8 Steps to Effectively Coaching Call Center Agents

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Coaching call center agents is an essential managerial task that is crucial to cultivating an effective team. Optimizing coaching efforts requires dedicated managerial effort, consistency, and the right knowledge.

Use these 8 tips to coaching call center agents to ensure that your team is delivering the best service possible to your customers.

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1. Steps to Effectively Coaching
Call Center Agents
8

2. Coaching call center agents is an essential managerial task
that is crucial to cultivating an effective team. Optimizing
coaching efforts requires dedicated managerial effort,
consistency, and the right knowledge.
Use these 8 steps to coaching call center agents to ensure
that your team is delivering the best service possible
to your customers.

3. #1
Prepare for coaching
sessions

4. This involves:
•Setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and
Time-bound)
•Developing a solid coaching framework
•Calibrating your approach to coaching with other managers
•Including the executive team on your strategy
•Informing agents about what they can expect and how they can
prepare for the coaching sessions
#1 Prepare for coaching sessions

5. #2
Identify performance trends
based on call type

6. Knowing that your agent’s performance is “average overall” is not as
helpful as knowing they excel with returns and struggle with more
technologically advanced customer service calls. Break down your
analysis of agent performance based on call type (e.g., customer service,
outbound sales, inbound sales, returns, refunds, etc.) or, for a more
probing analysis, using disposition codes (e.g., bug, lost shipment,
warranty, order inquiry, etc.). Analyzing this information will provide you
with a more comprehensive understanding of performance trends, so
that you can provide more targeted coaching.
#2 Identify performance trends based on call type

7. #3
Detect performance issues
based on live observations
and monitoring

8. There is no better way to identify strengths and weaknesses than to
observe agents interact with customers. Listen in on live calls to identify
any performance issues (e.g., sub-par communication skills, difficulties
adhering to the script, failure to adhere to company policy and
procedures, problems processing specific transactions, etc.). Leverage
call center software that allows you to listen in on live calls without the
agent or caller knowing so that you can assess the agent’s performance,
without his/her anxiety getting the best of them.
#3 Detect performance issues based on in vivo observations and monitoring

9. You should also observe agents at their desk so that you can identify
when work habits or time management issues are contributing to
decrements in performance. Using the qualitative data that you compiled
from these observations, you can gain a more comprehensive
understanding of performance strengths and weaknesses and enrich the
feedback you provide your agents.
#3 Detect performance issues based on in vivo observations and monitoring

10. #4
Evaluate a few calls to
obtain more reliable data

11. When evaluating recorded and live calls, it is ideal to analyze a few calls
rather than just digging deep into one call. This will ensure that you are
analyzing a more representative sample of the agent’s performance and
thus will offer more reliable data. Evaluating a few calls will allow you to
identify trends across calls, pinpoint consistent issues and dig up huge
red-flags. This will allow you to be confident that your data is more
indicative of true performance issues so you can provide more informed
advice to your agents.
#4 Evaluate a few calls to obtain more reliable data

12. #5
Allow your customers
to do the coaching

13. Sometimes there is nothing more impactful than providing feedback
from the customer’s perspective. During your coaching sessions provide
data compiled from post-call surveys and quotes from customer
satisfaction surveys, customer emails and/or call recordings. Make sure
you include positive feedback as well as constructive criticism. Doing
so will allow your agents to learn from the people that matter most:
the customers.
#5 Allow your customers to do the coaching

14. #6
Provide effective feedback

15. As a coach, providing effective feedback is of utmost importance.
Make sure that when you provide feedback, it is:
•Specific – tie your feedback to a specific performance issue
•Data-driven – make sure your feedback is based on quantitative
(i.e., metrics) and qualitative (i.e., quotes from call recordings,
customer feedback, etc.) data
•Timely – provide feedback as close to the event you are referencing
as possible
•Tied to an action plan – make sure your agent knows exactly how
to improve their performance
#6 Provide e!ective feedback

16. Providing effective feedback will go a long way to ensuring that the
agent understands what is expected of them and is motivated to
increase their performance.
#6 Provide e!ective feedback

17. #7
Develop targeted action plans

18. After providing feedback, collaborate with the agent to develop an action
plan. This may include requiring that the agent receive more intensive
coaching, complete e-learning modules, read training materials, work with
a peer mentor, review additional call recordings to pinpoint areas for
improvement, and/or revisit the issue during the next coaching session.
#7 Develop targeted action plans

19. In order to be effective, action plans should include the following:
•A specific, measurable goal (i.e., complete e-learning module on call etiquette)
•Start date and time to completion (i.e., start tomorrow and complete it
before the end of the work day on Friday October 23, 2014)
•Duration of time allotted to achieve goal (i.e., two hours to complete module)
•When they can work (i.e., 4-5pm)
•Who they can work with (i.e., shadow Jamie, customer support agent)
•Identify any anticipated roadblocks to achieving their goals and engage
in preemptive troubleshooting
#7 Develop targeted action plans

20. Ensuring that your agents have a comprehensive understanding of how
they should improve is essential to enhancing their performance.
#7 Develop targeted action plans

21. #8
Follow up with the agent before
the due date on the action plan

22. Before agents are scheduled to complete the suggested changes,
monitor their performance and check in with them. During this check-in
session, make sure they are on the right track and ask if they have any
questions. This will enhance the likelihood that they will successfully
make the suggested changes in the allotted timeframe.
#8 Follow up with the agent before the due date on the action plan

23. Providing your agents with great coaching is an important step in
providing your customers with superior customer service. But the first
step is giving your agents an easy to use call center solution.
Find out why agents love using Talkdesk’s cloud-based
call center software.
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