Prioritizing Your Call Center Retention
Employee turnover is a major problem. With industry rates between 35-40%, learn why agents leave and discover 12 proven strategies to improve retention.
What Is Call Center Retention?
Call center retention refers to the percentage of employees that remain with the company. By focusing on retention, site managers ensure they always have enough agents to handle incoming and outgoing interactions.
Having good employee retention rates is a huge challenge. Statistics suggest turnover rates in the call center industry range between 35% and 40%. Even call centers on the lower spectrum lose more than a third of their workforce in any given year.
At Autopilot Reviews, we specialize in helping call centers collect feedback from customers and send reviews to agents right away. Our team is familiar with the elements that influence agents' decisions to resign and understands how high turnover rates impact site performance.
The Importance of Monitoring Your Call Center Retention
Maintaining chemistry in the workplace is crucial, but high turnover creates issues far greater than continuity and camaraderie.
Higher Costs
Lower revenue from fewer calls handled plus tens of thousands in recruitment and training expenses for each new class.
Agent Burnout
Understaffed sites eliminate breaks between calls, dramatically increasing pressure and burnout cases.
Frustrated Customers
Longer hold times and more mistakes from new agents lead to bad reviews and damaged reputation.
Limited Growth
Poor performance metrics prevent clients from opening new departments and reduce growth opportunities.
Low Salaries
Underperforming sites receive fewer resources from clients, limiting bonuses and competitive wages.
Higher Client Costs
Rising costs force companies to switch providers, creating a vicious cycle of quality decline.
The Client Impact
Call centers have agreements with clients to handle specific call volumes. Missing quotas represents losses for clients in the form of disgruntled customers or lower sales. Sites can be penalized and fined, while training investments are lost when agents leave before providing adequate ROI.
The Biggest Reasons Why Call Center Employees Leave
All sites are unique. You need to evaluate your specific call center's circumstances to figure out what elements are pushing agents to leave voluntarily.
Repetitive or Difficult Work
Work is repetitive by nature. When agents find jobs unbearably difficult, it signals inadequate training programs and tools.
Lack of Recognition
30% of voluntary departures are top performers vs. 15% low performers. High achievers expect fair rewards.
Poor Call Center Culture
Sites without strong culture have high turnover because employees don't feel committed or see value in staying.
Low Employee Satisfaction
Salaries, recognition, work difficulty, facilities, incentives, and manager relationships all influence satisfaction.
Limited Growth & Low Pay
Agents evaluate alternatives and choose call centers with better remuneration packages and career paths.
The Key Insight
While there are many effective call center retention strategies, remember that all sites are unique. Besides the accounts being handled, call centers vary in location, size, agent skill level, and call types. Evaluate your specific circumstances to determine what's pushing agents to leave.
12 Strategies to Prioritize Your Call Center Retention
Accept that retention rates across the industry are high — there will always be some turnover. Low retention is a multi-faceted problem requiring multiple techniques.
Calculate Your Retention Rate
Divide agents lost per year by total agents at year start, multiply by 100. Track quarterly or monthly for seasonal insights.
Set Clear Retention Objectives
Beyond keeping agents, set goals like revamping recruiting/training and achieving strong performance metrics to boost retention budgets.
Ask Right Questions in Recruiting
Ask direct and indirect questions about long-term plans, professional growth, and education to reduce early departures.
Instill Strong Culture During Training
Culture comes from the top. Conduct yourself professionally, set up transparent workflows, and help agents succeed.
Offer Competitive Salary & Benefits
Restructure teams and cut expenses in other areas to boost salaries and give your team initial motivation to exceed expectations.
Furnish Right Tools
Provide ergonomic seating, specialized headsets, and comfort tools. Agents notice these perks and show appreciation through energy.
Train Management to Notice Disengagement
Train managers to identify early signs of disconformity and address them before agents decide to leave.
Invest in Agent Well-Being
Mental health struggles are common. Create a separate budget for agent well-being and help employees maintain good mental health.
Motivate & Show Gratitude
Hold friendly competitions with attractive prizes. Celebrate local festivities and create education programs employees benefit from.
Provide Effective Performance Feedback
Ensure feedback is constructive and functional. Autopilot Reviews collects customer reviews immediately and sends them to agents in real-time.
Give Agents Chance to Grow
Create programs for agents to become mentors, team leaders, trainers, or join management in other positions.
Hold Exit Interviews
Ask departing agents directly why they're leaving. Conduct surveys or HR interviews to collect valuable insights.
Instill a Strong Call Center Culture During Training
It's difficult for a poor-performing call center to build a strong culture, but it's not impossible.
Culture comes from the top and trickles down to management and frontline employees
Conduct yourself professionally and set up transparent workflows
Help agents succeed and you'll positively influence team behavior
Want to Collect More Effective Feedback?
Setting up your agents for success and providing all the information they need to grow professionally are among the best ways to reduce turnover. You need innovative tools that let you act on information immediately.