With expectations for speed and convenience at an all-time high, your agents aren’t just the voice of support, they’re the voice of your brand. Every interaction is a chance to build loyalty, ease frustration, or spark delight. But what exactly separates a good agent from a great one?
Using Replicant’s Conversation Intelligence, we analyzed over 20,000 real customer conversations across industries to find out. Our goal? To surface the habits and behaviors that consistently drive better outcomes, from higher CSAT and NPS to fewer escalations and improved upsell rates.
What we uncovered wasn’t magic. It was method. Top agents consistently lean into five specific tactics rooted in empathy, clarity, and control that deliver outsized results. These behaviors aren’t exclusive to a few star reps,they’re coachable, repeatable, and scalable across entire teams.
Here’s what high-performing agents are doing differently, and how you can bring those behaviors to your whole organization.
The habits that set high performers apart
1. They make personalization feel effortless
What they do:
Top agents naturally weave customer-specific details into the conversation, like names, past interactions, or loyalty status. They speak in a way that feels warm and genuine, not robotic or transactional. Their references aren't mechanical or scripted, but emerge naturally as part of a human, back-and-forth exchange. They also ask thoughtful follow-up questions, showing they're genuinely tuned in to each customer’s unique situation. This type of real-time personalization helps customers feel known and valued.
High performers referenced the customer’s name 1.6× more often than low performers. They also scored 1.8 points higher on customization and upsell effectiveness.
Why it works:
Personalization builds rapport. It signals to customers that they aren’t just a ticket number, but a real person with history and preferences that matter. When agents tailor interactions with empathy and relevance, customers are more likely to stay engaged and trust the process. Now more than ever, personal touches deliver real emotional impact. That trust is the foundation of stronger loyalty and better outcomes.
Leader tips:
- Ensure agents have access to customer context at the start of every call.
- Build conversation cues into the agent desktop—such as loyalty level, travel history, or past pain points.
- Recognize and coach around moments of personalization, not just outcomes.
2. They de-escalate before they problem-solve
What they do:
High performers start by acknowledging customer frustration, not rushing into a solution. They pause to validate how the customer feels, often with simple, sincere language. You might hear, “That sounds really frustrating,” or “I completely understand why you'd be upset.” Only after that emotional acknowledgment do they move to solve the issue. Think of it as an emotional reset, not a delay.
Top agents earned 2.1× higher disclosure scores than low performers, which often signals better trust-building up front.
Why it works:
Customers want to feel heard before they’re helped. When an agent takes the time to validate a concern, it lowers defensiveness and opens the door to collaboration. Empathy reduces tension and shifts the tone of the entire call. Even when a fix is complex, this early connection makes the customer feel like the agent is on their side. That sense of partnership often matters more than the speed of the solution.
Leader tips:
- Build training moments around listening, acknowledgment, and emotional pacing—not just speed to resolution.
- Use AI-powered QA to surface missed empathy cues.
- Give agents go-to phrases that feel natural e.g., “That makes total sense. Let me walk you through what I can do from here.”
3. They offer clarity, not confusion
What they do:
Top agents communicate in ways that are easy to follow. They break down complex information into smaller chunks, pause to check for understanding, and clearly recap next steps. They use plain language, avoid jargon, and explain trade-offs with transparency. They’re not just informing, they’re guiding. They also anticipate common misunderstandings and proactively address them.
Top agents were 2× more likely to deliver a clear recap and scored nearly 2 points higher in “complete and correct information”.
Why it works:
Clarity builds confidence. When customers understand what’s happening and why, it reduces anxiety, eliminates confusion, and lowers repeat call rates. Miscommunication is one of the most common drivers of churn. Clear conversations ensure smoother resolutions and more satisfied customers. It also makes agents sound more credible and professional.
Leader tips:
- Train agents to pause and summarize during key transitions, especially when explaining pricing or policy.
- Use QA data to flag confusion triggers–then coach those moments.
- Make sure your internal knowledge base mirrors how customers speak and not how policies are written.
4. They stay in control without being controlling
What they do:
High-performing agents lead the call with confidence and calm, not by reading scripts but by conducting conversations. They explain what they’re doing during pauses or lookups, helping the customer stay informed. Instead of silence, you’ll hear check-ins like, “I’m reviewing your account now” or “Just a moment, I’m pulling up your reservation.” Their tone is steady, conversational, and reassuring. They avoid robotic scripts and overly formal phrasing.
In calls where agents didn’t narrate long holds, sentiment dropped by up to 23%.
Why it works:
Silence feels like uncertainty. Even a brief check-in can turn a long pause into a moment of reassurance. Narration keeps the experience professional and predictable. Customers don’t mind waiting if they know why and for how long. Leading with transparency helps agents maintain control of the interaction without sounding rigid or scripted.
Leader tips:
- Encourage simple, conversational hold narration: “Still with me? I’m just reviewing your booking details now.”
- Volume, tone, and rhythm are just as important as word choice. Flag when agents sound unsure or overly robotic.
- Set hold check-in standards by call type (e.g., every 30 seconds for tech issues).
5. They know when to answer and when to ask
What they do:
Top agents aren’t afraid to say, “Let me double-check that.” They prioritize accuracy over improvisation, and customers notice. These agents balance giving helpful answers with asking clarifying questions. They listen closely, resist the urge to improvise, and are quick to escalate or reference internal resources when needed. The result is fewer errors and more thoughtful support.
High performers not only scored better on knowledge, but also avoided critical errors more often, leading to higher sentiment and fewer escalations.
Why it works:
Accuracy beats speed. When agents prioritize correctness, customers feel reassured and respected. A confident, fact-based answer does more for trust than a fast, inaccurate one. Customers want to know they’re in capable hands. When agents slow down to confirm details, they demonstrate care and credibility.
Leader tips:
- Give agents permission to say, “Let me confirm that” instead of improvising.
- Monitor call types where agents are more likely to guess such as pricing, promos, or policy exceptions.
- Build a single source of truth for common edge cases and quick policy lookup.
Bonus tactic: Great tools make great agents even better
What they do:
Top agents don’t operate in a vacuum. They’re supported by coaching tools that actually work, measuring things like empathy and sentiment so managers can provide targeted feedback that leads to real growth. Their knowledge bases stay fresh and relevant, updated through AI-powered insights that surface recurring customer questions and the best agent responses. And they’re not stuck answering repetitive Tier 1 calls — automation handles those, so agents can focus on the nuanced, human conversations where they add the most value.
Why it works:
Even the best agents can’t deliver great experiences if their tools slow them down. Clunky systems lead to dropped balls, long holds, and errors that frustrate customers. By contrast, smart, responsive tech empowers agents to be present, accurate, and efficient. It reduces mental load, enabling them to listen better and respond faster. When the right tools are in place, excellence becomes the norm, not the exception.
Leader tips:
- Audit your agent experience regularly. What slows them down? What’s outdated?
- Invest in systems that integrate customer data, support resources, and QA into a unified view.
- Leverage automation to handle repetitive tasks, so agents can focus on where they add the most value.
- Use conversation intelligence to identify where tools are helping or hindering performance.
Wrapping it up: Excellence is a habit backed by the right support
The difference between a good support experience and a great one almost always comes down to behavior. Top-performing agents don’t rely on luck, personality, or perfect conditions. They follow consistent habits that build trust, offer clarity, and bring empathy to every call.
But here’s the truth: even the best behavior can fall short without the right support. Great agents need great systems—tools that reduce friction, surface insights in real time, and help them stay focused on what matters most: the customer.
The good news? These behaviors can be coached. These tools already exist. And with conversation intelligence and automation, every agent—not just the top 10%—can perform at their best.
At Replicant, we believe great conversations aren’t just possible. They’re repeatable, scalable, and transformative.
Want to see how? Book a personalized demo.
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