Tip of the Week

February 24 - When supervisors see a quality deduction, their instinct may be to defend the agent, but the real opportunity lies in development.  Instead of focusing on whether there is a loophole to get around the deduction, shift the conversation to how the agent can grow from the feedback. Encourage supervisors to: Ask the agent the right questions:  What could you do differently next time? Frame the deductions as insights: It’s really a roadmap for improvement rather than a point deduction. Coach with impact:  Help the agent understand the why – how meeting the expectation in process or behavior benefits the customer and the company. Discuss quality with confidence and commitment: These factors are key to ensure your agents continuous improvement.   By leading with development rather than defense supervisors empower agents to improve performance and drive a stronger quality culture.   Note:  This week’s tip is provided by QATC Board [...]

December 30 - In addition to defining the knowledge, skills, and attributes that make up the ideal call center employee, another important consideration in assessing the job is to define the unique working environment of your call center. In particular, you’ll want to identify aspects of the job and the environment that may be less than desirable and assess candidates’ motivation to accept these conditions. Some examples include the following: Repetitive tasks. Is there variety in the type of work your agents do, or are the tasks fairly repetitive in nature? While some people like the predictability of call center work, others need more variety and challenge on an ongoing basis. Solo work. Will the employee get to interact with others in the organization? While you may be looking for a “people person” when making a hiring decision, it is important to recognize that a call center employee may have limited [...]

November 25 - The contact center can be an especially stressful place. I recently worked in one where getting cussed out and abused was FAR too common. Leaders should do everything they can to protect agents and create a circle of psychological safety. However, much of the support can and should come from peers. One great way to develop an edifying atmosphere on your team comes from the medical field. Nurses in many hospitals have the ability to initiate a “code lavender.” This simply means that someone on the team has navigated a challenging interaction and could benefit from emotional support. What better place to adopt this method than the contact center? We already use codes for everything. Create a quick and quiet method for service workers to express when they could use encouragement. Not only is the individual who initiates the code supported in real time, but it can bring the entire team closer [...]