Article Highlights:
- Satisfied contact center agents are about 3x as likely to feel qualified at work, which contributes to lower agent turnover rates.
- Dissatisfied agents can be less productive at work and cost businesses billions of dollars every year.
- RingCentral’s cloud-based software can equip contact centers and their agents with the right tools needed to perform better at work, thereby boosting agent satisfaction and productivity.
Happy and satisfied workers benefit everyone. The more satisfied and content employees are at work, the more likely they are to be productive team members.
Satisfied employees are more productive
According to research conducted by the University of Warwick, happiness at work increases employee productivity by 12%. In contrast, unhappy employees were shown to be 10% less productive. Stats like these prove positive feelings at work are more likely to encourage employees to boost performance.
Every company wants a productive workforce, but they can’t always rely on each individual worker to bring their A-game on their own. Management has a duty to create a positive and stimulating work environment that fosters more positive emotions among employees, which in turn can spur productivity.
With more engaged team members also comes higher profitability. A recent Gallup poll showed that highly engaged workers help boost customer ratings by 10%, and increase sales by 20%. On the other hand, employees who fail to engage on the job cost businesses as much as $550 billion a year.
Although job security and financial incentives are key components to job satisfaction, other factors also play a role, including opportunities to improve one’s skills and incentives to be more engaged at work.
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The critical need for contact center agent satisfaction
Contact center agents have a tough job, and they can often feel mentally drained when under excessive amounts of stress. It’s no wonder that turnover rates tend to be disproportionately higher among contact center agents when compared to other types of workers. In fact, turnover rates among contact center agents can be as high as 30% to 45% in the US.
Given these high numbers, contact center management must focus on motivating agents and streamlining their jobs with the right training, incentives, and technology. Satisfied contact center agents are much more likely to stick around for the long haul and may even be willing to refer a friend for a job opening.
Satisfied agents are also over three times more likely than dissatisfied workers to feel qualified and comfortable enough to efficiently resolve customer issues.
Here are a few tips to help boost agent satisfaction and subsequently improve productivity.
Ensure comprehensive onboarding and ongoing training
All new workers need some form of training to equip them with the skills needed to perform their jobs properly, but more comprehensive training will ensure that as much subject matter as possible is covered. Focusing on comprehensive agent training ensures that agents are better able to serve customers, and it is likely to raise the agents’ job satisfaction as well.
After onboarding, agents should receive ongoing training and real-time feedback about their performance. It’s much easier to correct any issues on the spot than to wait until after the fact. Plus, agents appreciate direct and timely feedback that gives them the insight needed to make adjustments to their performance as required.
Even remote workers can receive all the required training and feedback with the right software. Innovative contact center software features phone, video, and chat to help trainers and agents work face-to-face.
Keep agents connected to internal resources
Well-trained contact center agents should be fully prepared and trained before they deal with their first customer. That said, they may still be faced with the odd issue that requires some assistance, which is why they should always be connected to internal sources.
This is where modern contact center software can be a huge help. Specialized tools make it easy for agents to connect to other workers in different departments through telephone, video, and chat and show who is available to help.
Agents connected to internal resources will be better able to resolve issues and feel more satisfied with their jobs.
Equip contact centers with cutting-edge cloud-based technology
Implementing modern digital technology in the contact center is crucial today. Businesses simply cannot afford to ignore technology when it comes to improving customer experience and promoting agent satisfaction.
Contact centers and their agents need a flexible and robust software that operates in the cloud, allowing agents — including those working remotely — to easily connect to each other.
The power of technology in the contact center is undeniable, as advertising management software provider WideOrbit recently realized.
Case study: RingCentral offers solution to global phone systems
Reading about the benefits that cloud-based digital solutions can bring to businesses with rapidly growing operations is one thing, but seeing it in action is another. Take WideOrbit, for example.
This leading provider of advertising management technology for broadcasters and networks on cable television and radio stations has seen exponential year-over-year growth in operations. While that is obviously a good thing, it also comes with significant operational challenges. Trying to manage on-site telephone systems across the globe led to a complex framework of phone systems at all of the company’s locations.
While the initial goal for WideOrbit was to consolidate all locations to one centralized phone system that included all workers from around the world, this proved to be more of a challenge with the firm’s on-premises telephone systems than initially realized. Although many WideOrbit employees work mainly on-prem, many others don’t.
What WideOrbit needed was a global cloud-based solution that employees could use to streamline and simplify calls on their office numbers that can be made from any location. The firm wanted to bring all support agents together so anyone could call in to any number and be connected to the appropriate support staff right away.
After doing a little research on cloud-based solutions, RingCentral ultimately offered precisely what WideOrbit was looking for. RingCentral’s blend of telephone features, amalgamated tools, and worldwide support was exactly what WideOrbit needed.
Agents were able to quickly onboard without a hitch and could start working from wherever they were using RingCentral’s consolidated communications platform. In turn, agents are now more satisfied with their work and productivity reflects that.
If your company is searching for an innovative solution that streamlines communications between your business and its customers, RingCentral has the solution. Get in touch with a representative today and request your free demo.
Originally published Apr 08, 2022, updated Dec 30, 2022