Effectiveness of Call Center Agent Retention Strategies Adopted by Commercial Banks in Kenya

Abstract

The research project focused on effectiveness of call center agent retention strategies adopted by commercial banks in Kenya. The context of this research was made up of commercial banks in Kenya. The study’s objective was: To determine the effectiveness of strategies applied by commercial banks in Kenya to retain their call center agents. The research adopted a cross-sectional design. The banking sector in Kenya has been classified into three tiers by the Central Bank of Kenya. The research focused on tier I commercial banks in Kenya, from which ninety call center agents were randomly selected. From the study, the top factors that influenced intention to quit among the call center agents were: career growth prospects, job characteristics, health concerns and compensation/benefits. Training and development were ranked as the least factor influencing quitting intentions among the call center agents. The study revealed that the most effective call center agent retention strategies in commercial banks in Kenya, were compensation and benefits, followed by development and work-related environment, while work life balance came third. Strategies under the categorical theme of company environment ranked as the least effective call center agent retention strategies. The study was limited by just focusing on call center agents in the banking industry in Kenya. Future researchers can focus on effectiveness of call center agent retention strategies in other industries other than the banking industry. They can also consider carrying out similar research in other countries, as this research focused on Kenya.