Voice of the Customer - Agent STAR Coaching Approach

VoC Agent STAR Coaching Approach

Now that we have established how much time to spend in the coaching process let's look closely at the VoC agent STAR coaching approach. The STAR approach is a simple and easy to remember guide to follow during the coaching process and will help ensure the highest value for both single call coaching and monthly coaching:

Survey feedback review of results before talking with an agent

Talk with your agent about the survey ratings and feedback

Acknowledge agent performance

Remedy steps to improve agent performance

Survey Feedback Review of Results Before Talking with an Agent

​Before every single call and monthly coaching session, the agent and the supervisor must review the survey ratings and customer feedback. The VoC agent STAR coaching approach "Survey" review step requires that the agent and supervisor accept the customer feedback as one of the essential aspects of the coaching session, even if it conflicts with what a supervisor or QA evaluator thinks makes a "good call."     

​Two examples illustrate how fundamental this shift in thinking is:

Example 1 - The customer is very satisfied, yet, the voice tone of the agent and the choice of words is relatively informal. Conventional wisdom would suggest that this would not brand the organization well, an internally derived quality view. Therefore, the view of the customer must be accepted as the starting point for discussion rather than a view of, "well, I accept the customer is very satisfied, BUT…" So, if the call is world-class, the agent must be congratulated with no further discussion or examination. In this way, the call center begins to "walk the talk" of its total acceptance of the VoC.

Example 2 - The customer is very dissatisfied, yet it is clear that the organization's processes and policies were followed. Again, the customer's view must be embraced. The discussion should be focused on improving how the issue was explained. For example, the agent's choice of words, resolution options, and the empathy and caring shown to the customer. It is critical that the customer's view is not dismissed in an attitude of, "well, you cannot please them all!" or, "there was nothing you did wrong – the customer did not understand," or, more typically, "it's the organization policies or procedures that are the issue, not you!"

Single Call Coaching:

The below figure shows the single call coaching approach for both a world-class and an unresolved call survey. You will want to share the world-class call survey results with the agent so they know that the customer was very satisfied with how the call was handled. Sharing the unresolved call survey allows the supervisor to coach the agent on what they could do in the future to prevent that type of call from going unresolved.

The amount of preparation time is much greater for an unresolved call survey than for a world-class call survey. For an unresolved call survey, both the agent and supervisor listen to the customer feedback, review the ratings, listen to the recorded call if available and check the CRM notes. When the agent is the source of error, additional coaching should occur.

For a world-class call survey, both the agent and the supervisor need to listen to and read the customer feedback. For both world-class and unresolved call surveys, provide the agent with the opportunity to review the customer feedback within two business days of the survey being conducted. All other survey rating types (e.g., the customer responded they were somewhat satisfied and their call was resolved) can be discussed, but not necessarily at this time as they will be discussed in depth at the end-of-month coaching session.

SINGLE CALL COACHING (SURVEY FEEDBACK REVIEW)

Talk with your Agent About the Survey Ratings and Feedback

When talking with your agent about their survey ratings and feedback, there is no need to have a lengthy discussion with an agent who has a world-class call survey or who is performing at a world-class level. However, with an unresolved call survey or low-performing agent, the conversation between the agent and the supervisor will take longer. The VoC agent STAR coaching approach "Talk" step requires that both the agent and supervisor listen to each other.

Single Call Coaching:

The below figure shows the VoC agent coaching talk step for an unresolved call survey. With an unresolved call survey, the conversation between the agent and their supervisor can take up to 15 minutes and should take place in a private area. The discussion should begin with the agent sharing their view about what they did well and what they could do to improve. The supervisor then shares what they feel the agent did well and what they could do to improve.

SINGLE CALL COACHING (TALK WITH YOUR AGENT)

Monthly Call Coaching:

On a monthly basis, the discussion between the agent and their supervisor is the heart of the VoC agent STAR coaching approach. If the agent is performing at a world-class level, you only need to share their VoC dashboard results, and additional coaching is not required.

However, for an underperforming agent, the agent and their supervisor need to agree on the areas that need improvement. The actions necessary to make improvements and the timeline for these improvements will need to be outlined. In addition, all agents should receive a monthly coaching session.

MONTHLY CALL COACHING (TALK WITH YOUR AGENT)

Acknowledge Agent Performance

The third step in the VoC agent STAR coaching approach is to "Acknowledge" agent performance. This is a simple yet powerful step where the agent is recognized and congratulated for a world-class call survey, performing at the world-class level, or improving their performance. By acknowledging an agent's VoC performance, the supervisor helps create an environment where the agent knows that Csat and call resolution are the metrics that the organization values the most.

Single Call Coaching:

In a single call coaching session, acknowledging a world-class call survey should occur. It does not need to take longer than a couple of minutes, but it will serve to underscore great performance every time it occurs. Agents indicate that the lack of day-to-day appreciation is one of the critical drivers of employee dissatisfaction. Therefore, acknowledging world-class performance is the surest way to recognize this universal need in call centers.

When giving an agent feedback about a world-class call survey, the supervisor must share the customer's actual feedback with the agent. An agent values receiving positive feedback and being recognized for their world-class call survey achievement. When a world-class call survey is truly outstanding, you must use it for coaching purposes to demonstrate what great customer service looks like.

Many call centers give agents $5 to $50 for every world-class call (e.g., call resolved and customer is very satisfied) survey. In addition, they certify agents who have performed at the world-class customer service level (e.g., For 85% of customer surveys, the agent resolved the call, and the customer was very satisfied).

SINGLE CALL COACHING (ACKNOWLEDGE AGENT PERFORMANCE)

Monthly Call Coaching:

At the end of the month, the acknowledgment portion of the feedback takes on more weight. It is an opportunity for world-class performers to congratulate and reinforce performance and inform the agent how close they are to being certified as world-class. It is vital to acknowledge agents who have shown improvement in their performance. Doing so encourages them to continue to improve. For an average or high performer, recognize the world-class call surveys that they achieved and encourage them to continue to improve their performance to the world-class level. Most agents feel that being certified based on customer feedback is the most meaningful and rewarding way to acknowledge the great customer service they deliver.

MONTHLY COACHING (ACKNOWLEDGE AGENT PERFORMANCE)