If we’ve said it once, we’ve likely said it a thousand times: a call centre employee has one of the hardest jobs in the world! This is why we make efforts to tip our caps to them on a pretty regular basis, here on the MeloTel Blog. There’s no denying that working the phones all day can be gruelling. Overcoming objections and managing irate callers is often a part of a call centre employee’s everyday routine.
So how do you keep call centre employees from losing their cool?
Feedback is integral. This is also something we’ve preached regularly. And it’s something that we practice as well – you know the saying. Opening the lines of communication between call centre managers and their employees is integral to having positive and productive working environments. Sometimes, you’ll simply need to let your phone agents vent. Offer them opportunities to meet you in your office to discuss a recent agitating call.
Let your workers know that you support them. If you don’t show your support, they’re not likely to stick around for very long. Is it any surprise that most call centre businesses have high employee turnover rates? For the betterment of your business, it’s wise to seek ways to avoid having your employees quit at alarming rates. As you’re aware, a lot of time, energy and money go into the hiring and training processes. Who wants to keep repeating them over and over?
Conduct stay interviews.
During your feedback sessions, you’ll want to take things a step further than just allowing your reps to express their feelings. That’s a great start. But you’ll need to provide expert tips and advice to help them perform at their best. Be sure to ask questions as well. Find out what they like and dislike about their jobs. It’s better to inquire than to be surprised with resignation letters. It’s known as the “stay interview”.
“Don’t wait until your best agents give notice,” advises Jeff Toister on CustomerThink.com, “Schedule stay interviews with your top employees. Consider conducting stay interviews with a cross-section of other employees too. These are interviews designed to find out what keeps your employees from leaving…The goal is to learn exactly what factors prompt these agents to stick around so you can keep doing those things. You also want to learn what might cause them to leave.”
Equip your phone agents with top technology.
You’re not still asking your reps to manually dial phone numbers listed on sheets of paper, are you? Call centre employees that find themselves mired in old and outdated technologies are lot more likely to want to switch employers. Don’t lose your best talent to other companies that are keeping up with the times better than you are.
At MeloTel, we offer DaFeeder Preview Dialer – an incredible web-based telemarketing software that has revolutionized the way call centres all across North America operate. It delivers a feature-rich set of processes that enhances effectiveness, drives sales, improves customer satisfaction and provides insight into performance.
Learn more about DaFeeder Preview Dialer by contacting MeloTel today. Give us a call at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the Live Chat feature on our website!
