Cracking the Code: 7 Key Tips for Agent Motivation
Follow these expert tips for motivating contact centre agents to maximize job performance.
When managed poorly, contact centres can be soul-sucking environments that employees dread coming to and customers dread calling. But when managed in such a way to maximize the levels of agent motivation, the environment of the contact centre can be one of optimism and high performance.
But while we’d all love to keep our agents fist-pumping and confetti-throwing at the myriad of small everyday achievements that come with working in customer service, how can you keep your agent motivation levels high, short of blasting “Thriller” and “Eye of the Tiger” on repeat?
Through a combination of providing managerial support for agents, developing a positive contact centre culture and reinforcing excellent performance, contact centre managers can crack the mysterious code of agent motivation, streamlining their centre straight into an excellent year of customer service.
1. Offer Constructive Feedback
When managers make a deliberate effort to observe agent performance, take notes on strengths and weaknesses, and provide constructive feedback with the aim of helping agents improve their game, it signifies a commitment to quality work and support of the contact centre team. While positive feedback goes a long way in helping agents feel great about their performance, constructive criticism also lets agents know that you hold them to a high standard, motivating them to give their best efforts.
2. Keep the Workspace Clean
While janitorial duties are likely not a part of your job description, consider the instant fall in your spirits when you come home after a long day and there are dishes piled up in the sink, dirty laundry on the floor and stains on the counter. Conversely, remember how nice it feels to walk into a clean and organized home? Keeping the workspace clean and tidy can have the same effect. Whether you accomplish this by hiring some additional cleaning staff to spruce the place up once a week or getting into some elbow grease yourself, your staff will be thankful.
3. Communicate a Strong Mission
Communicating a strong mission means exemplifying your own dedication to customer service, as well as surrounding yourself with an ideal team. Never hire someone because they are ‘good enough.’ Hire people who appear self-motivated, competent and excited about the job. Enthusiasm is contagious.
4. Have Fun
Don’t be afraid to introduce some fun and games into your workspace. Some contact centres start the shift with a team huddle. Others take periodic breaks for group calisthenics to get the blood pumping and jokes cracking. Remember that your agents are only human. While they may be dedicated to their cause, they also want to let loose, have fun and think of their colleagues as their friends to some degree. Putting a smile on an agents’ face can even be perceptible to the next caller, who will reach an emotionally receptive, positive and upbeat agent.
5. Recognize Hard Work
Agents thrive on recognition. Contact centre work can feel isolating if each agent perceives themselves to be on an independent struggle as they deal with customer after customer. Regular recognition of hard work and small accomplishments help make agents aware that their efforts aren’t going unrecognized. Additionally, acknowledging earnest efforts rather than only measurable successes can help foster intrinsic motivation, one of the most fundamental aspects of lasting motivation and outstanding performance. Aberdeen Group’s 2013 report on the Power of Employee Recognition found that 67 percent of Best-in-Class organizations implemented a formal employee recognition program.
6. Be Receptive to Employee Feedback
Just as you should expect your employees to be receptive to your own feedback, managers must encourage and allow their employees to communicate their own criticisms, suggestions and concerns. This can be a lonely game, as employees can be less likely to balance criticism with positive reinforcement, but managers must learn to take feedback in stride and make honest efforts to address employee concerns.
7. Provide Agent Autonomy
Allowing your agents some degree of autonomy is one of the most important steps in increasing agent empowerment. Rather than micromanaging, make an effort to hire a staff you can trust to make their own decisions. With autonomy, agents can adjust their work to suit their own needs and preferences in ways that often benefit customers as well. For example, agents might offer a special discount or reward to quell a frustrated customer, or adjust their work hours to avoid a traffic-filled commute.
Following these tips can help you get the most out of your contact centre, making the workspace a place of positivity, motivation and high-quality, reliable performance. Motivating your agents not only benefits them, but also keeps your company striving for gold-star service. To learn more about how to motivate your contact centre agents, download our free white paper.
