Manual call center coaching typically involves a supervisor or manager working closely with a call center agent to help them improve their performance. The process usually involves several steps, including monitoring calls, providing feedback, and offering additional training or support.
One of the first steps in traditional call center coaching is to monitor calls made by the agent. This can be done by listening in on live calls or by reviewing recorded calls. During this process, the supervisor or manager listens carefully to the agent's interactions with customers, paying attention to things like their tone of voice, the clarity of their communication, and their ability to handle difficult or complex situations.
The supervisor or manager will provide the agent feedback based on the observations made during call monitoring.
This feedback can take many forms.
- Pointing out areas where the agent did well.
- Offering suggestions for improvement.
- Development plan that outlines specific goals and actions that the agent can take.
- Additional training or support.
For example, an agent struggling with a particular aspect of their job may be given additional training or resources to help them improve. Alternatively, the supervisor or manager may offer to coach or mentor to help the agent build their skills and confidence.
However, over time, manual coaching has seen its own set of shortcomings. The immense amount of time and efforts go unnoticed only to witness agents quitting, performing poorly, and breaching compliance regulations.
Why is that?
This article will discuss these points and reveal an alternative to manual and time-consuming call center coaching solutions.
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Drawbacks Of Manual Call Center Coaching
Manual call center coaching has become costlier and ineffective, considering the frequency of agent attrition. The cost of hiring a new agent is $2500 on average. As of 2022, the annual attrition rate in call centers was 26%.
So, retaining agents and ramping them up quickly should be a key way to conserve the annual ROI.
Let's discuss the drawbacks of manual call center coaching in more detail. Here are some key points to consider:
1. Time-intrinsic
Manual coaching can be very time-consuming, particularly in larger call centers with numerous agents. This can be a challenge for supervisors and managers with limited time and resources to dedicate to coaching.
2. Inconsistent results
Manual coaching can be subjective and dependent on the individual supervisor or manager, leading to inconsistencies in coaching methods and outcomes. This can result in agents receiving different levels of coaching, even if they are performing at similar levels.
3. Limited scalability
As call center volumes grow, it becomes increasingly difficult for supervisors and managers to provide individualized coaching to each agent. This can result in coaching becoming less frequent or less personalized, which can negatively impact agent performance and overall customer satisfaction.
4. Lack of real-time feedback
Manual coaching may not always provide real-time feedback or data analysis, making it difficult for supervisors and managers to provide effective coaching and improve outcomes.
5. Stressful process
Providing constructive feedback and coaching can be emotionally taxing, particularly when agents struggle with difficult or complex customer interactions. This can lead to burnout and turnover among agents and supervisors, which can negatively impact the call center as a whole.
Considering these challenges, contact centers have come a long way and adapted to a new solution - AUTOMATION.
How Automation Can Improve Call Center Coaching?
There are several ways that automation technologies can help overcome the challenges associated with manual coaching and provide more consistent, efficient, and personalized coaching experiences for agents. Here are some key ways that automation can improve call center coaching:
1. Increased Efficiency And Scalability
Automation technologies can help streamline and automate the coaching process, making it more efficient and scalable.
For example, AI-powered coaching tools can automatically monitor and analyze agent interactions, allowing supervisors and managers to focus their time and resources on coaching agents who need the most help.
2. Consistency In Coaching Methods And Outcomes
Automation technologies can help ensure that coaching methods and outcomes are consistent across agents and supervisors. AI-powered coaching tools can provide standardized coaching methods and feedback, ensuring that agents receive consistent coaching regardless of who their supervisor or manager is.
3. Intuitive Feedback And Data Analysis
Automation technologies can give supervisors and managers intuitive insights into agent performance and customer interactions.
For example, AI-powered coaching tools can provide feedback and suggestions to agents during customer interactions and help improve the script to improve their current performance.
4. Personalized Coaching Experience
Automation technologies can provide agents with personalized coaching experiences based on individual performance and needs.
For example, AI-powered coaching tools can analyze agent interactions and provide customized coaching recommendations based on their strengths and weaknesses.
Get expert advice on automated personalized coaching.
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How Does Convin’s Call Center Coaching Help?
With manual coaching taking a backseat, Convin has brought a whole new experience for call centers. Reducing the agent ramp-up time by up to 60%, Convin hits the right spot to get your sales revenue gearing up.
Convin’s call center software has an AI score to reflect the agent’s performance individually and as a team. Here is a depiction of how one of Convin’s clients improved their overall AI score through coaching.
1. Convin Call Center Coaching Dashboard
The call center coaching dashboard of Convin is where all the information gathers. From monitoring the number of teams, sessions completed, sessions not started, and daily coaching sessions to a motivating leaderboard, the dashboard is the hub for all information.
2. Agent Playbook
Convin’s library is the one-stop destination for storing helpful resources for your team. It can be modules, snippets of good calls, upskilling materials, or new updates that must be passed on to the team.
The library also has an assessment feature that lets you create quick test sessions for your team. These are easy to create, and your team's progress on these assignments is reflected in the dashboard.
3. Peer-to-peer Coaching
Lastly, Convin saves time and effort with its peer-to-peer coaching feature. This extracts snippets of best-performing agents assigned to agents who need improvement in that part.
This process helps agents learn with their peers, saving time and effort and improving immensely.
Know more about the pricing for Convin’s Call Center Coaching.
Wrapping Up
Businesses have come a long way to improve agent performance and customer satisfaction. With automation, it’s finally possible to achieve that. Here’s a recap of how automation is revolutionizing call center coaching.
- Increases efficiency and scalability, leading to conserved time and effort.
- Consistency in coaching methods and outcomes, which boost agent performance.
- Intuitive feedback and data analysis that help you and your agents understand what’s working and what’s not.
- Personalized coaching experience that doesn’t compromise the quality of manual coaching.
