3CLogic's Contact Center Blog

Agent retention has long been a challenge for contact centers. With annual turnover rates well above those in other industries, the issue is hard to ignore. In fact, a recent ICMI survey shows the average contact center’s agent turnover rate was 58% year over year. When you factor in the associated costs, such as expenses related to recruiting and onboarding new agents, the issue of high employee turnover becomes downright painful.   

Not convinced? Consider the additional effect on employee morale, the ongoing loss in intellectual property, and the long-term implications for the customer experience — the costs can grow far beyond immediate operational expenses. 

So why is high employee turnover so common among contact centers?  There are a number of reasons. According to a report from research-driven AI company ASAPP, the primary reasons for contact center attrition are:

• Inadequate training
• Low-quality feedback from supervisors
• Metric standards that don’t make sense
• Technology that isn’t up to par
• Rude or aggressive customers

Regardless of whether you’re just getting started or representing a large enterprise, employee turnover is nothing to ignore. Follow the strategies below to improve employee retention in your contact center. 

For business leaders and IT professionals looking to drive forward their organization’s digital transformation, ServiceNow’s annual Now at Work conference is a must-attend event. Whether in-person or digital, Now At Work is a great way to connect with others in the ServiceNow industry and is a prime opportunity to learn how to improve your processes and drive results. 

Today’s customers don’t just want tailored experiences, they expect them. This is even truer when they reach out to contact centers to receive support for an issue. Customers crave one-on-one interactions with agents who are empathetic to their frustrations and able to provide useful solutions.

When a customer reaches out to a contact center for help, the last thing they want to face is an agent who comes across as detached. Fortunately, enterprise organizations are realizing the importance of changing this narrative and empowering their agents to deliver more positive and intimate customer experiences. 

When it comes to interacting with the public sector, citizens have high expectations. After all, agencies at the state, local, and federal levels are responsible for addressing their constituents’ needs. Unfortunately, people who reach out to the government to resolve their issues typically find the experience negative at best.

Data shows that an astonishing 80% of federal agencies score in the lowest two categories of customer experience (poor or very poor), according to Forrester. Those at the local and state level are in a similar situation.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Digital solutions can vastly improve citizen services. The time to change has arrived – government agencies need to start embracing their digital transformation sooner rather than later.