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FROM THE PAGES OF CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
For many, our ideas and activities to celebrate Customer Service Week are timeless and shareable. We went back through some of our articles and pulled together some great suggestions for making our agents feel valued and the work they do appreciated. We hope by continuing to share these articles, it will spark ideas and creativity to enhance your celebrations.
BY ERIC BERG
Do you have a culture of retention or turnover? Do your employees feel like they are on a progressive journey, or that the foot they’ re putting forward is halfway out the door? Here are some inspirational ideas and practices to show your agent population that they are important and necessary to the overall success of your organization. First, ask some questions to get a better understanding of the types of recognition your team appreciates. To assume that everyone appreciates balloons and public displays of recognition can sometimes backfire on you. Sure, some people like the competitive nature of showcasing success, but others prefer a quiet, one-onone thank you for a job well done.
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Asking questions is a small step that accomplishes more than you think. By taking the time to understand their interests, employees sense your investment on a personal level, which adds a layer of recognition even before the actual reward is given.( Bonus points!)
There are many ways to show recognition to your teams. Here are some effective programs I’ ve seen over the years:
Department events. A contact center adds value to other departments in your organization. Ask those departments to schedule a“ thank you” event. Event options could include lunch for the contact center, or a BBQ where the sponsoring department does the grilling; random prize drawings, or thank you gifts for all agents( t-shirts, promotional items, etc.)
Goal celebrations. You set the goal; the team meets the goal, what next? Celebrate! Plan a reward program for each goal achievement and consistently carry it out. Determine which goals are important to the success of your organization and when your team achieves the goals, plan a celebration, provide prize drawings or give individual awards to the top performers.
RECOGNIZING YOUR TEAM DURING CALL CENTER APPRECIATION WEEK IN OCTOBER IS A GREAT START, BUT REALLY, YOU NEED TO PUT ENERGY INTO RECOGNITION ALL YEAR LONG.
--ERIC BERG