How to Regain Your Agents’ Trust

Most contact centres go through change on an almost perpetual basis. And, whilst the plan might make sense on paper, on the floor, a few missteps can completely shatter agents’ trust in their leadership team – resulting in disengagement and even attrition.

But all hope is not lost! As we asked our consultants panel to find out what it really takes to slowly, but surely, regain agent trust after a difficult period of change.

Recognize How Challenging It Has Been

Lee Houghton is the author of Amazon bestseller The People Puzzle and co-founder of Get Knowledge. — Lee Houghton

After a difficult period of change, people are not just responding to what happened, they are responding to how it made them feel. Uncertainty, lack of involvement, mixed messages or promises that didn’t fully land can all leave people cautious about what comes next.

The first step for leaders is simple but often overlooked: acknowledge reality. Not by reopening every past decision, but by recognizing the experience people have had.

A sentence as simple as “We know the last period has been challenging and may have felt unclear or unsettling for some of you” demonstrates awareness and respect.

Contributed by: Lee Houghton, Author of Amazon bestseller The People Puzzle and Co-Founder of Get Knowledge

Accept That Emotions Evolve – They Do Not Simply Disappear

Olha Yevsikova, Chief Learning Officer at Qlab — Olha Yevsikova

You must remain aware of the emotions people navigate at different stages: from initial disruption to acceptance, experimentation, and occasionally back again when obstacles arise.

As a leader, you must accept that while emotions evolve, they do not simply disappear. Your job is to help your team process these feelings, replacing toxicity with hope and relief.

The key is consistent, transparent communication. Talk to your people, listen effectively, and ensure they feel heard. By creating a safe environment for them to speak up, you rebuild the foundation of trust.

Contributed by: Olha Yevsikova, Chief Learning Officer at Qlab

Reconnect at an Individual Level

Lou Carter, Director and Founder, Rising Vibe — Lou Carter

When trust has taken a hit after a period of change, I think it helps to get really clear on what trust actually is. We use the Trust Matrix, which says trust is built on three things:

Capability
Relationship
Consistency

People are asking themselves, consciously or not: do I believe you’re competent and capable? Do I feel you care about me and what matters to me? And do I see both of those consistently over time? After a difficult period, one or more of those will have been disrupted.

One way to help repair this is to reconnect at an individual level, as trust isn’t rebuilt through broad messages.

Ask people directly: what worked for you, what didn’t, and what would help you feel more confident going forward?

That helps you understand what matters to them and where the psychological contract may have been broken.

Then the critical part is follow-through. This is where consistency comes in. If you say things will change, people need to see that happen, repeatedly. If you ask for input and don’t act on it, you erode trust further.

Contributed by: Lou Carter, Founder of Rising Vibe

Talk Straight, Right Wrongs, and Clarify Expectations

Rebuilding trust is not about grandiose speeches. It is about consistent behaviour from leaders. And a few things really do make a big difference…

Talk Straight – Advisors know when they are not getting the full story. Be honest about what has changed, why it happened, and what comes next. People can handle reality far better than spin.
Create Transparency – Share information early and often. Silence creates rumour… Transparency builds confidence.
Right Wrongs – If decisions landed badly, say so. Be humble. Take responsibility and explain what will change. Trust grows when leaders own the tough moments.
Clarify Expectations – After a disruptive spell, people need clarity. What matters most right now? What does good performance look like? What should the team focus on this week?

When expectations are clear, speed and trust both improve, and everyone reaps the rewards. For example, people of high-trust companies report 75% less stress, 13% fewer sick days, 76% higher engagement, and more – as seen in the graphic below:

Graphic showing example of of high trust companies report 75% less stress, 13% fewer sick days, 76% higher engagement

Contributed by: Rob Clarke, Director and Co-Founder of Elev-8 Performance

Meet People Where They Are

Meet people where they are. After change, people will be at different points emotionally and intellectually. Some will be ready to move forward quickly, others may still be processing what happened.

Rebuilding trust means listening first, understanding those perspectives, and responding to what people actually need rather than assuming everyone is starting from the same place. Ultimately, trust is not something leaders declare. It’s something people experience.

Contributed by: Lee Houghton, Author of Amazon bestseller The People Puzzle and Co-Founder of Get Knowledge

Don’t Wait Too Long or Try to Avoid the Topic – Otherwise Good People Will Leave!

Stephen Pace, "The Contact Centre Motivator" and CEO at SJS Solutions — Stephen Pace

Contact centre personnel need certainty in order to perform well and protect valuable and often fragile customer relationships – and the AI landscape is really amplifying this right now.

Talk of AI taking jobs is everywhere, and contact centre jobs are high on the list of positions which will be completely replaced by smarter and smarter AI.

So, if you really want to protect your workforce and avoid them leaving before they get replaced, you will need to be open and transparent about your plans to retrain or move people to other departments – otherwise your talented workforce will disappear.

It comes down to trust, and you can only attract this by being open and honest. Contact centre staff know the tech is going to replace many of them, but they don’t know if they are of value somewhere else or if their jobs will be saved because they have leadership skills (for example). Wait too long or try to avoid this topic and good people will leave!

Contributed by: Stephen Pace, Strategic Partnership Consultant at Optymyse

For more information to help improve communication in the contact centre, read our article: Communication Pitfalls Every Contact Centre Manager Should Avoid

…And Bring Strong Change Management Into Everyday Leadership

Rebuilding trust after a difficult period of change requires consistent and intentional leadership, and trust begins to return when leaders focus on a few clear strategies:

Acknowledgement
Regular face-to-face engagement
Transparent communication
Empowerment through input
Early involvement of staff in upcoming changes
Recognition of agents’ efforts

Just as important is consistency. These behaviours should not only appear during difficult moments but should become part of everyday leadership.

When staff are brought into the loop earlier, when questions are answered openly and quickly, and when engagement remains consistent, future changes are less likely to feel sudden or disruptive.

Instead, teams start to see change coming and understand the reasons behind it. This reduces uncertainty and removes the need to repair trust after the fact.

Contributed by: Natasha Doren, Customer Experience Consultant

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