Gamification is a strategy that’s been gaining increasing traction. But despite its growing popularity, managers are still in the dark about how to effectively use gamified tactics to their benefit – particularly when using it to improve customer service.

Why Gamification?

Gamification is basically an application of game mechanisms and dynamics into a non-gaming context, such as sales and customer service. The main goal of any gamified activity is to foster engagement and motivation, helping individuals to focus on their tasks and accomplish their goals more efficiently. Gamification can also be used to overcome specific challenges or improve team collaboration.

Gamification will work everywhere where motivation and engagement matter most. When it comes to customer service in particular, it can be used for both employees and customers.

Among the main benefits of a gamified customer service are:

• Increased consumer loyalty – great customer service will drive consumer engagement with the brand and boost their loyalty.
• More fun in the office – even though it’s hard to measure, you’ll be able to see its effect on staff as it improves their focus, mood and results.
• Better analytics - games will provide data to help with employee reviews and providing helpful feedback (as well as identifying areas training is needed).
• Brand visibility – if your customer service is exceptional, word will spread.
• Improved product knowledge – playing a game will mean customers get to know your products better and are later able to share their awareness of your brand.
• Less complaints – a gamified experience will work as a calming agent to customers.
• More leads – gamification can help you to introduce consumers to new products or services that are relevant (for instance, based on their previous searches).

Possible Applications of Gamification

There are several ways to implement gamification tactics quickly, and affordably - both for customers and for staff.

• CUSTOMERS: Waiting on hold –  you can try rewarding your customers for waiting on hold. All it takes is a simple program like the one developed at AMEX, “Tweet Your Way to Savings”, where you will send key messages and hashtags to customers waiting on hold. When customers tweets using the hashtag, you reward them with points or special discounts.
• CUSTOMERS: Self-service channels – if you feel customers could easily solve some non-urgent issues on their own (using your insightful FAQs, website, forums), reward them for their effort in looking up a solution with points or special discounts.
• STAFF: Measuring employee performance – if you would like to see which customer service representative works harder than others, you can use the features in a modern VoIP business telephony platform to provide lots of practical analytics. It will show you who is answering the phone the quickest, who is taking the most customer service calls, how long they are spending on each call and more. By showing the stats live on a TV or display in the office, agents become motivated to not be last on the list.
• STAFF:  Reward staff for a job well done using feedback surveys - whoever gets the best ratings each month gets a bottle of champagne or an extra day of holiday. 

Gamification helps with much more than just plain brand-customer interaction. It has the potential to serve as the core for developing strategies for making work more fun for your customer service agents and fostering consumer loyalty. 

Why not give it a try?

About VTSL

VTSL is the Best VoIP Business Phone system provider as chosen by leading industry body ITSPA in 2017.  VTSL helps businesses to work more efficiency using technology while reducing costs. With an intuitive, full-featured business phone service, integrations with CRM, browsers and mobiles, and friendly UK-based support, VTSL offers a communication service that delivers what organisations need to get ahead.  Learn more about VoIP business phone systems, VoIP telephony and using technology to work efficiently at vtsl.net or by calling 020 7078 3200 for a free consultation, or click here to request a quote.