Processes

How to Manage Agent Workarounds and Shortcuts

Workaround or solution to bypass problem or difficulty concept, with a person drawing a workaround line to solve maze

Published On: 29th Sep 2026 08:00

In any contact centre, you’ll typically find some degree of workarounds and shortcuts in play – from the more obvious sticky notes on monitors to the less visible self-adopted system shortcuts.

While some shortcuts can create efficiencies, others may compromise data integrity, compliance, or even the quality of customer experience, and so it’s vital to keep a close eye on them.

That’s why we asked our employee experience experts for their best practical approaches to managing agent workarounds – without dampening enthusiasm for problem-solving and innovation.

Never Punish Agents for Creating Workarounds

Agent workarounds are often misunderstood as laziness or non-compliance. In reality, they frequently emerge because the systems, procedures, or guidance agents are given are incomplete or confusing.

Afshan Kinder, ICMI Thought Leader and co-author of 3 books – including ‘Call Center for Dummies’ — Afshan Kinder

“Workarounds are usually a symptom of something deeper. If your knowledge base isn’t clear or complete, agents will create their own methods to succeed.

I remember walking into a call centre where an agent had built her own knowledge base because it was easier for her to understand and she wanted to be successful in the role.” – Afshan Kinder, Thought Leader and co-author of three books – including ‘Call Centers for Dummies’.

So never punish your agents for trying to improve their workflow – and don’t ignore them either, as leaders who do so risk perpetuating inefficiencies or allowing inconsistent practices to become standard.

Seek to Understand Why They’ve Created the Workaround in the First Place

Instead, seek to understand the root cause of the behaviour.

A good way to approach this is with curiosity! Talk to the agent, gather the necessary data, and generally explore if it highlights any gaps in your systems, policies, or training that you didn’t know about. After all, once you know the root cause, you can make all-round improvements that benefit both your customers and agents.

Marco Jetmir Ndrecaj, Director of Customer Experience Management at Shared Services Connected Ltd — Marco Jetmir Ndrecaj

“Workarounds are often signs that something in the process or technology isn’t working. I always sit with my teams on the floor rather than in the office – that’s where you see how they really interact with customers.

For example, I once observed an agent bypassing a new CRM system. She was highlighting a blind spot in the technology that we hadn’t noticed.

Treating it as operational feedback rather than compliance failure helped us identify the root cause and improve the customer journey.” – Marco Jetmir Ndrecaj, Director of Customer Experience Management, Shared Services Connected Ltd.

By observing agents in action, you can turn workarounds into valuable insights for process improvement, system design, and training. After all, once a workaround proves effective, it can be formalized and shared!

“If an agent discovers a better way to do something, don’t shut it down. Ask questions, understand the approach, and consider whether it should be incorporated into the knowledge base.

This not only motivates agents but ensures everyone benefits from improved methods. Workarounds are an opportunity, not a failure!” – Afshan Kinder, Thought Leader and co-author of three books – including ‘Call Centers for Dummies’

Not only this, but when agents see that their creativity and insights are valued, they’re more likely to continue to innovate and have open conversations around things they’re doing that are making their job easier.

This ensures that knowledge doesn’t stay hidden on individual desks but becomes part of the organizational playbook.

You should also ensure your processes are working correctly. To get started on this, read our article: Key Signs of Broken Processes (and How to Fix Them)

Make Sure You Have Clear Boundaries in Place for Consistency and Compliance

That being said, some workarounds are problematic! The key is distinguishing between productive shortcuts and risky behaviours.

After all, it’s not necessarily bad behaviour; it’s a faster way of achieving the same goal. But if an agent acts in secret and doesn’t document or share what they’re doing, that’s where it becomes a problem – especially if a shortcut affects how data is entered into your system, for example.

That’s why all of these endeavours should be underpinned by clear boundaries and compliance guidelines too, as leaders who define what counts as acceptable variation in practice reduce the chances of rogue processes affecting operational standards.

Shep Hyken, CAO (Chief Amazement Officer) at Shepard Presentations LLC — Shep Hyken

“Of course, every agent has a target and a desired outcome you want them to achieve for your customers, but within that there are boundaries and guidelines that should not be crossed.

Yes, agents can use some creativity to reach those outcomes, but any workaround must be documented, shared with management, and approved before it becomes a standard practice.

The difference is transparency, as this approach ensures that while agents can adapt and innovate, they do so transparently, creating opportunities for the entire team to benefit from successful new strategies.” – Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer (CAO) at Shepard Presentations LLC.

However, be mindful of how far you go to penalize individual styles, as each agent brings their unique strengths and experience to the role. So wherever possible, also try to step back and focus on results – not uniformity at all costs.

It’s a fine line to tread, but the best operations give agents the freedom to innovate, whilst making sure they have a firm understanding of compliance guidelines and the overall importance of consistency.

For advice on how to weave compliance positively into every process and every conversation, read our article: Make Compliance Less of a Headache

Stop Thinking of Workarounds as Problems to Squash

Workarounds and shortcuts will always exist in fast-paced contact centre environments – but rather than seeing them purely as compliance risks, effective leaders view them as opportunities.

Why? When managed correctly, workarounds are no longer problems to squash – they become powerful drivers of continuous improvement, delivering better customer experiences, and maintaining engaged, motivated teams. And who doesn’t want that?

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How Do You Manage Agent Workarounds in Your Contact Centre?

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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, Shared Services Connected Ltd
Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer (CAO) at Shepard Presentations LLC

If you are looking for more information on managing employees and improving your contact centre, read these articles next:

Author
Megan Jones

Megan Jones, Editor, Call Centre Helper

Megan interviews inspiring people across the contact centre industry to capture these amazing voices and turn them into best practice articles – covering all elements of what it takes to deliver truly outstanding employee and customer experiences.

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