Working in a call center is notoriously stressful. That’s reflected in turnover rates: The mean annual agent attrition rate was 36 percent in 2021, up from 30 percent in 2020, according to The U.S. Customer Experience Decision-Makers’ Guide 2021-22 from NICE and ContactBabel.
High attrition rates drive up staffing costs, which can make up as much as 75 percent of contact center operational costs, the NICE and ContactBabel report states. Additionally, a constant churn of agents can affect the call center’s ability to provide high-quality customer service, negatively impacting customer experience (CX) and hindering the company’s success.
Call center agent burnout is one factor that leads to agents leaving. Employees that feel burned out are 2.6 times as likely to actively look for another job, according to Gallup. Common workplace conditions that extinguish employees’ enthusiasm, engagement and motivation at work include the following:
- Unclear expectations for performance
- Overwhelming workload
- Lack of support from managers
- Unfair treatment
- Unreasonable deadlines
The good news is that managers and business leaders can effectively combat and even reverse contact center agent burnout before it causes staff members to quit in droves. Although technology alone isn’t guaranteed to fix the issue, the right Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) tools can help make stressed-out agents’ lives easier.
These cloud contact center software capabilities can combat the root causes of burnout in your call center.
1. Intelligent interactive voice response (IVR).
If your contact center agents are flooded with calls, an AI-powered IVR system that allows clients to self-service (e.g., by making appointments and checking the status of orders) can lighten the workload. Your customers will get what they need, while your agents won’t have to field as many calls.
2. AI-driven chatbot.
In the same vein as a smart IVR system, an intelligent chatbot on your company’s website can take on some customer service requests, allowing your agents to focus on more complex issues and enhancing CX for clients who prefer to resolve simpler situations via a bot instead of talking to a person.
3. Screen pops with vital client information.
A cloud contact center solution that displays screen pops during interactions will ensure your agents have all the necessary context to fix issues ASAP. Your clients and your contact center staff members will be happier with faster resolutions.
4. Coaching tools for contact center managers.
Call center leaders can show support and clarify expectations with CCaaS software features such as real-time analytics and the option to listen in to calls and provide specific feedback.
The right cloud contact center software can make a significant difference in mitigating call center agent burnout. If you’re interested in exploring your options, our trusted technology advisors have extensive contact center industry experience and can leverage their CCaaS knowledge, advanced tools, and our partner network to identify ideal solutions for your organization in line with your requirements and objectives. We can deploy standalone tools like intelligent IVR and chatbots or help you implement a complete cloud contact center solution.
For example, our advisors assisted a Fortune 100 company that needed to address an outdated on-premises phone system and contact center solution. We evaluated various suppliers based on the client’s needs and arranged for demos and technical deep dives. On top of that, once they selected a CCaaS solution, we negotiated with the provider and guided the company through the go-live process. Ultimately, our advisory services saved them time and money, and the new contact center software led to better customer experiences.
Explore our advisory process today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
