Coaching Employees in the Contact Center 101

Coaching is essential in every contact center. But effective coaching will depend on your organizational culture, employees, clients, and more. 

Quality coaching and active monitoring greatly improves performance and helps us see where we can grow our skills. It’s easy to take someone’s advice as criticism and not as a valid critique, but in this business, it’s nothing personal and has everything to do with simply making the company better.

Whether you’re coaching an associate or you’re the person being coached, there are a few things you should know about coaching at a contact center. 

For associates

• No one is out to get you. The first time someone coaches you on your performance, you might anticipate nothing but negative feedback. Callcentrehelper.com states “Monitoring that is collaborative rather than prescriptive, inclusive rather than authoritarian, is likely to lead to more acceptance and co-operation.” Remember that your coach isn’t there to judge you, but to help you. A good session will include positive feedback as well as constructive tips. 
• Do a self-assessment. The best way to truly understand your performance is to hear it yourself. GCS associates have the ability to listen to their own calls to find areas for improvement. 
• Know what’s expected of you. If you’re an associate, you should know what is expected of you in your role at GCS. This will help you make the most out of your coaching session and grow as a professional. 

For coaches or managers

• It’s all about the little things. A small mistake here, a wrong word there—those tiny decisions can become habitual problems. When coaching, make sure you pay attention to the details to ensure the associate is on the right path.
• Quality sessions are key. It doesn’t do any good to offer vague suggestions for improvement. For someone to truly benefit from coaching, they need detailed, quality feedback. Always give associates specific, actionable feedback.
• Coaching should be frequent. Associates should receive some type of feedback every day.
• Share your expectations. If you’re coaching, make sure the associate understands what you’re looking for and what their goals are.
• Sit eye-to-eye. Nothing is more intimidating than someone hovering over you while you work. Make sure you’re sitting at eye level with the associate while you give your feedback. 
• Make use of the information you gather. You can uncover precious gems of information while monitoring calls— this includes best practices, phrases to avoid, scripting changes, tips, and tricks, etc. Share this information with others so you can facilitate learning beyond this feedback session.

Conclusion

Effective coaching improves morale, boosts retention, and increases employee value over time. However, both the coach and coachee have to approach coaching with honesty and openness for the best possible outcomes. Follow these tips to get the most value out of your coaching. 

But we know that internal coaching can only take you so far. When you need to get bigger results from your contact efforts, rely on GCS’s professional team.