Want to Deliver Great CX? Do Some Inner Reflection

The more time, commitment, and caring you invest in someone or something, the more goodness you’re likely to get in return. That tends to be true whether you’re talking about a business, a canine, a child, or an employee.

That’s a strange grouping, I know. But you get the idea.

It’s easy to see how commitment to a business is a good investment. Most people who have dogs love dogs, so we don’t need to press that argument. And we can probably all agree that most well adjusted children are the product of a combination of good nature and nurture.

But sometimes it’s easy to forget that for organizations to get the best from their employees they need to invest time, commitment, and caring in those individuals as well. And when employees don’t perform ideally, it’s easy for businesses to attribute that to a poor work ethic or some other factor unrelated to the business.

While that may well be the case, it isn’t always. So organizations should do their best to vet, train, and generally support employees. And when employees fall short of expectations, businesses should consider how the work environment may have played a role in that outcome.

If a contact center agent gets frustrated or is less than calm and helpful with a caller, is it because that individual is simply unprofessional? Is that person just having a bad day? Or is this frustration that translates into less than ideal customer experiences a symptom of something going on in the contact center itself?

For example, scheduling too few agents can make workers feel overwhelmed, possibly leading to frustration and poor customer service. Having managers who are overbearing or disengaged can also create a drain on customer service employees and, thus, CX. Even something as seemingly small as having to sit on an uncomfortable chair or work in a colorless, windowless office can drive down worker morale and productivity.

So if your organization wants to improve productivity and customer outcomes, begin the process by thinking about how you can reasonably make life better for your employees. Use forecasting and advanced scheduling tools so you have the right number of people in place at the right time. Have managers check in with employees with a friendly hello and to offer helpful guidance when needed. And do what you can to make the physical contact center space more welcoming.

Edited by Maurice Nagle

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