A help desk team is very crucial to the growth of your company because they help to engage customers and find solutions to their problems.
However, customer support can be frustrating and many agents end up quitting their jobs.
The average employee turnover rate among customer support agents is around 40%more than twice of other occupations in the U.S.) It’s important to know that stress and burnout are major contributors to help desk turnover rates.
More businesses ought to pay attention to their support processes and make improvements so agents can easily perform their duties. In this article, we’ll discuss 5 things that service teams hate about their jobs and how you can fix them.
The top five things that help desk agents hate about their jobs that lead them to quit.
Some signs of burnout among your help desk agents often include reduced performance, low energy and enthusiasm, unusual or negative attitudes, and a few others. You should learn to quickly address any issues in your company’s support workflow before things get worse. Here are some things that help desk agents hate:
- Being expected to perform like a machine.
Some companies put so much pressure on their customer support staff even though there are poor resources and an unevenly distributed workload. They often expect agents to handle excessive amounts of tickets and work long shifts with little to no time for bathroom breaks.
- Dealing with difficult customers.
Helpdesk agents often come across angry and rude customers who complain about everything and may refuse to calm down. Although agents are expected to remain composed and polite in the face of such customers, they are very likely to quit once they reach their breaking point.
- Working with poor or outdated help desk technology.
There are repetitive tasks in customer service that can stress agents out and impede support efficiency and productivity. Statistics show that only 50% of customer service leaders have equipped their service teams with a help desk, knowledge base, and shared email capabilities.
- Feeling unappreciated.
Although support roles are quite demanding, these agents barely receive any appreciation from their managers or employers. This makes help desk agents feel like their work doesn’t matter at all and can result in them becoming demoralized or even disinterested in their jobs.
- Having limited opportunities for advancement.
Most helpdesk agents feel trapped in their job because they have little opportunity to move into a different position or advance into senior roles. This can be very frustrating for customer support agents with many years of experience and they usually end up switching companies.
How can employers improve job satisfaction for their service teams?
High employee turnover affects the company in several ways. For example, when one or more agents leave, the remaining staff will have to handle more workload and may quickly experience burnout. The company would also have to recruit new agents and might have to provide some training. Below are some ways to increase help desk job satisfaction and ensure that your customer service agents are happy.
- Improve team morale.
A great way to reduce help desk turnover is by creating a work environment where the welfare of your help desk employees matters, just as customer welfare matters. You can encourage them to provide feedback, celebrate diligent agents often, and set reasonable expectations.
- Invest in the right tools.
The right tools can help your team deliver great customer service consistently. For example, a ticketing system can track, manage, organize, and prioritize customer requests. A help desk ticketing software allows agents to manage everything in one platform and automate tasks.
- Provide adequate training.
Service agents need to be empowered with valuable knowledge, including company and product information so that they can answer customer’s questions quickly. Apart from initial training, companies should invest in ongoing development to ensure agents stay updated.
- Help them see the bigger picture.
Good customer service is necessary for every business regardless of size or industry. Help desk agents often don’t see how their role fits into the organization’s vision and success. You can discuss service metrics and explain how they can help to reach the company’s goals.
- Create individualized employee development plans.
Customer support agents often need to upskill themselves for specialized or leadership roles. You can invest in employee development plans to nurture talent and improve retention. It helps to close skill or knowledge gaps and allows agents to easily advance into higher positions.
Conclusion
High employee turnover in customer service is mostly caused by stress and burnout. Some ways to create a good work environment for customer service agents include: providing necessary tools and training, defining suitable expectations, and allowing room for growth. The tips above can help employers to motivate and retain their best customer service agents.
