Call Center Management Featured Article
Contact Center Incentives for Productivity and Adherence
When trying to get employees to reach their maximum potential, incentives are never a bad idea. In fact, healthy competition has a way of increasing productivity, especially at a monotonous position like contact center agent. Paul Weald offers up some of the best contact center incentives to get the job done and get it done right.
It has to be noted that incentives are not always monetary. Some of the best come from discussions with agents about where they see themselves long-term. Promoting from within and rewarding hard work with growth opportunities demonstrates value of an employee while adding some extra cash to their paychecks.
Weald discusses incentive schemes, some of which are quite brilliant because only the truly efficient are rewarded. A prime example is offering an extra dollar or so for every additional unit sold above the agent’s goal. However, there have to be rules: for instance, the agents must exceed goals X amount of shifts per week in order to get the incentive. It’s an all or nothing scheme, pushing agents to excel. Once they feel the reward, the hope is the performance levels will stick.
Cash is great, but it is not everything. If your contact center agents are primarily in their twenties, check out the newest technology, then present targets. Whichever agent reaches the target the fastest, or exceeds it be the greatest amount, can receive a goody such as an iPad or a Kindle. Depending on the contact center, companies may send new technology for promotional purposes, so there won’t even need to be an investment on management’s part.
Productivity is huge, but so is schedule adherence. Being on time, lacking absenteeism and not abusing breaks are vital in a contact center. Take time to reward the employees with the best adherence at the end of every month. Gift them with a chance to pick their schedule for a week or a gift card to Starbucks.
The bottom line is that contact center agents, and all employees, for that matter, need reasons to be present at work. If there is chance to move up the ladder or earn some free gadgets and gift cards just for doing their jobs, it will make for a much more pleasant work environment.
How are you incentivizing your agents?Edited by Erik Linask