12 Creative Customer Service Incentive Ideas (Other Than Money)
Staying motivated to keep performing at your very best can be a real challenge, as anyone who has ever worked in a call center knows all too well.
Having to go into the same workplace day after day, doing the same tasks over and over … this can quickly grow tiresome if you feel disengaged from the job.
As a result, under-motivated teams are unlikely to push themselves to their full potential and achieve the best results. They will do what their contract requires, of course, but why should they actually aim for the very top if they know they’ll get no extra recognition regardless?
Therefore customer service incentives and rewards are so crucial to ensure top productivity in the modern call center. Your workforce deserves rewards for helping to boost customer satisfaction and generating greater revenue.
Still, rewards don’t have to equate to cash. Finding money within your budget to keep offering cash bonuses may be too big an ask for call centers of all sizes.
So, what creative customer service incentive ideas can you offer instead?
Below, we look at 12 thoughts for your company.
1. Takeout Lunches
This is a simple but effective customer service incentive plan. Most of us love takeout, whether that means ordering a 15” stuffed-crust pizza, a veggie sub or a burger and fries combo. You might be used to turning to takeout at the end of a long, tiring day when you can’t deal with 30-minute meal prep, but ordering a takeout lunch for your star agents (or the whole team) is a terrific idea.
This offers a break from their usual lunch routine, lets them know you care and ultimately allows them to indulge in a delicious treat. You can use this to reward significant results or to boost morale (or both!).
2. An Extra Paid Day Off
While takeout will give your call center agents a warm, fuzzy feeling inside and give them a tangible reward for their hard work, the promise of an extra paid day off is something really special to look forward to.
Make this available to the top few achievers in your team. Your customers are much more likely to receive top service if there’s a bonus day away from the office up for grabs.
3. Cake and Champagne Celebrations
While drinking in the office is less than ideal, providing the chance to enjoy a few slices of cake and a glass or two of champagne as a reward for quality customer service can be extremely effective.
This is already one of the best customer service incentive ideas, but to make it even more tantalizing, ensure your agents know what kind of cake they’ll be earning ahead of time. Aim for something big, colorful and spectacular!
4. Swap Offices With the Boss
Think your agents would like to sit at the boss’ desk for a day? Think they’d enjoy the great view, the extra space and that fancy coffee machine?
Offer the opportunity to swap offices with the boss as one of your customer service incentive ideas, and you’re bound to see some of your agents dig deeper.
5. Start Late, Finish Early
Give the agent(s) delivering the finest customer service the promise of a shorter day as a major incentive. Knowing they’ll be able to come in later and leaver earlier on a day of their choosing will encourage more productivity.
6. The Ever-Faithful Gift Card
Gift cards are always, always a solid incentive for your call center agents.
Offer your team a choice of cards: Amazon, local restaurants, etc. Host an office poll to see which cards would be most motivating. Playvox’s integrated rewards system makes implementing this one of the most popular customer service incentive ideas, quick and simple.
7. The Boss Serves Breakfast
What could be more rewarding for your hard-working agents than receiving a gourmet breakfast from the boss?
The boss must act as the server, attending to the employee’s needs: pouring coffee, buttering toast/croissants, etc. It shows the boss doesn’t take themselves too seriously and makes the lucky agent feel more valued.
8. Wall of Achievements
Recognize and celebrate your top agents’ achievements with a wall display!
Pin pictures and notes up, detailing the goals the agent reached and how that helps the business overall. Everyone will see what their colleagues have done and feel they’re part of a productive, high-achieving team!
Others will no doubt want to get featured too and push themselves to be better.
9. A Full Detailing Service
Another of our fantastic customer service incentive ideas?
A full, free auto detailing service on top-achieving agents’ cars!
Hire a local professional to clean and shine the vehicle while the employee works, so they’ll drive away in a car that feels brand new at the end of another productive day!
10. A Personalized Reward
One of the best customer service incentive ideas is to find out what agents’ personal hobbies or interests are, and offer a customized gift for the most efficient.
This might be a bobblehead figure from their favorite TV series or movie, a few comic-books, a basketball jersey or anything else. It shows you recognize them as individuals and ensures they receive a reward they want.
11. Luxury Spa Treatments
Who doesn’t love a relaxing massage or an hour in a jacuzzi after sitting at a desk for days on end?
Book a luxury spa treatment for agents delivering the best customer service. Make sure you ask what they’d like first and allow them a little time off to enjoy it if their personal responsibilities prevent them fitting it in outside working hours.
12. King or Queen for a Day
Buy a royal crown and cape from a fancy-dress store (the gaudier the better!) and bestow upon them your most productive worker for a day.
Being king or queen will entitle them to other benefits, such as the use of the boss’ parking space, a delicious lunch from a caterer of their choosing, an early finish and perhaps a portion of donuts to snack on during the day.
These creative customer service incentive ideas can help you boost your agents’ motivation, productivity and development. Showing your team you value their efforts and offer quality rewards is vital and doesn’t mean much-added expense either.
What customer service incentive ideas do you use in your call center, and how have they helped?
