1. Bad fit for the job.
Don’t settle. Hire agents that have the right blend of personality and skills. (Stop Hiring “Nice” Service Reps: Hire agents who deliver a low-effort customer experience.)
2. Rushing to hire.
Recruiting the best agents takes time. Training takes time. Short cut either one and it will will cost you in the long run.
3. Training curriculum doesn’t reflect reality.
Imagine how newbies feel when they complete training and finally settle into their team only to have a seasoned tell them, “Forget what you learned in training — here’s how we really do it.”
4. Giving weak agents a pass.
Just because your new agents went through training, doesn’t mean they know what they are supposed to know. Test new hires at every stage. Do not pass them on until they meet your standards.
5. Supervisors don’t speak up.
Tired of babysitting new hires and teaching them skills they should have learned in the classroom? Organize an effort to align training with your expectations.
6. Lack of soft skills training.
In an effort to get agents productive quickly, new hires are taught to navigate the system and do transactions, but don’t get the soft skills training they need to be successful long-term. (Check out a new way to deliver soft skills training — short, engaging micro-learning videos. Contact me for a preview.)
Content retrieved from: http://barbaraburke.com/top-six-reasons-new-agents-fail-what-you-can-do-about-it/.
Jim Rembach is the Editor in Chief of the Customer Service Weekly and it’s Podcast host. He is President of CX Global Media and the creator of the Call Center Coach Virtual Leaders Academy. As the host of the Fast Leader Show Podcast, he has interviewed hundreds of experts, authors, academics, researchers, and practitioners on various angles, viewpoints, and perspectives for improving the customer experience. He has held positions in retail operations, contact centers, customer support, customer success, sales, and measured the customer experience. He is a certified Emotional Intelligence practitioner, Employee Retention Specialist, and recipient of numerous industry awards.