subject: Motivating Telemarketing Agents [print this page] Motivating call center employees is not a tough job. But the call centers have to do that on a consistent basis. I have noted that many of these motivational exercises would mean just a raise in the salary or some incentives and perks. It's true that money is a prime motivator, but for stressful jobs like telemarketing, money is not the only factor that determines the motivational efforts that a BPO organization can put in. I have listed some ways in which telemarketing services employees can be motivated. These are susceptible to the available resources and conditions at the disposal of the organization. One or several of them can be tried out in a combination process. Let's roll the list.
Stress eats away the working spirit of the employees in the telemarketing sector. They have to deal with so many consumers and their complaints that at the end of the day it becomes impossible for them to maintain their mental stability! The stress levels at the call center are so high that many prefer to quit their job and look elsewhere even though they were making better money in telemarketing services. The primary aim of the BPO management is to diffuse this stress. It can be done in a number of ways. Dig out the causes of unnecessary stress. For example, the answering services are constantly monitored when they are on call. Then their mistakes are shredded apart in a sort of training exercise. This is not ideal because nothing deflates the BPO service employee worse.
If you want to use the recorded inbound call center calls for training purposes, use them constructively. Make the phone answering agent feel that their work is being appreciated and all you are trying to do is make it better. This will enable the BPO agent to relax when they are taking calls. If they are constantly under the scanner of being pulled up and examined, they are more likely to make mistakes. Reward the deserving call center agents through a transparent appraisal policy. Let the agents know the parameters on which they will be judged. Let the telemarketing floor know why someone got the "Best Agent" or some similar award. Your aim is to make every agent on the BPO service floor feel that they are as likely to win the rewards as anyone else.
Inculcate a sense of belonging in the call center agents. It's very difficult to instill loyalty among your employees if you take erratic management decisions. If you are consistent with your policy and make the BPO service agents feel part of the organization, you don't just motivate them. You also cut down on the attrition rate of the call centers, which tends to be extremely high at all times. Research studies among the telemarketing agents have pointed out that a whopping majority of them did not quit because they were underpaid. They quit because they were not appreciated for their contribution to the business process outsourcing firm. Take care of them and they will take care of your call center services.
