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3 problems remote agents face and how to solve them
The last few years have seen a huge shift towards remote contact centers. While there are plenty of benefits for companies and employees alike to enjoy, a remote workforce can be a double-edged sword.
Communication doesn’t happen as organically, visibility is significantly reduced and it’s more difficult to gauge who’s excelling and who’s struggling. But while these can be tricky problems, they can be overcome with a bit of thought.
Below we outline some of the common problems agents in particular can encounter while working remotely, and some ways of solving them.
1. Feeling isolated
Being remote can leave agents feeling excluded and undervalued, so it’s important that you make a concerted effort to keep them involved – particularly in decisions that affect them.
To combat this, be sure to source ideas directly from the frontlines. Agents have so much insight and value to offer as they’re in touch with customers all the time and can identify repeat patterns or difficulties they might be having. Having the chance to voice their opinions and observations can make a big difference to how engaged in the business they are, and in turn, the level of customer service they offer.
2. Maintaining productivity
Productivity can be a real barrier when your visibility is limited to a screen – presenteeism can be just as likely at home as it is in offices, after all. The best way to combat agents struggling to get motivated? Bring in a gamification program!
Gamification introduces mechanics like achievements, leaderboards and rewards to reinvigorate teams and give them something to work towards. By accumulating points for typical tasks, agents can battle it to outscore their colleagues and put their points towards rewards they’ll love.
Remember our first point, though – crowdsource ideas from your agents to make sure your gamification program really takes off!
3. Staying in the loop
With so much going on in the modern contact center, it’s not always straightforward to establish who has what information. Still, keeping your team in the loop with important updates is vital, and while virtual stand-ups are great, if people are on different shift patterns, holidays, or off sick, they can easily miss out on crucial information.
Whether it’s a new scorecard launch, or information about an upcoming get-together, make sure you have a centralized place where your people can always find out the latest goings-on. That way, it’s simple for management to share updates, and even easier for team members to get caught up.
Ready to get started?
Our latest Community release can help you energize your agents, with thoughtful enhancements that enable you to level-up your communication, engagement and employee experience strategies.
Built with all types of teams in mind, from in-office to fully remote, Community combines Gamification, Announcements, and Suggestion Box features to help teams feel more connected. The result? Happier agents, leading to happier customers.
Want to take a look? Explore our Community product tour today.
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