One of the most significant challenges of running a call center involves handling your agents, especially concerning general call interaction. After all, everyone is unique, and so each agent will have their personal way of handling calls and de-escalating issues. Of course, some are quicker than others to adapt, but that doesn’t necessarily make the slower ones worse.
It’s a tricky situation for the agents, the team leads, the business owner, and everyone else involved. Fortunately, all it takes is guidance to get you on the right track to success. Here are a few tips to help you teach your agents the right way.
Concerning compliance matters
Naturally, something like compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a top priority, no matter the situation. The thing about compliance is the better your agents do, the more competent your call center becomes. Compliance isn’t easy for new businesses, and even experienced company owners still have issues with compliance from time to time. Don’t worry about potential mistakes, as they will occur whether you like them or not. The idea is to help ease your agents into being compliant and help keep them comfortable.
TCPA compliance is a top priority, but it’s not something you can rush through training. Instead, it should be reviewed now and then to help your agents make the most out of the situation. Compliance can be challenging, but with enough practice, even the most inexperienced call center agent will grow.
Concerning general de-escalation
Many call centers tend to train their employees with ineffective modules that try to generalize calls into only a few issues. As such, new hires get to the production floor and realize that the first few calls they receive aren’t at all what they are trained to handle. As such, they immediately call their team lead or manager to help de-escalate angry customers.
If you want your agents to pick up on issues immediately, ensure that you train them correctly by letting them sit in with tenured agents for at least a few weeks before they take calls on their own. That way, they understand the general nature of calls in your company and aren’t immediately hit by culture shock when they take calls.
Concerning training and review
Training can be problematic as most company owners don’t bother updating training modules to deal with current issues. As such, their training modules tend to be several months old, resulting in employees that become so overwhelmed by the volume and sheer variety of calls that they end up quitting. Training should involve current matters at all times, and it’s also crucial to review new content every now and then. Reviewing should involve compliance matters to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Training your agents the right way is necessary if you want to avoid many beginner traps that come with call center management. The same goes for a contact center or any other industry that handles calls, as it’s vital to ensure your employees are given the necessary tools to succeed.