People are becoming more stressed nowadays regarding the war, weather alerts and fluctuating economy. They also tend to bring that stress to work and adding the stress to their everyday responsibilities. In call center, we’re going to need management’s attention because stress control is a leadership responsibility.
In call center, you can’t get high level of productivity with high level of absenteeism. Here are some ways to overcome the stress in the call center:
Call center agents need to communicate with the boss to assure them that things will turn out okay. Spend time to understand your employees’ concerns. Ask for their observations on recent events. Find out what they think about upcoming changes. Ask for their advice; they'll admire you for demonstrating your trust. Simple remarks showing your confidence in workers can make a big difference.
Try to offer additional breaks to relieve mental and physical fatigue. Often, improved productivity will more than pay for the unstructured breaks that over-stressed agents will take on their own. Find out what's needed to help employees get more rest at home. Bring in experts to teach the importance of rest and relaxation. Look at your overtime schedule; the extra work might be taking its toll in absenteeism, illness, accidents, and attitudes.
You have to influence your callcenter people eat by getting experts who will teach them the importance of proper nutrition. Make sure nutritious snacks are available alongside the junk food in vending machines. Provide healthy snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon when energy levels begin to fade. The investment can pay off in better performance.
Provide a scheduled break to get cleaned up before lunch or after a hard day can pay off in a big way. In some instances, some call centre employees do not have running water at home, even hot water or washing machines. Make these things available for your call center employees if possible. One-time arrangements can go a long way in helping stressed callcenter employees get their emotions under control and get their productivity up where it belongs.
Every call centre employee benefits from a chance to tell about what went on. Let them discuss things about their activities in routine meetings. Scheduling time to talk about what happened can relieve their stress. Team discussions after sales call can help stressed workers understand the results and focus on what needs to be done. In times of stress, some callcenter agents need to talk what happened to others around them. Call centermanagers can handle day-to-day conversations while experts are available to address major stressors.
Help you call center employees to see that they can perform well, that management recognizes their efforts and that life goes on. Emphasize their small accomplishments. Find reasons to reward each person for their achievements.
It may happen that the call center employees return to their jobs after a short rest, a hot shower, a chat with their supervisor, and a warm meal. Most of the time, they can continue in their jobs if you pay attention to their basic needs.
Watch for high stress periods in your business cycle and schedule time to work on these six steps. You'll improve productivity and the workplace environment by taking care of your call center employees. Your investment of time and money will be rewarded in better performance and lower costs.
Work with your human resource experts to assist those who are beyond your own ability. Let the professionals take care of severe cases while you take care of your other employees and get the work done.
You have to identify those call center agents who are suffering from stress and you have to know things to help them. Evaluate your call center employees’ problems with an eye toward stress control. Take these tips and apply them to your staff to see an improvement in stress management.
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