once your agents have learned the basics, it can be easy to let their skills stagnate as you move on to the next recruitment class. Make sure to leverage a workforce optimization system that contains a knowledge library and the ability to upload coaching forms and track feedback over time. All employees want to know how they're performing, and continuing with a dedicated coaching and training program will raise the overall productivity of your contact center.
Allow Remote Work
Recent studies have shown that agents really can be more productive in the comforts of their own home. If you haven't experimented with remote employees, start by giving your top agents the flexibility to work from home for a day or two per week. Rewarding your employees with the ability to work remotely has multiple benefits--it increases the productivity of your remote employees, and it also incentives the agent you still have in your physical contact center to raise their own productivity (with the hopes of being able to work from home as well).
Provide Incentives
Apart from the ability to work from home, brainstorm ways to reward your agents when they hit performance targets. One of the most important aspects of an incentive program is to offer rewards that employees actually want (a front row parking spot isn't what it used to be). Sometimes, that’s just simple recognition for the achievement of goals. In other cases, it may include a combination of prestige with tangible offerings such as bonuses, free lunch, etc. When executed correctly, a rewards program can have a big impact on employee performance.
Looking for ways to improve performance in your contact center? Contact us today to learn how we can help!
