7 Easy Ways to Improve Contact Center Morale

If you work in a contact center, you know all too well the problem with employee morale. Between the long hours, repetitive work, and training problems, it’s no wonder turnover is so high.

There are ways to keep morale up in your contact center — and they don’t have to be expensive or hard to execute. 

1. Build Up Your Team

Nothing improves trust and respect like creating a sense of community within your contact center. Encourage agents to freely give ideas and feedback. Fill them in on business operations and share how they can make an impact on the company’s success. Helping agents feel like they are part of a safe, trusting team fosters productivity and builds relationships.

Related Article: 7 Best Practices for Keeping Your Hybrid Contact Center Team Connected

2. Smile More

Build a positive atmosphere within your center: communicate, stay friendly and smile more! (Just don’t cross into the fake-happy territory — one 50-year study showed a fake smile had only “extremely tiny” benefits.)

3. Simple Gestures of Appreciation

Recognizing your agents for good work is a vital part of improving contact center morale. This doesn’t mean you need to break the bank by only giving out monetary rewards — a quick and timely thank you is always appreciated. 

Public recognition through awards, leaderboards, or digital badges is effective as well. A Gallup poll revealed that public recognition was one of the most memorable ways respondents had been rewarded at work. 

4. Promotion

When agents know they can advance in a company, many will be more motivated to work hard to achieve the goal. In fact, the opportunity for promotion was the second-most important influence on employee retention (after wages) in a McKinsey study.

Alternatively, you can offer programs and training to help them gain valuable skills.

5. Physical Workplace Environment

The physical setup of your workplace can play a crucial role in employee morale. 

Pay attention to the minor details in the contact center. Is the lighting too harsh? Open the curtains to let in natural light or bring in lamps. Keep the temperature comfortable, and if you can afford it, order comfortable chairs for your agents that sit all day long.

6. Make Sure Agents Are Getting Breaks

Let them take time to get up, walk around, get outside, or grab a coffee. A study at the University of Illinois showed that “microbreaks” — short, voluntary breaks such as stretching or brief socialization — had an impact on workers’ productivity and ability to concentrate.

Related Article: How To Manage A Heavy Workload Effectively Without Increasing Staff

7. Give Agents Independence

Let agents focus on what they are meant to do and empower them to create a great customer experience, even if it’s a little outside your process. Give them the freedom to make their own decisions and take responsibility. You just might find some ways to improve your processes for the future.

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See how Playvox workforce engagement management software can help you improve morale in your contact center by scheduling a demo today!