Motivating Customer Support and Call Center Staff in 2024

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Call centers and customer support work can surprise even the most intuitive leaders. For instance, creative customer support staff, ones who engage in art, are more likely to stay with the organization longer. Only through a shift of looking at how people work can we discover these underlying connections. Especially if the leaders create cultures within the organization that encourage managers to create significance, embrace change, and value their employees.

The Shift in Work Ethic

In the realm of call centers and customer support, there’s a crucial shift in work ethic. The old saying “a job is what you are paid to do, but finding your brilliance and your resilience is what you are made to do” rings true. It represents a shift from a mindset of leaving one’s heart at the door to one where companies need hearts, hands, and heads fully engaged every day.

The Impact of Recognition Programs

In conclusion, an official employee recognition and rewards program for Call Centers like Recognize is not just about acknowledging the good work of your call center staff. It’s about building a community that sees, values, and appreciates each other. It fosters a culture where employees thrive, and customers love your brand.

Call center award illustration by Ai

Creating an Appreciative Environment in Call Centers

The creation of an environment where employees feel seen, valued, and understood is essential. This process starts during onboarding, asking new employees about their gifts, talents, and skills, as well as their future aspirations. Early investment in understanding and valuing an individual can pay significant dividends when another company attempts to lure them away.

Understanding Appreciation Language

Understanding an employee’s appreciation language can lead them to go above and beyond the call of duty into a state of full employee engagement. They feel seen, valued, and appreciated, which prompts this extraordinary effort. Hence, recognition becomes a habit, fostering long-term trust.

Trust and Leadership in Customer Support

Trust is paramount, especially in uncertain markets. It’s crucial to build trust with early adopters and fence-sitters within any organization. Recognizing when someone is consistently breaking that trust and having those difficult conversations when necessary is also important.

Customer Support Managers create sub-cultures within organizations, setting the tone with their behavior. They invite people on a journey to discover the leaders within themselves, creating an environment for employees to be resilient and operate in their brilliance.

Illustration of a super hero call center employee in the mountains

The Role of Call Center Managers

Leaders must ask themselves, “Will I rise to the occasion? Do I want to focus on success or being significant?” Embracing the whole person means being a significant leader. While Profit & Loss statements and Key Performance Indicators matter, the legacy leaders leave is equally important. That’s why it is important to recognize and reward staff.

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