3 Ways to Remove Friction from the Agent Experience in a Call Center

In this post, we will expose some aspects that call center managers and supervisors must take into account to improve the agent experience (AX) and thus reduce employee turnover.

1) Equip Employees with the Right Tools and Technology

Like customers, contact center agents want effective tools to help them save time and be more efficient in their duties. However, according to ICMI, 60% of agents lack the tools they need to deliver meaningful CX.

So having the right tools paves the way for a seamless experience for agents and customers. It’s a win-win. So what are some of them? Some examples are call whispering (a feature of the phone system that allows experienced supervisors or colleagues to give verbal advice to an agent during the course of a sales or support call without the customer, or potential customer, being able to hear it), workforce optimization software, engagement software, Artificial Intelligence (AI) routing, and real-time engagement guidance.

2) Remove Obstacles that Hinder the Agent Experience

Not only is it frustrating for a customer when the agent can’t help them, but it’s a two-way thing, as agents are already pressured by the increasing complexity of customer needs and call volumes. In this sense, according to a study by The Workforce Institute of Kronos Incorporated, 35% of global employees surveyed feel that their work is more difficult than it should be due to outdated processes and legacy technology.

Agents want satisfying interactions at work, and technology can help by eliminating repetitive tasks that add to their workloads. Connecting them with the correct answer at the right time can also increase their performance. This can help reduce agent stress levels, which is good for everyone, including customers.

Agents don’t want to wait any longer than customers (employees spend 25% of their time searching for information, according to Citrix Systems). They want to proactively make instant changes to their hybrid work schedules, access customer history, and get real-time training. Therefore, if you prioritize making improvements to your daily tasks, you can go a long way toward reducing agent turnover.

Likewise, agents are also attracted to working remotely. The right technology can support productive call center models from anywhere while maintaining human communication. That is, agents can build meaningful relationships with team members and customers while teleworking.

3) Recognize the Role of Contact Center Agents

For modern call centers, the role of an agent has evolved significantly in the last 5-10 years to include customer engagement across more channels. Thus, customers can contact a company through multiple channels: by calling the call center, by SMS, via email or chat, among others.

Agents today not only handle more complex issues, but are also needed to help customers throughout the entire customer journey: from pre-sales advice to onboarding, fulfillment, management and resolution, customer recovery, and after-sales support.

The answer is to provide agents with the right AI tools to help them succeed.

What AI Tools Can Call Center Agents Count On?

How often do your agents have to ask customers why they are calling after the customer has been transferred from the IVR? Do agents always know what to do and what to say next in every interaction?

These questions reflect some of the most common pain points for agents and customers. Agents don’t like being caught off guard and customers don’t like having to repeat themselves.

Agents who don’t have easy access to answers can give customers the wrong information or feel nervous. Seamless handoffs from IVR, where agents can get customer interaction history, will speed resolution and keep both agents and customers happy.

As for contact center supervisors, they can also be more efficient with conversational AI. These AI systems can provide diversion to less expensive digital channels to free up valuable agent time that can instead be used to help customers with more complex needs.

Some Smart Tools that Modern Call Centers Can Make Available to Agents:

• Real-time “step-by-step” guidance for agents.
• Chatbots.
• Personalized training for agents on their soft skills behaviors, such as active listening and rapport building (human skills that are difficult to train and measure).

AI can help agents be more successful through in the moment training and helping them manage everyday tasks. Thus, improvements in agent job satisfaction include:

• Save time and reduce frustration and stress.
• Reduction of negative interactions with customers.
• Training of agents with continuous support.
• Boosting agent efficiency and job satisfaction.

These tools can also speed agent onboarding and continue the soft skills training process. In addition, the technology can help supervisors access data about what is happening in real time (rather than post-analysis) and make necessary changes immediately.