How to create a purposeful contact center

Too often, contact center roles are sold as entry-level jobs, stepping stones toward a different career path. This perception undervalues the true significance and potential of these critical roles, ultimately affecting morale, motivation and retention.

To inspire loyalty and commitment among contact center agents, we must shift the narrative around their jobs. Before we can effectively discuss perks, bonuses, or incentives, we need to acknowledge that being a contact center agent is inherently meaningful, impactful and worthy of respect.

Agents sit at the very heart of customer relationships. We often forget they are not only answering customer queries, they are also the keepers of the brand, actively shaping how customers perceive a company. Every call, chat, or email exchange holds the potential to build long-term customer loyalty or irreparably damage a brand's reputation.

This isn't trivial work; it’s work that can directly affect the success and failure of a company. It requires empathy, skill, resilience and emotional intelligence. It’s such an important role, yet our initial reaction to retaining and engaging contact center staff — who we have entrusted with this worthy mission — is to reach for extrinsic reward systems, as if the people in the roles are children needing a lollipop after a visit to the doctor.

Acknowledging the value of an agent’s role is foundational to building a genuine culture of appreciation. When contact center agents know their organization values their contributions as meaningful, they're more likely to remain engaged and committed. Engagement begins when employees genuinely feel their roles are significant; not temporary placeholders until something better comes along.

Take a moment to think about how many customer relationships are maintained, enhanced or salvaged each day through the diligent work of your agents. When a frustrated customer reaches out, it is the agent’s empathy and skillful communication that diffuses tension, resolves problems and restores confidence. At a glance, they might look like simple transactions, but nearly every one of them is loaded with strategic importance.

We often hear things like, “They are the eyes and ears of the company” because they are hearing firsthand, real-time feedback, trends and issues. Agents are the customer’s advocate within the company. That is why we need to elevate the view of the agent role itself first before talking rewards.

When it comes to ideas and conversations about motivating agents, we leap immediately to extrinsic rewards: free lunches, wellness programs or incentive bonuses. While these perks have their place and can temporarily boost morale and motivation, they can’t do it sustainably.

We mistake them as a tool to inspire loyalty as if loyalty is the goal. The problem with this lens is that loyalty is asking something of someone (“stick around” or “stay with us.”) We strive for loyalty because retention matters in a contact center. This is why the industry has so much churn. We sell roles as a stepping stone. Nothing more than a job a then try to keep people with unsustainable, meaningless rewards.

If the contact center industry wants to change, it needs to stop relying on perks and asking for loyalty. It needs to start showing appreciation and creating a sense of belonging with roles tied to purpose. Industry leaders need to clearly communicate how an agent can make an impact on the organization and society.

A contact center that genuinely values agents and the worthy job they do, will communicate their importance and impact clearly and frequently. Agents need to see clear evidence that their role is pivotal; not peripheral.

Investing in agent training and professional development further reinforces this idea. Rather than simply teaching agents how to respond to customer queries, organizations should empower them to make strategic decisions. Providing advanced training in emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and customer psychology not only improves customer interactions, but also signals to agents that their professional development matters to the organization. This is what leads to genuine opportunities for professional growth, and meaningful participation in decision-making processes.

Leaders within contact centers play a massive role in this shift. Managers should act as mentors and coaches, constantly championing that agents' work is important, respected and valued. Recognition shouldn't be reserved for monthly or annual events; it should be woven into everyday interactions. Simple actions like a genuine kind word of appreciation or inviting an agents’ feedback, can dramatically shift the narrative. They signal clearly that agents are trusted and respected professionals.

How we communicate to the broader organization also dramatically enhances how agents perceive their roles. Regular storytelling around successful agent-customer interactions, sharing customer testimonials and direct quotes reinforces the impact an agent can have, not only to the organization but to the agent as well.

This perspective shift needs to happen before extrinsic perks can have any impact. When agents deeply understand the significance of their role and feel respected as professionals, perks may become meaningful supplements rather than hollow gestures. Without foundational acknowledgment and appreciation, even generous perks are nothing but superficial, short-lived morale boosters.

It's time we moved beyond superficial perks. Instead, we need to fundamentally reframe the role of the agent. Acknowledging and communicating the inherent value and worthiness of their work to cultivate a deeper sense of purpose, meaning and pride with agents and for agents.

Until next time and as always,

Hooroo