Employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention matter in every department. However, those characteristics play particularly crucial roles within call centers. The stronger the call center culture, the more likely workers are to act with optimism, empathy, and professionalism.
Here’s the issue, though: Far too many customer service cultures “make” themselves. This kind of self-directed method of bringing people together usually ends poorly. A better strategy to ensure a more comfortable and directed culture is to construct it deliberately and thoughtfully.
Building a Positive Workplace Culture in Your Call Center
If you like the idea of fine-tuning your company’s call center culture, use the following four techniques to build a stronger sense of departmental unity and focus:
Use company values as a blueprint.
Companies with solid call centers already know this. It’s why their leaders use their brand’s mission and vision as a springboard for fostering a service culture.
For instance, let’s say a company values imaginative problem-solving, encourages employees to pursue their talents, and helps workers develop career paths. Call center leaders can use those principles to inform the way they supervise their call center team.
The result would likely be a group of workers who understand expectations. They would know how to uphold standards, policies, and procedures set forth by their company. There would be no mysteries, and they could move forward with a deep knowledge of how to serve their company and its customers.
Allow call center workers to be engaging.
You want your call center people to follow protocols and procedures, but you should also give them the freedom to show their human sides in the process. When customers call service departments, they frequently have problems. They want to feel they’re getting help from a person rather than an emotionless robot.
Encourage your call center hiring team to use clear and empathetic communication to show they care. Lackluster communications cost American companies an estimated $4 billion each year. Minimize your potential losses by enabling your team members to offer their humanity.
Teach call center workers how to be patient.
Being understanding and calm can be challenging. Spend time training your people to listen with deep intent to customers. Authentic listening involves hearing what customers are saying and the context behind those words.
This type of active listening may not be intuitive, especially for people new to your team. Offer workshops and hands-on experiences to help everyone learn how to listen mindfully. Over time, your call center employees will feel less stressed out and more able to respond proactively. You can imagine how much pride they’ll feel when they successfully navigate challenging conversations with grace on behalf of your brand.
Empower call center employees to delight customers.
Do your call center workers have the ability to truly surprise a customer with a gift or some other unexpected offer? Consider giving your team members the ability to occasionally shock a customer by doing something totally out of the blue.
Random acts of kindness and friendliness won’t just capture you raving fans, either. They can help you hold onto talented call center staff members. Customer-facing personnel who are given the go-ahead to provide stellar service feel happier about their positions. Research shows that 87% of happy workers go the extra mile for their employers. In other words, everyone wins.
Creating, maintaining, and reinforcing a customer service culture takes time, but it’s well worth the effort. Start planting those seeds today and watch in awe at the way your people blossom.
Integrity Staffing Solutions is a full-service staffing agency and ranks in the top 2% of agencies across the country for quality service based on ClearlyRated’s “Best of Staffing” client survey. To learn more about Integrity or for help with your hiring needs, visit integritystaffing.com or call 833-446-1300.
