We should all be familiar with After Call Work, aka wrap up time. This is simply the post call tasks agents must perform to complete the interaction. Inevitably, during this time, agents are prone to offer commentary on their call. This is generally said to no one in particular, but it's usually heard by everyone within range. I call it After Call Talk. Comments may express delight, humor, or frustration. Most often, it is the latter. Many contact center managers try to discourage these conversation, while I have witnessed others ignore it.
From an operations standpoint, this increases ACW time. Professionally, you want to be certain what is said is respectful, and appropriate for the work environment. Also, if agents are consistently expressing anger and frustration, it may negatively impact the team and the culture.
As contact center leaders, it is important to allow agents to embrace their emotions. However, through training and coaching, we achieve the opposite. We spend much time teaching agents not to get upset, but little time is spent training them how to handle their feelings. It's only natural for them to blow off steam. If they don't so with the customer (let's hope not), their idea time is after the call.
What are your thought? How do you handle this in your center?
I have led or consulted contact centers of various sizes across numerous industries. Additionally, I’ve implemented new technology and products, while maintaining award-winning contact centers.
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