High attrition can have a negative impact on the performance of a call center, but because turnover is so high in customer service, many companies accept this as just an inevitable cost of doing business. However, if you can control that turnover, you have more time to focus on delivering better service and exceeding your goals. Here’s how to take on attrition at your call center and start focusing on what matters.
Invest in Training
Training of new hires is extremely important, but how often do you send your existing agents to get trained? Do they know new product lines inside and out? Do they put best practices into effect when they are actually on a call? Ongoing training helps reps develop skills that improve their results, and it shows that the organization is invested in their development, which fosters loyalty.
Establish A Clear Path For Growth
While some of your reps will be happy working their regular schedule for their regular hourly wage, for as long as they can, most will want new challenges over time. Opportunities for more responsibility and a clear path for career development are critical for retention. During one-on-ones, ask talented reps what their goals are and help them understand the steps they will need to take in order to earn more money and take the next step(s) up the ladder. When employees believe that they can grow with the company, they will be more likely to stay engaged in their work.
Focus on The Right Metrics
Being hyper-focused on productivity metrics alone is the best way to ensure your team will be dissatisfied with their jobs. When you’re too focused on things like number of calls and average call time, the reps will do whatever it takes to hit those numbers and they won’t be focused on delivering great service. When good agents feel they are letting customers down, they don’t feel good about the work they do each day. Conversely, organizations that retain CSRs put far more emphasis on metrics like customer satisfaction rates and contact quality. Doing this focuses success on both the customer and the employee, and you’ll soon notice that other metrics soon fall into place.
Empower Agents To Solve Problems
Contact centers hire reps because they have a variety of skills, experience and knowledge that helps them do their jobs well. Then, in many cases, those same reps are forced to read off scripts or stick to a narrow, pre-approved list of resolutions; relegating them to little more than human answering machines. If you want to retain talented agents, empower them to use their skills to help customers achieve a positive resolution. By giving them agency over their results, they will feel more engaged and have a much more positive feeling about their job and the company.
Today’s customer service teams work in demanding environments and finding the right candidates with staying power can be a challenge. If you are looking for talented staff for your customer call center, the expert recruiters at Contemporary Staffing Solutions are ready to help. We specialize in connecting call centers with fully-vetted, highly-skilled and engaged talent. Contact CSS today to start filling your customer service center with the best and brightest talent in the market.