If you're managing a call center than you better have an effective coaching program implemented.

What is coaching?

Coaching refers to the practice of giving feedback to employees in order to help them achieve improved performance.
Giving feedback goes hand-in-hand with the practice of measuring performance. First you monitor, then you coach, then you monitor again.
If you’re doing it right, you should be seeing an employee’s performance continually improve.

Why is coaching so important?

Coaching increases productivity when paired with training. Training alone will on average increase productivity by 22% but with coaching that figure soars to 88%!
It shows your employees that you’re on top of things, that you’re keeping informed, and you’re dedicated to a course of continuous improvement.
It shows your employees that you care about them, about their performance, about the customer, about service levels, and about running a top-notch contact center.

What are the seven fundamentals of coaching?

Let's take a closer look at each of the seven fundamentals.

1. Be specific

2. Focus on performance, not personality

Your feedback should always focus on issues of performance, not on the CSR’s personality.
If you feel a character flaw is to blame, then translate it into a performance issue before giving feedback.

3. Focus on behaviour that can be changed

There’s really no point in giving feedback to someone if there is nothing he can do to change the behavior.
You can focus on the details, which can be changed: ie: usage of clichés, jargon, etc.

4. Keep it simple and sincere

CSRs are overwhelmed if asked to improve more than one or two areas at a time.
- If you identify 10 areas that a CSR needs to improve, point out 2 of them. Once he has made improvement in those areas, introduce something else for him to work on.
Keep it concise. This will help you from wasting time and deemphasizing what’s really important.
- Using a lot of extra words during your feedback devalues the feedback and makes you look unskilled.

5. Give feedback as soon as possible

As a general rule, it’s best to give feedback as soon as possible after monitoring a call or action. This way the CSR will be able to recall the specific details about the communication
If immediate feedback is not possible, collect as many details as possible, tape the call, or collect an email thread to use during the feedback. This helps refresh the CSR’s memory and serves as “evidence” in the event of a discrepancy.

6. Pay attention to your body language

Keep it private. Approach the CSR with a smile as you approach is workstation and then get down to his level either by kneeling or sitting. Speak just loudly enough for the CSR to hear you.
Maintain eye contact. Look the CSR directly in the eye. This conveys an attitude of sincerity and professionalism and shows the CSR that she has your individual attention.
Watch your tone. When giving feedback, be careful to use a calm, supportive, and upbeat tone. When addressing undesirable behavior, it’s often necessary to be form, but that doesn’t mean you have to be aggressive. If you let impatience or frustration creep into your voice, you’ll cause the CSR to be far less receptive to what you have to say.
Smile! If you’re praising, smiling conveys your appreciation and support. If correcting, a smile might negate the verbal message, but after correcting, you might smile and thank the CSR for her willingness to make a commitment to improve.

7. Avoid the ambush approach

Don’t race over to a CSR’s desk after hearing a call or seeing a problem and immediately jump into your feedback.
Ease into the session so the CSR has time to mentally prepare for your feedback. It shows your concern and respect for the CSR.