Call Center work can be very difficult and keeping agents motivated and empowered is an uphill battle, but positive call center psychology can help build an environment that nurtures agents and benefits customers. Try these five theories to improve your call center psychology.
Primin
A way of establishing a positive mindset before carrying out an action, priming allows an agent to change the focus from their needs to how they want the customer to feel about the interaction, which puts the focus on how they can help the customer best.
Call Center Psychology Autonomy
Whereas most call center psychology focuses on strict rules and scripts that control everything an agent does, those in a more autonomous environment – one that gives them the authority to solve problems and give them control of the call from beginning to end – feel more responsibility for the experience of their customers and show more workplace satisfaction.
Dunning Kruger Effect
This theory says the less skill a person has, the more they will overestimate their ability. This call center psychology manifests when agents think that their skill level is the highest they can go and never push themselves to improve their skills. Creating an environment where learning is rewarded and the benefits of improvement are seen makes agents who are always looking for ways to improve their own performance.
Directed Attention Fatigue
A call center agent’s main focus is the call, but with all of the different things they need to do for that call, their focus is taxed. This can cause the brain to become exhausted. While rest is the only way to alleviate this exhaustion, break rooms and zen rooms can help counteract the effects.
Selective Attention
The repetition of call center work is probably the biggest problem pertaining to call center psychology, as the agent’s brain looks for patterns in a call. Once a pattern is seen, they tend to stop listening to the customer, which can cause problems. Priming the agents can help combat this tendency and improve customer relations.
