Bingo And Bragging Rights Build Employee Engagement

Credit union contact centers are high-stakes environments. Agents juggle complex calls, relentless volume, and emotionally charged member interactions — typically while tethered to a headset and a call queue. That daily grind makes employee engagement more than a nice-to-have. It’s a survival strategy.

“It’s not a slow-paced job,” says John Flanders, vice president of delivery channels at Robins Financial Credit Union ($4.7B, Warner Robins, GA). “The first call might be someone checking their balance, second call could be someone dealing with fraud or the loss of a loved one. You never know what the next call will bring. That kind of pressure, along with performance metrics, makes the job tough.”

The emotional toll for agents is real. That’s why credit unions are taking steps to bring a little levity to what is otherwise an intense environment.

“If we are happy and having fun, that energy can enhance our member experience, increase employee engagement and productivity, and improve retention,” says Emily Clark, director of contact center operations at UniWyo Federal Credit Union ($764.0M, Laramie, WY).

Quirks And Perks For Serious Business

For engagement to stick, managers must be dutiful in their planning and prioritization. At UniWyo, Clark and her managers each must bring a new fun idea into the contact center every month.

“It’s in our goals,” Clark says. “We have to keep it as a major item.”

Clark leads a 16-person in-office contact center split into two departments: phone and chat. The team consists of one manager per department, two senior contact center officers and eight CCOs on the phone team, two CCOs dedicated to digital channels on the chat team, and one processor who supports both areas.

Clark took over the contact center in May 2024 after nearly 20 years with UniWyo, most recently as a branch manager for nine years. She had no contact center experience but knew she wanted to continue focusing on employee engagement. To date, those efforts have ranged from quirky to nostalgic. For show-and-tell, employees brought in personal items like cameras, vintage kaleidoscopes, or a family airplane propeller and shared stories with colleagues; a floor hopscotch grid complete with candy rewards invited contact center employees as well as other staffers to join in the fun; and on Taste Test Tuesdays, Clark shares snacks ranging from Shark Tank oddities to personal favorites.

“Hits and fails make great taste tests,” she says.

The contact center also has hosted pajama-themed bingo days, cubicle-decorating contests, and a day where staff strolled the office in playful outfits or rolled around in their chairs.

“Some joked about staying at their desk all day,” Clark says. “In the end, everyone joined in.”

Further south, a quarterly Spirit Week is the signature engagement event at Robins Financial.

“It really takes off for us,” Flanders says. “Whether that’s animal prints or dressing like your teammate — it’s a fun way to build camaraderie.”

Perhaps counterintuitively, the credit union’s “Dress to Impress” day was a huge hit.

“We work in a contact center with a corporate dress code, but people came dressed to the nines,” Flanders says. “We even had people in heels taking phone calls.”

Flanders team of 51 agents work under a hybrid model, with everyone coming into the office at some point during the week. But even employees working from home participate in Spirit Week.

“About 90% join in,” Flanders says. “People at home get dressed up just like everyone else. It’s not required — completely voluntary — but it builds energy. Compliments flow, people feel good all dressed up.”

In addition to exciting food and theme days, ready recognition also builds morale. At UniWyo, top performers get shoutouts at monthly branch meetings.

“Sometimes it’s bragging rights, sometimes bragging rights along with a prize,” Clark says.

Robins Financial takes a more formal approach with peer-nominated quarterly awards, including the coveted Diamond Award.

“There’s always a big cheer when someone earns it,” Flanders says.

Building Culture Through Trust, Coaching, And Care

I tell agents, if you need a minute, take it. The next call will be there, but your wellbeing comes first.

Behind the themed days and shared snacks is a serious foundation: support, listening, and career growth. Without those, engagement efforts can fizzle fast.

Clark and Flanders both prioritize decompression. At UniWyo, a “zen cubicle” offers coloring books, puzzles, and brain games to help staff unwind between calls.

“We know how hard being on the phones can be,” Clark says, noting that stress-relieving activities agents can do at their desk provides a welcome reprieve. Offering room to breathe helps, too.

“We talk a lot about if the CCO has a stressful call that they need some time to recoup from, they can take a break,” Clark says. “This helps them regroup and bring their best self to the next call.”

Flanders echoes that sentiment.

“I tell agents, if you need a minute, take it,” the VP says. “The next call will be there, but your wellbeing comes first.”

Both teams emphasize regular leadership face time, whether one-on-one off to the side or through informal floor check-ins.

“We’re present in the office every day, out on the floor talking to everyone,” Flanders says. “The more we do that, the more open employees become with feedback.”

Career growth is also central. At UniWyo, 65% of staff have earned a promotion at some point, and internal movement is encouraged.

“Applying for other positions if something appeals to a CCO is always encouraged,” Clark says.

Robins Financial supports job shadowing, letting agents explore roles in departments like Cards or IT. “Sometimes they realize they love it,” Flanders says. “Other times they decide it’s not for them. Either way, they feel supported.”

Flanders himself has been with Robins since 2019. He spent three years managing the contact center and two years as a branch manager before being promoted to vice president of delivery channels in July 2024.

“Nothing’s worse than not having a clear career path,” he says. “People want to be developed. It’s a hard job, so they need to know what’s next.”

Training also plays a big role. At UniWyo, the training team gamifies education with Family Feud competitions and one-question quizzes in the Teams chat.

“So. Much. Fun!” Clark says. “Training doesn’t have to be boring.”

The payoff from these employee engagement tactics is tangible and trackable. At UniWyo, contact center turnover dropped from 82% in 2023 to zero so far in 2025. Robins’ numbers are also below the industry norm.

“Low to no turnover is great news for a contact center,” Clark says. “I’d like to think the vibe is good up here, and we have the tools to do our job well.”

For both contact center executives, culture is a daily practice — not a one-off campaign.

“I can’t make folks love their job, can’t make them love being on the phones, can’t make them love serving others,” Clark says. “What I can do is try kooky, crazy, silly ways to keep the vibe cool and fun, smile and laugh, and respect the work that is done here.”