by Administrator
16. May 2009 01:42
Call Center managers world-wide require techniques to help them build relationships with agents. A call center is about performance and technology. But it is also first and foremost a relationship-oriented entity. In part, agents build tenure and perform consistently because they get a sense of satisfaction from their relationships at work. Managers elicit superior performance and results from their agents when they create terrific relationships with them. When things are good, this is easy. When things are challenging, it is oftentimes the relationships between manager and agent that pull a call center through the crisis.
World-Class call center managers should always question their questioning process, and the questioning processes of their supervisors. Asking questions is a key relationship technique-utilized universally. Telephone sales representatives and customer service representatives ask questions in order to confirm the direction of a telephone call, gain information, and establish a relationship with the customer. In like manner and for similar reasons, supervisors and managers ask questions of their sales and service representatives. The technique of asking questions works for all types of professionals in a myriad of industries. Questions begin the relationship-building process. They demonstrate a level of interest between individuals.
In a typical call center, agents question supervisors. That is the norm reinforced by conditioning. Agents question supervisors on product issues, computer dilemmas, observations and disagreements with policies. Agents want answers because they feel they are not involved in the decision-making process. So they ask questions. But how often do supervisors use questions to build relationships and to learn from their agents? My guess is not often enough. Managers don't ask questions because they are the one's making the decisions, and therefore feel no need to ascertain the thoughts of their agents. Yet management needs to be cognizant of the fact that asking questions of the agents serves several purposes, the most important of which entails building a relationship for the future. Asking questions establishes a positive environment in which the agent-supervisor relationship is able to flourish.
Take a step back and look at your supervisory team. How often do they actively pose positive, non-threatening questions to their agents? How often do they use artful questions to facilitate performance? How often do they use questions to establish an open communication forum with the people who work for them? How often are your supervisors making an effort to reach out to their teams?
A whole new agent-supervisor relationship begins when supervisors ask questions of their agents. Here are some ways to do this:
1. Ask Agents Questions To Which You Already Know The Answers
Use your latest technology and CRM packages to track your agents' progress. For instance, perhaps your call center measures talk time, pause time, total dials completed sales or total sales made. Find some excellent performers who are performing above the norm and deserve recognition. Go to them and say "Hey, how is your day going today?" Depending on the response, you might say "I see you did XYZ today. Way to go." The key is to present encouragement. Show interest. Have them talk to you about themselves.
2. Ask Open-Ended Questions To Discover What Agents Need
Open-Ended questions are general questions designed to elicit information. The questioner doesn't know what the response is going to be. Yet simple, unexpected, open-ended questions can be a relief to agents. This is especially true when they clearly need an outlet away from their telephones and computers. The least complicated questions sometimes elicit the best conversations, and facilitate a tremendous call-center culture. Questions such as the following make a difference: "How are you today? What is new with the customers and prospects today? How did you do so well yesterday? Did you get the XYZ issue resolved? Is there anything I can do to help?" These questions, while simple and logical, are rarely communicated from manager to agent. It is imperative that managers demonstrate their interest in the agents' day-to-day challenges.
3. Ask Questions To Establish Value
Imagine working in an environment where your boss really doesn't care about what you do or what you think. Sad, but it happens. By simply questioning agents, management is able to demonstrate that the agents are a valued part of the organization. All agents want to believe that their supervisor values them. By asking questions, supervisors provide agents with the opportunity to comment, create, propose, strategize, and communicate issues important to them. Your questions provide your agents with an outlet and a culture they value.