Gartner Customer Service and Support Survey Reveals Rampant Rep Disengagement Could Lead to Poor Customer Service Experience and Economic Cost
Disengaged reps are 84% more likely to look for a new job than engaged reps, and even neutral reps are 43% more likely to engage in job-seeking behaviors. Left unchecked, this can lead to poor customer outcomes and economic cost, especially as disengaged and neutral workers make up two-thirds of the workforce.
“Disengaged reps engage in behaviors that drive a high-effort customer service experience three times as often as their engaged counterparts,” said Brent Adamson, distinguished vice president, in the Gartner Customer Service and Support Practice. “These behaviors include failing to provide first-contact resolution, making customers repeat information and failing to reduce the number of steps customers must take to resolve their issues. Therefore, reps are much more likely to provide a poor customer service experience, negatively impacting loyalty and customer outcomes.”
Figure 1: Levels of Engagement Among the Rep Population
Source: Gartner (June 2020)
Customer service and support leaders responsible for talent management should take the following action to mitigate rep disengagement:
- Assess the current level of disengagement among their service reps through rep surveys.
- Align rep metrics with business objectives to help reps understand how to prioritize when dealing with conflicting goals.
- Educate reps on their specific role in achieving these business objectives to help them better understand what is in and out of scope for their role.
- Support rep well-being, not just performance, by giving reps the opportunity to take a break from their work after emotionally draining situations.
