EZ Everyday Electronics refurbishes used computer equipment and sells it on the Internet. The customer support staff spend most of their time chatting with customers online. It is critical to EZ’s success that no customer waits more than 2 minutes before being served and that all customers feel their question or problem was addressed respectfully and competently. Website usage data show that customers who feel service is too slow or unhelpful immediately surf to another online store.

Which of the following actions should the customer support manager take to best motivate these employees?

Place a widget on employees’ computer screens that flashes a happy face every time the average customer wait is less than 2 minutes.

Each year, hold an award ceremony and give a bonus to the employee who has served the highest volume of customers and the one who has the highest average customer ratings.

Share trends in average customer ratings at quarterly staff meetings, emphasizing the importance of customer satisfaction.

Track a great deal of data on customer interactions and send it to a consultant for detailed analysis, which can help improve procedures.