Blog: Customer Service

I’m currently doing research for a book on reward and recognition in call centres – what’s new, some fresh ideas, what motivates reps these days, etc and preliminary results show that 100% of the companies surveyed so far have some type of program.  I thought it might be interesting to share some preliminary results with you today.

Does your company have a formal reward and recognition program? 100% said yes they do.

Asking the agents – do rewards and recognition motivate you to achieve your targets?

I asked what kinds of rewards/recognition do not motivate you?

Results are also available by generation and show that the 1981-2000 group are most concerned with the taxable benefit issue, and prefer money and time off to trinkets, gadgets and prizes.

I asked the leaders who completed the survey if they felt the program motivated the reps and 100% said yes  (which is inconsistent with what the the reps responded).  They told me they reward the standard metrics, including productivity, quality, attendance and sales.  Some also rewarded teamwork by giving reps time off for participating in community events.  They also commented that there was no formal recognition for the leaders. This is one area where a lot of companies could use some focus, especially at the direct supervisor/team lead level.

If you’re interested in participating in the survey – it’s still open (until the end of November).  I need agents and leaders to participate.  I will be sharing back all the summarized results with anyone who completes it.  All results will be kept confidential and no contact names, contact information or company names will be shared.  Just hit the feedback button at the bottom of the article and include your email address, or you can email me directly at kimvey@rogers.com. 

This weeks’ rule?  Rule #3 When you are designing a reward and/or recognition program for your centre, make sure you include your leaders.  Recognize them in front of their peers and the teams they lead.  Reward them for the % of agents they have meeting their metrics.  Rewarding them in this way, as opposed to the team with the highest productivity, or the highest quality, ensures that you are rewarding teams where more people are achieving the goals, and the success of the team is not resting on the shoulders of a few superstars.

Thanks for reading, and remember to contact me about the survey.  It’s only a few questions and you’ll end up getting back some great information for your own centres.