By: Rachel Moore | May 10, 2023 | Reading time: 4 minutes

The contact center industry is one of the most competitive spaces in the world, which makes it essential to provide customers with the best possible experience. In a business where customer service is paramount, contact center agents must be able to provide a positive and helpful experience for each customer.

One way businesses can foster exceptional CX is by prioritizing the mental health of agents. A healthy and happy workforce is better equipped to handle customer interactions and to retain the best talent for providing exceptional service.

In this article, we’ll explore the basics of mental health in contact centers, the relationship between stress and customer service performance, and strategies for improving mental health for agents. We’ll also investigate how improved mental health benefits both the contact center and customers, plus tips to help celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month. With Percepta’s CX solutions available today, improving your customer experience has never been easier—so let’s get started!

The basics of mental health in contact centers

Mental health is one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to running a successful contact center. Stress, anxiety, and burnout can all have negative impacts on the performance of agents in a contact center environment.

When agents are under too much stress or feel overwhelmed, they’re less likely to be able to provide quality customer service. This can lead to frustrated customers and unhappy employees, resulting in decreased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Companies must create an environment where employees feel supported and respected, so that they can perform at their best levels. This means providing adequate resources such as mental health programs, training on how to cope with stress, and access to support networks. It also involves developing clear guidelines on how to deal with difficult customers or challenging calls so that agents don’t become overwhelmed by their job duties.

The importance of mental health for customer experience cannot be overstated. Poorly managed stress levels lead to mistakes being made during interactions that could ultimately result in a negative experience for the customer.

Businesses must also understand the costs associated if they don’t support mental health in their contact centers. Inadequate attention paid to employee wellbeing leads directly to increased absenteeism rates due to poor physical or psychological conditions, as well as high churn rates, low morale, reduced productivity, and wasted resources. These factors can add up quickly if there are no strategies put into place early on that address the mental well-being of your team members.

The relationship between stress, anxiety, and customer service performance

The mental state of contact center agents has a tremendous impact on their performance. Stress and anxiety, two frequent emotions experienced by employees in these environments, can drastically reduce morale, engagement, and productivity. Consequently, it’s essential for companies to comprehend the effects of such feelings when it comes to customer service delivery.

High-pressure customer interactions or regularly conducted tasks often lead to stress and anxiety among agents. Such conditions can be hard to manage as they require the employee to stay professional throughout long conversations while attending to clients’ needs with urgency. As a result, many contact center personnel encounter feelings of being overwhelmed by the demands placed upon them.

Organizations should monitor levels of stress and anxiety among their staff through surveys or interviews in order to accurately determine if agents are struggling emotionally. Additionally, management should observe signs displayed by an individual that could point towards distress or unease. These include absenteeism, lack of motivation at work, and changes in attitude regarding work duties. Once identified as a problem within your team, steps must be taken quickly so as not to affect customer service performance negatively.

Therefore, organizations need strategies that focus on overall wellness rather than just managing symptoms alone. They should provide support systems for employees like access to mental health professionals, recognition programs which reward excellent customer service, access to meditation apps, training sessions related to mental health awareness, rewards for good performance, and clear communication between management teams and employees about expectations at work.

Percepta trains a handful of employees to be Mental Health First Aid Guides as points of contact for any team members who need support, guidance, or more urgent assistance.

Moreover, employers should cultivate a culture where workers feel comfortable speaking up about any issues they are facing rather than concealing their emotions, which may only worsen over time.

By recognizing how stress and anxiety can influence both their employees’ wellbeing as well as customer experience levels within contact centers, businesses can build better systems for managing these emotions while still providing outstanding customer experiences.

How improved mental health benefits the contact center and customers

Improved mental health among agents can have a huge positive effect on customer satisfaction, as well as reducing costs associated with absenteeism and training replacement employees. Creating an environment where agents feel supported and respected allows companies to identify any potential issues before they become more serious, resulting in reduced stress levels, increased productivity, and better service performance.

Improved mental health also leads to higher employee engagement, which contributes to building customer loyalty. When customers feel like their needs are being listened to by compassionate agents, it creates a sense of trust in the brand that leads to increased customer satisfaction.

Mental Health Awareness Month is a great opportunity for companies to recognize the importance of mental health year-round, as well as learn tips for looking after the wellbeing of their employees.

Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with memes and tips

Mental Health Awareness Month is an ideal time to foster a greater understanding of mental health issues. Using stories of real people who consistently face or have conquered these issues can help spread awareness, support, and hope for those affected by adverse mental health conditions. Even memes and other effective employee engagement efforts can raise awareness and encourage employees to share their experiences. By taking such steps during Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond, businesses can ensure they are providing an environment where employees feel respected and supported while prioritizing their own mental wellbeing.

Even Mental Health Awareness memes can be a great reminder for self-care and overall wellness.

If you’re on a quest to provide exceptional CX through supporting the mental health of those who provide service to your customers, explore Percepta’s solutions for your business today.