“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The Sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus” ― Alexander Graham Bell
The term ‘productivity’ is a synonym for ‘professionalism’, no matter where you go in service industry. In the ever so dynamic call center industry, agent productivity is classified as the most important parameter to rate, judge and either help you climb up the corporate ladder or drag your feet and slide you down. If you are working in a contact center, the stakes are really high for your manager or your supervisor to monitor and enhance your productivity.
It is just not about working in a 24/7 shift, attending some calls, trying to sell a product, logout, and then head home. You are the voice of the brand; you reflect your company’s ideology to the customers or your callers. Hence, it is imperative that you not only read a script, but also add a pinch of generosity with live emotions.
However, it is easier said than done. I understand the pressure, constant stress and the frustration of dealing with strangers who are really angry, like you have intentionally caused them trouble. It is not an easy job. And like every other job, this will affect agents productivity, your motivation level will start dipping, you will read like a robot, but not act like are not programmed to. But, this is where it gets really agonizing for your manager. They also have people they are answerable to and not just about themselves, they are answerable for you as well. In fact, the amount of pressure they face and what they cascade down to you is just a tiny fragment of expectations. A call center agents productivity is not only determined by the number of calls he/she attends, it is a coagulation of a lot of minor and major metrics. This will include call center agents compliance level, average time on desk, absenteeism from work, lack of interest, showing no improvement in performance etc. And, your manager is answerable for every point mentioned.
In such scenarios, managers need to resort to various methods to increase a call center agent’s productivity. This can involve a series of grooming exercises or sessions. These exercises are slowly catching up in the contact center industry. They include strings of practices your agents can adopt to beat stress at workplace and be more productive. While, this is more time consuming, the results are worth pitching for. Other ways to increase your agent’s productivity can include having a good incentive structure, as the saying goes, motivation and money can be best friends. This will not only instil a sense of appreciation in an agent, but also acknowledge the hard work and diligence. Besides these, regular training sessions emphasising upon the importance of beating laziness and excelling at your KPI’s also have a huge positive impact on increasing a call center agent’s productivity.
The trick here is, to make yourself a part of all major changes and happenings. The more engaged and work oriented you feel, the higher will be your productivity level. It is not about just completing your excel sheets and handing them over on time. It is about the enthusiasm and zeal with which you fill those sheets up and how important it is for you to have soaring high digits.
Besides these lesser known facts, there are certain tips to counter monotony and be more productive like ‘Workplace friendships’. Having good, cordial relations with your subordinates will not only make coming to office interesting and lively, it will also be a major reason to be more productive and have a healthy competition.
If you have more to tell us on how to increase a call center agent’s productivity, do let us know in the comments section. I would love to know your feedback.
