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With the rise of data science, cryptocurrency, and cloud computing, many industries are currently on the verge of a systemic shift.
As a business owner, you need to be able to adapt to change if you want your business to thrive. That said, there’s one thing that will never go out of style: great customer service.
If you want your customer service to make customers happy on a consistent basis, you have to take the necessary steps to ensure that your agents are motivated enough to be at their best.
It’s not an easy task. For one, being a call center agent is a demanding job. If you don’t give agents enough reasons to stay motivated, your customers and your business are bound to suffer.
Below are tried-and-tested ways to ensure that call center agents are motivated enough to put their best foot forward at all times.
1. Foster a positive working environment
As a business owner, the onus is on you to take the initiative to reinforce the right attitudes and proper mindset among call center employees.
In short, you need to foster a positive working environment.
Sounds like hard work? Perhaps. But if you take the time to interact with every employee (not just agents) and take the steps needed to contribute to a pleasant and friendly environment, then you are well on your way.
After all, as a leader, all agents and managers look up to you for guidance. As a leader, what you do serves as the blueprint which employees will be adhering to.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to communicate your desire to create a warm and friendly atmosphere to managers and agents. As the business owner, you’ll have many opportunities to do that.
2. Encourage a feedback culture
Forget suggestion boxes and put them where they belong: the dustbin.
To ensure that feedback is always contributing to the improvement of the workplace, you have to encourage a culture or environment where ideas and feedback are freely shared by employees.
In turn, a system where ideas and suggestions can be reviewed quickly by a committee needs to be in place. For optimal results, a reliable feedback loop needs to be implemented as well.
When employees realize that their ideas are being taken seriously, they are more likely to realize that they’re part of the company’s growth and as such will feel more motivated to make contributions.
3. Recognize and reward employees for good performance
Everyone craves recognition for a job well done. Yes, even those who pretend that personal accolades don’t matter to them.
A word of praise, a pat on the back, or a simple complimentary shout out can go a long way into boosting an employee’s morale.
When an employee feels that her contributions are valued and recognized, the behavior that led to the positive feedback is reinforced. It gives the employee something to aspire to.
That said, agents who perform poorly need to be guided as well. But it should be done in private to save them the humiliation.
4. Assign agents a variety of tasks
Agents who are made to do the same tasks over and over again are likely to feel disillusioned and bored by their responsibilities down the line.
This is why agents need to be assigned a variety of tasks to keep them engaged and interested.
Instead of consigning an agent to voice work 100 percent of the time, you can ask them to work on email or web chat or other support responsibilities as well.
5. Promote from within
Employees will feel more motivated to do their best when they know that their hard work could land them a promotion.
After all, promoting from within is one of the best ways to show your agents that you appreciate them for their contributions. It gives them the validation that their talents are an asset to the organization.
In addition, setting up career development programs gives agents the support they need to advance in their career. It gives them a sense of direction and purpose, thus keeping them engaged and motivated.
Key Takeaway:
Every business is bound to face challenges that will make it difficult for employees to stay motivated.
But if you implement the steps above and ask each member of your team to support you in the endeavor, it will only be a matter of time before your business achieves the growth that you’ve been planning for.
