Agents perform best when they know exactly what is expected of them – not just in terms of numbers or metrics, but in terms of behaviours and outcomes that impact customer experience.
Yet many contact centres fail to provide that clarity. They assume agents intuitively understand scorecards, KPIs, and what “good” looks like. The result? All-round confusion as to why there’s so many performance issues!
To clear things up once and for all, we spoke to the experts to round up their best advice on how to give agents the clarity they need to thrive.
Show Agents Examples of What “Good” Does and Doesn’t Look Like
The first step in setting clear expectations is showing agents exactly what success looks like. Many organizations talk about “good performance” but rarely illustrate the spectrum of results.
Agents need to understand what is good, acceptable, and poor, and how these behaviours affect their scorecards and bonuses.
“We often say, ‘this is what good looks like’, but we never say, ‘This is what NOT good looks like’ but it’s vital agents are shown the difference, so they can understand how their behaviours impact their scorecard and, ultimately, their success.
Sadly, in some organizations, I’ve asked agents to explain their scorecard to me and nobody could!
Yet without understanding the mechanics of their performance measurement, it’s impossible for them to align their actions with the business expectations.” – Afshan Kinder, Thought Leader and co-author of three books – including ‘Call Centers for Dummies’.
The problem is that many agents operate in the dark. They may be performing well in some areas, but without a clear benchmark, performance becomes subjective.
Therefore a consistent demonstration of good, average, and poor practice helps agents internalize expectations and understand where to focus their energy.
When failure is defined clearly, agents are also more likely to self-correct and seek guidance proactively, leading to better performance and fewer surprises during evaluations.
After all, simple metrics only become meaningful only when connected to everyday actions.
“Translate KPIs into behaviours, such as what does a good call sound like? What does ownership look like? How do we demonstrate empathy?
When agents understand both the metric and the behaviour behind it, it becomes second nature.” – Marco Jetmir Ndrecaj, Director of Customer Experience Management at Shared Services Connected Ltd
This isn’t just about saying, “hit your numbers”. It’s about demonstrating how empathy, ownership, and effective communication result in achieving those KPIs. Without this clear link, agents can’t self-correct or grow.
If you are not sure if your KPIs are right for your contact centre, read our article: Are Your KPIs in Desperate Need of a Refresh?
Showcase Best Practice in Team Huddles
You can reinforce this by routinely highlighting examples of exemplary behaviour in team huddles. By showcasing peers who excel, teams can learn in a relatable and practical manner.
After all, peer-led learning is highly effective. Agents are more likely to absorb lessons when they see colleagues succeed, rather than being told in the abstract by management.
You can even take this one step further by asking agents to provide real-life examples, try new techniques, or demonstrate desired behaviours – all to reinforce the connection between expectations and performance.
“In team meetings, highlight people who are just nailing it. You don’t need to do a lot, just bring up an example. You can also create exercises where everyone shares how they applied a new technique.
Over time, this can be collected up to create a best practice manual based on peer insights.” – Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer (CAO) at Shepard Presentations LLC
Keep It Simple and Consistent
The importance of simplicity and consistency shouldn’t be underestimated either!
When different leaders have conflicting interpretations of success, agents become confused and performance suffers.
“Agents perform best when expectations are simple, visible, and consistent. You can’t have a team leader seeing success as green and an operations manager seeing it as orange.
Simplifying and aligning expectations ensures everyone is on the same page.” – Marco Jetmir Ndrecaj, Director of Customer Experience Management at Shared Services Connected Ltd.
Yet even with a clear framework in place, agents still need easy access to relevant resources and centralized standards to reduce the need for guesswork. Without this clarity, agents often develop ad hoc workarounds, which can create a gap between what’s expected and what’s really happening on the floor.
Always Talk About Expectations as a Two-Way Conversation
Also consider how you talk to agents about your expectations, as this shouldn’t be a one-way street from manager to agent.
Rather, it should be part of an ongoing, open conversation that ensures agents understand what is expected and feel supported.
“Don’t sit down and say, “these are my expectations”. Instead ask, ‘What do you expect from me to support you?” or “How do you like to be managed?”.
This two-way conversation ensures alignment, builds trust, and allows agents to clarify any confusion before it becomes a problem.” – Afshan Kinder, Thought Leader and co-author of three books – including ‘Call Centers for Dummies’
When leaders take the time to discuss expectations in a two-way conversation, agents are more likely to feel as though their line manager is invested in their personal growth and success – not just in the outputs of their role.
To make sure you communicate clearly with your teams, read our article: Communication Pitfalls Every Contact Centre Manager Should Avoid
Continuously Check In to Make Sure Agents Are Aligned With the Latest in Best Practice
And finally, remember that setting expectations isn’t a one-time event – it’s a continuous process!
“Training’s not something you did, it’s something you do.
The way you’re doing things today could be obsolete in a month, so be sure to constantly remind agents of what success criteria look like, especially in today’s fast-paced, AI-infused world.” – Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer (CAO) at Shepard Presentations LLC.
Leaders Who Prioritize Clarity Create a Culture Where Agents Thrive
By showing what success and failure look like, contact centres can dramatically improve agent performance, engagement, and customer outcomes.
After all, clarity fosters confidence, and confident agents deliver exceptional service – every call, every interaction, every time.
What Have You Tried to Help Your Agents Better Understand What Success Looks Like?
Click here to join our Readers Panel to share your experiences and feature in future Call Centre Helper articles.
With thanks to the following people for sharing their thoughts for this article:
- Afshan Kinder, Thought Leader and co-author of three books – including ‘Call Centers for Dummies’
- Marco Jetmir Ndrecaj, Director of Customer Experience Management at Shared Services Connected Ltd
- Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer (CAO) at Shepard Presentations LLC
If you are looking for more information to improve agent performance, read these articles next:
- Strike the Right Balance Between Human and AI Coaching
- What Great Leaders Know About Team Climate and Results
- Is Supervisor Drift Compromising Contact Centre Performance?
Author: Megan Jones
Reviewed by: Jo Robinson
Published On: 26th Aug 2026
Read more about - Call Centre Management, Afshan Kinder, Agent Performance, Communication Skills, Culture, Customer Experience (CX), Employee Engagement, Empowering Agents, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Leadership, Management Strategies, Marco Ndrecaj, Metrics, Performance Management, Service Strategy, Shep Hyken, Skill Development, Team Management, Top Story, Training and Coaching
