Call Center Scheduling Featured Article
Happy Agents Need More than Effective Call Center Scheduling
In the call center space, it’s not uncommon for management to focus solely on the performance of the agent base and outcomes from customer feedback surveys. While these are certainly important areas of concern, they shouldn’t be the only areas of measurement. Focusing only on metrics and customer satisfaction leaves out one very important element – agent satisfaction. When it’s time to work out your call center scheduling, agent happiness needs to be a factor.
While it’s true that call center scheduling needs to incorporate forecasts, agent skills and agent availability, it also needs to take into consideration agent requests. When you make agent satisfaction an important factor in this process, you’re more likely to have happy agents who show up on time and deliver the quality experience for all customers. But scheduling alone won’t get the job done. Let’s look at a few other things to consider by way of a recent Win the Customer post.
Pay Employees Well
It’s tempting to go bottom dollar when it comes to paying your employees, but this strategy ignores the cost of having to replace those quality agents when compensation doesn’t make up for the intense pressure of the job. Granted, agents should know what they’re getting into, but creating an environment where they feel rewarded for a job well done is just good business.
Create the Right Culture
As a business, your operation should be about more than just the service you’re delivering to clients. What kind of culture do you want to create that makes it fun for agents to work for you? Yes, there are expectations for what they need to accomplish, but with the right culture in place, agents can take pride in these accomplishments.
Surprise Perks
Everyone wants to feel appreciated at work and that appreciation is much more genuine if it isn’t scheduled. For instance, you can throw a lavish Christmas party for your entire team, but that’s just once a year. Consider throwing in a few perks that are unplanned, such as surprise half days or impromptu lunches for the team.
Better Communication
The management team may be very good at developing and executing on strategy, but if the agent base isn’t brought into the mix to understand the goals, frustration could fester. Put a policy in place on how you will communicate with your team so they feel like they are an important part of the overall strategy for success.
The Right Incentives
An incentive program is always good for the call center, especially if you want to promote adherence as part of call center scheduling. The key here is to understand how it applies for each agent. Don’t assume that a generic program will appeal to all. One agent may prefer extra pay while another may want more time off. Get to know your agents and what makes them tick if you want to drive happiness. After all, happy agents means happy customers.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi