How Do You Handle Stress in Call Center

Stress is a common experience in any workplace and there are many factors that contribute to it. Meeting deadlines, shifting schedules or the pressure to make sure that customer concerns are met while keeping metrics high are only some of those stress contributors.

Call centers are the most affected by this kind of stress, having a negative effect on their performance and attitude if it is not addressed. Bothered employees will not be productive, or as productive as they can be.

In order to help address the stressful situations at your call center, learn to manage the stress with these tips.

1. Productivity

Stress is the number one cause for a decline in efficiency. Agents who are stressed are not able to focus and will not perform well. There will also be more absences and tardiness. Help by trying to understand what might have caused such stress and figure out solutions together.

2. Customer Experience

Employees who bring their personal problems at work become stressed and grumpy. When this happens, the customers are the first ones who get to notice. Avoid having low customer service ratings by reminding agents to leave their worries behind and just work pleasantly. Motivational activities are also a great way to improve their mood prior to taking calls.

3. Resignation

Exhausted agents often think about resigning. The effects of stress are physical, mental, emotional and even psychological. When employees are burned out, all they want to do is quit. Avoid increased tension by providing them a healthy work environment to balance their professional and personal life.

4. Expenses

The cost of replacing agents are expensive. Advertising, hiring, training and paying for premiums are all put to waste if an employee quits right away. High turnover rates are also a sign of poor management. Avert the frequency of replacing agents by offering newly hired employees with benefits and a working environment that they were promised with.

An office environment is made better by creating a positive work-life balance atmosphere for everyone. Agents are more productive when they are excited about going to work and concerned with operations and each other. A call center that does not have constant employee turnover will have a happy work environment since new agents and tenured ones are able to get acquainted even more.

Call Center agents work in a stressful industry and it highly affects the customers if they are stressed. It is essential for management to look after the level of stress in the office for everyone’s sake.