Fewer Workplace Distractions Can Improve Customer Service

If it takes you more than three minutes to read this article, you’ll most likely be distracted by an email alert, Facebook notification or someone passing by or interrupting you. One distraction leads to another, so don’t expect to come back and finish for at least 23 minutes. Did you stop to send a text message or retweet already? An article in the Wall Street Journal, “Workplace Distractions: Why You Won’t Finish This Article,” reported office workers are distracted or self-distracted every three minutes on the job. Once distracted, it takes on average 23 minutes for them to get back on task. 

The digital age and social networking are responsible for luring workers away from their work, checking emails, sending texts, Facebook posts and tweets during the workday. Online shopping, playing games or just the mindless site-hopping takes a lot of time and focus away from what you’re doing. But open office concepts with workers jammed in spaces without walls or cubicles is a huge distraction, encouraging more than collaboration and teamwork. It’s easy to be distracted by a computer screen within your gaze, or co-workers stopping by to chat on their way to the restroom or break room.

All these distractions take a toll on productivity. And if employees are supposed to be taking care of customers, answering phone calls or working through complex problems and giving information, it can hurt the effectiveness of customer service. It’s not unusual anymore to find a customer service agent glancing sideways at his smartphone, tucked out of sight of a customer, while on the phone or even talking face to face. Some are “wired” with ear buds firmly in place while checking out customers or multi-tasking—one ear engaged with a headset and the other an ear bud attached to an iPod. 

Add to this the ability to quickly toggle between the customer service screen and personal social media sites and the Internet in general, and you’ve got a lot of distracted service people more engaged in “me time” than focusing on customers. Employers are fighting back with some creative ideas to block out the distractions and keep employees on screen and task.

1. Match the message with the medium. One company reduced internal emails by prioritizing communication methods by urgency. Urgent messages or complex issues require a phone call or in-person meeting. Email is used for things that can wait. The result is fewer internal emails and more productivity. Some service issues are best done with a phone call. Basic information and follow-up in written form can help reduce repeat customer service calls.
    
2. No-device meeting zones. Texting and checking emails isn’t just distracting. It’s downright rude! An EBay manager has banned electronic devices from some meetings, and found they are more effective and productive as well. Fewer distractions, better conversations, shorter meetings. With products and policies changing so rapidly, this tactic could help service reps focus on informational meetings and take the correct information back to customers.
    
3. Think time. Intel found that employees didn’t have blocks of time to create and innovate without distractions, so they instituted four hours of weekly “think time” for employees when they aren’t expected to answer phones or return emails. They found employees are more creative and appreciative of the time; one employee developed a patent in those hours, while others were able to catch up on work. Customer service agents are the closest to the customer. Think time would give them the opportunity to process their experiences and come up with new ways to better serve the customer and eliminate the roadblocks to excellent service.

Some distractions are necessary. Everyone needs time to decompress, shift gears and clear the mind to handle the stress and speed of the job. Removing distractions and providing some down time can help customer service delivery.

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