5 Ways to Effectively Coach Call Center Agents

By David Wise | October 23, 2014

In our experience with virtual call center software setups around the world, we find that a call center is only as successful as its agents are. That’s why you should be continually training and coaching your agents to achieve success. The call center managers we work with are constantly looking for ways to perfect their coaching techniques so we decided to highlight our most successful tips that call centers of any size can implement. In this article we’ll discuss 5 ways that managers can effectively coach call center agents.

1. Measurable Goals

The easiest way to improve an agent’s performance is to make their progress measurable. This allows them to track their improvement and understand what goes into achieving their goals. Faster response time, more answered calls and higher customer service levels are all examples of measurable goals that you can implement in your call center.

2. Ask For Input From Your Agents

Coaching isn’t a one-way conversation between a manager and an agent. Your agents should feel comfortable expressing their concerns and successes with you. This two way conversation will allow you to see what the agent thinks they excel at and what they think they need improvement on. With this tip, you’re getting important first-hand feedback from your agent.

3. Listen to Calls

As part of your coaching technique, you should be listening to calls all the time. Whether you have time to listen to them live or you review them at a later date, these calls are one of the most important pieces to this puzzle because they give you the opportunity to hear exactly what the customer hears. What is your impression of the call? Relay this to the agent to help them understand the personality they present on the phone.

4. Customer feedback

Implementing a post-call survey or review for your customers is a great coaching tool. This allows you to get fresh feedback from a customer immediately following an interaction with your agents. Be sure to share both positive and constructive feedback with your agents. The way they portray themselves to your customer is extremely important so this feedback can say a lot about your agent.

5. Deadlines For Goals

We talked about making goals measurable but you should also give them a deadline. A deadline doesn’t equate to a finish line but it does hold the agent accountable for improving. With a reasonable deadline, agents should thrive and push themselves to achieve their goals on time.