Bad bosses in contact centers aren’t just bad for morale, they may be killing agents.
One study found people who worked for bad bosses – the kind who demoralize and treat employees unfairly – had a 20% to 40% higher chance of a heart attack than those who worked for good bosses, shows McKinsey Quarterly research.
Even if bad bosses don’t cause heart attacks on the floor of contact centers, they will hurt morale and cause turnover – which hurt customer satisfaction. So if you’re a:
- Top level executive, take complaints about managers seriously. Watch for a high level of turnover under certain managers, and take quick action to either correct, retrain or part ways with those who poison the center.
- Call center agent, report unfair or demoralizing treatment from managers. But don’t just whine. Give detailed incidents and suggest solutions.
- Boss, look around you. Are people happy to work for you? Do they smile, socialize and share concerns with you? If so, you’re likely in good stature with them. If they cower when you come around, complain and gossip, it might be time to hone your people skills.
