Tips to Empathize with WFH Contact Center Agents | Uniphore

Tips to Empathize with WFH Contact Center Agents | Uniphore

3 min read

Today due to the growing crisis engulfing the world, a lot of the workers are classified as essential workers. In the true sense of the term, your contact center agents also need to be classified as essential workers as they are rendering a valuable service not just to the customers but the society at large. Given the overwhelming number of calls to helplines of governments, healthcare organizations, banks, insurance, travel agencies and more, it is the contact center agents who are burning the midnight oil to ensure customer service is rendered without any impediments.

It is a documented fact that working as a contact center agent was already stressful during normal times. What with the new pandemic fanning across the globe, these agents are feeling the full brunt of the crisis at hand. Since most of the agents are the WFH types (making it tougher to discharge their duties), the least you can do is empathize with them during these trying times. Your contact center solutions should take this into consideration while assigning tasks to your work from home call center agents.

Implement WFH contact center best practices

To provide a great customer service in the new normal you need to focus on the WFH contact center best practices put forth by the industry. Here are the top call center empathy tips.

Check-in with them regularly

The call center representative work from home needs empathy. Sometimes all it needs is some appreciation for the great work that you are doing. So during such stressful times when the contact center agents are at the front line of this crisis, the least you can do is check-in regularly with them. You can let them know how much you appreciate their effort and also assuage their anxieties. Always keep a line of dialogue open with your agents so if they need any help or support from you, you are always there. This way they will perform their tasks better and this directly results in better customer service. You can invest in Conversational AI to reduce the burden on your call center agents.

Encourage their mental well-being

Only a happy agent can make a customer happy. Thus, your contact center agents need to have a calm and composed demeanor in order to assuage the customer’s anxieties. Mental well-being is important during normal times but during such a time of crisis it becomes crucial. Thus you need to encourage your contact center agents to take regular breaks from work, socialize with their family members, have regular virtual meetings with their colleagues and so on. Investing in a virtual mental wellness program, counselling and yoga can go a long way in cementing your empathy to your contact center agents.

Have an employee assistance program

Due to the uncertainties surrounding our lives, a little help goes a long way in showing our gratitude to people who matter to us. In the case of contact center agents who are leaving no stone unturned in their effort to satisfy the customer, you can show your gratitude in more ways than one. One of the best ways is to have an employee assistance program. This will help your agents to get free access to healthcare, financial resources, insurance, family support and more.

Work on a contingency plan

Just like nations have their disaster planning and response teams, your organizations should also be having something on similar lines. Your contact center agents would much appreciate you if you make it clear about your contingency plans. God forbid if an agent contracts COVID-19 then how would your organization react to it. What kind of support are you willing to offer for such an employee? These are some of the critical thoughts running through the minds of every contact center agent and it is worthwhile to make your company’s policy towards COVID-19 public so everyone is on the same page.

All these measures go a long way in ensuring that you really care for your contact center agents. And now is the best time to show how much you care for them.

Learn more about how Uniphore can provide you and your contact center agents support during these challenging times.

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