Tips for Keeping Customer Service Staffed Focused and Productive

Productivity and focus can be elusive some days, but when your customer service staff suffers from these business ‘ailments,’ you need to nip it in the bud if you want to limit the effect on your customers. Here are some tips to help keep your customer service staff focused, productive and on task all week long.

Be aware of when focus slips

Are your staff struggling to stay focused after lunch or breaks? Maybe you need to look at the timing of these breaks. If the afternoons sap your staff’s focusing power, move break time closer to the afternoon so that staff can get up and move instead of remain seated and sluggish.

Encourage movement

Tying your staff to their desks (not literally, of course) can promote mental fatigue and lead to distraction. Instead, give them headsets that allow them to move around the office as needed. Standing desks and workstations can also help promote productivity and focus, especially if your employees never leave their desks all day long. You can also encourage staff to get moving between customers by doing stretches or walking around the office.

Set goals

Encourage your employees to set goals, or set some for them in the form of a friendly competition that will keep them on their toes and performing at their best. Offer rewards like paid time off or company swag and your employees will gladly push through and provide their best.

Don’t demand multitasking

It’s just not as effective as most people think, and it can lead to distraction, lack of productivity, and poor quality of work. Let your employees focus on one customer at a time so they can do the best job of representing your business.

Provide distraction-free time

If your employees consistently fail to complete paperwork or follow-up work, office distractions could be to blame. Provide employees adequate time without distractions to complete these things and they’ll do a better job.