Have you had a chance to see “The Witcher” season 1 or 2? It is a medieval fantasy series on Netflix. It has proven to be a top-rated series pitting good against evil or, more often, evil vs. evil. In binge-watching season 2, I started thinking about what lessons could be gleaned from this show relating to agent retention. A couple of thoughts sprang to mind:
Don’t Fight Call Center Attrition “Monsters” Alone
While “The Witcher” (Geralt is the character) tries to solo fight all the monsters and evil people he encounters, it is pretty apparent he cannot do it alone. The problems are too pervasive and the consequences from failure are too severe. I think the same is true in fighting call center attrition rates. Rarely are the reasons for attrition monochromatic, but rather spring from a spectrum of reasons. A company might be successful in fighting one reason, only for it to mutate into another “monster” to slay. Faced with fighting such a multi-headed nemesis, it is good to have partners and a multitude of approaches.
Time is of the essence when working to improve call center retention
Agent attrition issues do not magically improve through apathy or lack of action; they generally tend to get worse and multiply. Because of the nature of attrition, reaching out to agents who have become “at risk for leaving” in a timely manner is absolutely essential. Discerning the likely cause of the dissatisfaction and having a plan to address it forms the vanguard for successful retention. As experienced T.V. streamers know, monsters don’t become more kind, but tend to become bigger and worse the longer the hero waits to slay them.
Never Trust a Mage that isn’t an expert in call center retention strategies
Mages in the series are mythical priests and priestesses who operate as politicians and warriors. “Witcher” Kings and Queens try to build their offensive strategy around the very self-serving advice offered by the Mages. Sadly, Mage strategy rarely proves to be award-winning. Back to call center retention, offering calisthenics and group massage sessions together on the advice of a company’s advisors (we’ve witnessed these call center retention “therapies) does not lead to long-term solutions. A sound retention approach should be measurable and pinpoint a clear start and end date. Your company’s retention solution approach should be driven by its own data and amplified by its own unique voice as a company
In summary, Teamwork, prompt action, and data-driven measurable tactics yield the best long-term success. Oh, and “Never trust a Mage.“
Eric
Do you want to learn about how AnswerOn can help you lower agent attrition in 2022? Find out more here: https://www.answeron.com/call-center-agent-retention/
