Tips To Manage Stress At Call Centers
Job openings in call centers have always been more plentiful than openings in any other industry
. Businesses are outsourcing more than ever before and an employee can be successful at a call center job with very little education. As with any industry, an increase in growth demands employees. The rapid growth of the call center industry is a key reason why there are always job openings in call centers, but not the only one. Did you know that call centers have high turnover rates? It's not because it's a bad job, just a stressful job. A call center asks a lot from its workers. Employees must be available to talk on the phone for long hours, interface with different computer programs, handle angry callers, always be pleasant, and always handle calls quickly without compromising quality. Calls should always end on a positive note, even when dealing with an irate customer. Call center managers recognize the job is stressful so stress management initiatives are recognized as critical aspects to running a successful call center. Effective stress management assures that the workers remain happy so they can provide exceptional service.
It's Better To Keep an Employee than Train a New One
Although controlling stress at a call center is not easy, it is important that it is handled effectively and not disregarded as a natural part of the job. It is crucial for any business owner to assure their employees are stress-free to increase the longevity of any employee's tenure at a company. Let's face it; training someone new is a bit of a pain. It's easier to keep a seasoned employee than roll the dice on a new one. Aside from that, business owners want the best from their employees and a happy employee will outperform an angry & resentful employee. Call center owners know that the job of the CSR is stressful so potential stressors in the answering service environment must be isolated and eliminated.
Are You Asking Your Operators to Do Too Much?
The first step to handle call center stress is to find out the root cause of the stress. The number one complaint of CSR's is that they are asked to do too much. Employees begin to feel stressed when they are asked to do extra work and feel they are not properly compensated. Because this creates pressure, it is important to get the employees motivated to get the job done. By having a want to do the job instead of feeling forced, it will become more enjoyable and less stressful. It is the managers job to come up with an exciting plan to motivate their employees to work harder and reach goals. A common way of doing this is to offer better pay, which in theory will give an employee a better incentive to work. Another way is to offer the employees profit sharing in the call center revenue and making that a part of their pay. They perform, the answering service does well, everyone is happy.
No Money? No Problem!
Say money is not an option for you and you can't offer better pay. This is not uncommon. In fact, an argument can be made that money is not a motivator. There have been studies at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business that have showed that while incentives may seem like a good idea, they really do nothing to unify team members. Teem unification is what separates a mediocre center from a great one. Take better pay out of the equation and a business owner is still responsible for promoting a friendly business atmosphere, which is also a great motivation for employees to get the job done. It is crucial to have team leaders on the floor and those leaders need to be positive motivators instead of causing more stress. It is important to have conversations with your CSR's and get to know them personally so they can feel comfortable to communicate if they are having a problem. Being comfortable around fellow employees and managers is important and communication can keep employees from quitting. Sometimes a friendly atmosphere is more of a motivator than extra pay. If people truly like the job and the people they work with, that will motivate them and lower stress.
Swap Shifts to Keep CSR Happiness
Most call centers are running around the clock. Depending on the time a specific employee is working, they may feel more pressure than someone working another shift. To avoid this stress, the manager should regularly swap the shift schedule so the same people are not always working the same shifts. While in some cases this may not be possible, when it is possible it is important that a manager does this to keep employees from becoming frustrated. The manager must also keep in mind they should try their best to consider the employees preferred shifts.
Let Your Employees Take Breaks
Another key factor is avoiding stress in the workplace is allowing the employees to take breaks and have days off when they need them. In some cases, this requires management to hire more workers which has the added benefit of bettering your customer service while reducing the stress on the current employees. Some contact centers are organizing team outings to solidify their workforce.
Keeping your employees stress-free is vital to your continued success as a call center because an unhappy employee will certainly reflect their attitude over the phone. Offer your employees incentives, build a feeling of group identity, and make sure you have a workplace where they feel safe. Whatever the cause of stress, be it the irate customer or the lack of Doritos in the snack machine, it's nice to know you can talk to someone about it.
by: VeronicaIsaac
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