Despite all the tech advancements we see today, customers still prefer speaking with real, live support agents over automated systems. Whether on a phone call, via live chat, or through social media, the human touch remains invaluable in customer support.
Effective call center management is the backbone of quality service. It not only resolves issues quickly but also boosts customer satisfaction and keeps operations running smoothly. When managed well, call centers can be powerful drivers of business performance.
But managing a call center isn’t simple. It’s a unique blend of technology, workforce management, agent empowerment, and meeting high customer expectations. Call center leaders face the challenge of aligning tools, training, and people to deliver top-tier service.
Call centers have also transformed over the years. Once limited to basic phone support, they’re now dynamic contact centers that handle a range of channels, from live chat to video calls, providing customers with flexible ways to reach support teams.
In this article, we’ll explore the key elements of call center management, covering best practices insights on crucial team roles, and must-track KPIs to guide your call center toward success.
What Is Call Center Management?
Call centers serve as central hubs where customer calls are handled to address questions, solve issues, or provide support. Call center management is the process of overseeing all the functions that keep these operations running smoothly. This includes coordinating technology, managing staff, ensuring quality, and enhancing customer experience. When call center management is effective, it creates a seamless, efficient support environment that delivers high-quality customer service.
Key Call Center Management Roles and Responsibilities
Successful call center management relies on team members in unique yet complementary roles working together. Here are some of the most critical roles involved in a well-structured call center team:
1. Call center manager
Call center managers oversee overall operations and serve as a touchpoint between the call center, the organization’s larger customer service team, and the organization as a whole. Managers set expectations for employee performance, establish goals for the call center, and handle broader strategic planning.
Key responsibilities:
- Overseeing the recruitment, training, and management of call center staff
- Regularly monitoring call center operations involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Developing strategies to enhance customer experience, handle complaints and escalations proficiently, and implement feedback mechanisms to gather insights from customers
- Managing budgets, controlling costs, and ensuring efficient use of resources
- Providing regular training, mentoring, and coaching to staff
2. Call center supervisor
Call center supervisors, also called team leads, are more directly connected to agents and day-to-day operations. They manage agents’ activities and are well-versed in services and product offerings, so they can step in if customer support issues need to be escalated to the managerial level. They follow the manager’s direction to ensure the productivity and success of employees and customer support teams.
Key responsibilities:
- Addressing any issues or conflicts within the team fosters a positive and collaborative work environment
- Conducting regular performance evaluations, providing feedback, and offering coaching or training sessions to agents who require additional support
- Ensuring all customer interactions meet quality standards and comply with company policies and regulations
- Creating schedules, managing shift swaps, and arranging cover for absences to ensure adequate coverage
- Handling escalated calls from customers who have complex issues or are dissatisfied with the service they have received
3. Call center agents
Call center representatives, also called agents, interact directly with customers to answer questions and provide support. They sometimes handle outbound customer service, reaching out to current and prospective customers to make sales, conducting market research, and circling back to customer issues to ensure they’re resolved. Agents also specialize in different components of customer service, such as product services or technical support.
Key responsibilities:
- Managing inbound and outbound calls professionally while maintaining a positive and helpful demeanor
- Providing customers with accurate information about products, services, or company policies
- Ensuring that customers feel heard, valued, and respected during every interaction
- Updating accurate customer information in the company’s database during or after calls
- Adhering to the company’s scripts and guidelines to ensure consistency and quality in customer interactions
Best Practices for Effectively Managing a Call Center
Ready to take your call center to the next level? Here are 17 best practices to improve your call center management strategy.
1. Provide your call center agents with contextual onboarding
Contextual onboarding provides agents with the necessary tools and information specific to their roles and the situations they will encounter in their job roles. This type of onboarding focuses on practical, scenario-based training, allowing agents to understand and adapt to real-world customer interactions efficiently.
Whatfix is a digital adoption platform (DAP) that specializes in creating interactive guides and walkthroughs within the software applications that agents will use. With Whatfix, new agents can receive step-by-step guidance directly within their work environment. The contextual information can be tailored to an agent’s specific tasks and challenges, making the learning process highly relevant and immediately applicable. This speeds up the onboarding process and helps build confidence and competence in handling customer queries and issues from the very start.
2. Enable agents with reinforcement training in the flow of work
Enabling call center agents with reinforcement training in the flow of work involves integrating continuous learning opportunities into their daily activities. This method helps solidify their skills and knowledge without pulling them away from their primary responsibilities.
Reinforcement training involves machine learning technology that teaches agents by adjusting learning scenarios based on real-time feedback and areas that need improvement. Through positive reinforcement, this type of training helps agents learn by doing to strengthen their skills and promote continuous improvement.
3. Support your agents with self-help in the moment of need
Avoid roadblocks by enabling agents to help themselves through issues by giving them access to the tools and information they need. With in-app support software, team leaders can curate content for knowledge repositories or libraries and provide in-the-moment prompts that give them access to the information they need right when needed. This keeps agents productive and reduces the need for supervisor intervention for easily resolvable issues.
Integrating a digital adoption platform can be instrumental in achieving this. Whatfix enhances the agents’ work environment with interactive, on-demand guidance and support directly within their software applications. For instance, if an agent encounters a complex customer issue or a new situation, they can instantly access step-by-step guides, FAQs, or best practice tips through Whatfix overlays on their screen.
This method reduces the time spent searching for information or waiting for supervisor assistance. Whatfix can be programmed to offer contextual help based on the agent’s task, ensuring that the support provided is relevant and efficient. This approach fosters a culture of self-reliance and continuous learning and ensures that help is readily available when agents need it the most without disrupting their workflow.
4. Invest in cloud call center software
Cloud call center software routes inbound and outbound customer communications using online services and centralizes all your call center-related documents and services. Cloud-based solutions ensure greater flexibility and accessibility, allowing agents to access the system from anywhere—particularly beneficial for remote work scenarios or geographically dispersed teams.
Most cloud platforms include advanced features like call routing, interactive voice response (IVR), and automatic call distribution, which streamline call handling and reduce customer wait times.
These platforms also offer robust analytics and reporting tools, giving agents and managers valuable insights into call patterns, performance metrics, and areas for improvement.
5. Integrate your call center application(s) with other software
By integrating call center software with other operational software, call centers can improve efficiency, streamline processes, and reach their essential goal: positive customer experience outcomes.
Call center applications integrate with widely used business software like CRM and IT help desk systems, knowledge management tools, communication platforms, and data analytic tools. Integrating these software allows users to conduct business functions with less redundancy and enables more personalized and informed interactions with customers, improving both service quality and customer satisfaction.
6. Provide product or service knowledge training
Employees should be subject matter experts on the products or services they discuss with customers. Providing in-depth product knowledge training on your organization’s products and services to call center agents is essential in equipping them with the expertise required to assist customers effectively.
This type of training ensures that agents can confidently provide detailed information, make informed recommendations, and guide customers through complex processes or troubleshooting steps. Well-informed agents are also better equipped to identify and cross-sell or upsell relevant products or services, enhancing customer satisfaction and potentially increasing revenue.
7. Analyze your agent performance with data
Analyzing agent performance with data provides objective insights into individual and team performance. Using data analytics allows managers to track KPIs and other call center metrics such as call handling time, customer satisfaction scores, first-call resolution rates, and script adherence.
By closely monitoring these metrics, managers can identify trends, pinpoint areas of strength, and, more importantly, areas needing improvement. This data-driven approach enables targeted training and development efforts, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently to enhance skills where they are most needed.
Analyzing performance data also helps recognize high-performing agents and understand the practices contributing to their success. This information can then be shared and implemented across the team.
8. Create a call center agent recruitment strategy that hires top-talent
Recruiting skilled and knowledgeable agents is an investment in the success of the call center. By hiring top talent, call center leaders can ensure higher customer satisfaction, better first-call resolution rates, and improved employee engagement, ultimately reducing turnover costs and improving customer brand reputation.
Skilled agents require less training time and are often quicker to adapt to the dynamic call center environment, leading to faster ramp-up times and greater overall productivity.
9. Set up your remote call center agents for success
When it comes to managing remote call centers—as with life— planning and preparation will support your success. Sure, giving your remote agents the knowledge to perform is essential— but more importantly, they require the tools to do the job. That means working equipment such as headsets, dual monitors, and a strong broadband connection to head off any risk of service disruption.
Beyond that, ensure call center agents have appropriate security measures and advise them on setting up a dedicated workspace. This will help maintain employee performance in a remote call center environment.
Working from home also lessens the opportunities to interact with co-workers or talk with management. In this environment, agents can sometimes grow detached and demoralized. Your employees must have that extra support to do their job well.
Thankfully, technology has filled the gap, and you can keep open lines of communication with your remote workers through various software tools for remote teams, like Slack, MS Teams, JIRA, Trello, Asana, Zoom, and more.
10. Stay on top of compliance laws and regulations
An essential component of call center management involves adhering to relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards at various levels to protect customers, uphold legal obligations, and avoid financial penalties.
Call center leaders and agents should be well-versed in these laws and regulations, and this awareness should be integrated into the call center’s structure and operations. This includes complying with rules about the National Do Not Call Registry when contacting prospective customers.
11. Conduct monthly or quarterly performance reviews with your agents
Recruiting top talent is only the first step in developing an effective call center workforce. Agents should have a working relationship with their supervisors and meet several times each year to discuss performance.
These reviews help agents understand how their contributions impact the organization’s goals and give them a chance to provide feedback. They also allow managers to recognize achievements and growth, ultimately contributing to transparency in the workplace and a higher level of employee engagement.
12. Reward your top-performing agents
Rewarding top-performing agents is a highly effective strategy in call center management, as it fosters a culture of excellence and motivation.
Recognizing and rewarding high performers boosts their morale and job satisfaction and encourages them to maintain and even exceed their current performance levels. This positive reinforcement can take various forms, such as bonuses, promotions, public recognition, or additional responsibilities and learning opportunities.
This practice sets a benchmark of success for other agents, creating a healthy competitive environment where excellence is valued and aspired to. It also helps retain top talent, which is crucial in an industry often plagued by high turnover rates.
13. Create call center scripts, SOPs, and guidelines
By developing standardized operating procedures, guidelines, and call center scripts, managers can bring their call centers toward consistent, efficient, and high-quality service. Following well-defined scripts and procedures allows agents to quickly identify customer needs and deliver accurate, consistent responses, enhancing the overall quality and efficiency of service.
In challenging situations, scripts and guidelines serve as valuable support, helping agents navigate conversations confidently and effectively.
14. Promote your best agents to leadership positions
Opportunities for advancement keep employees engaged and motivated to succeed, knowing their contributions will be valued and rewarded. When agents consistently excel in their roles, give them opportunities to mentor their peers and promote them to leadership positions as they become available.
15. Collect feedback from your call center agents
Collecting feedback from call center agents offers valuable insights that can reveal training needs and improve both operations and customer experience. Tools like Whatfix make it easy to gather feedback directly from agents using in-app surveys and polls. With Whatfix, managers can create targeted surveys that collect input right within the agents’ workflows, allowing feedback to be captured without disrupting their tasks.
Leaders can also gather feedback informally through group discussions or reviews, but having a structured system like Whatfix ensures consistent data. By fostering an open environment for feedback and taking it seriously, call centers can build a culture of continuous improvement, ultimately aligning with larger business goals.
16. Stay on top of technology trends to leverage new emerging tech
As new call center technologies emerge, investing in them can drastically affect call center operations. Whether it’s call center software, training software, or other call center tools, leveraging new technology can help agents adapt to changing customer expectations and provide support across various channels simultaneously. Embracing technological evolution and innovation can help drive call centers toward success and improve employee and customer experience alike.
17. Provide soft skills training for your agents
Soft skills, like problem-solving, communication, and emotional intelligence, contribute to customer satisfaction. Providing agents with soft skills training empowers them to communicate with callers more effectively and demonstrate authentic understanding when helping them through issues or resolving conflicts. By promoting the importance of soft skills and providing agents with the necessary knowledge and technical expertise, managers can ensure that employees create positive experiences for callers, building brand loyalty, and contributing to the organization’s overall success.
Call Center Metrics & KPIs to Track
Call center metrics help evaluate how effective and productive your call center is. These customer support metrics and help desk KPIs provide contact center managers an inside look at how efficiently your team connects with and supports your customers, providing supervisors and managers a better understanding of overall call center performance.
Here are critical call center KPIs to track to understand how your contact center performs today and what metrics you need to improve.
Customer Experience Metrics
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): Measures how happy customers are with your service. The ratings give quick insight into customer sentiment, but they work best with other data to pinpoint areas for improvement.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): Gauges customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend your brand. The score helps identify your promoters and detractors, offering actionable insights on how to improve customer experiences.
Customer Effort Score (CES): Tracks how much effort customers have to exert to resolve their issues. The goal is to make customer interactions as easy as possible, reducing friction and boosting loyalty.
Time to Resolution: Tracks how long it takes to resolve customer issues. Reducing this time increases operational efficiency and leads to happier customers who don’t have to wait for resolutions.
Response Time: Measures the time it takes for agents to respond to inquiries, like emails or chat messages. Faster response times improve customer satisfaction and reduce frustration.
Percentage of Calls Answered: Measures the percentage of incoming calls that are answered by an agent. You want this number as close to 100% as possible to avoid leaving customers in the lurch.
Longest Hold Time: Identifies the longest hold time for a caller. Monitoring this helps you spot anomalies that can impact your averages and gives insight into system or staffing problems.
Average Speed of Answer (ASA): Tacks how long customers wait in the queue before being answered. Faster response times lead to happier customers, so it’s a critical metric to monitor.
Operational Efficiency Metrics
Call Abandon Rate: Tracks how many customers hang up before speaking to an agent. A high abandon rate usually means long wait times, so it’s crucial to address bottlenecks in your process or staffing levels.
Call Volume: Tracks the number of incoming calls received in a set period. It helps with resource planning and ensures you’re staffed appropriately during peak times.
Occupancy Rate: Measures how much of an agent’s available time is spent on calls or related tasks. If it’s too high, agents may burn out; too low, and you’re underutilizing your team.
Service Level: Indicates the percentage of calls answered within a target time, such as answering 80% of calls within 20 seconds. Maintaining high service levels ensures customers aren’t kept waiting too long.
Call Transfer Rate: A high call transfer rate indicates agents may not be properly equipped to handle certain issues. Lowering transfer rates ensures calls are routed to the right person the first time.
Percentage of Calls on Hold: Measures how often customers are put on hold. If your hold percentage is high, it may indicate staff shortages or inefficiencies in the call routing process.
Call Workload Per Agent: Tracks how many calls each agent handles. Balancing workloads ensures that no agent is overwhelmed, which leads to better performance and happier customers.
Average After-Call Work Time (ACW): Measures how long agents spend on administrative tasks after a call. If your ACW is high, it may signal inefficiencies in your process that need to be addressed.
Agent Performance Metrics
Agent Turnover Rate: A high agent turnover rate means your team is unhappy or overworked. Addressing retention issues will improve morale and help reduce training costs in the long run.
Schedule Adherence: Measures how well agents stick to their planned schedules. If adherence is low, you might be over or understaffing at certain times, affecting your service quality.
Cost & Financial Metrics
Self-Service Accessibility Rate: Tracks the percentage of customer inquiries resolved via self-service, such as through a FAQ section, knowledge base, or in-app resource centers like Whatfix Self Help. A high rate suggests your self-service options are meeting customer needs and reducing demand on live agents.
Customer Churn Rate: Measures how many customers stop using your services. A high churn rate could indicate poor support, so it’s worth investigating what’s happening in your call center.
Workload & Capacity Metrics
Ticket Backlog: Support ticket queue shows the number of unresolved tickets at any given time. A backlog indicates your team can’t keep up with demand and may require process improvements or more staff.
Percentage of Calls Blocked: Shows how many calls are blocked due to all agents being busy. A high percentage suggests you need to improve staffing levels or call routing strategies.
Call Center Management Clicks Better with Whatfix
Managing a successful call center comes down to equipping agents with the right tools, insights, and guidance to deliver exceptional customer experiences. By focusing on real-time support, accessible feedback channels, and optimized workflows, leaders can create a more efficient, customer-centric environment where agents feel empowered and confident in their roles.
Whatfix is uniquely designed to fit into call centers seamlessly, delivering in-app support and personalized training right within agents’ workflows. With Whatfix, teams get the assistance they need without breaking stride, enhancing productivity and empowering agents to handle inquiries with clarity and precision.
Whatfix can support your call center management efforts with:
- In-app, contextual guidance: Step-by-step assistance embedded directly within call center applications, so agents have the exact information they need, when they need it.
- Personalized onboarding: Interactive onboarding flows that familiarize new agents with processes and software, reducing ramp-up time.
- Targeted surveys for agent feedback: Built-in survey tools that gather insights from agents right in the flow of work, making it easy to pinpoint training needs and operational improvements.
- Real-time task guidance: Instant support on complex tasks, reducing time spent on troubleshooting and enabling agents to resolve calls faster.
- Self-help resources: An in-app FAQ section, knowledge base, and customized in-app resource centers that empower agents to find answers independently, minimizing disruption and boosting confidence.
With Whatfix as a partner, call centers can elevate every aspect of their operations, transforming agent support into a seamless, adaptive, and performance-driven experience.
Ready to see how Whatfix can empower your team and transform your call center operations? Schedule a free demo today!
