Top 10 Contact Centre Trophies

Trophies are a great low-cost way to celebrate high performance in your call centre.

Here are the top 10 trophies to give to your agents.

1.   Glass ornaments

If you want to keep it simple then a transparent glass trophy is a very safe bet. The weight and clarity of glass means it always feels like a quality product and it never looks garish on a desk or shelf. There is a huge range of different styles out there that you can order online from websites like Aford Awards and EFX.

They are not particularly cheap, though, and prices vary hugely, from under £30 for neat little engraved plaques and paperweights to well over £100 for bespoke designs and crystal trophies.

There are many variables in the pricing, so be sure to take note of whether prices include engraving, bulk-buy discounts and postage costs.

2.    Medal with neck ribbon

Medals are a great idea if you’re giving out numerous awards for one occasion, mainly because they are small, light and have a universally recognised colour code for first, second and third prizes.

They are surprisingly inexpensive too. They can be purchased quickly and easily on Amazon or from the aforementioned websites, often costing no more than £10 with free engraving. Be sure to check whether it comes with a ribbon or not.

3.    Certificates

The big advantage of issuing certificates to commemorate outstanding work is that they are very official, and can be framed or added to a record of achievement. Whereas some awards can seem light-hearted or ‘just for fun’, a certificate feels more like a formal accolade.

It’s an unavoidable fact that many agents have ambitions to progress their careers beyond call centre work – although it may not be novel or expensive, such agents will usually find a certificate to be the most practically useful item with which to acknowledge their efforts.

With so little cost involved, there’s no excuse for using poor-quality paper or not having a handwritten signature.

Or why not download our certificate PowerPoint templates

4.    Picture on the wall

This is another kind of trophy that has real value for anyone who is looking to move up in the organisation. When members of senior management come to visit the office, having your face up on the wall in the designated ‘star performer’ space is great PR for any diligent and upwardly mobile call centre agent.

This doesn’t have to cost anything, but an inkjet-printed photo held up with a drawing pin isn’t exactly glamorous. A decent sized, good-quality photo mounted in a display frame from an online store like The Office Supplies Supermarket or EDS Office Supplies often costs no more than £10.

Thanks to Stephen

5.    Personalised coffee mug

This one ticks a lot of boxes; it has a practical use, it’s inexpensive, pretty much everyone uses one and it can be unique and personalised.

On websites such as Moonpig or Funky Pigeon you can upload pictures and text onto any one of a huge selection of mugs for just over £10 including postage. For a couple of pounds more you can even get a ‘heat and reveal’ one.

There is one drawback to the personalised coffee mug, though – nobody needs more than one. If you use them to commemorate your ‘employee of the month’ award, then they’ll soon pile up and your star performer could end up with a drawer full of redundant mugs.

6.    Homemade trophies

As with any kind of gift, sometimes the most valuable thing you can spend is not money but your own time and effort.

Like this daffodil trophy (illustrated) from the C2C call centre operated by Cardiff City council, a trophy handmade by your colleagues shows real care has been taken to acknowledge your efforts.

Another good idea is the ‘golden headset’; simply take an old headset, paint it gold, mount it with a small plaque and pass it each month to the agent who provides the best customer service.

The beauty of these ideas is that they can cost virtually nothing but, as with all extra-curricular assignments, the person doing the work must do so willingly – you can’t order them to devote their own time and effort outside of work hours.

7.    The ‘top performer’ parking space

When you consider that a ‘trophy’ is, by definition, usually something that has only symbolic value, the practical advantages of having a priority parking space right next to reception can make your staff awards even more sought-after.

It doesn’t cost anything either, although you’ll need to make sure you have the approval of whoever oversees your car parking facilities. The only downside is that it’s unlikely to be universally desired – many people walk or cycle to work and any staff with disabilities will often have priority parking already.

Thanks to Richard

8.    VIP workstation

If you are able to ‘hotdesk’, then every desk in the office is likely to have exactly the same equipment, so it may be worth pushing the boat out to make one desk especially plush, then allocating it to your top performer each day, week or month.

It all depends on your budget and on what you already have, but in most offices the VIP desk would have a big comfy leather seat, wireless headset, wireless keyboard and mouse, double-screen display and the best window view available.

Some may want it just for the comfort, others just for the prestige. Either way, anything that adds a bit of luxury to a work day is usually very desirable.

9.    Trophy t-shirts

A commemorative t-shirt can be awarded for excellent customer service and, if you include your company logo, it has the added benefit of increasing brand awareness.

These can be personalised and purchased from the aforementioned custom gift websites, usually for less than £20.

10.    Thank-you card

Sometimes your choice of trophy should be determined by what you know of the recipient. Most teams tend to have that one person who doesn’t really want for anything tangible, but likes to know they are appreciated.

A thank-you card, signed by the whole team, is best for acknowledging those ‘beyond the call of duty’ moments that only come from the most selfless team members and the best customer service staff.

You can always get a thank-you card from a local newsagents for a pound or two, but websites like Getting Personal do personalised cards for pretty much the same price. They also do personalised calendars, diaries and notebooks, all for less than £10.

Do you have any great trophy ideas to add?

Matt Phil Carver is a regular writer for Call Centre Helper. Many thanks to Ron Dutta and Leah Madafferi-Lowe for their contributions.