How to Help Your Agents Be More Positive

Being genuinely positive during a call can give customers more confidence in what an agent is saying. It can also build trust.

However, achieving positivity is easier said than done, as there are many outside influences to contend with – from the way a customer behaves, to an agent’s personal mental, physical or emotional state.

Four Ways to Improve Agent Positivity

The good news is that – with a little practice – agents can take control of their positivity.

Beverly Unwin, Customer Hub Advisor at Ocado, explains four methods you can use to improve agent positivity:

1. Start the Day Right

How an agent wakes up and sets off for work can affect their whole day.

Beyond encouraging individuals to find a routine that gets their day off to a good start, have a think about how you start your day in the contact centre too.

Also, see if there are any quick wins for lifting agents’ moods as they arrive for their shift.

2. Challenge Your Team to Think Differently

We all have the power to respond to situations in different ways by being more aware of our feelings and actions.

We all have the power to respond to situations in different ways by being more aware of our feelings and actions.

For a whole week, why not try asking your team to practise turning every sigh into a smile. For example, by pausing to remember a good thought or situation, or a time where they were very happy.

Putting themselves in that happy memory, so they feel it, smell it, and touch it in their mind can help to put your team back in a positive mindset – no matter what the day brings.

3. Fill an Imaginary Ball With Happiness

Another fun exercise is to ask them to hold an imaginary ball in their hand or tummy.

Pop all good thoughts in there, so that it’s a little bubble of joy to hold close and draw on whenever they need to.

This can help them through the day, through the week, through the months. It can also help when you need motivation for your friends and family.

4. Surround Yourself With Positivity

Surround yourself and your team with positive people and a positive environment.

After all, positivity does breed positivity. Do what you can to make your team smile and, above all, be kind.

Thanks to Beverly Unwin, Customer Hub Advisor at Ocado, for these suggestions

For more great articles on positivity, read these articles next:

• Positive Language for Customer Service Conversations
• Positive Habits for Your Contact Centre Team
• Create and Maintain a Positive Culture

Author: Robyn Coppell