Working at a Contact Centre – A ‘How to’ Guide

Regardless of which industry you work in, you’re bound to encounter some bumps in the road. 

Today, we’re going to go through possible scenarios you might come across at a contact centre and how our Team Coordinators handle these rocky situations, and what advice they can offer you!  

So, buckle up and let’s get started! 

Scenario #1:

Your employees don’t have an ounce of motivation in them and are slacking in their daily work. You try and try to bring back their motivation, but nothing seems to be working so you’re stuck waiting until a spark reignites their energy.

1. How do you keep your team motivated?  

Janice: With the help of a system I use, I set daily personalised targets for each agent and am able to monitor their progress. While I praise and congratulate those who finish their tasks and reach the targets, I also take time to speak to those agents who might not be finishing the tasks. I firmly believe in the importance of one-to-one meetings, as this allows me to understand what the agent is feeling, what they are finding difficult, and how I can help them.

Scenario #2:

Your team was faced with a difficult situation that they were not prepared for, and even though you may or may not like to admit it, you weren’t prepared either. Now, everyone keeps asking you questions you don’t know how to answer and everyone is scrambling around the office trying to figure this out.

2. How do you handle difficult situations and how do you help your team overcome challenges? 

David: My motto is ‘stay positive', and that’s exactly what I do in the midst of a challenge. I believe that a calm and composed individual is able to come up with solutions quicker, allowing for the issue to be resolved at a faster pace. Moreover, I believe that challenges are learning opportunities for myself and my team. We learn how to come up with fast solutions and how to adapt to unexpected situations while also acquiring new skills. 

My advice for my team is to take a step back, analyse the situation, and use their already acquired skills to start tackling the situation bit by bit! 

Scenario #3:

Someone made a mistake and I don’t mean someone spilled coffee over their desk. One of your employees made a mistake that requires fixing, but it’s a mistake you can use to teach others. 

3. What's a mistake you made early on in your career and what did you learn from it? How would you guide employees who might do the same mistake?

Corinne: I started out in 2018 as a call agent and admittedly, I wasn’t one of the best. I did not possess the right soft skills and lacked other skills. However, my Team Leader at the time did not just sit around and let me throw out my career, she took the time to teach me how to deal with customers and how I should approach situations. Due to her taking interest in me, I was able to acquire new skills and I eventually moved up to be a Team Leader and then a Team Coordinator. 

I have learned from my mistakes and now spend my time making sure my team has the material they need to work efficiently. Should an agent be making the same mistake I did or another mistake, I ensure to allocate time to speak with them and show them other ways they could approach the task at hand. I am a firm believer that one-to-one mistakes are beneficial for all parties involved as one can learn and help as needed! 

Feeling stressed at work? Here's something that might help!

All views shared are based on personal experiences only and may not be used as legal, business, or financial advice.