How to Boost Call Center Morale – Without Breaking Your Budget16 Jul
Working in a call center can prove physically and emotionally draining at times. Keeping employees motivated can be difficult, especially when a company in the Philippines is fielding calls for an American counterpart on the other side of the world at odd hours of the night. The staff is charged with long hours and mundane work that can prove unfulfilling over time unless you take steps to lighten and brighten the mood in the call center.
An obvious incentive for employees might be to increase hourly wages; however, studies show that bigger paychecks don’t necessarily boost morale. In fact, there are creative ways for you to transform business process outsourcing in a call center into a more fun and exciting work environment.
Employee Incentive Programs
Call center agents are motivated by statistics and numbers. They look at performance ratings like students look at their report cards, with anticipation and enthusiasm. One way to boost morale in the call center environment is through employee incentive programs. For example, employees with perfect attendance records for a month can be rewarded with designated “prime” parking spots for part of the following month. Creating a special recognition for employees who go above and beyond the call of duty to help a customer is another way to boost morale.
Onsite Employee Activities
When employees are on the clock at the call center, there are some unique onsite activities that can boost morale. Special potluck lunches, employee appreciation dinners, and team or department events can serve to improve the atmosphere. Be sure to offer these onsite employee activities to all the different shifts in the call center so that no group is left out.
Offsite Employee Activities
When the run-of-the-mill business process outsourcing work in a call center becomes mundane, you can spice it up by offering offsite employee activities. For example, providing paid leave time for employees to participate in scheduled community activities or volunteerism is a meaningful way to encourage and enrich the workforce. Employees will be able to relieve stress and get away from the typical day in the call center. It also creates more visibility for your business process outsourcing company in the local community.
Working in a call center doesn’t have to be boring all of the time. Incentive programs, onsite and offsite activities are great way to break up the monotony of call center and business process outsourcing life. When employees are happy and stress-free, it makes for a more enjoyable and productive workplace.
7 Responses to “How to Boost Call Center Morale – Without Breaking Your Budget”
Leave a Reply
Loading ...
Not sure how important a parking space is for call center employees in the Philippines. 98% (estimate) of call center agents take a jeepney or a buss to work.
James,
That’s completely true for call centers in the Philippines, of course. (Most of our team takes jeepneys) While we definitely mention the Philippines, this post is meant to show ways of increasing morale in a call center anywhere, not specifically in the Philippines.
Thanks for the comment!
In that case, the Philippine call centers can award parking spots for jeepneys or buses.
Motor pool can be an alternative(that’s not bad right-unlike free parking space-duh!). Done by Manila call centers during Typhoon season(Flood again!)
Hey! Nice job here! I’ll be dropping by from time to time
Nice blog! Keep up the good work.
excerpt from http://forums.gov.ph/thread.asp?rootID=76221&catID=9
Laborers welcome non-wage benefits proposed by DoLE
Commuters and workers welcomed yesterday the recommendation of Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to President Arroyo to give average earners non-wage benefits such as:
1. free transportation fare,
2. free rice supply,
3. and tax exemptions to help them cope with the increase in the prices of basic commodities, power, and services.
The commuters, under the umbrella of the National Council for Consumers Protection (NCCP), and the workers, affiliated with the Integrated Labor Organization of the Philippines (ILOP), said the non-wage benefits recommended by Sto. Tomas will surely mitigate the economic hardships being encountered by average wage earners and their families.
They said these nonwage benefits will be a good alternative to the actual wage increase which the regional wage and productivity boards cannot grant this year because a wage increase was already granted earlier in the year.
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2005/12/04/MAIN2005120450851.html
Coming from and ordinary family myself, I find it a very appealing news for the minimum-wage earners. Having a free rice supply is already a big help. It’d be a great lift of burden from a not so big budget that we have. Free transport fare is another big help. These three benefits will really lessen the expenses of minimum-wage earners. So, in effect, will expand their budget base. Perhaps it could increase their sons’ and daughters’ allowance.