Compared to other businesses, contact centers face a unique set of challenges. The high-volume and often stressful environment can be difficult for employees, managers, and engineers alike and it’s easy for contact centers to fall victim to a predictable set of common problems.

1) High turnover
Many contact center agents feel under-appreciated, which can lead to burnout and resentment within the workforce. This is a difficult problem for managers as senior employees are experienced, valuable, and well-trained: traits that are difficult to find in newer employees. Additionally, when the costs of recruitment and training are taken into account, the hiring process quickly becomes time-consuming and expensive. 

To avoid this problem, contact centers need to do everything they can to encourage collaboration, communication, and comfort in the working environment. Raises and additional benefits can save companies money in the long run, as can the adoption of new software that makes agents’ jobs more streamlined and less stressful. While these things may require initial investments, they can go a long way toward saving companies time and resources throughout the years. 

2) Absenteeism
For an on-campus call center, absenteeism can be a huge complicating factor. When employees are missing, it places increased stress on other employees who are then forced to pick up the pace to handle the extra workload. 

Fortunately, there are technological fixes for this type of problem. Various forms of cloud-based software can make it possible for employees who are not on-campus to handle calls. Companies that choose to do so can also use this technology to outsource some of their call volume, thus expanding their employee base and reducing the logistical issues posed by absenteeism. 

3) Disinterest
When improperly managed, contact centers can quickly become mundane places that employees don’t find any excitement within. This leads to dismal outputs, low quality work, and customer dissatisfaction. Fortunately, companies can avoid these potential pitfalls by offering spaces for employee collaboration (digital chat rooms or “water coolers” are perfect for this) or incorporating training and educational platforms into the workday. 

This helps employees connect with the work while also making the work itself less mundane and stressful. While it seems like this is a move that is only focused on employees, multiple studies have shown that happier employees do better work and are an average of 12% more productive than their unhappy counterparts. Therefore, obliterating disinterest within your company can have a bolstering effect for both your employees and your business as a whole. 

4) Disorganization
The job of contact center managers and agents is difficult enough and it’s only made more difficult by disorganized systems and dozens of hard-to-navigate platforms. When contact center agents are forced to wade through a maze of confusing systems, it creates a stressful environment for the agent and a dissatisfactory environment for clients. 

In addition to promoting stress and contributing to feelings of detachment and dissatisfaction within employees in all sectors, disorganization also makes it difficult or impossible to access pertinent data, offer effective service, provide customer assistance, access records, or provide product replacements. 

Fortunately, companies can streamline disorganized systems by opting for cloud-based software that integrates and scales easily, so companies can allocate information and work in cohesive platforms. This helps companies provide better experiences for their customers and lessen the stress placed on agents. 

5) Technological difficulties
While many companies have turned to social media or other tech-based platforms to address and resolve customer concerns, many are committed to using only hotlines. As a result, these companies are not nearly as agile as their competitors and are thus unable to fully resolve queries and complaints before they become negative publicity. 

That said, companies who use modern technological platforms are better equipped to handle customer questions and provide outstanding service. Additionally, modern technological platforms like cloud software allow companies to scale their use, access information seamlessly and encourage collaboration between a variety of departments within the company. This, in turn, makes for a customer-focused contact center that is capable of adapting to a variety of systems and moving quickly enough to provide great service and produce happy customers. 

Conclusion

While contact centers face a unique set of challenges, most of these common challenges can be easily overcome by improving technological systems within the company. From reducing employee stress to producing a better and more satisfying customer experience, streamlining technological platforms can go a long way toward making the entire call center experience a more pleasant one for both employees and customers while also ensuring that the contact center is equipped to be competitive, agile, and intuitive in today’s changing markets. 

To learn more about how to navigate, avoid, and rectify the common problems contact centers face, contact SpiceCSM today!