Sluggish responses or ignoring customers can cause reputational damage, which makes call center agents a crucial role player in reputation and brand crisis management.

Call center agents can manage these brand crisis situations effectively by doing the following:

1. Incorporate social listening

Social listening can help determine the severity of the crisis, which can help with apologies and avoiding similar pitfalls in the future.

2. Channel calls to a separate line

Separating crisis calls from regular calls can help you gain insight into the type of complaints that are flowing into your business. Pain points can easily be identified and strategies can then be implemented.

3. Give your agents a break

While it may seem like a terrible idea to give your agents a break during a crisis period, it is important for them to take small breaks in order to tackle problems with fresh perspective and renewed energy. An exhausted, mentally drained agent may become impatient and aggravate an already irate client more.

4. Collaborate

Depending on how serious the crisis is, ensure you have the necessary parties involved and ready to spring into action. This may mean informing brand managers of the situation and even getting the legal team involved. Ensure that the problem is dealt with swiftly and make the client feel heard and like they can be part of the solution.

5. Call-backs

During a crisis period, ensure you have enough manpower behind your brand and that all agents are informed of the strategy to deal with the crisis and questions that may arise.

Call centers are rarely the cause of a crisis but they are often the ones that are left to pick up the pieces and glue them back together. With a strong strategy in place, call center agents can diffuse the situation.

Do you need skilled call center agents who are equipped to deal with a crisis? Get in touch with us today.