Evaluation Factors for Call Center Agent Performance

Call center agents are trained for many reasons. Being able to see problems or issues the way clients perceive them is one goal of a call center agent. This establishes clearer, more effective communication between the agent and the client. Another purpose for training agents is to familiarize them with a system of quick and efficient customer handling. However, some factors make it hard for agents to resolve the problems presented by customers. Factors such as the customer’s attitude or a technical malfunction can negatively affect an agent’s resolution skills. No matter how efficient a representative is, he or she would not be able to do anything about a problem that is beyond his or her grasp. Many people don’t know that being a call center agent isn’t all about speaking English fluently. It takes more than communication proficiency to do well in the industry. Agents wouldn’t be so stressed about their jobs if all it took to excel was a handle on the English language. Besides speaking skills, there are a lot of factors considered during the evaluation of a call center agent’s performance. At some companies, agents are evaluated according to a standard grading system, which is composed of the following factors: Handling time Agents are often evaluated based on how quickly they can resolve customer issues. The quicker call center agents solve the issue, the better their ratings are. Obviously, a telemarketing company would earn more when calls are handled faster, because more customers are being addressed. Callback rate This particular criterion refers to the rate at which the same customers call the company again, as a result of different reasons. One of the most common reasons why customers have to make multiple calls to the company is the unsatisfactory assistance they received from the call center agents they talk to. Customer feedback Agents are rated according to this criterion through a survey. The survey helps determine a call center agent’s ability to satisfy a customer’s needs. Clients are given online forms where they can state their comments and suggestions on the performance of the agent they talked to. Clients can also use these forms to suggest points of improvement for the product or service they’re having problems with.