How to create happy customers by improving agent morale
A happy team equals happy customers
Often, call center / customer service employees are the first point of contact for your customers. And, as we all know, happy frontline employees generally lead to happy customers.
In this article, we will discuss five factors contributing to call center employee satisfaction and how you can improve morale. We will also look at some of the benefits that come with creating satisfied employees.
First and foremost, customer service employees need to feel valued. This means these employees have a management team that is supportive and responsive to their needs. Regular team meetings and one-on-one meetings are essential for call center employees. The team needs to know and feel they have a voice. Giving them a platform is essential for employee happiness to thrive. Additionally, employees need to feel like they have the opportunity to grow and develop within their role.
Call center employees need to feel like they have work / life balance. This is achievable by offering flexible schedules and opportunities to take breaks during shifts. At Rush Order, we make it a priority to offer our call center employees back-to-back days off. This is not common in the call center industry but it is important for our employees to stay charged and ready to deliver happiness.
Many call centers throughout the world are asking for employees to return to the office. We have opted for a hybrid approach that allows for some office time and work-from-home time. Like other industries, the call center landscape turned upside down due to COVID-19. We have taken a stance of flexibility as we continue to navigate and exit the pandemic.
Rewarding employees for a job well done is also essential for call center employees. Rewards can be in the form of bonuses, gift cards, or even verbal recognition from management. At Rush Order, we use a structured employee recognition program that gives our call center employees "points" they can redeem for prizes. We also work to provide regular lunches for our staff when they make it into the office. The goal here is to help ease some of the lunch and commuting expenses for our team.
Most employees, in any role, want to succeed. Call center employees need to have the proper tools and resources to do their job well. This includes having a modern call center software system that is easy to use and navigate. Rush Order utilizes the popular Zendesk CRM platform for our day-to-day communication with customers. In recent years, Rush Order focuses on streamlining these tools for our team and making them easy to use. Additionally, the team needs access to quality training so they can confidently serve customers.
Last but not least, call center employees need to feel like their work is meaningful and that they are making a difference. This is achievable by ensuring employees have a clear understanding of the company's mission and how their role contributes to it. Satisfied employees are more likely to stay with the company for a longer period of time. Finally, happy employees create a positive work environment, which can make the call center a more enjoyable place to work. Happy employees are more productive, which leads to improved performance and better customer experience outcomes.
Parting Thoughts
So, there you have it - some of the factors that contribute to employee satisfaction in call centers and the benefits that come with it. By creating a supportive and responsive management team, maintaining a good work/life balance, rewarding employees, streamlining tools, and connecting the dots on why the work they are doing is meaningful, you can create a call center full of satisfied employees. And, as we all know, happy employees lead to happy customers!
