What is Call Center Burnout? How to Overcome and Prevent It?

If you’ve ever felt workspace stress and struggled to do your job as efficiently as you used to, you have suffered from Burnout 😓. 

However, this phenomenon is pretty common, and most people have experienced it while working in a call center. 

Like in other workspaces, call center agents are not new to this. Working in a call center has been classified as a stressful job 😩. So, Call Center Burnout is more likely to occur.

Nevertheless, as there is a saying, “Every Problem has its Solution💡.” 

Likewise, Burnout is a problem that can be managed. From this article, let’s learn what it is, its causes, and how to overcome and prevent it.

What is Call Center Burnout?

Call Center Burnout is a state in which a call center agent experiences mental exhaustion due to work-related stress. The nature of the call center workspace is demanding and exhausting, So call center burnout is quite common. 

Dealing with constant calls, pressure to meet targets, and challenging customer interactions can pile up stress and lead to Call Center Stress Syndrome. So, let’s learn what this means.

Call Center Stress Syndrome term can be used for call center burnout interchangeably. Often, it emphasizes the mental and other stressful factors resulting in Call Center Burnout.

Call center stress is majorly affected by workspace factors like unrealistic expectations, devastated work life, long hours, hectic schedules, etc. It is a severe issue that significantly impacts the agents’ well-being and efficiency. 

Who Experiences Call Center Burnout more often?

While burnout can occur in any profession and in any workspace, call center agents are the ones who are most affected. 

Call center burnout can impact anyone in the workspace, but some individuals may be more vulnerable regardless of their gender or role. Workers under 30 experience burnout on a higher level. 

A recent Gallup survey states that nearly three in ten millennials often feel burned out at work. Meanwhile, about seven in ten millennials experience at least some burnout. 

Call center agents mostly experience burnout due to various factors, such as pressure to deliver, high career expectations, connectivity, and constant responsive availability. They often expect perfection in every aspect and try to meet unrealistic expectations. If they somehow fail to meet them, they pressure themselves and stress out more often.

What are the Causes of Call Center Burnout?

Call center burnout can significantly hamper the agent’s output and greatly affect the organization’s goals. To deal with it swiftly, you should monitor the factors that cause burnout. 

Some of the major causes of call center burnout are discussed below. 👇

1. High Call Volume

Call center agents must deal with many customer calls and solve their queries as needed. They are clearly on a constant workload and must deal with every type of customer. High call volumes and constant workloads cause the agents to burn out.

Constant calls with customers and challenging interactions with them can build up constant pressure on the agents, leading to burnout.

2. Repetitive and Tedious Task

Imagine doing the same task every day. Obviously, anyone will feel monotonous and get tired of it. Call center agents must perform the same calling operation for hours and hours every day.

Due to this factor, the call center agent can feel bored performing the same repetitive task every time. 

3. Excessive Monitoring and Strict Policies

Call center agents are constantly watched and monitored to provide better customer satisfaction. However, this method puts the agents under constant pressure and might increase their anxiety and stress. 

These agents must follow some strict guidelines and policies while working, as they should follow some scripts that hamper their fluency and workflow. 

4. Outdated Technology

Using outdated technologies in call centers can make the easiest work much more difficult. Using the latest Technology can ease the job and almost increase efficiency to a higher level, providing higher customer satisfaction and excellent agent work experience. 

Advanced call center technology or services can solve most call center-related issues and improve the customer service provider’s working method.

5. Challenging Interactions

The overall job of a call center agent is to take customer calls and help them solve queries. It can be tedious and challenging. Sometimes, an agent may face challenging interactions that end up pretty bad, which can disrupt their personal well-being. 

A recent Forbes article outlined various factors contributing to call center employees’ burnout, and fiery customer interaction is likely a significant factor. 

Signs of Call Center Burnout

Due to the demanding nature of the call center job, it’s evident that agents will seem direful and stressed at times due to Burnout. Around 76% of the employees experience Burnout at some point, which is pretty high.

As the Call Center Burnout Rate is pretty enormous, managers or supervisors should focus on preventing burnout. Now, Let’s discuss some of the common signs of call center burnout.

• Physical Symptoms: We may see the burnout agent fatigued, exhausted, and having difficulty concentrating on their work, which reduces their productivity. This may result in poor customer service and reduced efficiency. 

• Emotional Exhaustion: Emotional exhaustion occurs when one feels emotionally drained due to work-related stress. As a result, agents or employees may seem detached from their work and colleagues.

• Energy Depletion: Agents may seem to lack the energy to regularly perform and meet their daily task targets. This may happen due to burnout and might hamper the organization’s regular goals in general.

• Increased Negativity: Negativity in work and character could be a sign of stress or Burnout, especially for someone cheerful and optimistic toward everyone. 

• Isolation or Absenteeism: Burnout employees may often cancel team meetings or even avoid workplace interactions. They may also take frequent leaves and time off from work to be isolated. 

• Low Efficiency: The agents experiencing burnout are exhausted and tired of performing their tasks and meeting their goals. As a result, low efficiency and unaffordable output are expected. 

• Increased Irritability: Employees experiencing burnout become frustrated with every aspect of their respective workspaces. They are more likely to get irritated by workspace interactions, daily tasks, and other factors related to their work.

• Turnover: The Turnover Rate in call centers is around double that of other occupations. Agent burnout drives this high turnover rate, which leads to decreased productivity and higher hiring and retraining costs.  

How do you Prevent and Overcome Burnout in a Call Center?

Call Center Burnout is a severe issue for organizations and their employees that must be managed properly. The Gitnux Market Data Report shows that 91% of Call Center Agents experience anxiety and other mental health issues. 

Several strategies can be applied to prevent and overcome this outrageous problem:

1. Recognize Burnout Early

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight, so it’s better to recognize it early and try preventive measures. As a supervisor, your job is to monitor any unusual behavior from the agents. 

😮‍💨 Are they meeting their goals or not? Are they taking leave more often? Are they missing meetings and skipping interactions? These could be early signs of customer service Burnout. 

2. Define Responsibilities

All agents should be clearly clarified about their duties and responsibilities. Having unclear responsibilities, such as handling high call volumes and meeting performance metrics, leads to burnout in call centers. Agents should be well-trained and transparent about their roles to provide better outcomes. 

Assisting the agents and providing proper feedback can help clarify the roles more clearly. 

3. Set Clear and Realistic Expectations

Managers expecting unrealistic expectations and goals often lead to agent burnout. As a manager, it is your job to set clear and realistic expectations for the agents to meet. 

High expectations often lead to stress and anxiety when performing the task. This is a vital factor in agent burnout. To overcome this, the workload should be balanced so that the agents can meet their goals.  

4. Support Agent Growth and Development

Supporting the agents in need and assisting them in maintaining quality results can reduce their overall stress related to work. Some agents might need help or assistance performing tasks. 

Rewarding those high-performing agents can encourage them to work efficiently. The sense of recognition can boost their morale and even motivate other agents. It provides a sense of healthy competition within the workspace, which can prosper the end goal.

5. Offer Comprehensive Training Programs

Call centers must provide the new agents with enough resources and training to help them excel in their jobs. The new agents might be unclear about their roles and duties, so proper training is required to fill the gap.

Offering training programs and providing enough job-related resources and knowledge will help agents improve their outcomes. 

6. Empower with Advance Technology

Using the right tools and technology can improve the performance rate and reduce workload and frustration. Empowering agents with advanced call center technology can ease their tasks and positively impact the call center burnout rate.

Working with a cloud call center platform can help you handle all customer calls and queries very easily with all the tools and features that they provide, like call listening, voicemail, IVR, and so on.

How does the Call Center support Burn Out Agents?

Call center workspaces are the most affected place for burnout, as agents experience burnout more frequently than other occupations. The manager or supervisor’s job is to support the agents when needed. 

Let’s discuss some techniques the call center uses to support burnout agents.

• Promote Time-Off: Managers should ensure that the agents get proper vacations or leave as needed. Taking time off from work or vacations can provide adequate rest and mental peace from job stress.

• Provide Personalized Coaching: Underperforming agents shouldn’t be neglected; they should be treated more carefully. Assigning struggling agents proper mentorship and support can uplift their work performance. Proper Call Center Coaching can help them perform complex tasks efficiently, which can help reduce work-related tension.

• Organize Stress Relief Activities: Organize activities that may improve the agent’s morale and working experience. Sports events, frequent breaks, social interactive events, etc., may reduce stress and improve the agents’ well-being.

• Flexible Work Arrangements: Managers can see if any adjustments can be made or if remote work options can be granted to agents experiencing burnout. Temporarily reducing workloads for the agents showing burnout signs might improve their well-being.

Conclusion: Tackle Burnout Before It Escalates 

As the call center job is pretty demanding and challenging, Call Center Staff experience more frequent burnout than other occupations. To prevent burnout, managers should recognize it before it gets worse. As they just can’t expect unreal work performance from them if you can’t maintain a quality work environment. 

Meanwhile, they must take primary preventative measures, such as recognizing burnout early to keep burnout under their control. It is possible to reduce burnout in the workplace by utilizing the latest tools & technologies and providing proper training, guidance, and assistance to agents who need it.

And if you are looking to tackle your call center agent’s burnout before it escalates, you just go with KrispCall’s call center software. With it, you can easily track all your agents’ productivity as you get VoIP features like call analytics that gives thorough reports into all call reports and sales call recording that records every conversation so that you can listen to and understand what is happening in every call.

You also get advanced features like call monitoring and listening, which enable you to monitor and listen to live calls in real time. These features help you understand reps’ state of mind, detect burnout symptoms early, and prevent burnout from occurring.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Customer Service Burnout?

Customer Service Burnout is a state of exhaustion that Customer Service Representatives experience due to the overwhelming stress and pressure in their workspace. 

Why is working in the Call Center tiring? 

Working in a Call Center is tiring, as the Agents have to deal with a large volume of customer calls, creating constant pressure and challenges that require continuous and consistent effort.

What are the symptoms of Call Center Burnout?

The symptoms of Call Center Burnout are:

• Fatigue
• Emotional Exhaustion
• Difficulty Concentrating
• Declining Performance
• Isolation and Withdrawal

Arun Chaudhary

Arun is SEO Analyst at KrispCall. He has written in extensively in the field of cloud telephony and call center solutions.