AGENT EXPERIENCE
BY JOYCE ODIDISON, INTERPERSONAL WELLNESS SERVICES INC.
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
BULLYING, BURNOUT, AND INTERPERSONAL BREAKDOWNS WHY AND HOW THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
Contact centers are uniquely vulnerable to bullying and harassment, a critical set of issues which this article will explore. The consequences are clearly seen in the rates of contact agent burnout and turnover, which increase recruitment and training costs.
• Up to 59 % of contact center agents are at risk of burnout, driven by sustained workload, emotional demands, and minimal recovery time, according to Convoso ' s 2023 industry analysis, sourcing work by Jeff Toister.
• Industry research from Insignia Resource indicates that contact centers consistently report some of the highest turnover rates of any industry, ranging between 30 %– 45 %.
Unchecked bullying and harassment drive other predictable organizational expenses. These include:
• Rising absenteeism, sick leave, and disability claims.
• Increasing mental health accommodations and workers ' compensation claims.
• Declining customer experience( CX)-related scores and brand reputation damage.
• Legal liability and settlement costs.
Employees rarely leave because the work is hard. They leave because the environment feels unsafe.
This article will then look at ways to reduce or eliminate agent bullying, burnout, and interpersonal breakdowns. 26 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE