Countdown to National Customer Service Week
October 4 – 8, 2004

Are you asking, “What is National Customer Service Week?”

Started by the International Customer Service Association in 1988, it has become a national event as proclaimed by the U.S. Congress. According to the ICSA, the purpose of National Customer Service Week is "to create a positive message that lasts all year long and to provide a productive opportunity to generate an even stronger commitment to customer service excellence."

So take advantage of this opportunity to raise awareness in your organization around customer service and to recognize both your internal and external customers.  With some advance planning, you can embrace National Customer Service Week to create a stronger bond with your staff and customers, and reaffirm just how important each and every one is in the equation to deliver excellence!

Here are some simple suggestions to help build an event around this national celebration:

Spread the word about Customer Service Week

• Announce your plans to your entire organization through word of mouth, memos, emails and internal newsletters.

• Post an agenda for the weeks' festivities where everyone can see it.

• Answer your phones or greet your customers by saying, "Thank you for helping us celebrate National Customer Service Week. How may I help you?"

Decorate the office

• Decorate your department as well as prominent areas of your company; including cafeterias, hallways, lobbies and conference rooms.

• Hang posters or banners early.

• Encourage your representatives to decorate their cubicles or workstations.

• Remember those colorful construction paper chains you made in elementary school? They're a great way to decorate your department too! Cut strips of colored construction paper, have your representatives write their name on each, and link together to create a chain. You reinforce the idea of working together AND decorate!

• Hold an internal open house.  Encourage departments to visit other departments so everyone can see what it takes to make the company run.  Every department, job and employee is important. 

Treasure your customers

• Make sure your customers know about your great commitment to customer service.

• Have your representatives personally call your customers and ask how the company can better serve them.

• Celebrate your internal customers too!

• Invite some of your customers to lunch so they can see your customer service department in action. 

Recognize/Reward your representatives

• Focus the spotlight on exceptional customer service by giving them a special award and mention in the company newsletter.

• Name a “Customer Service Rep of the Day” each day of the week.  Ask the winner to present some of their success tips and techniques at the next staff meeting.

• Reward your representatives with monetary bonuses, time off, food treats, gift certificates, candy bar, balloon tied to their chair, or movie tickets.

• Plan games or contest to keep the celebration going.  Have fun, relieve stress and build camaraderie..

• Mail a personalized not to your employees at their home thanking them for their hard work and dedication. 

Focus on stress relief

• Hold a “stress management” workshop as part of your Customer Service Week and review relaxation tips to help your representatives release stress.

• Urge your representatives to concentrate on eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercising for their physical and mental wellbeing. 

Motivate your representatives

• Greeting your representatives with a small gift and words of encouragement can give a motivational boost.

• Compliments are a powerful way to motivate your representatives to perform at higher levels. To make your compliments even more meaningful, give immediate recognition and be specific. It's okay to say "Nice job.”

• Keep your representatives on their toes – hold staff meetings in different locations.

• Have a “Trading Places” day when the senior management spends an hour or two on the phones while representatives supervise them.

Keep it festive

• Daily celebrations can keep representatives’ enthusiasm strong during Customer Service Week.  Ideas include:

• Taco Lunch — Host a taco luncheon for your representatives, and be sure to invite employees from other departments to help celebrate.  You can even end the lunch with a piñata bash! 

• Potluck Lunch — Ask each rep to bring their favorite dish (with recipe of course!) and have a lunch built on teamwork.

• Dessert Day — Treat your representatives to a variety of desserts. Bake brownies, a cake, cookies, or doughnuts. A delicious way to end the week!

• Ice Cream Social — Treat your representatives with all the essentials to make yummy ice cream sundaes.

• Friday Wrap-Up Lunch/Dinner — Take your department out for a special lunch or dinner away from the office as a final celebration.

• Theme parties — Pick a day during Customer Service Week where your representatives can dress up according to a theme.

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