If a Customer Could Tip You...

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My wife and I just returned home from eating out. While writing down the tip amount for our server at the local restaurant, I was reminded of an experience I've had in training. When training Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) who work in contact centers or jobs that require them to provide service on the phone, I will sometimes ask "if the customer were given an option to tip you at the end of the call, would it change the service you provide on the phone?" The answer I receive has always been a resounding "yes."

As far as I know, no company has figured out how to use an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to give the customer a "tipping" option. Nevertheless, it's an interesting question.

I link this anecdote to an experience with one particular client. There were two CSRs who worked at this client who had what I would consider bad attitudes. They approached each call as though the customer should be serving them, not the other way around. I must admit that I'd given up hope that either of these individuals would ever provide quality customer service.

But they both turned it around. When the client stepped up to the plate with a substantial bonus linked to their service quality scores, both reps demonstrated noticeable improvement. The following quarter I recall approaching one of them in a coaching session. "What happened?" I asked with surprise and joy. "You did GREAT this quarter!"

She responded with a familiar scowl and a shrug of the shoulders. "I wanted the money," she said.

While I was personally saddened to think that greed was the only thing that motivated this person to provide good service, I was glad that her customers were finally receiving higher levels of service on a consistent basis. People are motivated differently. Some are self-motivated. Some are motivated by recognition. Some are motivated by competition. Some are motivated by personal gain.

How are you motivating your employees to provide great service?