Call centre agents are very often criticised by their managers for being too slow in processing. The agents are subjected to this type of criticism every now and then, whether or not they have executed the task perfectly or even correctly.
Workplace criticism is a part of workplace management. It serves as a manager’s feedback to the employees about their work performance and potential improvements.
The fine balance between constructive criticism and not being too critical with a call centre agent’s performance can be tricky when it comes to call centre stress management, and job satisfaction also plays an important role in this process.
Call centre agents are particularly more vulnerable to the ill effects of criticism. This is because if you are monitoring them too much, their stress levels will rise which could make it difficult for the employee to work effectively as expected of him or her by management.
The following steps can be taken by managers for dealing with this kind of situation:
1. Know The Exact Thing You Want To Change
There are two major things managers need to remember when giving criticism. First, make sure you know what is worrying you about your agent before bringing it up with them.
Without knowing exactly what you want to change, it will be tough for your agent to come up with any solution at all.
Secondly, it is important to only focus on one thing at a time. If you find yourself bringing up too many things all at once, your agent may get overwhelmed and start ignoring the feedback entirely.
Focus on one thing at a time would assist managers in analysing the mindset of their call centre agents and relieve stress.
2. Ask For Their Opinion
Being heard, being asked for advice is one of the top motivators for people. This will create a sense of importance in the employees and they will be more committed to pleasing you. So next time when you have to correct an agent, ask them for their opinion on how to improve further.
3. Compliment Before You Criticise
Before criticising the call centre agents, put some effort into finding their positive side. Tell them about the successful things they have done and you will see a huge difference in their performance without asserting pressure that could be the cause of an increase in their stress level.
4. Give Them Time to Discuss
When you are praising the employees, give them some time so that they can feel good about themselves and perform better in their next task. This will help them improve their strengths as well as rectify their mistakes.
5. Praise All Employees Together
Whenever you want to praise an employee, don’t focus on that individual and lower others’ morale. Instead, try praising all employees together who have contributed in some way or the other, and thus creating a sense of unity among them.
Final Words
Select your words carefully while giving criticism, understand your employees better and manage expectations accordingly. These steps will help the manager ease up the stress level of the call centre agents in processing a large number of calls in a limited time.
