• Login
  • Status
  • Support
  • Partners
  • Pricing
  • Careers
  • ENLanguages
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • Français
    • 日本
    • 简体中文
    • العربية
    • 한국
    • Español
Customer Experience (CX) AI Platform
  • Customer Experience (CX) AI Platform×
  • Platform

      CXone Mpower Platform

      • Platform Overview

        Complete AI platform for customer service automation

      • Enlighten AI

        Powering smarter CX with AI-driven insights and automation.

      • Cloud Architecture

        Innovative cloud-native foundation to rapidly scale extraordinary CX

      • Dashboards & Reporting

        Gain a full operational picture of your contact center, with enhanced visualization of real-time and historical insights

      • Integrations

        Seamlessly connect your business systems with our platform

      • Trust & Compliance

        Securing your trust with every interaction

      Discover the full value of AI in customer service

      Understand the benefits and cost savings you can achieve by embracing AI, from automation to augmentation.

      Calculate your savings

    • Products
      • Explore all Products

      • Capabilities

      • Interaction Orchestration

        Interaction Orchestration

        Orchestrate all interactions and workflows across every customer service touchpoint.

        Learn more

        • Omnichannel Routing

          Reduce wait times and boost conversions with smart customer-agent matching.

        • Proactive Engagement

          Generate more revenue, minimize hang-ups, and proactively connect to reduce friction.

        • AI Orchestrator

          Unify and optimize every customer service workflow from intent to fulfillment.

        • Agent Desktop Workspace

          Connect front and back office teams with data, conversations, and workflows together in one place.

      • Workforce Augmentation

        Workforce Augmentation

        Amplify team performance with specialized AI copilots for every role.

        Learn more

        • Specialized AI Copilots

          Elevate human performance with specialized AI copilots for every role.

        • Workforce Engagement Management

          Elevate employees, adapt to flexible work, and meet expectations - without compromise.

        • Automated Agent Notetaking

          Instantly summarize interactions - accelerating resolution times and agent efficiency.

        • Voice of the Customer

          Unlock customer insights to enhance experiences, drive loyalty, and boost business growth.

        • Interaction Analytics

          Gain AI-powered insights from 100% of interactions to drive continuous improvement.

      • Service Automation

        Service Automation

        Automated customer self-service solutions increasing retention rates.

        View Products

        • Intelligent Virtual Agent

          Boost self-service satisfaction and conversion with conversational AI agents.

        • Experience Optimization (XO)

          Synthesize real customer conversations to identify your top automation opportunities.

        • Proactive AI Agent

          Keep customers engaged in conversation from onboarding to installation, service, and retention.

        • Knowledge Management

          Activate AI-powered enterprise knowledge to increase self-resolution rates and loyalty.


      • Solutions

      • By Industry

        By Industry

        • BPO

          Business Process Outsourcers

        • Financial Services

          Customer experiences that count

        • Government

          Elevate citizen trust

        • Healthcare

          Healthy patient experiences

        • Insurance

          Secure policyholder experiences

        • Retail

          Delight customers where they shop

        • Telecom

          CX for Telecommunications

        • Travel & Hospitality

          Boost traveler and guest loyalty

        Discover the full value of AI in customer service

        Understand the benefits and cost savings you can achieve by embracing AI, from automation to augmentation.

        Calculate your savings

      • By Business Initiative

        By Business Initiative

        • Grow Revenue

          Boost conversions and win rates to accelerate growth

        • Engage & Empower Employees

          Create a workplace of truly engaged employees

        • Boost Customer Loyalty

          Improve customer loyalty on interactions across the journey

        • Drive Digital Transformation

          Integrate digital technology at the center of CX

        • Small and Medium Business

          Drive growth and boost revenue with smarter, cost-effective customer service built for SMBs.

        • Call Center Software

          Empower agents to provide better experiences

        • Increase Operational Efficiency

          Leverage AI and automation to increase agent retention

        • Move to the Cloud

          Elevate experiences by moving operations to the cloud

        • Improve Compliance

          Protect your consumers with pre-built compliance solutions

        • Proactive Customer Engagement

          Elevate customer satisfaction with proactive conversational AI

      • Integrations & Custom Solutions

        Integrations & Custom Solutions

        • CXexchange Marketplace

          Discover partner solutions to extend capabilities on our platform

        • Pre-Built Integrations

          Seamlessly connect your business systems with our platform

        • Developer Tools & APIs

          Endless customization options with RESTful APIs and robust SDKs

        • Partner Ecosystem

          Embark on a journey of shared success and collaboration

        91% of customers recommend NiCE as a preferred CCaaS vendor

        Gartner® named NiCE the only Customers’ Choice CCaaS vendor in its 2024 Peer Insights™ “Voice of the Customer for Contact Center as a Service” report.

        Get report


      • View All Products
    • Services
      • Explore all Services

      Professional Services

      • Professional Services

        Industry-leading expertise, tools and know-how

      • Implementation Partners

        NICE-certified implementation partners

      • Business Consulting

        Your partner for successful transformation

      Training

      • Contact Center Training

        Tailored education delivered by CX experts

      Support & Assistance

      • Customer Support

        Global support you can depend on

      Make the smartest buying decision with the latest Gartner analysis

      NiCE has been named a Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ Leader for Contact Center as a Service for the 10th consecutive year and is positioned furthest on Completeness of Vision.

      Get report

    • Resources

        Knowledge Base

        • All Resources

          Whitepapers, datasheets, demos and more

        • Analyst Perspectives

          Contact center reports from third party analysis

        • Terms Glossary

          Detailed descriptions of industry-related terms

        • FAQs

          Contact center focused frequently asked questions

        • Guides

          Expert insights for superior CX

        Learning & Insights

        • On-Demand Webinars

          Browse our extensive webinar catalog

        • Interactive Product Tours

          Explore the complete platform with our self-guided demos

        • Blog

          CX industry guidance by contact center experts

        • Why NiCE? Video Series

          Step Inside The Room Where It Happened to see CX AI in action

        • NiCE & Simple: Video Demo Series

          Brilliant, bite-sized videos from our top product pros

        Community

        • Events

          Upcoming events and webinars

        • Customer Stories

          Our customer's success is paramount. Read case studies about real CX transformation

        • NiCE Clubs

          Collaborate, learn, and share best practices for customer service excellence

        Discover the full value of AI in customer service

        Understand the benefits and cost savings you can achieve by embracing AI, from automation to augmentation.

        Calculate your savings

      • Company

          Company

          • About Us

            Powering seamless cloud experiences

          • Investors

            Investors relations, reports and filings

          • Global Offices

            Interactive map of locations worldwide

          • Careers

            View job openings and learn about our culture

          • NiCE Leadership

            Meet our global leadership and executive team

          News & Media

          • Events

            Upcoming events and webinars

          • Press Releases

            Find the latest updates from NiCE

          • Media Center

            Media contacts and resources

          Corporate Governance

          • NiCE Trust Center

            Securing your trust with every interaction

          • Market Leadership

            Discover why NiCE is the market leader

          • Corporate Responsibility

            In a world where you can be anything, be NiCE

          Make the smartest buying decision with the latest Gartner analysis

          NiCE has been named a Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ Leader for Contact Center as a Service for the 10th consecutive year and is positioned furthest on Completeness of Vision.

          Get report

          • ENLanguages
            • English
            • Deutsch
            • Français
            • 日本
            • 简体中文
            • العربية
            • 한국
            • Español
          • Get Started
            • Login
            • Status
            • Support
            • Partners
            • Pricing
            • Careers

          Company

          • About Us
          • Careers
          • Global Leadership
          • Media Center
          • Investors
          • Awards
          • Global Office Locations
          • Contact Us
          • CCaaS
          • Customer Experience
          • NiCE Public Safety
          • NiCE Actimize
          • NiCE RPA

          Partners

          • NiCE Partners Overview
          • Developer Partners (DEVone)
          • CXone Mpower Partner Portal
          • NiCE Help Partner Portal
          • NiCE User Group

          Customer Support

          • Customer Support Overview
          • CXone Mpower Support Login
          • NiCE Customer Support
          © 2025 NiCE
          • Terms of Use
          • Site Map
          • Privacy Policy
          • Legal
          • Cookies Settings
          • Accessibility

          Stay Connected

          © 2025 NiCE
          call center agent

          Is “Call Center Agent” the Worst Job in the World?

          by Mechele Herres
          May 31, 2022
          Share

          Your contact center agents are your top brand ambassadors. They’re not just the ones your customers interact with, but the ones your customers will tell their network about. When you don’t treat your agents well, they’ll treat your customers the same way—setting off a chain reaction of negative perceptions about YOU.

          You have disengaged agents? Suddenly, your company looks like a heartless corporation.

          An agent can’t find the answer? Your business appears incompetent.

          Too many escalations? Customers repeating information? Guess you don’t care about their desire for convenience.

          And…well, you get the idea.

          Agents who work in a contact center face a lot of tall tasks. Not only are they expected to know the ins and outs of your products and services, but they’re supposed to be available at all times and on all channels. And they’re expected to clearly, immediately, and unquestioningly resolve customer issues—or face their wrath.

          So, not only are call center agent jobs tough, but they’re also thankless. Agents don’t get thanked by angry customers (unless it’s sarcastically), and they don’t feel thanked by you when they’re not set up for success.

          And they’ll thank you by quitting.

          Fostering agent purpose

          So how do you mitigate the perception that call center jobs are awful? How do you show your agents (and, therefore, your customers) that you care about them and their success? By fostering purpose.

          Unfortunately, only two in 10 employees say they’re managed in a way that motivates them to put their best work forward. That’s a shocking statistic, with two not-so-shocking results:

          • They’re treating your customers poorly
          • They’re leaving you for better opportunities

          Fostering true agent purpose goes well beyond closing tickets and collecting a paycheck. The best way to help them find purpose is to treat them the same way you treat your customers. And just like customers, they expect:

          • Flexibility and respect for their preferences
          • Instant access to the right answers at the right time
          • Quality relationships and trust

          When you prioritize the agent experience, you’ll not only find their performance improves but that your customer satisfaction (CSAT) also goes up, protecting your brand’s reputation.

          Here are your top action items to foster agent purpose.

          Adopt an agent-focused mentality

          Which of the following interactions would make an agent feel more valued—the first example or second?

          Now, even if both of these interactions end with a resolution, the agent in scenario one feels overwhelmed and rushed, whereas the agent in scenario two feels empowered to proactively deliver a solution while curbing the customer’s frustration. To put it another way, the agent in scenario one has no higher purpose than to close tickets as quickly as possible, whereas the agent in scenario two is reaping the benefits of agent-focused management.

          Chances are, you recognize both scenarios—both as a contact center leader and as a customer. We’ve all experienced amazing and horrible customer service interactions. So, let’s put on a “customer hat” for a moment: Would you be more likely to remain loyal to a brand after scenario one, or scenario two?

          How about the agent on the other end of the line?

          Today’s customers are empowered to create their own journeys: Self-service options, chatbots, and omnichannel support provide more flexibility than ever. So in order to treat your agents like customers, you need to empower them in much the same way.

          Begin by implementing tools like:

          • Workforce management: Offers more accurate forecasting and scheduling, removes unnecessary tasks from agents’ plates, increases engagement, and improves satisfaction
          • Real-time interaction guidance: Coaches and trains agents in the moment, mitigating customer frustration and, therefore, negative interactions
          • Performance management: Increases visibility, encourages teamwork, and boosts performance for in-office, remote, and hybrid contact center agents

          Give agents more flexibility and trust

          Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only 13% of contact center agents worked remotely on a permanent basis. As of late 2021, that number had skyrocketed to 82%. But as virus-imposed restrictions continue to lift around the globe, many businesses are bringing employees back to physical buildings.

          Whether your contact center maintains a remote-first model, a brick-and-mortar one, or something in between, your focus must be on trust and flexibility. The pandemic proved that most businesses have the technological ability to shift rapidly to remote operations. Why shouldn’t that proof apply, even in the wake of COVID-19?

          Agents know they can be trusted to work from home, whether on a short- or long-term basis. Cloud-based tools make this tenable and allow home offices simply to be as secure and high quality as corporate ones. This is a win-win for you and your call center agents. They get to work in their preferred spaces (especially for the PJ-all-day crowd) while you ensure that business is running smooth and compliant.

          A better work-from-anywhere model does the following:

          • Uses automatic call and screen recording to ensure every interaction is secure and up to standard
          • Establishes business continuity for foreseen circumstances such as seasonal demand and unforeseen ones like natural disasters
          • Reduces overstaffing issues by accurately gauging peak times—minimizing costs for you and ensuring meaningful time spent at work for your agents

          Personalize the agent/customer relationship

          Many of the metrics used to measure agent success are counterintuitive to quality interactions. How can an agent reduce hold time for a customer when they’re bogged down with after call work from the previous interaction? Will an agent under AHT-pressure spend the meaningful time it takes to really understand the customer and their issue? Is the number of tickets closed truly more important to the bottom line than happy customers?

          The last thing your agents want is to listen to a tirade about how long a customer was on hold, or spend too much time on after call work. Average hold times should already be low, and mundane tasks should already be automated—those shouldn’t be your agents’ responsibility.

          Instead, create an environment where your agents can build meaningful and personal connections with their customers. Understanding which agents have the skills to handle unique customer issues and demographics (and routing contacts accordingly) is a powerful way to make customers feel valued—and agent productivity goes up in the process.

          Personalized interactions let agents know their work is important, and customers feel heard and understood. When agents punch out, they’ll remember their interactions, not the number of tickets they closed. You can help ensure those interactions are positive:

          • Use AI routing to match customers with the agent best suited to take care of their unique needs
          • Proactively extend knowledge of your products and services, fostering more efficient interactions and reducing turnover
          • Train your agents on soft skills such as empathy, active listening, and patience

          When customers meet a friendly, understanding, resourceful, and efficient agent, it feels less like an interaction and more like a conversation. The agent on the other end is an advocate, not just a voice. And even if they never interact again, both parties will feel valued—which is undeniably good for your business.

          Gather agent feedback

          Don’t just assume that adopting the right tools and an agent-focused mentality is working—measure it!

          If you believe—as I do—that your agents are your top brand ambassadors, let them tell you what’s working and what’s not, and prove that you’re listening by implementing change. Even a small, subtle change can be significant to your agents by giving them credit for the idea. Quite aside from asking agents about upcoming implementations, find out how those implementations are working for them personally, and whether they make their jobs more fulfilling.

          There are a number of ways to collect feedback—and not just about tools and flexibility, but how supported agents feel, what their stress level looks like, what level of emotional commitment they feel toward your company, and what their professional goals are.

          Here are just a few suggestions:

          • Anonymous and/or identified surveys and polls
          • Progress reports and performance evaluations
          • Self-measurement tools
          • Focus groups and forums
          • Feedback on how their ideas/suggestions have impacted the business

          So, is “call center agent” the worst job in the world? Before you ask them, ask yourself the same question. Based on how you’ve been treating your workforce, you’ll probably come to the same conclusion—for better or worse.

          Want to learn more about becoming the employer of choice for your agent workforce? Learn more here.

          About the Author

          Mechele Herres

          See All Blogs

          Follow Us

          Follow us to get the latest news from your preferred Social Network

          linkedinlinkedinlinkedinlinkedin

          Popular Posts

          5 reasons why AI without memory is just guesswork

          July 2, 2025

          AI that forgets isn’t worth paying for: 5 reasons memory is key to AI-powered experiences

          Read

          July 1, 2025

          Create a streamlined world: Where tickets and data live in one place

          Read
          The power of partnership: How NiCE, AWS, ServiceNow, and Snowflake are creating a NiCE world

          June 24, 2025

          The power of partnership: How NiCE, AWS, ServiceNow, and Snowflake are creating a NiCE world

          Read

          June 18, 2025

          Reimagine automation with CXone Mpower Agents that act, resolve, and scale instantly

          Read

          June 17, 2025

          Building a NiCE world: The stories making the world brighter

          Read

          More from the blog

          5 reasons why AI without memory is just guesswork
          AI

          AI that forgets isn’t worth paying for: 5 reasons memory is key to AI-powered experiences

          Think about the last time a business truly impressed you. Not with flashy tech or a clever ad, but with the simple power of remembering who you are.

          July 2, 2025

          Customer Experience

          Create a streamlined world: Where tickets and data live in one place

          What if service wasn’t something customers had to chase… but something that found them? What if technology didn’t replace people… but actually amplified their ability to serve? What if we could finally blur the lines between the front office and back office… making the entire customer journey seamless?

          July 1, 2025

          The power of partnership: How NiCE, AWS, ServiceNow, and Snowflake are creating a NiCE world
          AI

          The power of partnership: How NiCE, AWS, ServiceNow, and Snowflake are creating a NiCE world

          At NiCE, our vision is to create a world where customer service just works. It’s a world that is seamless, smart, and connected across every interaction.

          June 24, 2025

        • A frustrated customer is escalated to an agent following several self-service attempts and immediately has to repeat their information and issue. On the other end of the interaction is the agent, who has previously been verbally warned about their high average handle time (AHT). Instead of paying attention to the customer’s angry cues (both verbal and nonverbal), the agent is worried about a reprimand, and therefore tries to rush the interaction and scramble through a pre-written script.
        • A different frustrated customer is escalated to an agent following several self-service attempts. The agent already has the customer’s information and is aware of their prior efforts. At the same time the agent is tapping into the contact center’s knowledge management platform to find the right answer, a sentiment prompt alerts the agent to use more empathetic language.