How to foster jovial work environment at call centres?

How to foster jovial work environment at call centres?

"Dealing with people is probably the biggest problem you face when you are in business", says Dale Carnegie (Best-selling author).

You do not have to worry when your job is to criticise the wine you are drinking. But all mercy to the call centre agents who are the worst sufferer. Ranting, outrageous sometimes hilarious fool customers. It is a never ending industry of chatters. Call centres are restricted with the demanding and rule-oriented ecosystem which boring and terrifying at the same time. Some day's agent loses their frontal lobe of the brain that controls laughter.

Imagine how tough it is for a manager or a supervisor of a customer support centre only to have his effort wasted in vain to entertain his team members. Although it is tough, a jovial environment at work is the only graven image of productivity and this will never be abandoned by an employee's ability to concentrate on his work. Here's, how you can make your things right:

Plan something fun
If your plan to have fun is by experimenting the idea of cross-dressing at least one day in a year, it is definitely a fruitful idea. But, some employees might be skeptical about such brilliant fun-ideas. Although there are numerous fun ideas to experiment in an office, the same could be said when it comes to universally applying them in their day to day lives.

As simple as it sounds, ask your team members for ideas. Accordingly, jot it down on a paper and finalise the ultimate idea without disturbing their comfort zone.

•    Recognise your downsides

"Bringing you pet to office" day sounds fun but it is universally not possible for every office environment. So, what can you do? Group discussions, singing competition or any curriculum that creates laughter might be fun if kept under a volume. Headsets are quite subtle in nature. They can grab the surrounding sounds too. Any customer, calling for queries or information may have a negative impact on the service if he/she overhears all the shenanigan going around in the background.

•    Synchronise your timing
Sometimes the most jovial moments turn into gloomy hours if the time is not right. Trying to have fun during heavy call-flow will instead turn-off your mood. It is good to accept the fact that you cannot have fun whenever you want. Some days you will be left overworked and stresses even if it is the ‘cross-dressing' day.

•    Initiate competitions
No employee wants to do extra work. He will walk away as soon as office hours are over. No more burden of dissipation or worry to take with that extra hours. All call centres worldwide have a huge advantage of teamwork. And when intra-team competitions are announced with prize money for most call taken or converting at least 5 visitors into leads =, team members are ready to give their best. Moreover, it's fun and the damp melancholy faces start smiling again.

•    Don't shy away
Everyone isn't an extrovert, but spending some time to smile and make merry does not hurt, that too with people you are working. Don't shy away. If your colleagues are dressed up like superheroes, you need to get those red boots on and spread your cape.

Break the stereotyped notion of reliable call centres. Try to create more fun at work without hampering work hours of an employee and still maintaining call-flows from the customer smoothly.