This is great info. However, I will add that agents need adequate post-call time to wrap up their calls in order to maximize productivity. The reason agents abuse the after-call mode in the first place is because inadequate time is given. With the hours of multitasking and brainwork that agents do, they need that space. The nature of call centre work is the way it is, not because it has to be that way, but because it is made to be that way, perhaps by people who believe that agents are robots or close to. I'm sure the author of this video is aware of the well-known back-to-back calls in certain campaigns. There is absolutely a need for breathing space between calls, especially the calls with angry or abusive customers. There is a reasons why call centres are known to have high turnover. No space between calls is a recipe for burnout. It's amazing to me that with this well-known knowledge, call centres still continue to have high turnover. Agents are not machines, they are human. Even machines need rest. Metrics should not ever be the cause of a toxic job. Those in charge can change this if they have enough of a desire to.
@benchmarkportal
8 ай бұрын
Thank you for your comment. We agree that managers need to avoid burnout and turnover by having a balanced approach to productivity, quality, and concern for agent’s well-being. When you refer to inadequate after call work time being given, this could mean one of two things. Either the system is pre-programmed to put agents back into a ready state after a pre-designated period of time that is not adequate for completing these tasks, or management has set maximum after call work time goals that agents are expected to follow and achieve, but are unrealistic. In either case, it is important that managers have a good grasp of what a reasonable time period is for agents to complete their after call work. In the first case, if agents are not allowed enough time by the system, they will just find other ways to complete this work, usually by completing their work during the next call, by going into another “not ready” state that is not designated for after call work, by providing short, incomplete information, or by waiting until a later time when call volume is less and that work can be completed. Any of those cases are not best practices to follow, leading to inaccuracy, caller dissatisfaction, and agent morale issues. In the latter case, managers need to set goals that allow agents to accurately and completely finish after call work based upon typical average times, not the times of veteran agents or stretch goals based upon staffing or budgets. It is important to keep in mind that not all calls are average. So there must be some allowance for after call work that matches the nature of the call itself, and not just predetermined metric outcomes. Otherwise, agents will become constantly stressed when their after call work time cannot meet their goal. In best-in-class centers that we work with, the incidence of angry and abusive customers is low and agent morale is high because managers mitigate non-stop, back-to-back calls by ensuring that workforce management staffing is adequate for anticipated call volumes, including adequate time for some “white space” between calls. Indeed, metrics should (and often do) help call center teams perform at their best - not be used to create a toxic work environment.
@andyjoseph4198
8 ай бұрын
@@benchmarkportal thank you. 🙂 I appreciate you taking time to submit this quality reply. It was very insightful. Maybe as more information such as what you share comes out, centres can make the change, and change the face of the industry. 🙂
Пікірлер: 4