Table of contents
Improving Agent Experience for Excellent Customer Service
Table of contents
Imagine walking into your call center and seeing agents looking stressed and overwhelmed. The phones are ringing non-stop, and everyone seems to be racing against the clock to meet targets. It’s a demanding environment, and when your agents are unhappy, it affects their performance and customer satisfaction.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Improving the agent experience can create a more positive atmosphere where your team feels supported and motivated. Research shows that *93% of customers* are more likely to make repeat purchases with brands offering outstanding customer service. But providing excellent service isn’t always easy. For agents to deliver this level of service, they need the right tools and technology—and they need to know how to use them effectively.
However, 60% of agents report that their organizations don’t always provide the right tools to meet evolving customer needs. This leaves agents stuck in a tough spot. Not only do they struggle to use inefficient tools, but they also deal with frustrated customers, who often bear the brunt of these issues.
So, how can you turn things around and help agents succeed?
Let’s see how focusing on improving agent experience is a win-win situation for everyone!
But first things first…
What is agent experience & why is it important?
Agent experience refers to the overall environment, tools and support systems that help support agents do their jobs effectively. It’s everything from the systems they work with to the initiatives that focus on their well-being.
It can be broken down into two main aspects:
- The agent, as an employee: This aspect focuses on the agent’s professional needs. It’s about how efficiently they can perform their job.
- The agent, as a person: This aspect evaluates the agent’s personal needs like mental well-being and work-life balance. Unfortunately, many companies overlook this because linking it directly to their performance is harder.
An agent’s experience can make or break the quality of customer service they provide.
Think about the last time you reached out to customer support.
Did the agent sound engaged and helpful? Or did it feel like they were just trying to get through the day? Was your conversation smooth and efficient, or did you find yourself jumping through hoops to get a simple answer?
The difference is clear — a great agent experience leads to better customer interactions, while a poor one can do the opposite.
If agents feel unsupported or undervalued, it can affect their performance. This, in turn, may lead to burnout and a high turnover rate. A high turnover rate is especially damaging because it erodes your team’s collective knowledge and consistently affects the ability to deliver quality support.
So, when you focus on improving agent experience, you’re ultimately investing in better customer experiences, too. Happy, well-supported agents are more likely to go the extra mile for your customers.
Connection between agent and customer experience
When agents have great experiences, customers do, too. It’s a simple but powerful connection. Happier agents are more informed, collaborative, and patient. They’re also more likely to deliver top-notch customer experiences.
So, how does the agent experience shape customer outcomes? Here are a few key factors:
- Resolution quality: Well-trained customer support agents resolve issues quickly and more accurately.
- Follow-ups: The follow-up from customer service reps shows that a brand cares about its customers beyond the immediate transaction.
- Ease of interaction: How easy it is for agents and customers to interact depends a lot on how engaged and motivated agents are.
- Customer satisfaction scores: High scores reflect effective service, showing how well agents meet customer expectations and resolve issues.
Focusing on quality agent experiences empowers your agents to deliver exceptional customer experiences. It’s a win-win!
Challenges faced by support agents
Customer support teams face several significant challenges. Here are the top ones:
Proving ROI and impact
You need to show how your team impacts the business. It’s not just about clearing ticket queues or measuring response times. You need to look at the bigger picture.
Of course, surprising and delighting customers is great, but it’s important to understand how support affects the entire customer journey and business ROI. Customer experience, largely driven by your support team, directly impacts sales, loyalty, and overall business success.
To really show the value of your customer service team, you need to measure and prove ROI. Understanding the revenue driven by your customer experience initiatives allows you to showcase your team’s business impact. Without this data, you’ll miss the opportunity to identify areas for improvement, optimize strategies, and justify the need for more resources.
Hiring quality agents at scale
Growing a team is easy, but scaling with the right people? That’s a different story. Hire low-quality agents, and your team’s morale and performance will suffer.
As your business grows, it’s tough to build a team that delivers top-notch support. You need to find agents who are knowledgeable, empathetic, and patient.
Handling high volumes of service tickets
Busy seasons like Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be overwhelming. How do you meet the demand without sacrificing fast responses and a customer-centric approach?
You need to have strategies to manage high ticket volumes, such as prioritizing issues, escalating complex problems to more experienced agents, and providing self-service options like a knowledge base and chatbots.
Managing stress and avoiding burnout
Support agents often have to deal with difficult customers and high-pressure situations, which can lead to burnout and turnover. This not only creates gaps in knowledge but also weakens customer relationships.
Customer service teams are trained to be empathetic, but this can be emotionally draining. It’s no wonder most agents feel overwhelmed. A recent survey by Deloitte Digital involving 600 support agents found that two-thirds of them were struggling to cope.
Only 15% of agents are extremely satisfied with their workload. The numbers are just as bleak when it comes to training and empowerment. Just 20% of agents are happy with their training, and less than 30% feel confident in their abilities.
To address these challenges, you must prioritize agent well-being, provide support and resources, and encourage a healthy work-life balance.
6 strategies to improve agent experience
Investing in your employees is a long-term investment in your customers. Agent and customer experience go hand in hand. So, where should we begin?
1. Building a supportive work environment
A concerning 87% of call center agents report high stress levels in their roles. The constant stream of inquiries, demanding performance targets, complex systems, and emotionally challenging customer interactions significantly strain employees.
No wonder a supportive work environment significantly impacts call center agents. When your agents feel comfortable, supported, and encouraged, they’re more likely to thrive, which means better customer outcomes.
But, what does a supportive work environment look like?
It’s a setting that encourages collaboration, creativity, and efficiency. Moreover, it should be one where agents feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and learning from each other. It’s an environment that promotes open communication, recognition, and rewards.
2. Investing in the right tools and resources
Outdated tech can hold your agents back. It’s frustrating, inefficient, and can lead to burnout. Modern, user-friendly systems, on the other hand, save time, reduce frustration, and boost productivity.
For example, Hiver, an AI-based multichannel customer service tool, can elevate your agent experience by streamlining support workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and fostering collaboration. It integrates seamlessly with Gmail, enabling agents to use the tool effortlessly without a steep learning curve. Additionally, its AI bot, Harvey, boosts agent efficiency by summarizing emails and suggesting templates for routine queries, allowing them to focus on critical customer interactions with less stress. Hiver’s real-time analytics also provide actionable insights to optimize team performance and deliver exceptional customer service.
3. Training and professional development
Comprehensive training is essential for helping agents develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to excel. A report found that 86% of professionals would switch jobs for better opportunities for professional development. And that’s a statistic worth paying attention to.
Regular training and skill enhancement programs boost performance, reduce errors, and increase job satisfaction. They help agents stay up-to-date with the latest technologies, trends, and best practices and provide a platform for them to share their knowledge, experiences, and insights with each other.
4. Work-life balance and mental health support
A healthy work-life balance is essential for maintaining physical, emotional, and mental well-being. When agents feel supported, valued, and respected, they’re more likely to be motivated, productive, and engaged.
Encourage open communication, recognize achievements, and promote teamwork. Regular feedback and a supportive culture reduce stress and boost productivity. In fact, a study found that employees who feel supported are 70% more likely to stay with their employer and 13% more inclined to remain with their current employers for over three years.
5. Creating a culture of feedback and recognition
Recognizing hard work pays off. It’s a simple yet powerful way to boost motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction. Plus, it can even increase staff retention. Studies suggest 69% of employees say they’d work harder if their efforts were acknowledged.
But here’s the challenge: as your contact center team grows, it can be tough to identify top performers. That’s where tools like Hiver can make a difference. The platform allows contact center leaders to monitor agent performance in real time, clearly showing who’s driving excellent results.
With these insights, leaders can recognize top contributors quickly and consistently while addressing gaps before they become issues. Hiver analytics also help identify bottlenecks and highlight areas of improvement through in-depth analysis. Leaders can generate custom reports and monitor real-time consolidated dashboards, giving them a complete view of agent performance and customer interactions.
They can also offer targeted guidance and support to agents when they need it most. By leveraging data and analytics, business leaders can develop strategies for coaching and training agents to:
- Reduce handling and hold times
- Improve CSAT scores
- Enhance business results
6. Offering flexible work arrangements
The traditional 9-to-5 work model is no longer the only option. Nowadays, businesses are increasingly adopting flexible work arrangements, including hybrid and remote environments.
According to a survey, 22 million employed adults in the United States work remotely all the time. And it’s not hard to see why. Remote work arrangements can increase productivity, improve work-life balance, and enhance job satisfaction.
When it comes to employee retention, a Buffer survey found that 98% of remote workers would like to continue working remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers.
So, how can flexible work arrangements elevate the agent experience?
- Improved work-life balance: With the flexibility to work from anywhere, agents can better balance their work and personal responsibilities. This leads to reduced stress, improved job satisfaction, and increased productivity.
- Increased autonomy: Flexible work arrangements give agents the autonomy to work in a way that suits them best.
- Better health and well-being: Agents can prioritize their physical and mental health by avoiding lengthy commutes and working in a comfortable, familiar environment.
- Enhanced job satisfaction: Flexible work arrangements demonstrate trust and respect for agents’ abilities and work styles, leading to reduced turnover and improved overall well-being.
How can we measure the impact of these strategies on the agent experience?
Implementing strategies to improve the agent experience is just the first step. To ensure these efforts are paying off, you need to measure their impact. What metrics should you track, and how can you gather meaningful feedback from your agents?
Here are some effective ways to gauge the success of your agent experience initiatives:
Key performance indicators (KPIs)
Track metrics that provide insight into your agents’ performance, productivity, and overall work experience. Some essential KPIs include:
- First Response Time (FRT): Measures how quickly agents respond to customers.
- First Contact Resolution (FCR): Tracks the percentage of issues resolved in a single interaction.
- Average Handling Time (AHT): Calculates the average time spent on resolving a customer’s issue.
- Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Measures how satisfied customers are with their experience.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): Indicates the likelihood of customers recommending your business.
By tracking these KPIs, you’ll gain valuable insights into your agents’ performance and identify areas for improvement.
For instance, you might notice that your FCR rate is slightly below target. Your goal is to resolve 80% of customer issues on the first contact, and currently, your FCR rate is 75%. To address this, you could provide additional training on issue resolution or introduce new tools to help agents resolve complex issues more efficiently.
Employee satisfaction surveys
Employee satisfaction surveys are a powerful tool for understanding the needs, concerns, and aspirations of your agents.
Use open-ended and targeted questions to encourage honest and constructive feedback.
For examples:
- How satisfied are you with your job overall?
- Do you feel supported by your team and management?
- What challenges do you face daily, and how can we help overcome them?
- How can we improve your overall work experience and job satisfaction?
- Are there any new tools, training, or resources that would help you perform your job more efficiently?
By regularly soliciting feedback, you can identify areas for improvement, optimize agent performance, and create a more positive and productive work environment.
Take your agent experience to the next level
Your agents are the backbone of exceptional customer service. Prioritizing their experience isn’t just an investment in them—it’s an investment in the future of your business. Satisfied and well-supported agents are more likely to deliver exceptional service, build strong customer relationships, and drive long-term success.
By implementing the six strategies outlined in this guide, you can create a world-class agent experience that drives business success.
If you need help along the way, Hiver is here to support you. From automating workflows to suggesting agent responses through AI chatbots, Hiver can make your agent experience more efficient, productive, and fulfilling.
Sign up for free today to unlock Hiver’s full potential and transform your agent experience!