IT’S NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK, REWARD YOUR TEAM!

Happy National Customer Service Week! National Customer Service Week is celebrated during the first full week of October, and this year it falls on October 1-5th.

The theme this year is “Every Customer, Every Time”. That is precisely the goal of a Customer Service Vision Statement. The Customer Service Vision is what each and every employee, regardless of department, level, or pay grade, has to deliver to every customer every time, that provides a meaningful purpose for your employees.

Take the time to celebrate the hard work that your employees provide all year long. Recognize and reward your team as they continue to focus on every customer, every time. Use this week’s theme as an opportunity to focus on each customer interaction.

Here are a few simple, cost-effective ways to recognize and reward your team this week:

HAND WRITTEN THANK YOU NOTES

Write a thank you note to each person on your team. Simple and effective when authentic. Put the thank you letter on their desk after they have left for the day, so that upon their arrival the following morning it will be the first thing they see creating a pleasant, positive start to the day.

CELEBRATE

Use this week to celebrate the achievements that your customer service team has made this year. Share customer success stories with the group and congratulate them on the progress that has been made.

TAKE A TASK

Take one task away from the team and do it yourself. Ask them for a task or project that they don’t enjoy and add it to your to-do list. This gives you an opportunity to experience a day in the life of your staff member, and also shows that you are part of the team.

BREAKFAST FROM THE BOSS, PIZZA PARTY, POT LUCK

End the week by showing the team that you appreciate the customer service that they provide by surprising them with breakfast, ordering pizza for lunch, or having a pot luck party!

DRESS DOWN DAY

Give your employees a day to dress down and get out of uniform, perhaps on a Friday. Or set a theme and allow your team to have fun with this. Sports teams are always a safe bet, while creating friendly competition, when choosing a theme.

I challenge you to use these best practices this week and beyond! How are you celebrating, recognizing and rewarding your customer service agents and representatives?