The struggle to maintain a work-life balance is real and many individuals fail to maintain it, which eventually leads to burnout. Burnout  results from chronic workplace stress which has not been properly managed. Burnout makes an individual feel exhausted, distracted, or negative about their job while  altogether decreasing  work productivity and efficiency.

Call centers around the world report a  maximum number of agent burnout cases With call centers main focus being on agent performance, there can be a high turnover.  An agent needs to be emotionally balanced all  times in order to deliver a good customer experience. This is an issue that cannot be ignored. Agent burnout can have a major impact on a company’s production and effectiveness.

There is no simple cure for agent burnout but below are a few ways that, when working together, can keep our teams healthy and happy.

• Open Communication: Senior management should emphasize open communication between supervisors and agents. The environment in the office should be built so that everyone is free to  open up about  their problems or suggestions.
• Retrospective Meetings:  Supervisor should schedule a meeting with each of their team members, at least once a week. The agenda of the meeting should be to identify areas of frustration or concern  agents are experiencing and discuss ways to find solutions together and resolve those issues.
• Fun Activities: Frequently plan fun activities where agents can interact with each other outside of work. Everyone  needs a  break from work to relax, right? Getting together outside of work can build rapport and help agents feel connected to their workplace,  increasing  the overall work efficiency of your team.
• Rewards And Recognition: Agents should be rewarded and recognized , when performing  extraordinarily at work or achieving  more  targets than were assigned. Rewarding agents  makes them feel appreciated and  enthusiastic to continue performing well at work while also setting new goals for improvement and growth. 
• Improve Training: Agent training should consist of both personal and professional development. If an  agent is trained on how to manage tough situations and maintain their composure  during a  crisis, agent  burnout  can be avoided. 
• Trust the Signs: Supervisors should personally speak with agents which show negativity with no motivation and are low performing in their tasks. Communication is  key to success. Pay attention and take action when an agent is slipping, as most of issues can be resolved by  properly communicating to find out what is wrong and ways to find solutions, together.

As the world keeps changing and demands become more challenging,  call center managers should set realistic expectations on performance by their  agents. Reducing the overall stress of agents increases their productivity. Take care of your agents and your agents will take care of your customer support!