{"id":45412,"date":"2020-11-30T17:28:59","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T17:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=45412"},"modified":"2024-08-07T07:50:10","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T14:50:10","slug":"contact-center-supervisors-taking-on-new-responsibilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/contact-center-supervisors-taking-on-new-responsibilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Contact center supervisors taking on new responsibilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to make previously unthinkable decisions. T-Mobile, for instance, had to send home thousands of its support agents. Individual contract centers were broken apart and a new kit and home office tools were distributed to over 12,000 houses and apartments. Agents were now serving customers from their homes.<\/span><\/p>\n

But far from disrupting the quality of support, the new work environment has led to an increase in NPS score. T-Mobile\u2019s agents adjusted well to the transition. Their supervisors, like those in many other companies, were going through a much more turbulent transformation.<\/span><\/p>\n

From cheerleaders to therapists, successful supervisors have to play multiple roles<\/b><\/h3>\n

Floor walks, one-to-ones, and other management tools have become a thing of the past. Supervisors are now forced to turn to different practices to manage teams spread across hundreds or thousands of miles. They also have to assume many different roles, from cheerleaders and enforcers to therapists and coaches. Their job has become a \u201crole of roles\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

This might feel like an overwhelming problem. But for those supervisors willing to embrace the challenge, the new situation can also be a chance to evolve to the next level. They can support direct reports as people instead of focusing solely on hard data, enabling contact centers<\/a> to improve the quality of their service.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s examine more closely each role today\u2019s supervisors have to play:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cheerleader<\/li>\n
  2. Enforcer<\/li>\n
  3. Therapist<\/li>\n
  4. Coach<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"Spotlight<\/a><\/p>\n

    CHEERLEADERS \u2013 Keeping agents happy<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Supervisors have to motivate people, create excitement, and keep agents engaged. When things go well, acting as a cheerleader is easy. You inform your team that it succeeded in achieving a record-setting NPS score or a high first-call-resolution rate, and then celebrate this achievement.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Finding reasons to celebrate in tough times, however, is anything but easy. Since the pandemic, agents are dealing with ever more \u201cdifficult\u201d calls and need support. One way to help them, says Michelle Dennis, Chair of Department of Leadership and Applied Psychology at Adler University, is to \u201cacknowledge efforts with praise wherever possible.\u201d This approach nurtures the confidence needed to thrive in tumultuous times.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Positive feedback will also help agents not to feel isolated. Working alone in their homes, employees might feel disconnected from their team members. But reaching out to them and delivering accolades during meetings can go a long way in cultivating feelings of inclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

    ENFORCER \u2013\u00a0 Driving standards<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Managers use a set of metrics \u2013 customer satisfaction, service level, quality scores, and so on \u2013 to judge contact center performance. If performance dips, supervisors have to play the role of enforcer.<\/span><\/p>\n

    But driving standards takes a great deal of nuance and subtlety. Shaming agents for failure to meet deadlines will demoralize the entire team. Instead, supervisors are advised to use one-on-one meetings to not only identify problems but also provide direction and encouragement. Agents will improve their performance faster when supervisors tell them how to overcome various issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

    There are other ways to drive the performance of teams as well. From setting the tone with a morning kickoff call to dropping in on calls throughout the day, supervisors have various tools at their disposal. But all of these tactics require the support of advanced technologies.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Supervisors need a contact center platform equipped with collaboration tools. Such capability allows them to stay connected with employees. From a single platform, they get to check performance data, send team-wide messages, and drop in with agents via video meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

    THERAPIST \u2013 Providing sage advice<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Supervisors have to help employees deal with stress and other mental health problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Agents are under health and economic shock. And remote work means that they have to overcome this feeling of uncertainty on their own.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Great supervisors will step into the role of therapist. They\u2019ll use one-on-one meetings to learn more about their employees and their support needs. If their interest is \u201cperceived as genuine and transparent,\u201d says Dennis, \u201cmost employees will share their support needs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Taking an interest in employees as people is vital for contact center performance. Working shoulder-to-shoulder in the office made it easy to pick up on problems. But remote working makes it harder to decide on who might need support to deal with isolation or disengagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

    COACH \u2013 Support professional development<\/b><\/h3>\n

    A heated debate or a dose of office politics happens in many companies. These small moments of friction usually get resolved quickly through in-person conversations. But the rapid transition to remote work means that diffusing tensions is a much more difficult task.<\/span><\/p>\n

    That\u2019s where supervisors step in. Their facilitation skills and regular feedback help agents resolve conflicts and deliver outstanding work. Supervisors also need to set a positive example on how employees are to behave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    When that\u2019s not enough, supervisors should act as coaches and treat every moment of conflict as an opportunity for improvement. Ideally, agents will eventually be provided with the tools needed to solve conflicts on their own.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    \n\t\t\tSpotlight on the Supervisor\t\t<\/div>\n
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    \n\t\t\t\t\tHow to better manage teams of remote contact center agents\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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