The role of supervisor in a contact center is a challenging but, if done right, a very rewarding position. For many agents, becoming a supervisor is the next step in their career. In fact, our data indicates that 80% of contact center supervisors started as an agent. Becoming a supervisor is also an excellent intermediary step to becoming a manager, as many of the skills a manager needs overlap with the skills a supervisor needs. So what exactly are the skills needed to be a successful supervisor?

In this article, we'll explore the 7 skills acquired by a successful contact center supervisor.

When googling which training delivery method is better, e-learning or class-room delivery, you'll find that there's a hot debate about which of the two is most effective. The advocates of class-room training will say that putting learners into a room where they can interact with each other and the instructor is the better form of delivery. And the advocates of e-learning will say self-paced learning with engaging and interactive new technologies is more effective. And you know what? They're both right. That is because the answer to this question is: it depends. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question (bummer!). The end.

Workforce management in contact centers, with the aim of creating the best possible fit between the forecasted workload and the amount of employees scheduled, is constantly changing. With the advent of new support channels, the consequential shift in workload between channels, technological innovation and and a new generation at work, staffing departments need to constantly adjust to these new realities.

This constant change poses the question; where does the art of WFM stand in 2019? This question has occupied our sister company, injixo, for a while and they have undertaken thorough research to answer that exact question. With their support we are happy to be able to share some of the key findings from their research in this blog post.

Foundational QA techniques that stood the test of time

The contact center industry is constantly evolving by supporting new channels and implementing the newest contact center technology. Also in the world of quality assurance there are always new challenges that arise that need to be handled. Over the years, however, we have learned that regardless of trends or innovative developments, there will always be timeless best practices that can make any quality monitoring program a success.

In this blog post we'll share 6 foundational quality assurance best practices that are just as relevant today as they were a decade ago.

High agent turnover is a problem shared across the contact center space. On average, attrition rates in contact centers are between 30-50%. In extreme cases, centers experience more than 100% attrition. In comparison to all other industries, this is exceptionally high where the national average hovers around just 15%.

As you are probably aware, this is a very expensive problem. When considering recruiting, hiring, and training, research by the Everest Group indicates an estimated direct cost to contact centers between $3,100 and $5,100, to replace a single lost employee. What’s more, is that because of a temporary drop in productivity, companies miss out on revenue, which is estimated at an additional $2,000 - $3,000 per lost employee.

And How to Prepare Agents for the Job

The days of the call center, a center where service to customers over the phone alone is handled, is long gone. In the early 2000s centers slowly started expanding the number of channels and started calling themselves contact centers. This trend continued and the number of channels continued to grow, turning contact centers into multi-channel centers where customers can choose to get in touch with companies using the channel of their preference.

How one agent can make a substantial difference

Research has shown that the main reason customers choose not to return is not because of pricing or product issues. Most customers don't return due to poor service. Your frontline agents can make all the difference. They can give every single customer a reason to return.

Sound like a lot of power? Well, it is.

Let's waste no time. The ultimate success and lasting sustainability of any contact center relies heavily on effective workforce planning and management.

Here at The Call Center School, our core focus and passion has, and will always be, developing first-class, engaging content that every cog of the contact center can enjoy daily and benefit from. From Quality Analysts, to Supervisors, to the frontline agents assisting your customers this very second, we leave no stone unturned in delivering the best learning experience we possibly can.

The Trusted T.A.C.O.S. Model for Contact Center Trainers.

The lasting reputation and ultimate sustainability of any organization rests heavily on the shared efforts of every agent on the call floor. If half-hearted, unfocused efforts are the peak of the customer care on offer, contact centers and the organizations financially supporting their existence can, and have, crumbled overnight.