A short-lived squabble in your contact center may not seem like a big deal, but it may cost you customers. Here’s what researchers found.
Customers are turned off in a big way when they witness bosses berate employees or co-workers arguing amongst themselves. They may never come back, according to a study by Georgetown University and University of Southern California researchers.
When customers witness employees being rude or disrespectful to one another – yelling, cursing or criticizing – they get angry and want to punish the company for allowing that. The punishment they often give: Take their business elsewhere.
Bottom line: It’s not just important for agents and supervisors to treat customers with respect. It’s vital that they treat each other that way, too.
Your contact center might want to establish workplace guidelines for etiquette, courtesy and respectful behavior. Include them in the personnel handbook and have agents sign off those guidelines and the consequences – including termination – for not adhering to them.
