21 Signs You Need to Better Support Your Contact Centre Teams

Bad things happen when your teams aren’t being properly supported in their roles but, in a busy contact centre, the signs aren’t always the easiest to spot.

That’s why we asked our consultants panel of experts for the key signs – across the employee and customer experience – that you need to do more to support your frontline teams.

Here’s what they said…

1. Regular Use of Goodwill Gestures to Pacify Customers

When trying to understand if you need to better support your contact centre teams, a good tell is whether refunds, discounts, or goodwill gestures are being used more than they should be to pacify your customers and ease the pressure.

Contributed by: Neville Doughty, Partnerships & Growth Director at Customer Contact Panel

2. Agents Undermining the Company and Agreeing With Your Customers’ Frustrations

One clear red flag is when agents agree with customers that the company is at fault. I saw an instance where agents, overwhelmed by frequent complaints on a particular issue, began to believe their employer was to blame.

Some even agreed their company was the problem and expressed helplessness in a fatalistic way.

While it is crucial to acknowledge customer concerns, there is a fine line between showing empathy and undermining your own company. If quality monitoring reveals agents doing this, they are frustrated that management has not addressed the issue.

What they forget is they are only hearing from a small percentage of the customer base. In one example, only 10% of customers reached out to the contact centre – even though that was 100% of the agents’ experience.

Contributed by: Mike Aoki, President of Reflective Keynotes Inc.

3. Excessive Teams Channels Set Up for Sharing Tips and Information

Once upon a time, agents created sticky notes and Excel sheets as shortcuts and workarounds. Today, that’s morphed into excessive Teams chat groups where all of them are aimed at compensating for missing tools and system inefficiencies.

This is a telltale sign that your current systems don’t meet agents’ needs for effective customer support.

Contributed by: Michael Clark, Co-Founder and Principal Consultant of CXTT Consulting

4. Agents Saying “I’m Afraid I Can’t Do That” or “I’ll Need to Check With My Manager”

Accountable freedom is critical. In top-performing teams, leaders create a psychologically safe climate where agents feel trusted and empowered – think the “Andon Cord” principle, where anyone can stop the line to solve a problem, knowing they won’t face backlash.

When that trust and freedom aren’t there, you start hearing customer calls with “I’m afraid I can’t do that” or “I’ll need to check with my manager,” as agents are wary of stepping outside the process.

If agents are deferring decisions or relying on workarounds, it’s a strong hint they lack the support to act confidently on their own.

Contributed by: Rob Clarke, Director and Co-Founder of Elev-8 Performance

If you are looking for advice on empowering your agents, read our article: What Does Employee Empowerment REALLY Mean?

5. Hybrid Workers Never Turning on Their Camera or Showing Up to the Office

The hybrid world is complicated and you’ve got to really think about the presence of people who are working from home.

Are they turning their camera on? Are they getting involved in team meetings? Are they coming into the office every now and again to link in with people?

These questions are key to keeping a check on the health and wellbeing of your teams at home, so you can make sure you’re giving them the support they need.

Contributed by: Sarah Hunt, Head Judge for the North East Contact Centre Awards

6. Your Team Leaders Asking About Staffing or Overtime Needs

If your supervisors or any type of manager are asking what staffing looks like, as a planner, it’s a clear sign you’re not properly supporting your teams.

At the point they’re coming to you, you’ve already let them down by not thinking ahead of those things. It should be done proactively!

For example, we got a question at my current job the other day: “Are we prepared for this hurricane that’s going to hit Florida?” We had 10 agents working in Florida, and nobody had proactively thought about that, and then it came to the frontline manager who had to ask.

Contributed by: Bryce Ackerman, Workforce Management Internal Consultant at Roche

Planning can be a headache, but nipping recurring issues in the bud can help. For expert advice on managing these challenges, read our article: Top Call Centre Planning Challenges and How to Handle Them

7. Customers Calling to Verify That the Information They Received in the First Call Is Still Accurate

Another sign that a manager is not supporting their teams sufficiently comes from customers who will call and verify that information they received in the first call is still accurate in a second, third, and even fourth call.

Why? A lack of organizational trust! The customers hear it in the agents’ voices when they do not have the right support or feel genuinely confident in their response.

Contributed by: Dr M. Dave Salisbury, COO at D&C Consulting LLC

8. Agents Vocalizing Just How Much They Hate Your Customers

Do you realize just how much your team hate your customers? During a recent social media customer service workshop, I started by asking the agents what they thought of those they responded to daily.

Manipulative, aggressive, entitled, and dishonest were just four of the words that came up – all but one suggestion was negative.

Then I asked them to put themselves in the shoes of the customer. What words would describe how their customers are feeling? Stressed, tired, overwhelmed, and lonely, came the responses.

The penny dropped: They realized they were all going to struggle to empathize with their customers if they continued down a road of negativity and mistrust.

When was the last time you asked what your agents thought about your customers? And is it time to tackle such negative attitudes in your team which could ultimately harm your brand?

Contributed by: Mark Saxby, Social Media Consultant at Status Social

9. Agents Becoming Withdrawn and Even Tearful

In the UK, 17.1 million working days were lost to work related stress, depression and anxiety, and 79% of people say they frequently experience work-related stress, according to the Office for National Statistics.

So how can you spot that someone in your team might be suffering from work-related stress? Some of the common signs of stress to look out for in team members include:

• Changes in behaviour
• Becoming withdrawn
• Poor concentration
• Being tearful
• Increased sickness levels
• Poor timekeeping
• A drop in performance

Work-related stress is best dealt with as soon as possible to stop it escalating, and as a manager you are in a great position to recognize if your team members may be suffering from stress and need additional support.

Contributed by: Gemma Carter-Morris, Director of Wellbeing and Client Relationships at Next Steps Consulting

There are ways contact centres can support employee wellbeing and mental health. For advice on this, read our article: A Guide to Improving Mental Health in the Contact Centre

10. Agents Using Personal Notes Instead of Using the Knowledge Base

Another red flag is when agents rely on personal notes instead of the official knowledge base. They might claim their notes are faster or more accurate, but this often suggests the knowledge base is outdated or difficult to search.

If agents have developed workarounds that are not reflected in the official knowledge base, it is time to review and improve it. One idea is allowing agents to submit updated information to knowledge base editors so information stays up to date.

Contributed by: Mike Aoki, President of Reflective Keynotes Inc.

11. Supervisors Are Coaching to Different Metrics to Those on the Dashboard

If your dashboards aren’t being regularly opened, or if your supervisors or managers are coaching to different metrics than the metrics on the dashboard, it’s a clear sign they might be confusing for the supervisors, who just don’t know how to explain the numbers behind the KPIs.

So make sure they are getting the support they need to use the tools in front of them.

Contributed by: Bryce Ackerman, Workforce Management Internal Consultant at Roche

12. Agents Aren’t Willing to Engage With You Voluntarily to Answer a Question

One sign that you, as a manager (or leader), need to support your team better is observable in how many of your team are willing to engage with you voluntarily to answer a question.

The worst thing you can hear from an agent is “I have tried everything else. Now I guess I have to ask the boss.”

Nevertheless, managers will continually state, “I want my team to be independent and self-serving, as this promotes productivity, individualism, and self-sufficiency.” A reluctance to engage with you voluntarily indicates a lack of managerial support.

Contributed by: Dr M. Dave Salisbury, COO at D&C Consulting LLC

13. Putting Customers on Excessive Hold During Knowledge Searches

I look for evidence in reporting and through observations to see if agents are regularly pausing interactions to search for information. This is a strong indicator around onboarding effectiveness and points to limited access to clear, accessible knowledge resources.

Contributed by: Michael Clark, Co-Founder and Principal Consultant of CXTT Consulting

14. High Rates of Absence and Attrition

Culture is at the centre of all operations. How supported people feel will be evidenced across all the standard KPIs: clearly, tenure is key, absence and attrition will always be a visible reminder of teams feeling that they are not receiving appropriate support.

However, with remote working and automation, empty seats in the call centre are less of a visual reminder, especially to managers who may be working at home whilst their teams are present in the office to see that impact.

Contributed by: Neville Doughty, Partnerships & Growth Director at Customer Contact Panel

15. Hearing Lots of High-Effort Customer Phrases

Customers pick up on agent struggles fast. Tone betrays words! When they encounter responses like “that’s our process” or face repetitive touchpoints without resolution, it’s clear the team doesn’t have what they need to resolve issues directly.

By measuring the right things – say, using voice analytics to catch high-effort customer phrases – you’ll often find these correlate with lower NPS scores.

Are you tracking key touchpoints along the customer journey? Those insights can reveal where breakdowns are happening and whether there’s a team or individual who could use extra support.

Contributed by: Rob Clarke, Director and Co-Founder of Elev-8 Performance

16. People Coming in Late or Avoiding Their Friends at Lunchtime

When you’re working in the office, you need to keep an eye out for changes in your team. Perhaps someone starts coming in late, not sitting with the same people at break or lunch, or is suddenly struggling more with calls or asking for more information.

These are all signs that that individual isn’t getting the support they need and it’s time to check in and find out what’s going on.

Contributed by: Sarah Hunt, Head Judge for the North East Contact Centre Awards

For tips to help you better support your agents’ mental health and wellbeing, read our article: 10 Wellbeing Tips From an Award-Winning Contact Centre

17. High Agent Scores, Low Company Scores

A red flag is when customer satisfaction surveys (CSAT) show agents receiving high ratings, while the company receives low marks. Customers may praise the agent, but they follow that with negative comments and scores about the company. This indicates your policies, not your agents, are hampering effective service.

If you ask them, your customer service team can provide valuable insights into these gaps and can help other departments – like shipping, billing, or retail – identify areas for improvement, creating a better overall customer experience. That is why Voice of the Customer and Employee systems are crucial for continuous improvement.

Contributed by: Mike Aoki, President of Reflective Keynotes Inc.

18. Your Managers Are Creating Their Own Reports

If your managers are having to create their own reports or trying to do their own staffing analysis, it’s clear they aren’t getting the support that they need from the wider business – whether it’s reporting, workforce management, or any sort of analytical team.

Not only does this create issues with consistency, but it’s also a waste of time if you’ve got a dedicated resource who’s supposed to be doing these sorts of things but is letting people down.

Perhaps there’s good reasons and the support team is stretched a bit too thin, but you’ve got to accept there’s an inevitable knock-on effect and try to do something about it.

Contributed by: Bryce Ackerman, Workforce Management Internal Consultant at Roche

19. The Cold Transfer Nightmare

When customers are transferred multiple times, and must repeat themselves, it’s often because the IVR isn’t configured correctly or agents lack training or clear escalation paths.

This indicates that systems and teams aren’t equipped to handle queries effectively.

Contributed by: Michael Clark, Co-Founder and Principal Consultant of CXTT Consulting

For advice on reducing call transfers, read our article: Need to Reduce Call Transfers? Try These Approaches

20. Having a Higher Than Average Repeat Call Rate

You should always ask yourself “How is First Contact Resolution looking?”

If someone has higher than average repeat call rates, it’s a good indicator they haven’t had the support and development that they need.

21. Negative Energy in Your Team Meetings

For example, are they lasting the full planned duration, is the conversation positive, and what is the overall energy of the team like?

Also ask yourself, “Are team meetings happening as frequently as they should?”

Contributed by: Neville Doughty, Partnerships & Growth Director at Customer Contact Panel

Step Back and Ask “How Can I Support My Team Better Today?”

So are you seeing some of these signs in your contact centre? If you are, it’s time to step back and ask “How can I support my team better today?”

Not only that, but think about how you spend your time! The best contact centre leaders spend about 60–70% of their time coaching, not in meetings, and know that being present, asking thoughtful questions, and setting time aside for purposeful conversations can prevent most of these issues from cropping up.

If you are looking for more information on supporting your teams, read these articles next:

• 3 Proven Ways to Cheer Up Your Team
• How to Support an Agent After an Angry Call
• Arm Your Agents in the Battle Against Stress

Author: Megan Jones
Reviewed by: Xander Freeman