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Published On: 4th Nov 2026 08:00
When leaders think about knowledge retention, their first thought – more often than not – is to layer in more training, more documentation, and more reminders to use the knowledge base.
But this isn’t always as effective as they would like. In fact, sometimes it can lead to knowledge overload and have the completely opposite effect!
This is where games come in! So long as they are used in the right way (of course!), they can help add a bit of fun to the shift AND boost performance.
That’s why we asked our employee engagement experts to share the most effective games they’ve seen in action.
One simple but effective approach is the Knowledge Base Scavenger Hunt, where agents race against the clock to locate specific information within the knowledge base.
Rather than testing whether they can memorize content, this exercise tests their ability to find accurate information quickly – and mirrors the reality of live customer interactions, where speed and accuracy matter more than memorization.
Scavenger hunts can be particularly effective when leaders introduce increasingly challenging scenarios. Instead of asking agents to locate common information that they access every day, teams can be challenged to find unusual, obscure, or highly specific answers.
This encourages deeper familiarity with the knowledge base and exposes agents to information they might not otherwise encounter.
Scenario-based challenges can also be effective, where agents are presented with genuine customer situations and asked to identify the information they would need – then to locate it and explain how they would apply it.
As the scenarios reflect real interactions, agents are able to connect knowledge directly to practical situations, and the learning therefore becomes more memorable and relevant.
Team-based competitions can make this approach even more engaging, particularly when unusual or complex customer situations are used.
The collaborative nature of the challenge also encourages discussion and knowledge sharing between agents – helping learning spread across the wider team too!
You can also use mock calls to improve performance. For advice on this, read our article: How to Use Mock Calls to Improve Agent Performance – With Free Exercises
Encourage agents to search for the most obscure or difficult questions they can find in the knowledge base and challenge the team leader to answer them.
This shifts the focus away from routine information and towards the harder-to-find content that may only be needed occasionally. The activity encourages exploration of the knowledge base while also creating healthy competition and curiosity.
Importantly, it helps agents build confidence navigating unfamiliar territory rather than relying solely on frequently used articles.
Contributed by: Michael Clark, Co-Founder and Principal Consultant of CXTT Consulting
Whenever new products, promotions, processes, or policies are introduced, quizzes can provide an effective way to reinforce learning. However, successful quizzes require more thought than simply creating a list of questions, so use question banks that randomize both questions AND answers.
This prevents agents from simply sharing answers with one another and ensures that quiz results genuinely reflect knowledge levels. A randomized approach also keeps quizzes fresh and challenging, even when multiple agents complete them throughout the day.
Short quizzes are particularly effective. Rather than overwhelming agents with lengthy assessments, instead deliver a small number of questions over several days. This spreads learning over time and supports better retention. Adding prizes or incentives can also increase participation and engagement.
Increasingly, as AI becomes more integrated into contact centre operations, the more valuable skill may be whether agents know how to retrieve the answer. And this creates opportunities for a different type of game!
Rather than asking for the correct product price, agents could be challenged to write the most effective prompt for finding that information. Alternatively, they might be shown several prompts and asked to identify which one would deliver the fastest and most accurate result.
These activities help agents develop practical AI skills that will become increasingly important as AI-powered knowledge tools continue to evolve.
As you already know, emotional intelligence skills are becoming more valuable than ever before – and definitely shouldn’t be left out of the equation.
Another scenario-based activity can help here. For example, agents could be shown a customer chat transcript and asked to identify the customer’s emotional state, highlighting signs of frustration, disappointment, confusion, or anxiety.
You could then ask them to explain how they would respond, as this encourages agents to move beyond simply identifying facts to interpreting context and emotion. It also develops empathy and customer awareness.
For other advice on how to develop emotional intelligence in your team, read our article: 15 Tips for Building Emotional Intelligence in Customer Service
Another valuable exercise is to ask agents to identify what happened before the customer reached them – as a customer may appear in chat, but the interaction often began much earlier. For example, the customer may have already visited the website, spoken with a chatbot, searched the knowledge base, or waited in another queue.
Games that challenge agents to identify these clues help strengthen situational awareness! By spotting signs of previous effort and frustration, agents can adapt their responses more effectively – and these are precisely the kinds of skills that become increasingly important as routine enquiries are automated.
Contributed by: Mike Aoki, President of Reflective Keynotes Inc.
The next time you engage your agents in a game of bingo, why not link this directly to your coaching objectives?
For example, instead of ticking off postcodes, agents could score off their bingo card for demonstrating the behaviours that typically improve C-SAT, such as “Did they explain a hold procedure clearly?” or “Did they thank the customer for their time?”. This is a great way to keep best practice front of mind during each call.
“Features and benefits” bingo is another good example of changing up the basic rules of bingo in your favour, as agents earn recognition by correctly incorporating key product messages into customer conversations. This game reinforces important selling points while encouraging consistent messaging across the team.
Contributed by: Alex McConville, Contact Centre Consultant and author of ‘Diary of a Call Centre Manager’
Have you ever tried a Mastermind-style challenge – inspired by the BBC television quiz show?For example, asking agents to think of questions related to the training and then putting one of the trainees in the hot seat to answer as many questions as possible in one minute.
Another variation is Signpost Mastermind, putting agents on the spot with quick-fire questions around “where would you signpost if X happened?” or “where would you signpost if Y happened?”
As seen in our site visit to Citizens Advice in Gateshead, UK
As these games prove, knowledge reinforcement doesn’t always need to centre around more classroom training or providing ever-longer documents. Rather, the most effective learning activities are often found in short bursts of fun!
If you are looking for more ways to make working in the contact centre fun, read these articles next:
Megan Jones, Editor, Call Centre Helper
Megan interviews inspiring people across the contact centre industry to capture these amazing voices and turn them into best practice articles – covering all elements of what it takes to deliver truly outstanding employee and customer experiences.
Connect with Megan on LinkedIn
Read more by Megan JonesReviewed by: Jo Robinson
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4th November 2026
5th November 2026
