Contact Centres are toying with the idea of rating customer behaviour through scorecards to improve employee experience (EX).
In the past 12 months many live agents have, experts state, grappled with challenging customers while navigating their own personal circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Forbes reports that former contact centre worker Conrad Liburd, on ways businesses can help to improve EX to better customer engagement and CX. He said rating the customer instead of them rating the agent would give their workers and the businesses more control.
He said: “There are literally customers who call in just to abuse the agents. They’re not looking for anything but a fight.
“By giving agents more control, or at least feedback, we’re creating a structure that makes agents feel empowered and valued.”
His comments challenge the age-old adage of ‘the customer is always right’ in a period where EX is being more openly discussed due to the pandemic and changes in working conditions, such as remote working.
The publication reports some of the benefits of customer behaviour scoring:
- Empowering agents: Implementing a customer scoring strategy and communicating it to your customers could empower agents to meet customer needs while improving their work environment. This kind of investment grows exponentially — businesses that work to motivate their employees are more profitable than businesses that don’t. And employees say they work harder when they feel appreciated
- Increased service agent retention: A whopping 85% of employees stay longer at socially responsible companies, and these same practices can attract more workers. It’s important to send a clear message that everyone’s experience matters. Higher employee retention and increased motivation can only mean improved CX and profitability
- Establish mutual respect: A customer behaviour scorecard has the potential to create an atmosphere where everyone is valued and respected. By valuing employees as much as you value customers, you acknowledge that respect is not a one-way street. Instead, respect becomes an expected — and mandatory — foundation
The remarks come after a report that found agent turnover rates remain between 30% and 45% globally and the average tenure for entry-level agents is only about one year.
