By: Eric Johnson, CEO and President
One of the most pervasive myths we hear in working with our customers and industry professionals is often characterized by a comment similar to – “I know everything about my agents”, or “A good manager should be able to tell you what is going on in all their employees’ lives, what their kids’ names are, where they went to school, what sports they play, what hobbies the employee has, etc.” This might be plausible in a call center with 10 or 12 agents, but the expectation of achieving this in an average-sized call center is unrealistic for a number of reasons:
- Quality Time – How much time can you really devote to each employee every day? (Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend quality time with the ones who are most disengaged?)
- Personal Space – To know this kind of detailed personal information about each employee crosses the barrier between professional and personal space. Managers who spend an inordinate amount of time seeking personal information are most likely going to get treated with suspicion, or worse.
- Conflict Avoiders – Often times, people who are unhappy will not necessarily tell you. Their reasoning is that it might do them any good. They will do anything to avoid a conflict. Additionally, it could make matters worse, or the grass might be greener somewhere else. (An agent-centric, context-sensitive approach would facilitate a meaningful discussion).
Ironically, a typical manager has access to a staggering array of data quantifying almost every aspect of how each employee does their job. How long were they on each call? What was the Wrap Up Time? How was their adherence to the schedule? What was the reason for their last performance improvement evaluation? Clearly what is needed is not more data, but a means to reliably interpret the large amount of data already captured and, most importantly, a way to act on it.
How can AnswerOn help you reach at-risk employees?
By combining quantifiable data and modeling with qualitative data we uncover in our Parlé Virtual Focus Groups (VFGs), we endeavor to find the “true voice” of the agent/employee. We use this tool with our advanced prescriptive analytics to isolate employees who are experiencing signs of disengagement. We then facilitate a friendly anonymous virtual discussion with them in a non-threatening environment, using the Parlé VFG platform. Our results have been truly outstanding, allowing our customers to gain a new perspective on their work-space and the perspective of their employees. We then combine this insight with a specific interaction tailored to each specific agent who AnswerOn has identified as vulnerable to attrition because they have become disengaged
Our results speak for themselves, with a 15 to 30% annual reduction in attrition and a 10 to 12% annual increase in net margin, it is clear this approach works. By focusing on just those agents identified as most disengaged, you can marshal your time, have focused discussions on why they are disengaged, and make them more productive, happy employees. Over the last 16 years we have received hundreds of thank you’s from the agents and our customers for helping to turn around their workplace.
Learn more about the AnswerOn Solution. Contact our sales team using the form below if you’d like to schedule a demo.
