Prioritizing contact centers is vital because customer interactions are increasing. CX Network research found that just under half of CX practitioners reported increased customer contacts over the last year. In this context, human contact center agents are more important than ever.
Overcoming common challenges of contact centers
Still, agent retention remains a major challenge for many organizations. CX Network spoke to Lee McIntosh, operations manager at EE, at the CCW UK Summit about how he approaches agent experience to enrich the work of both longer-serving agents (some of whom have been at EE for decades) and newer recruits while connecting them to customer needs.
Customer and agent education
McIntosh summed up customer expectations in three words: speed, simplicity and resolution, with the final being the key to customer satisfaction (CSAT). When introducing new features as a large, legacy organization, customers can initially feel uncertain about them.
“The switch from a copper landline to a digital voice line is often very daunting. This is especially felt by our older customers who are less keen to adopt digital alternatives. This is where our town hall events have really helped,” says McIntosh. “...We have town hall events and even several mobile units that travel the country, connecting with people who need it the most.”
At EE townhalls, customers (both internal and external) ask questions about newer features and learn more about upcoming product or feature launches, such as the line switch.
“By publishing [the townhalls] across local news channels, platforms and radio, the events are always very well received and fully booked out,” says McIntosh.
The townhalls serve a dual purpose: Not only do they educate customers, they also educate customer service agents, who are invited to attend. In attending the townhalls and hearing customers’ views and concerns, agents are brought closer to customer needs, creating a deeper sense of connection to them. The initiative is popular among customers and agents with strong attendance.
"The feedback about how approachable our people are and how easy and simply they make the switch over sound is incredible," says McIntosh. "They are shown firsthand what the equipment looks like and all concerns are answered."
Peer learning in the contact center
Peer learning initiatives are an effective way to approach learning and development, utilizing internal expertise and bringing teams closer together. McIntosh explained the EE ecosystem whereby longer-serving agents, some of whom have been at the company for decades, and shorter-serving agents, can learn from one another, strengthening agents’ skills and closing knowledge gaps.
McIntosh explained that, while many of the longer-serving agents have fantastic soft skills and are great at talking to customers, they can sometimes struggle with newer technological tools. Meanwhile, newer agents are typically more comfortable with the tech side of the operation but may need extra help with soft skills.
Enter peer learning. The peer learning initiative prioritizes development for all agents, irrespective of how long they have been with the business and recognizes agents’ strengths, while offering a helping hand in the form of colleague support to address potential weaknesses. Essentially, McIntosh has created an environment in which agent knowledge gaps can be addressed in a safe space that promotes team cohesion and ongoing learning and development.
Improving the agent experience
As well as training to bring agents closer to customers and to learn from one another, EE prioritizes agent experience in other ways. McIntosh explained that with a large emphasis on Voice of the Employee (VoE), EE learns from frontline agents and ensures that employees feel seen and heard at work.
When asked if VoE has led to any innovations or changes to process, he says, “We often hear through our staff engagement surveys that particular systems are still too complicated. So we have been able to create working parties to ensure front end agents are included in shaping the changes needed to simplify systems allowing them to remain focused on having excellent conversations with customers.”
McIntosh also emphasized the importance of personalization, not just for customers, but for employees, too.
“Knowing my people is key to remaining personal. It’s about knowing what drives them, gives them joy, but equally what each of my people find challenging. Understanding learning styles so I can ensure an agile and flexible approach to tasks. [is important]," he says. “It’s also about knowing them as people beyond work: their family, what they do for fun. If I’m showing up for them emotionally when it is needed, I’m more likely to create the psychological safe-space that I strive to maintain.”
This sets the tone for others.
“Being aware of the shadow I cast means that I often see this approach being adopted by my leaders, which impacts my front-end agents," he says. "Once you have this nailed top-down, you’re more likely to see the behavior mirrored in your staff and presented back up and out to positively impact the customer experience.”