Mirrors in centres - a vanity or service tool?
RSS
Posted Thu 2 April 2009 @ 11:27 a.m. by Megan Lacy
I received an emailed recently from a contact centre manager who has been advised to supply each staff member with mirrors. It was recommended they they install a small mirror at each desk in the contact centre to encourage staff to smile and therefore project a friendlier tone of voice. Should they do it or not?
I remember seeing this in a centre I came into, it was in its final stages and staff had either broken them or thrown them into the drawers. I don’t know whether they were given the mirrors after a training or team building session.
I perceived it more as a gimmick than a true tool for the staff, but it still had an underlying message, that smiling before answering the call will change the tone of your voice and how the client receives you in those opening seconds of the call.
I did blog a while ago about the need to smile when talking to me but I was referring more to the unhappy staff members that were in the wrong job. A mirror is not going to help them other than to fulfil a belief that they are miserable as they look into the mirror.
I think we all agree that tone does make a difference and if a mirror triggers you to smile then perhaps it’s a good tool. I guess it needs its value proposition sold to management and staff, but what exactly is that?
Has any research been done on this, or is anyone using this as a tool in their centre? If you are or have, how has it worked for you? What about training providers or your own trainers, do they support this theory?
I need your help to answer, so I have placed this question in our ‘Talk Time’ section with the full question from this member. Any feedback on this question would be appreciated.
Categories: Events | Leadership | Lifestyle