5 Ways to Motivate Customer Service Staff

One the most important aspects of improving customer service experience includes motivation and maintaining high morale among the staff members of a customer service team. There are multiple strategies that a company can adopt to enhance their employee motivation.

Employee motivation leads to their empowerment which gives them more confidence to perform well and handle different situations. After the initial screening of hiring smart and capable customer service staff, through personality and emotional intelligence testing, it becomes the company’s responsibility to motivate as well as better train them in order to raise productivity.

Lead by Example

The management should show an enthusiastic and positive attitude towards work, so that frontline staff can get motivation and encouragement to do their job well. Moreover, representatives will realize that the company is customer-oriented if the managers are able to lead by example and communicate effectively the aims and objectives of the customer service team.

Customer Service Orientated Training

Several studies have shown that if employees know how to do their job and are good at it, it is likely to keep the motivation and enthusiasm levels up. If representatives are adequately trained to perform their duties, it is also likely to help them accomplish their tasks with more confidence and professionalism. Training is an on-going process, which has to be carried out periodically, instead of a one-time training and orientation course. Customer service staff should be taught on how to handle customers in a wide range of situations. Training manuals could also be used to acquaint CSRs about the commonly encountered situations whilst dealing with the customers, in addition to the appropriate body language and general demeanor.

Job Enrichment and Rotation

At times, a customer service representative’s job can get monotonous which is why it is even more important to keep the motivation level up in order for them to deliver better service to customers. A way to counter this recurring problem is enriching the job description of CSRs, by adding more responsibilities, and giving them a degree of decision making power so that they feel an important part of the organization.

If more than one responsibility is given to the customer service representative, it would also be possible to periodically rotate the employees between different positions so that the work does not get tedious. They could perform various tasks and learn new skills, which will further motivate them to successfully complete their given assignments.

Team Building Activities

Customer service departments should also be provided with team building activities which encourages interaction in a different environment. Such activities boost morale and motivate staff to perform better. A weekend retreat can do wonders as the staff comes back to the office with a positive and happier state of mind.

Reward System

Companies should design a reward system based on performance reviews. This would instill a sense of competition and a passion to do well on the tasks delegated to them. It is also a way to acknowledge the efforts put in by the staff, in addition to providing an incentive to perform well since it could result in bonus and higher salary.

Customer service representatives can also be encouraged by recognizing their efforts and awarding them titles such as, ‘Employee of the Month’. This reflects that the management appreciates the excellent performance and it inspires other employees to do well.

If the employees feel valued, they would put more effort into the assigned tasks, hence ultimately ensuring customer satisfaction.