What can cause call center agents to be pushy?

OABPO Blog Team Published on July 17, 2014

pushy-male-call-center-agent--Open-Access-BPO
It s common for some firms offering call center outsourcing services to tie customer retention to employee performance. Does this practice really help boost loyalty, or can it cause serious detriments in the long run?

You’ve probably heard of the latest viral example of how customer service should never be done. In case you missed it, it’s a cringe-y eight-minute snippet of a recorded conversation that tech journalist Ryan Block had with a phone representative of his former Internet service provider. Block called to have his subscription cancelled, and the call center agent, who was apparently from the company’s customer retention unit, tried his hardest to prevent the cancellation from happening.

pushy-female-call-center-agent--Open-Access-BPO

The way the representative handled the transaction was borderline harassment and was downright unprofessional, which made it easy to make rounds in various news sites the moment Block shared his recording online.

We could learn a few things from the incident. There’s the obvious lesson of how fast a brand’s reputation could crumble when an unsatisfied customer used the power of social media to air out his bad experience with a company. But the bigger lesson here is how a bad company culture can go against the principles of customer service and ultimately, cause a dent on a brand’s image.

Not an isolated case

Ryan Block himself commented that the problem was “more systematic and not isolated.” Many others attested that the agent’s behavior was a result of poor training and management practice that is present in many call centers, not just the one owned by the broadcasting and cable company involved in the controversy.

Being part of the customer retention team, it’s the agent’s job to, well, retain customers. He must do the best he can to encourage customers to stay with the company using conversational tactics or rewards. It s an acceptable practice. However, if agents are prompted to use manipulative, agitating actions (hanging up, giving confusing instructions, making unnecessary transfers, putting on long hold), that’s when retention strategies become unethical.

Why agents resort to these actions

It s all because of the money. It’s common for some contact centers to tie incentives, bonuses, and even deductions to the number of cancellations and subscriptions they process in a day, week, or month. Since their salary, and sometimes their job, is impacted by customers who leave, agents resort to measures that aggravate people instead of enticing loyalty. And even if the tactics do work, these contact centers only retain headcounts but lose customer satisfaction behind the high retention rates.

In customer service, rewards should never replace intrinsic motivators such as fulfillment and willingness to contribute to the organization and deliver a pleasant customer experience. Agents must therefore be trained to do a task for its recipients and not because of fear of losing rewards. Otherwise, it would only defeat the purpose of having a customer service function.

Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO 11 hours ago
๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—”๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—•๐—ฃ๐—ข ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—›๐—œ๐—™๐—ง ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐˜†๐—น๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—บ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—˜๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐˜€

Multilingual call center Open Access BPO announced the official launch of ๐—ฆ๐—›๐—œ๐—™๐—ง: ๐—”๐—ป ๐—ข๐—”๐—•๐—ฃ๐—ข ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐˜†๐—น๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—บ, an initiative designed to foster sustainable health and well-being among its employees.

The program, whose acronym SHIFT stands for Sustainable Health and Integrated Fitness Transformation, aims to address the challenges of sedentary work lifestyles prevalent in the BPO industry by providing comprehensive support for health improvement.

The OABPO SHIFT Program will offer a holistic approach to employee wellness, encompassing structured physical fitness activities, wellness coaching, and a smart, sustainable nutrition guide.

This program highlights Open Access BPO's dedication to employee well-being, recognizing that healthy team members are key to both professional success and a great quality of life.

Employees are encouraged to check their official Open Access BPO email for detailed information on program enrollment and participation.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#OneForHealth #oabpoSHIFT
#IdeaHubOABPO #EmployeeWellness
#WellbeingAtWork
Open Access BPO 4 days ago
Delivering outstanding #CustomerSupport on over #SocialMedia promptly is essential for enhancing #CustomerSatisfaction and improving the overall brand experience.

But how can your brand consistently deliver on this crucial front?

Improve your customer interactions and build stronger connections on social media by reading all about it on our blog: https://buff.ly/sdjJ2A3

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”
Give your brand a CX boost on the social web!
Outsource to a #CustomerService expert today: https://buff.ly/aBetHaO

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerService #CSat
#CustomerExperience #CX
Open Access BPO 14 days ago
The world is getting smaller, and your customers come from all corners of it!
Partnering with a culturally diverse #CallCenter team isn't just the right thing to do, it's a smart business move.

Learn about the key benefits in our blog:
https://buff.ly/360SqHP

----------
Want a high-value #CustomerExperience for your diverse audience?

Let our multicultural teams help your brand break into international markets without worries.

Contact us today: https://buff.ly/59i7YD6

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CX #diversity #inclusion
Open Access BPO 14 days ago
Open Access BPO is kicking off our Pride Week, a dedicated series of events celebrating #PrideMonth. This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering a workplace culture built on #inclusion and #diversity.

Throughout the week, we've planned a series of meaningful activities designed to celebrate the #LGBTQIA+ community. We believe that fostering an environment where every individual feels valued and empowered is crucial for our collective success.

Our dedication to creating a safe and equitable space extends beyond this week, reflecting our ongoing commitment to a more inclusive future for all.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#PrideMonth #Pride2025 #UnitedByLove
#OneWithDiversity #PrideMonth2025
Open Access BPO 14 days ago
Open Access BPO is kicking off our Pride Week, a dedicated series of events celebrating #PrideMonth. This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering a workplace culture built on #inclusion and #diversity.

Throughout the week, we've planned a series of meaningful activities designed to celebrate the #LGBTQIA+ community. We believe that fostering an environment where every individual feels valued and empowered is crucial for our collective success.

Our dedication to creating a safe and equitable space extends beyond this week, reflecting our ongoing commitment to a more inclusive future for all.

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#PrideMonth #Pride2025 #UnitedByLove
#OneWithDiversity #PrideMonth2025
Open Access BPO 15 days ago
Open Access BPO conducted Plant It Forward, a two-part tree-planting initiative, held in Laguna and Davao in May and June 2025.

Volunteers from both activities planted 300 Philippine indigenous trees, which were selected to help maintain the biodiversity in the area.

โ€œThis program is more than just planting trees; itโ€™s about cultivating a culture of social responsibility within our organization and demonstrating our commitment to the communities where we operate,โ€ said Joy Sebastian, Global VP at Open Access BPO.

This is only the start. Open Access BPO vows to continue investing in such environmental projects, affirming its core value of creating positive impact.

Read more about the green initiative here: https://buff.ly/HjTlHZC

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#OABPOPlantItForward
#OABPOcares #IdeaHubOABPO