In this webinar, key players in the industry gathered to discuss one of the most crucial aspects of contact center management: effective coaching.
Why the focus on coaching? A startling 80% of agents who leave their roles do so because of their direct supervisor. Even more, the number one reason frontline leaders fail at coaching ties back to interpersonal skills.
In a world where contact centers are a key touchpoint for customer experience, these statistics highlight the importance of effective coaching. It improves agent performance and – ultimately – customer satisfaction.
In the hybrid work model today, supervisors are tasked with a challenging balancing act. They must effectively coach frontline employees, deliver on CX KPIs, manage performance at scale, and meet compliance standards.
Our panelists – David Arellano (Chief Product Officer at AmplifAI), joined Saurabh Bhaskar (Sr. Vice President of Operations at iQor), and Anthony Paige (Director of Training & Quality at iQor) – addressed these challenges and discussed five proven steps to improve coaching effectiveness.
Whether you manage a small team or oversee hundreds of agents, these insights will help you build a more engaged, efficient, and high-performing team.
An effective coaching approach begins with establishing a comprehensive coaching system.
This includes setting clear goals, defining expectations, and communicating this effectively to the team. When these steps are established, supervisors can set the stage for success. They can create an environment that fosters transparency, goal-oriented behavior, and constant improvement.
However, setting up a comprehensive coaching system isn't a one-time event.
This system requires regular check-ins to ensure that the process is still serving its intended purpose. And when the system isn’t working, make adjustments as needed. This ongoing attention to the coaching system creates an agile approach that’s ready to adapt to changing circumstances.
An investment in training your coaches is an investment in the future of your contact center.
During the webinar, our experts emphasized the importance of developing every coach's interpersonal skills. These skills represent each coach’s ability to provide constructive feedback and their knack for motivating their team members.
With targeted coaching training, call centers can empower their coaches. This leads to an environment that promotes personal development, employee satisfaction, and ultimately, a reduction in agent attrition.
But an investment in coaching isn’t a one-time cost.
This training needs to be continuous to keep pace with changing industry trends and to consistently provide coaches with the tools they need to succeed. Regular training sessions, refresher courses, and advanced coaching workshops can all contribute to this ongoing professional development.
For more efficient coaching, your frontline leaders must have access to comprehensive data on agent performance metrics. This includes a detailed understanding of each team member's strengths and weaknesses.
In-depth data insight allows coaches to personalize their coaching approach to each agent, addressing specific areas of improvement and leveraging individual strengths.
Providing this visibility goes beyond individual performance metrics. It extends to team and organizational performance, customer feedback, and other industry-specific KPIs. With this broader view, coaches can make informed decisions that align with larger organizational goals and contribute to overall business success.
But this level of data analysis is challenging.
Not only are the majority of frontline coaches lacking this critical skill, but most receive limited or no training on the topic. However, you can turn your coaches into data analysts. With software optimized to ingest, understand, and interpret all your data, every coach is equipped to handle the deluge of data.
Measuring coaching effectiveness is key to understanding the impact of coaching on agent performance and overall business outcomes.
Supervisors must track and analyze data related to coaching sessions. This includes improvements in individual performance, changes in overall team productivity, and variations in key business outcomes.
The act of measuring coaching effectiveness also serves as a feedback loop for coaches. It helps team leaders to learn from successful coaching strategies and identify areas that need further development.
This constant feedback allows coaches to continually refine their approach and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.
Effective coaching doesn't stop with coaching frontline agents. It also involves coaching the coaches themselves. Frontline supervisors play a critical role in driving agent performance and ensuring a high standard of coaching across the organization.
Coaching the coaches involves providing them with the necessary resources, tools, and ongoing training that’s needed to excel in their role. It's important to create a culture of learning and growth where supervisors can continuously enhance their coaching skills, learn from best practices, and share knowledge with their peers.
By empowering coaches, organizations can create a strong coaching ecosystem that leads to positive results throughout the contact center.
The webinar also showcased a telecom client's success story, highlighting the impressive results achieved through effective coaching. By implementing the five steps outlined above, this client experienced significant improvements in their contact center operations, including:
These tangible outcomes demonstrate the power of effective coaching in driving positive change and elevating overall contact center performance.
Coaching is a transformative force in the contact center industry. By implementing the five steps discussed in this AmplifAI and iQor webinar, call centers can unlock the full potential of their frontline supervisors, improve agent performance, and drive exceptional customer experiences.
With a comprehensive coaching system, investment in coach training, visibility into performance and coaching, measurement of coaching effectiveness, and a focus on coaching the coaches, organizations can create a coaching culture that fosters growth, retention, and success.
Effective coaching not only benefits frontline agents and supervisors but also has a ripple effect on the entire organization. It empowers agents to excel in their roles, boosts employee satisfaction and retention, and ultimately enhances the customer experience. As the contact center landscape continues to evolve, effective coaching remains a vital tool for sustainable success.
Ready to learn more about using AI in your call center? Let's talk.
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