Engaging contact centre staff is key to driving performance improvements, and when employees feel involved and motivated, they are more likely to contribute positively to the workplace.
To find out a simple way to motivate agents with cheap, personalised rewards, we spoke to Paul Weald, Customer Service Innovator.
Video: A Simple Motivational Trick
Watch the video below to hear Paul outline a simple way to motivate call centre agents with cheap, personalised rewards:
With thanks to Paul Weald, Customer Service Innovator, for contributing to this video.
Making Contact Centre Improvements Fun
Creating a positive and engaging environment in a contact centre can drive better performance, as Paul explains:
“I’ll start with a quote from Benjamin Franklin, and he says “Tell me and I’ll forget, Teach me and I may remember, Involve me and I learn”.
So the important thing is that if you can engage and involve your contact centre and make it fun, then that will deliver the results that you’re looking for.”
When employees feel involved and valued, they are more motivated to improve. Small changes can make a big difference.
A Simple Way to Motivate Staff
One effective approach is to personalise rewards, and instead of offering generic incentives, ask employees what small treat they would enjoy.
These individual preferences can then be used as rewards for meeting performance goals.
“I first learned this through a manager in a public sector contact centre. And what he did was actually say to all of his staff, “If I gave you £5 as a special treat, how would you spend it?”
And what each of the staff had to do was write down exactly what they would like if they were given a prize.
Then the manager would go away and set challenges. If the performance threshold for an individual was exceeded, then that prize would actually be presented.”
Recognising achievements regularly, such as through a weekly celebration, helps build a sense of appreciation, as Paul continued:
“And they had some fun with it. So, every Friday, they would have a little award ceremony in the contact centre.
They found was that people were more engaged because it was much more personal to them, and as a result, the magnitude of improvement was significantly higher.”
When rewards feel meaningful and efforts are acknowledged, employees are more engaged and motivated to succeed.
If you are looking for more great video insights from the experts, check these out these videos next:
Author: Paul Weald
Reviewed by: Robyn Coppell
Published On: 27th May 2022 - Last modified: 1st May 2025
Read more about - Video, Employee Engagement, Motivation, Paul Weald
