10 Quick Wins to Help Agents Recover From a Tough Day

Some days are tougher than others. It’s just how contact centre life is…

But just because it’s inevitable doesn’t mean agents should have to go it alone when it comes to emotionally resetting themselves – ready to do it all over again tomorrow.

That’s why we asked our consultants panel for their best ideas on how to help agents recover from a tough day on the phones.

How to Help Agents Recover From a Tough Day

1. Steer Away From Conversations About Stats and KPIs

The absolute worst thing you can do is focus on KPIs or stats at the expense of your team’s wellbeing.

Instead, prioritize looking after your people and give them the space to process what they’ve experienced in a safe, supportive environment.

Contributed by: Kim Ellis, Chief Learning Architect at Go Ginger Learning Solutions

2. Take the Time to Reflect on What DID Go Well

At the end of a tough day, have team leads share 2–3 great moments that did happen – whether it was a customer compliment, a fast resolution, or someone helping a teammate.

Focusing on the wins helps balance the emotional scale.

Contributed by: Brittany Hodak, Keynote Speaker & Author of Creating Superfans

3. Try the “Positive Personal, Positive Customer” Technique

You could also try the “positive personal, positive customer” technique.

Ask your colleague to tell you one good thing they experienced today from a personal perspective. This could be a walk with friends at lunchtime.

Then ask for one good thing that happened with a customer. This could be that Mrs Brown said she now feels more confident about her new product and was grateful for a prompt response.

This helps to ensure they head home feeling more confident that two very important aspects of their life – home and work – are actually pretty good, reducing the worry of the next day ahead.

Contributed by: Emily Simmons, Learning Facilitator at Boost

4. Break the Ice by Saying “Do You Want to Talk About It?”

A simple conversation starting with “It sounds like you have had a tough day, do you want to talk about it?” can really make agents feel valued and create a psychologically safe environment for everyone to share how they might be feeling.

It can also be an opportunity to discuss with your team where there any learnings that might make a similar situation a little easier next time.

Contributed by: Gemma Carter-Morris, Managing Director at Next Steps Consulting

5. Encourage Agents to Use Positive Self-Talk

Sue Duris, Founding Principal at M4 Communications, Inc. — Sue Duris

If an agent has had some particularly upsetting calls that day, encourage them to try doing some self-talk at the end of their shift.

For example, saying to themselves “I did my best”, as you don’t want them to carry that stress or doubt home with them.

Encouraging them to reach out to a colleague they trust for support or to vent is a good idea too.

Contributed by: Sue Duris, Principal Consultant at M4 Communications, Inc.

For a few quick tips to help your agents improve their positivity, read our article: How to Help Your Agents Be More Positive

6. Make Sure Agents Celebrate Each Other Too!

Build a culture of positive peer support by encouraging agents to support one another.

A quick “you handled that well” from a peer at the end of the shift can be more impactful than a manager’s feedback.

Contributed by: Jon Edwards, Managing Director at The Lion Consultancy Ltd.

7. Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Leaving Work on Time

Helen Pettifer, Director of Helen Pettifer Training Ltd — Helen Pettifer

After a tough day, always ensure agents leave on time too. This extends to making sure they have time and space at the end of the day (within their usual working hours!) to complete any admin tasks.

This helps to make sure they aren’t worrying about the work they may need to catch up on the next day, and taking this home with them or thinking about it that evening or during the night.

8. Send Out Care Packages to Your Hybrid or Remote Working Agents

Don’t forget about your agents who are working from home too.

Above and beyond actively checking in with your team members in the day, if you know it’s going to be a relentless busy week, consider sending them a little care package to open at home.

It doesn’t need to be big – sometimes the little gestures make all the difference!

Contributed by: Helen Pettifer, Director of Helen Pettifer Training Ltd and a specialist in the fair treatment of vulnerable customers

9. Give Your Agents Space and Opportunity to Vent

Make sure your agents have space to vent – somewhere they can voice their frustrations without fear or judgement.

This might be a quick end-of-day check-in, a virtual breakout room, or even a team WhatsApp group.

Contributed by: Kim Ellis, Chief Learning Architect at Go Ginger Learning Solutions

10. Be Open With Your Team and Acknowledge “I Know Today Was Chaotic…”

Brittany Hodak, customer experience speaker and author of ‘Creating Superfans’ — Brittany Hodak

Helping your agents recover from a rough day starts with empathy.

Sometimes, just hearing “I know today was chaotic, and I appreciate how hard you worked” can go a long way.

Contributed by: Brittany Hodak, Keynote Speaker & Author of Creating Superfans

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Adapt Your Support Based on Agents’ Individual Needs

Remember, no one size fits all! What’s most important is that you know your people, as Helen Pettifer concludes:

“Everyone is different, so I encourage leaders to spend time and get to know what their team members need from them and when.

For example, a team member may have taken a distressing call and need to debrief and talk about it immediately to prepare them for taking their next call and getting on with their day.

Other team members may need to reflect overnight before needing or wishing to talk about it. Others may not want to talk at all and carry on with their day, while others may be aware of their coping techniques and will reach out to their leader if they need anything.”

It all comes down to understanding what support they need from you and when!