Call Center Management Featured Article
Communication is Key to Call Center Management
As I’m sure anyone in a management position can tell you, a call center can change from a relaxed setting to a turbulent atmosphere very quickly if not managed correctly. With agents on the phone all day or interacting with customers via chat or other methods, it’s easy to let a day or two go by without checking in on each agent’s status. This can become a problem, as even the best agent runs into problems or has a bad day. Call center management is essential to the overall success of the company, which is why Call Centre Helper has compiled a list of tips to help managers benefit agents as much as possible.
Although there are plenty of tips for call center managers on how to improve the workplace, they all seem to share a common theme: managers need to actually listen to agents. It’s all about communication and feedback. The first step managers should keep in mind when it comes to communicating effectively is to never assume that they know all the answers. In order to engage and help agents, managers need to know exactly what the problem is that’s holding them back. If they assume they know the problem without even asking, then nothing will be resolved and the agents will feel discouraged.
Feedback, from both agents and managers, is also an important facet of running a successful call center. Agents may not feel confident enough to raise their concerns in person, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still give feedback. To make all agents feel like their opinions matter, some managers set up Voice of Agents (VOA) boxes. The VOA boxes allow agents to drop in anonymous notes to express their concerns.
Meanwhile, feedback is also essential from the managers. Call center management should find a reason to give praise often, and make sure to share all positive feedback with the entire team. There’s not a single person out there who doesn’t enjoy hearing that they’ve done a good job, so if a customer writes a good review or sends a positive email, it’s important for managers to share that accomplishment with everyone.
All in all, the key to running a successful contact center is communication between managers and agents. Managers should never just assume that they know about all the problems in the office, and should freely talk with agents about their concerns. It’s important to engage all agents, even going so far as to provide anonymous VOA boxes. Only when managers and agents work together and provide constructive feedback can a call center be truly successful.