7 Pro Tips for Contact Center Managers

Written by KOVA Corp

Management can be a tricky job to do well, particularly when it comes to managing a call center or contact center. After all, a call center manager is dealing with both people and technology - two areas that can be challenging if you don’t have the best working for you.

But there are certain things that seem to be integral to being a superior supervisor, and we say that because these methods and strategies come up over and over again when we look at well-managed call centers.

Here are 7 pro tips that you can incorporate into your management style to help you become a better asset to your call center and your employees.

Do your employees know you, and what you stand for?

We’re not talking about occasional conversation or check-ins with the agents at your contact center; we’re talking about making sure your employees have a familiarity with both your personal and professional lives.

Have an informal meeting, either with each individual or your entire staff at once, and tell them about your life, your management philosophy, and what you expect from them and yourself.

The more your employees know about what kind of person you are, and the more you know about them, the better your connection will be. Even getting to know people in departments other than your own can be beneficial. Creating a familial atmosphere among those you work with can foster a stronger team within your call center.

Make sure you hear them

Even if you might disagree with what your employees are telling you, it’s important to listen to their concerns. Not only will you learn more about what each of them wants or needs in their position, but they will regard you more highly as a manager.

There are few things that make a person feel more secure and confident than feeling they are being listened to. Keep that in mind as your employees talk to you.

Be visible

How often are you around your employees? How often do you walk through the call center area and check in with them, or hop onto calls with them to see how things are going? How much do the people who work for you actually see you?

Making yourself a regular presence among your employees not only fosters the sense that you’re a hands-on manager, it can make an agent feel more confident about your accessibility. The more you show yourself, the more initiative and effort they might show you.

Embrace innovation
Yes, it’s important to make sure the policies and procedures of your call center are being  followed , but it's also important to review those policies, both on your own and with your employees, to make sure that they still make sense.

After all, in a field like customer service, which is constantly changing and evolving, it’s important to remember that your rules and policies might need to be changed, too. And your agents will definitely notice if you’re willing to adjust, change or do away with procedures that aren’t working for them or your clients.

Communicate

It might seem like all of the tips we’ve mentioned here are communication-related, but we’re  speaking here of a more literal form of communicating.

Are there changes or new ideas coming to your call center? Make sure your employees know about it, make sure you’re as clear as possible about why things are happening, and make sure you’re open to feedback.

Observe how your employees work together

How do your employees interact with one another? Is there mutual respect and consideration going on between your agents? Sometimes it’s hard to get a sense of how your agents act when you’re not around, but be as observant as possible to gauge how well (or poorly) your employees treat each other.

Commit

Now that you know what tips to use, it’s important to keep using them. If your employees feel like you’re not committed to these techniques and ideas, they won’t feel the need to be, either.

Learn more about call center management in “A Fresh Look at Call Center Workforce Management.”

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