Loyalty on the line in NZ's call centre industry

A customer’s interaction with a call centre can make or break their brand experience. While a friendly voice can help build brand loyalty and trust, an unpleasant encounter can have the opposite effect.

Attracting and retaining the best call centre talent is vital in building brand perception, yet employee turnover is among the highest of any industry, so how can employers build loyalty among their call centre staff? 

The latest data from SEEK Employment Trends shows job ads for call centre and customer service increased by 3% year-on-year in February and the average advertised salary was $50,264. Roles that recorded the highest year-on-year growth for the three-month period of November to February included collections (40%), Customer Service – Call Centre (12%) and Supervisors / Team Leaders (10%). Meanwhile, Inbound Sales roles experienced a 20% decline over the same period and outbound sales slipped by 9%.

While chatbots and artificial intelligence are automating some areas for the industry, research shows customers still prefer speaking to a human rather than a robot.

Mallory Mason, Team Leader – Contact Centre Recruitment at Maddison, says more companies are viewing the quality of their call centre as a source of competitive edge.

“New Zealand in general is growing, which means our economy is growing and companies are trying to be more competitive,” she says.

“One way this is happening is by creating new and enriched ways to communicate with customers. I think this is really driving an uptake and focus on contact centre recruitment.”

Wytske Zijlmams, Auckland City Branch Manager at Adecco, says that while outsourcing has had an impact on the industry, New Zealanders still value a local voice on the end of the line. 

“In New Zealand, it is still important to give the customers the feeling that they are talking to a local,” he says. 

“Some call centres even literally tell you: ‘you are now being forwarded to a customer service representative in Auckland or Wellington’.”

With a reputation for high employee turnover, Zijlmams says companies in the call centre and customer service industry must focus on workplace culture to retain the best talent.  

“Retention is definitely a challenge when there are a lot of opportunities to move jobs,” he says.

“A positive and inclusive culture where employers have room to grow in the business will stimulate employee loyalty.”

Mason says more candidates in the industry are making employment choices based on workplace culture.

“When distinguishing between employers and similarly paid roles, candidates will look for companies who offer social activities, competitions, focus on fun, rewards, small treats and non-monetary bonuses,” she says.

Workplace culture is a strong focus at Auckland-based call centre and customer service company First Contact, which employs up to 45 operators.

“We treat our people like people, not like operators,” says Kathy Dennehy, General Manager at First Contact.

As First Contact is an outsource call centre, Dennehy explains it can take up to six months for each operator to be fully trained in both technology and the clients’ various customer-relationship-management platforms and services.    

Dennehy says that while retention can be an issue for companies in the industry, many employees at First Contact have been with the organisation for more than a decade.

“We put a lot of effort into making people happy,” she says.

“We work 24/7 but we make sure that there is flexibility in our rosters. We have a lot of mums working with us, so it’s important that we can help them juggle their other responsibilities. We also employ a lot of students and we allow them to study here so they can also manage their outside commitments.”

Workplace location is another benefit, says Dennehy.

“We’re next to a train station and a bus stop and we also offer free parking. Location is so important when it comes to attracting and retaining people in this industry.”

At New Zealand telecommunications provider Two Degrees Mobile Limited, culture is also vital to attracting candidates to its customer care centre. “We rely quite heavily on our culture to draw in like-minded people,” says Nicole Waugh, Senior Recruitment Advisor at Two Degrees.

“An important element is that we are able to portray our culture through our careers sites, adverts and any other external communication.”

Two Degrees has a team of ‘culture champions’ who represent each part of the business and drive the internal engagement program. Its welcome program includes a month of activities, including ‘Live it Now’, which introduces new recruits to the company’s values and gives all employees an opportunity to spend time on a call in the contact centre to reinforce the importance of customer service.

“We look for passionate people who share our values, are ready for a challenge and will thrive in our fast-paced environment,” says Waugh.