Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
Preventing COVID-Burnout in Call Center Agents
Call center work is, by its very nature, highly stressful work. Many employees work in close, noisy quarters with cranky customers for long hours with relatively low pay. As an industry, it has some of the highest turnover, comparable with the turnover in the restaurant industry. Call center management is a difficult job under the best of circumstances.
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, companies have had to get creative with how they operate their customer support function. Some companies have transitioned entirely to work-from-home agents. Others have put in place a hybrid program of in-person and home-based agents. Still more have continued with in-person call center operations, putting infection-reduction strategies in place such as masks and plastic barriers.
Needless to say, the pandemic has done little to relieve the stress on call center agents. In a recent article for CustomerThink, Dick Bourke, cofounder of Ireland-based Scorebuddy, outlined ways contact centers can reduce burnout among agents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Customer support is one of the functions most at risk for burnout, especially during a crisis,” he wrote. “According to one study, 74 percent of call center agents are at risk for burnout. And 30 percent of those individuals are at severe risk of burnout. Contact centers also have some of the highest turnover rates in the country, ranging between 30-45 percent, more than double the average for all other occupations. And the average call center agent lifespan is just three years.”
So what strategies can companies use to reduce stress and anxiety among call center agents? Steps management can take include:
Having a formal stress-reduction program. Outline the strategies you plan to use and make the details of the program available to employees. It will help them feel that the company has their back.
Strictly enforce lunch and break times. Too many companies are happy to allow employees to work into their off-time, and while it might result in short-term gains, it can result in long-term losses due to agent burnout. Make sure employees are taking their full lunches and breaks, and vacation time that’s due to them.
Offer supportive management. Toxic management can greatly include employee stress, burnout and turnover. Ensure managers are checking in with workers to determine how they’re doing and feeling, and whether they feel overwhelmed.
“According to a Gallup study, employees who feel supported by their managers are overwhelmingly less likely (around 70 percent) to experience burnout,” wrote Bourke. “That’s because good managers offer an opportunity to discuss difficult situations, provide support during rough times, and work collaboratively to reduce stress.”
Increase agent autonomy. Agents who feel micromanaged will burn out faster than agents trusted with a degree of autonomy.
“When you allow less stringent call procedures and policies, you reduce the feelings of frustration and stress, which will improve performance and decrease emotional exhaustion,” wrote Bourke.
Ensure ongoing training. It’s important to remember that customers are under pressure due to the pandemic, as well, so make sure agents are trained in special circumstances that might arise in customer relationships. Be sure agents have the most up-to-date information and the flexibility to accommodate special circumstances.
Edited by Maurice Nagle