Working in a contact center can be a challenging experience, with that challenge being driven by both internal and external factors. Industry sources place typical annual agent turnover rates at anywhere between 30% and 45%, according to estimates from the Society of Workforce Planning Professionals, with former agents citing angry customers, poor management, high call volumes, lack of career development, and outdated systems as key reasons for leaving. Despite these frustrations, organizations continue to leverage contact centers as an integral element of their sales, customer service, and support strategy.

Frustrated agents are often unhappy agents, and companies that consistently deploy them to serve as the human faces of a company is a recipe for lackluster or negative customer experience (CX). Unhappy agents are generally less engaged employees, less likely to take the most appropriate action to satisfy customers, and unlikely to demonstrate empathy with their customers’ situations. Perhaps most problematic, because they are unhappy, the agents might focus on taking actions that make their own lives easier rather than focusing on eliminating friction and frustration for the customer. This approach, in turn, negatively affects customer satisfaction, retention, loyalty, and spend.