Your Contact Centre Agents Have the Answers… Are You Sidelining Them?
Why the people on your frontline hold the key to transforming your customer experience and how to unlock it.
I might regret saying this, but here goes…
Contact centres spend thousands on consultants (cough), customer surveys, and endless "strategy sessions."
They hire expensive agencies to "reimagine the customer journey."
They fly executives to offsite retreats to workshop big ideas.
But they ignore the people who speak to their customers every single day.
The ones actually in the trenches.
The ones handling complaints at 9am, solving problems by lunchtime, and fielding the same frustrating question for the tenth time that afternoon.
Your frontline agents.
And that's a huge mistake.
Why Your Agents Are Pure Gold
Let me be clear:
Your contact centre agents don't just guess what customers want.
They know.
They hear the frustrations in real time.
They know the clunky workarounds customers have to use because your process isn't quite right.
They understand the gaps in your service that no report, no survey, and no consultant will ever fully reveal.
And here's the thing…
They usually have a pretty good idea of how to fix the problem.
Think about it.
When a customer calls in confused about your address change process, who figures out the workaround?
When your refund policy causes friction, who hears about it first?
When a competitor starts winning your customers over, who gets the "I'm thinking of switching" conversation?
Your agents.
That's Why We Always Include Frontline Agents in Every Project
At NextGenCX, we've made it non-negotiable.
No matter the duration or scope of the project, we always include frontline agents in our discovery and strategy process.
Why?
Because their insights are pure gold.
We don't just run workshops with senior leadership and call it a day.
We sit down with the people who live and breathe your customer experience.
We ask them:
"What do our customers struggle with most?"
"Where are we dropping the ball?"
"If you could change one thing, what would it be?"
And you know what?
The answers we get are game-changing.
When Was the Last Time You Really Listened?
Here's my challenge for you:
When was the last time you sat down with your frontline team and really listened?
Not in a performance review.
Not in a formal meeting where everyone's on their best behaviour.
But genuinely asked them:
"What do our customers struggle with most?"
"Where are we dropping the ball?"
"If you could change one thing, what would it be?"
If you can’t remember
It's time.
How to Unlock the Insights Your Agents Already Have
If you're ready to tap into this goldmine of knowledge, here's how to do it:
1. Make Agent Involvement Non-Negotiable
Don't treat frontline input as a "nice to have."
Build it into every project, every strategy session, every process review.
If you're hiring consultants or running workshops, insist that agents are part of the conversation.
2. Create Safe Spaces for Honest Feedback
Agents won't share the hard truths if they think it'll come back to bite them.
Make it clear:
This isn't about blame.
This isn't a performance review.
This is about improving the experience for everyone, customers and agents alike.
3. Ask the Right Questions
Don't just ask, "Any feedback?"
Get specific:
"What's the most common complaint you hear?"
"What part of our process frustrates customers the most?"
"If you were in charge, what would you change tomorrow?"
4. Shadow Your Agents
Want to really understand what's happening on the frontline?
Spend time watching your agents work.
Listen to calls.
Read live chat transcripts.
Sit beside them for a few hours and just observe.
You'll spot problems you never knew existed.
You'll hear the language your customers actually use.
You'll understand the friction points that slow everything down.
This is insight you can't get from a spreadsheet.
What Happens When You Listen?
Here's what we've seen time and time again:
✅ Faster problem-solving – because you're fixing the right problems
✅ Higher customer satisfaction – because you're addressing real pain points
✅ Better agent morale – because they feel heard and valued
✅ Stronger strategy – because it's grounded in reality, not assumptions
And here's the kicker:
It doesn't cost you thousands in consulting fees.
The expertise is already on your payroll.
You just have to listen.
My Challenge to You
Here's what I want you to do this week:
Sit with your agents and ask the three questions above.
That's it.
Just listen.
Take notes.
Don't defend.
Don't justify.
Just listen.
You might be surprised by what you discover.
Final Thought
Your contact centre agents aren't just there to answer calls and close tickets.
They're your frontline intelligence.
They know your customers better than anyone else in your business.
They see the problems before they hit your reports.
They hear the frustrations before they turn into churn.
So stop sidelining them.
Start listening.
Because the answers you're looking for?
They've been there all along.
Over to You
What's your experience with involving frontline teams in strategy?
Have you had a lightbulb moment from an agent's insight?
Want Help Improving Your Customer Experience?
At NextGenCX, we specialise in transforming contact centre operations by uncovering the insights that matter most.
Every project we run includes frontline voices because we know that's where the real answers are.
Want to know more?
Book Your Free Discovery Call (Click Here)
Written by Steve Hindley founder and lead consultant at NextGenCX
