Call Center Management Featured Article
Getting Through the Holidays in the Contact Center
If your business sees any seasonal sales for the holidays, chances are, the pressure is on full-steam now, and won’t let up anytime soon. After the holidays, there are the returns, which can put just as much strain on the call center as the ramp-up to the holidays.
So how do you and your call center agents make it through the holidays with your sanity intact? Following are some tips for call center management through the busy holiday season.
Ensure agents are properly trained. The skills your agents need during the rest of the year may not be the skills they need during the holiday season. In addition to handling stress – something all agents should be trained at – there are holiday-specific issues, such as shipping and returns, or holiday specials and discounts. Ensure your agents have all the latest information at their fingertips so they’re not handing out incorrect information.
Bring on additional staff. You may have to hire temps or engage a call center outsourcer for a few weeks or months. But the holidays are going to be many shoppers’ first impression of your company, so harassed workers and long call queues is not something you want to be parts of that first impression.
Prevent burnout. You don’t want the holidays to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back with your agents. Take some time to plan on keeping them sane, whether by increasing breaks or rreducing shift times, or adjusting the time between them, to give your agents breathers to cope with the high volumes and high stress. It’s recommended that you examine historical trends from previous holidays to identify what works and what doesn’t.
Plan for absenteeism. The holiday season also coincides with the beginning of cold, flu and stomach bug season. With increased stress on agents, it’s a given that absenteeism may creep up. Have a plan for coping with it in your workforce management and scheduling solution so absenteeism doesn’t throw your entire holiday selling season off. This might include having some home-based agents ready to log in and work to fill in the blank spots, for example.
Give agents some incentives. Agents need to feel like their extra-hard work during the holidays is valued. Be sure you’re putting a system in place to show appreciation. Incentive programs, team outings and lunches brought in-house can help, as can the assurance of ample time off in the off season to recover from the holidays.
Edited by Maurice Nagle