For every call centre business, there is an all-important facet of performance enhancement that must be practiced. And, as we’re quite sure you’ve surmised from the title of today’s blog, that facet is feedback. Feedback, it must be stressed, isn’t just about telling call agents what they’re doing wrong. It also has a lot to do with informing them about what they’re doing right.
Are you providing feedback the right way? Here are three signs your feedback style may not be helping your phone agents:
1. Your feedback sessions are one-way conversations.
All feedback sessions should be two-way streets. In other words, they should include moments when your phone agents provide you with feedback as well. If they feel comfortable being informative about improvements that can be made in the workplace, you’ve gotten yourself a win-win situation. Implementing changes based on feedback will help to motivate your agents to constantly improve upon their efforts in making your business great.
“A two-way conversation will provide some context,” CallCentreHelper.com points out, “Sometimes an employee did something because there was no other alternative, and they saw it as the best solution in that particular situation. Perhaps the systems were down that day, or there were issues with the phone lines. It’s good for managers to get some context before assuming employees are simply not doing their jobs properly.”
2. You don’t provide feedback consistently.
In order to foster steady growth in the performance levels of your phone agents, you must provide feedback on a regular basis. Don’t simply offer support one time and expect there to be any major changes. Your phone agents deserve to know that you have their backs. Sometimes, it can be as simple as “great job today” and other times, you’ll need to sit down with your team members individually to update them on their progress.
“When an agent is struggling to perform, it’s a good idea to offer the agent some extra attention,” says Donna Fluss on CallMiner.com, “Conduct routine evaluations of the agent’s calls, and provide timely feedback. When needed, provide additional targeted coaching that addresses the agent’s specific needs, and reinforce what they are doing right.”
3. Your feedback is predominantly criticism.
You always have to mix the good with the bad. Utilize what we like to call the “sandwich technique” when providing feedback. Begin with a positive sentence, followed up by your constructive criticism and then end off your point with a motivational phrase:
“I’m happy to see how enthusiastic you are on the phone. I’d like to see you build upon that by speaking a bit slower to your callers so that they can understand you better. I’m confident you’ll have a lot more success.”
“Feedback can be a positive affirmation that someone is doing their job well, and recognition of their efforts can be a motivating factor in the future,” notes CallCentreHelper.com, “In fact, even if there are issues that need to be corrected, feedback can have a positive outcome if delivered in the right way.”
To better your ability to provide feedback, take advantage of MeloTel’s Monitor/Whisper Control Panel. To learn all about it, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-MELOTEL. You may also use the Live Chat feature on our website!
