A new report shows abuse of customer centre staff is on the rise and has reached unprecedented levels.
The report by Customer Contact Network New Zealand (CCNNZ), a group that represents contact centre professionals, posits this could be due to several factors, including companies’ laying-off employees post-COVID to trim costs.
This translates into longer wait times, and to make matters worse, there was a large increase in call volumes last year.
CCNNZ CEO Elias Kanaris said "We are asking more and more of a few" - and he had a warning for Kiwis.
"If Kiwis want a future that is completely dominated by bots, they're doing a good job of getting there," Kanaris said.
"Imagine being stranded at an airport and having to rely on a bot to solve your problem--it will likely be a long and lonely ordeal.
"Just because the operator is faceless doesn't mean you can treat them like a non-entity."
Kanaris says many managers are introducing tougher key performance indicators (KPIs), which means staff may be expected to solve a certain number of customer complaints/enquires in a specific time frame. Kanaris says this can make callers feel less valued.
"You can imagine how a caller feels after waiting an hour to be heard and then it seems like the contact centre operator is in a hurry to move them on.
"It really is a rock and a hard place."
Kanaris offered the following tips for both staff and callers to help avoid tense situations:
1. Decompress
Staff should take short breaks between difficult calls, to help decompress.
"Take 30 seconds or a minute to stand up, walk, breathe. This will help you reset for the next contact."
2. Be civil
Callers need to be patient; staff are doing all they can to resolve issues. Remember delayed help is better than no help.
3. Balance what's expected, with the needs of staff
Even though employers might be under immense pressure to deliver KPIs, be short-staffed, or dealing with staff turnover, it's important to remember to keep employee's needs in mind.
"Call-back technology is one solution and is widely used, but the problem is that that many Kiwis don't trust the call-back feature and don't want to give up their place in the queue."
Lastly, Kanaris called for greater compensation, recruitment, training, and more focus on the mental health of call centre staff.
