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Managing in a Call Center

Creating a Positive Work Environment

Make your call center an enjoyable and productive place to work.

© iStockphoto/svetikd

Call centers (also known as contact centers) are frequently cited as some of the most stressful places to work. It's quite common for staff to become disengaged or burned out, and absenteeism and job turnover are often high.

However, many organizations have overcome these challenges, and have created positive, enjoyable working environments. When this happens, service quality and morale improve, and complaints and job turnover go down.

In this article, we'll discuss how you can manage a call center team effectively, so that you get the best from your people.

Call Center Challenges

Call center work can be stressful. Budgets are often tight, and you frequently have to find ways to motivate staff without using additional financial compensation, such as bonuses.

The work can also be emotionally challenging. Talking to angry or upset customers all day can be demoralizing; use of automatic call distribution and auto-dialing software can put people under a lot of pressure; and, when managers or quality analysts monitor calls, it can cause stress and worry for employees. If the company culture isn't motivating and uplifting, team members can quickly experience burnout  .

This can lead to high job turnover and absenteeism, as well as low productivity and engagement. This, in turn, affects the quality of service that people deliver, putting further pressure on managers and team members.

Recruitment   is another major challenge for call center managers. Call center work can be demanding, and it can be difficult to find the right people for these roles.

Getting the Best From Your Call Center Team

Let's look at strategies that you can use to overcome the challenges of managing in a call center.

... for the complete article:

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