It has been well-established that happy, engaged employees lead to higher customer satisfaction. (See our earlier post about the importance of employee engagement and view the infographic.)
Here are actionable steps you can take to improve agent satisfaction while improving your knowledge initiative at the same time – a double-win for your customer service.
These tips are inspired by Knowledge-Centered Support (KCSSM), a methodology used for creating and maintaining knowledge for customer service and support. Mainly, KCS is about people and how they work and interact.
1. Change your company’s value proposition
Instead of valuing people who possess the knowledge, start valuing people who share, are willing to learn and help others learn. This encourages collaboration, sharing and improving and using knowledge. Also think about rewarding the best improvers instead of the highest achievers.
2. Give your agents autonomy
Empower your agents to create new knowledge articles and to fix them when they see something in need of updating. When Agents – rather than Knowledge Engineers – create the knowledge, it’s done faster and cheaper, and more usable knowledge is created. Give them the responsibility and accountability for knowledge creation, and they’ll take ownership of the knowledge.
3. Use gamification and rewards to drive behaviors that conform to your goals
Gamification uses game mechanisms – such as giving points, rewards or recognition – to drive business objectives. Set up games to increase engagement with your knowledge, improving agent adoption and helping to keep your knowledge fresh. It’s another tool to make work engaging and recognize people’s contributions. Likewise, say thank you whenever you have an opportunity and praise good performance in company meetings.
4. Show them the big picture
Make sure people understand the big picture and keep them informed of what’s happening in the company. Explain to them the benefits of why you’re asking them to change their behavior regarding your knowledge initiative. They will feel like they are part of the process and that they are appreciated.
5. Give them the right tools
Give your agents the software they need to do their job well and make them feel valued. The tool should align with the way they work and make it easy to engage with the knowledge.
6. Treat agents the same way you treat your customers!
Think of your agents as your internal customers. (A well-known hotel chain improved employee satisfaction when it began referring to its staff as “internal guests.”) Get to know every agent by first name and say hello to them when you see them. Ask them how you can improve the work environment. Ask them how they can improve service to customers. Listen to them, they’re on the front lines with clients every day.
Do any of these, and you will start on the road to motivating your agents. Do all of them, and you will see marked improvement in your customer service and support.