12 winning tips to improve agent satisfaction

Looking to improve agent satisfaction in your contact centre?

Here are some great tips that have been submitted by our readers.

1.    Get on the phones

Get on the phones and achieve great results! The agents love it! It also increases their respect for you as a manager when they see that you can do the job too!

It also helps to reinforce coaching tips, as you can demonstrate the success of implementing a change.

Thanks to Kerri

2.    Get your agents involved

Actively listen to your agents. They’re the ones doing the job and they know better than anyone how to improve it.

Thanks to Sarah

3.    Make sure the workload is realistic

A heavy workload often prevents agents from providing the best service to their customers.

They become reluctant to go the extra mile, as they think they will not receive support or recognition for their efforts, and they end up doing the bare minimum.

Thanks to Theresa

4.    Take the time to get to know your agents

Agents who are cared about want to do well.

Take the time to develop personal relationships with individuals and let them know you care about them as people, not just numbers at a desk.

Thanks to Daphne

5.    Target for customer satisfaction

Don’t target for length of call, target for customer satisfaction instead.

That way your agents will feel that they have the resources to do what is best for their customer, rather than feeling stressed and pressed for time.

This will increase both agent and customer satisfaction overall.

Thanks to Kerri

6.    Reward good performance

Give top-performing agents time off from the phones to reward them for their hard work.

Thanks to Julie

7.    Improve your technology

Make sure that you have the most up-to-date technology available. This will give your agents the tools they need to do a good job.

Thanks to Carole

8.    Get customer reinforcement

Get your agents to end every call by asking the customer if they are happy with the resolution they have been offered.

Effective call closure should allow the agent to feel that they’ve delivered what the customer wanted.

Thanks to Lloyd

9.     Pilot your training schemes

Before implementing new training schemes, run pilot sessions and take on feedback.

Your agents will feel part of the change process and be more likely to buy in to the improvements.

Thanks to Sandra

10.     Be clear about what you expect

One of the reasons employees fail to do what’s expected of them is that they aren’t told what’s expected of them.

Being clear in your expectations — even before they accept the job — is one way to make sure that your agents are satisfied in their role.

Thanks to Sandeep

11.     Get your agents to self-score their calls

Allow agents to self-score their calls, and listen to and score their manager’s calls. This will enable them to see what defines good service and share best practice across the company.

Thanks to Kerri

12.     Let an agent lead their team for a day

Select an agent to be the leader of their team for a day. This will give the chosen individual increased responsibility and a greater sense of purpose within the organisation.

Appoint a new agent to this position every day for maximum effect.

Thanks to Redwan

Click here for our 31 Quick-Fire Tips: How to Improve Customer Satisfaction

What tips do you have for improving agent satisfaction?

Please leave your ideas

Author: Megan Jones