On metrics and motivations.
A year ago I visited a business, whose customer service staff had started a new habit. They left every fifth call unanswered. Of course, they had created a disguise for it. They had decided to buy a phone call automation that stalled average callers long enough that 20% would hang up.
The board had decided earlier that the lower the number of open tickets was, the better bonuses the staff will get. And if you don’t take new support calls, then you surely don’t leave them open!
That did not go as planned, now did it?
The domain makes no difference here. It happens with salespeople and software professionals. It even happens with preschool kids. Oh. And, of course, the factory monkeys too!
Combine metrics with incentives and games is what you get.
