Here at Blue Telecoms, we take the morale of our agents quite seriously. Here are some top ideas that our agents, team leaders and managers have all used to add a splash of colour to the working week.
Call centre work can be demanding and repetitive, but small changes to the daily routine can have a huge impact on team happiness, productivity and retention. These are tried‑and‑tested ideas from our own floor.
During quieter periods of the day, allow agents to go and make a cup of tea. This often results in one person doing the tea run — complete with orders!
On the surface this sounds trivial, but call centre work can be isolating — agents log in and typically don't stop until they go home. The tea run creates a moment of team bonding and general chatter that lifts everyone's mood.
Call centre parties are always the best parties. Celebrate the time your team spent together outside the 9‑to‑5 by displaying photos on a wall or even using a projector screen. You'll give a smile to every agent who remembers the good times had by all.
Getting your team involved in fundraising activities is a great way to energise your agents whilst helping a worthy cause. If you discover a cause most of your agents love, you'll multiply the positive effect ten‑fold!
It's becoming a cliché to offer a football table in the break‑out room — so actually do something with it. Introduce a league, give agents something to bond over and form relationships that become useful over time.
Bonus points for setting up a blackboard to keep track of the statistics and scores!
Offering a cheap "tuck shop" on‑site actually keeps agents perky throughout the day. You don't need to stock only chocolate and crisps — healthier options work just as well for those who prefer a healthy pick‑me‑up.
Call centre work by its very nature is static and often repetitive. Both of these elements can cause mental health issues and ultimately result in good team members moving on. By improving the variety of work and daily duties, you'll help agents find more joy in their daily grind.
When running competitions, don't simply jump to a cash prize. Prizes with sentimental value can make your agents feel great — think managerial parking spaces, time off, or other office perks agents rarely get to experience.
Call centre agents can be a crazy bunch — embrace it! Run fully themed days, from dressing up to dyeing hair a wild colour. Make the days as creative as you can.
Shrinkage is a perennial issue, but your best agents need a little time each day to step away from the phone and decompress. They'll thank you with higher productivity overall and fewer sick days.
Life can be tough for a call centre agent — the job is typically viewed as low‑end from outside the industry, with many looking to move on once they've gained experience.
Show and demonstrate how agents can move up the career ladder if they work hard. You'll retain your good staff and boost their productivity — particularly if they feel their hard work will pay off.
There are a multitude of ways to make your agents' work life happier, healthier and more enjoyable. Cultivate a team that wants to work for you — reducing shrinkage and staff turnover.