Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement with Gamification

Continuously increasing efficiency in the call center can be a challenge. Consistent efficiency improvement can be obtained with a magic trick – the  magic of competition. According to a Harvard Business School study, “Competitive challenges perform a ‘magic trick’ by maintaining, and even creating efficiency in a system that otherwise would be running down over time.”

Competition in a call center has been linked to higher performance in another Harvard Business School study, they found that "competition increases physiological and psychological activation, which prepares body and mind for increased effort and enables higher performance.”

So why does competition sometimes fail to achieve this magic?
 

• Manually updating scores cause delays in posting results and agents can lose trust.
   
• High amounts of manual effort are costly and tend to shorten competition timeframes.
   
• Time is wasted generating scores, so competitions don’t last long.
   
• Rewards can be viewed as not worth the trouble.
   
• Competitions can have unintended consequences and even encourage unwanted behaviors.
   

How do you develop a competition-based strategy for your contact center that will actually increase performance? You need a gamification system that will promote competition among your agents, do the manual work for you, offer personalized rewards, and consistently provide feedback.

Five9 Performance Dashboard eliminates time spent tallying results and automates the awarding of gems, coins, and badges. All of which can be redeemed in a customized Marketplace — an online store that you can manage rewards in. Add any reward, such as a $25 gift card, Traeger Grill, company swag, better parking spot, or an extra 15-minute break. This ensures that agents are working for a reward they care about.

Dashboard and wallboard displays make it easy to track results and create excitement among agents. Agents can be allowed to challenge each other with positive peer mentoring/challenges. According to DMG Consulting, “It’s a win-win when agents are permitted to wager their reward points to ‘level-up a peers performance.”

Gamification doesn’t just stop at the games. When used right, it can help build a social community in a contact center. DMG Consulting recommends using software that lets "agents create an online persona using a photo or customizable avatar. In some cases, reward redemption includes the ability to unlock accessories that elevate the status of agents’ online alter ego.” Five9 Performance Dashboard gives agents an online profile where they can create avatars and elevate status by purchasing accessories with coins and gems won from games.

Don’t just take it from us. A study done by TalentLMS found that 87 percent of employees say gamification makes them more productive. Doing gamification the right way will help your contact center efficiency soar.

To learn more about the Five9 Performance Dashboard, click here.