4 Ways to Reduce Employee Turnover in Customer Service

By September 30, 2022 Managers

Employee turnover is a challenge in every industry but particularly the call center and customer service industry, which averages 30%-45% attrition yearly, nearly double the national average. Training a new employee can cost 30% or more of the annual salary for the role, and that doesn’t take into consideration the impact on productivity and morale in your organization when employees quit. 

Many contact center leaders cite employee turnover as their biggest pain point, a problem they grapple with every day and constantly try to solve. 

Before you can reduce employee turnover in customer service, you must first answer the question: 

Why Do Call Centers Have a High Employee Turnover?

Depending on the organization, the answer ranges from poor company culture to lack of feedback or training opportunities. Low pay, inflexible schedules, and toxic supervisors can also contribute to employees searching for other options.  

Some agents struggle with feelings of disconnection and isolation from their teams. In an industry where the focus is on the customer, it’s easy to forget that employees enjoy knowing how their work is connected to the larger mission of the organization. 

Looking for call center talent? As one of the top call center staffing agencies in Minnesota, The Vision Companies understand your business and can connect you with top talent to support your company’s mission. Employees who understand your values are more likely to make a positive impact and remain with your organization. Contact us today to add great people to your team. 

How Can Employers Reduce Turnover in Customer Service

Soliciting feedback about job satisfaction and how you can better meet workers’ needs is a great way to determine how to keep your employees satisfied and engaged with their work. Each organization and company culture is unique. However, some common threads run through the industry that can offer ideas for reducing employee turnover in customer service. 

Offer Remote Customer Service Work

The uncertainty of the past few years has inspired a desire for more flexible schedules for many workers, including call center agents. One way to meet workers’ needs for flexibility is by offering remote work options. By working from home or another convenient location, workers enjoy more work-life balance, avoid time spent commuting, and report higher productivity.  

However, if you’re thinking about offering remote work options, make sure your technology is up to the challenge. Workers must be equipped to do their jobs and supported through their technical challenges. You don’t want to solve one retention problem and create another! 

Improve Call Center Recruiting Efforts

One way to reduce employee turnover is to make sure you’re hiring the right people in the first place. Consider these factors to improve your call center recruiting results: 

  • Cultural fit. Look beyond skills and experience to identify whether candidates are a fit for your culture. Do they have the right personality for the kind of service they will be delivering? For example, handling customer complaints requires a different personality than making cold calls to sell a product.  
  • Job expectations. Do your job posts accurately describe your company culture and the jobs you want to fill? A mismatch of expectations can lead to high attrition.  
  • Employee benefits. Make sure candidates know what’s in it for them. List the benefits of working for your company in the job post, and be sure to highlight what makes you a great employer in interviews. 

Create an Employee Recognition & Rewards Program

A little appreciation goes a long way, especially in the hectic world of customer service. Recognizing employees for their efforts and achievements can motivate them to continue working hard and increase their job satisfaction. Here are a few ideas for making your employees feel valued and appreciated: 

  • Say thanks. A verbal or written acknowledgment of appreciation will show employees their work is valued. 
  • Create a gratitude channel. If your organization has an internal communication channel, create a dedicated thread calling out employees for their outstanding work. A public thank you will boost their feelings of accomplishment. 
  • Nominate an employee of the week. Recognizing exceptional employees with special perks, such as free coffee, preferred parking, or more, will let them know their hard work is noticed—and create an incentive for other team members to excel. 
  • Celebrate achievements. Reward employees for doing an exceptional job by giving them a small gift card, paid time off, or influence over their schedule. Small tokens of appreciation can increase job satisfaction and retention. 

Provide Clear Advancement Opportunities for Customer Service Agents

A big reason employees leave companies is that they don’t see a path to advancement. Talk to your agents one-on-one. Learning what they value in their job gives you the chance to meet their needs and keep them happily working at the company. Worried about losing top talent to another team? Encourage other managers to have the same discussions with their employees. Cross-training and promoting internally may mean a loss short-term loss for your team, but it’s a long-term gain for your company and your employees. 

Reduce Employee Turnover with a Call Center Staffing Agency

Partnering with a staffing agency can help you find qualified talent that positively impacts your company culture—and remains with your organization longer. 

Hire Qualified Customer Service Agents Faster

Gain access to candidates who are a great fit for your roles. Posting jobs, reviewing resumes, and interviewing candidates is time-consuming. A customer service temp agency will have top candidates ready to work for you, allowing you to spend more time on your core business tasks. 

Reduce Hiring Costs with a Customer Service Temp Agency

Save on labor costs by flexing your workforce to meet demand. A customer service staffing company will skill test, interview, and screen candidates, only recommending the best ones for your jobs. You’ll fill roles faster with less risk of a costly bad hire. The staffing firm will handle the details of vetting and onboarding, and if a candidate doesn’t fit your team, they’ll replace them. 

Improve Customer Service KPIs

Partnering with a customer service staffing company allows you the opportunity to improve your customer service KPIs by hiring talent that is an excellent fit for your brand. Once you identify factors that will help you reach your performance goals, your staffing partner will deliver results. Candidates who are a great fit for your company and brand will provide better experiences for your customers, contributing to the growth and profitability of your organization. 

Reduce Employee Turnover with Minnesota’s Top Customer Service Staffing Agency

Looking to hire hardworking, qualified talent that will love working for your company? As one of the leading call center staffing agencies in Minnesota, we understand your business challenges and can deliver customer service talent to help you reach your goals. We get to know the skills, interests, and experience of every employee so that we can match you with candidates who will succeed in your roles. Contact The Vision Companies to find your next top-performing customer service agent.

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