I was invited to speak at ‘DigitalShoreditch‘ about the gamification of customer service. I’ve followed the use of game elements within customer service for awhile now, and this event really forced me to delve deeper.
Generally, within a customer service arena, the use of game elements has predominantly taken place within communities, such as those powered by Lithium. And for the most part they focus on the use of rewards – people get ‘kudos points’ for helping to answer other people’s questions.
What became quickly apparent to me is that gamification is a far more complex proposition, and one needs to be clear about the distinction between ‘gamification’ and ‘gaming’.
In my mind, there is no doubt that gamification can play a role within customer service. But it is important to understand the context in which game elements can be used to enhance the flow towards a resolution, rather than acting as an impediment to it.
