Motivating customer service reps isn’t about handing out gold stars or cheesy “Employee of the Month” plaques. If you want real engagement, you need a system that rewards the right behaviors—and doesn’t feel like another management fad. This guide is for managers, admins, or anyone who needs to set up achievement levels in Bunchball to actually make a dent in rep motivation.
Let’s skip the buzzwords and get to what works.
Why Achievement Levels Matter (But Only If You Do Them Right)
Achievement levels can drive motivation, but only if:
- They’re tied to things that matter (to the business and the rep).
- The goals are clear, fair, and reachable.
- Rewards feel worth the effort.
- The system doesn’t turn into a popularity contest, or just reward the same few people on repeat.
Gamification platforms like Bunchball can help, but you’ll need to do some thinking up front. If you just copy-paste a generic “level up” scheme, you’ll end up with bored reps or, worse, a leaderboard full of cheaters gaming the system.
So, how do you actually set up achievement levels that work for customer service teams? Here’s the step-by-step.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Want to Change
Before you touch Bunchball, get specific about the behaviors you want to drive. This is where most people screw up—they pick generic goals (“Resolve more tickets!”) and hope for the best.
Ask yourself:
- What are the actual pain points? (Slow response times? Low CSAT? Too many ticket handoffs?)
- What’s good for the customer and the business?
- What’s in the rep’s control?
Pro Tip:
Don’t overdo it. Pick one or two focus areas to start. If you try to gamify everything, nothing will stand out.
Common Mistakes to Avoid: - Rewarding only volume (leads to rushed, low-quality work). - Ignoring quality metrics (like CSAT or first-contact resolution). - Making goals so vague that nobody knows how to win.
Step 2: Map Out Achievement Levels That Make Sense
Achievement levels are more than just badges or ranks—they’re milestones that tell reps, “You’re making progress.” But not every ladder is worth climbing.
How to structure levels:
- Start simple: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum. Or just Level 1–5. No need for Hogwarts Houses.
- Tie each level to a clear outcome: For example:
- Level 1: Resolve 10 tickets with CSAT > 90%
- Level 2: 25 tickets, same CSAT bar
- Level 3: Maintain average resolution time under 1 hour for a week
- Mix quantity and quality: Both matter. If you only reward speed or volume, you’ll get what you asked for—fast, sloppy work.
What to leave out: - “Most positive feedback in a week” (promotes popularity, not consistency) - Secret or moving targets (“We’ll decide the goal at the end of the month”) - Anything only managers can track or verify
Reality check:
If your top reps can’t see the next level as something they’d want to reach, rethink your rewards or requirements.
Step 3: Set Up Levels in Bunchball
Here’s where you put the plan into action. I’ll keep this part practical—Bunchball’s admin interface is powerful, but a little overwhelming if you’re new.
Basic setup process:
- Log in to Bunchball Admin.
- You need admin rights to set up achievement levels.
- Define Activities:
- These are the actions that count—resolving tickets, getting high CSAT, etc.
- Map these to your CRM or helpdesk metrics (Zendesk, Salesforce, whatever you use).
- Create Achievement Levels:
- Find the “Achievements” or “Levels” section.
- Add a new achievement. Name it something clear (“Level 1: Rising Star”).
- Set the criteria (e.g., “Resolve 10 tickets with CSAT 90%+”).
- Repeat for each level—don’t make the jump between levels ridiculous.
- Assign Rewards:
- Points, badges, or actual perks (extra break time, gift cards, etc.).
- Digital badges are fine, but real-world rewards move the needle.
- Test It Out:
- Create a dummy rep or use your own account to make sure levels trigger as expected.
- Fix any bugs before rolling out.
Pitfalls to watch for: - Mapping errors between Bunchball and your support platform (test integrations!). - Overcomplicated rules that are impossible to explain to reps. - Forgetting to set up notifications (if reps don’t know they leveled up, it’s pointless).
Step 4: Roll Out and Explain—Clearly
Don’t just turn on the system and hope for the best. If reps don’t know how to level up, or what’s in it for them, you’ll get crickets.
Tips for a smooth launch:
- Announce in a team meeting or Slack: Quickly explain levels, what counts, and what reps can earn.
- Keep your explanation to one slide or less. If you need more, your system is too complicated.
- Give examples: “If you resolve 10 tickets this week and keep your CSAT above 90%, you’ll hit Level 1 and get a $20 coffee gift card.”
- Set expectations: This isn’t about punishing people who don’t “win.” It’s about rewarding consistent, good work.
What to skip: - Over-hyping the program (“This will change your life!”—nobody believes that). - Making it mandatory for people to participate (let them opt in, at least at first).
Step 5: Monitor, Adjust, and Don’t Be Afraid to Scrap What Doesn’t Work
No system is perfect out of the gate. If you notice weird results—like one rep hogging all the rewards, or people gaming the system—take a step back and tweak.
How to keep it honest:
- Review level data weekly or monthly.
- Ask reps what feels fair (and what’s annoying).
- Watch for burnout or sandbagging (saving easy tickets for the next “level up”).
- Don’t be afraid to lower the bar if nobody’s advancing—or raise it if everyone flies through in a week.
Pro Tip:
Sometimes, the best change is to kill a level or reward that’s not working. Don’t get sentimental about your badge names.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works:
- Clear, fair, visible goals.
- Rewards that matter (even small perks beat virtual trophies).
- Mixing quality and quantity.
What doesn’t:
- Only rewarding the “top” rep (the same 1-2 people win every time).
- Making it too complicated.
- Ignoring feedback from the team.
What to ignore:
- “Gamification best practices” that don’t fit your culture.
- Vendor promises about “transforming engagement overnight.” Motivation is a slow burn.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink It
Achievement levels in Bunchball can boost motivation—if you keep the system simple, honest, and focused on what really matters. Don’t worry about making it perfect. Start small, see how the team responds, and tweak as you go. The goal isn’t to create a video game—it’s to help good reps feel seen, and to nudge everyone in the right direction. Everything else is just noise.