In a Forbes article entitled “How Important Is Customer Service To Success In Business?”, it is noted that “Seven in 10 U.S. consumers say they’ve spent more money to do business with a company that delivers great service.” This highlights the significance of customer service representatives and why it is important to show your appreciation for their role in helping to build the success of your company.
Customer Service Week is the perfect time to express how much you value your agents and to demonstrate you customer service mantra to your customers. The celebration begins in the first part of October each year and many companies around the world participate. There are various ways to celebrate, ranging from small to large events. Below, I share seven ideas for planning your Customer Service Week.
1. Serve Food
Serving food and drinks to employees has been found to be one of the best ways to brighten their day. Depending on budget, you can serve snacks, breakfast, or lunch. You can also choose to hire a caterer or promote a potluck-style party. According to the Inc.com article, “Want Happier Employees? Feed Them”, the following results were found in a survey by Seamless:
● 60 percent of the 1100 people surveyed said that having food at the office would make them feel more valued and appreciated.
● 41 percent felt that the best corporate gift was food.
● 40 percent said that having food in the office would reduce stress.
2. Give Thank-You Cards
Giving thank-you cards to customers and employees is a great way to affirm your appreciation for them. When possible, it is best to personalize messages rather than writing the same generic ones for everyone.
This is a good opportunity to compliment an agent on something great that you remember them doing that they may not have received credit for when times were busy. They will appreciate the fact that you remembered. You can also include a small gift with a thank-you card, such as candy or a gift card.
3. Hold Games or Contests
Games and contests are a great way to build camaraderie and teamwork among your staff. Some ideas are puzzles, tug-of-war, trivia, and decorating the office. You can also create some friendly competition and have teams compete against each other to win prizes.
4. Allow Employees to Dress Differently
For a change of pace, during Customer Service Week, you can allow employees to dress differently from how they normally dress. If they usually dress formally, you can allow them to dress more casually, and vice versa. Another thought is to plan themed days such as Pajama Day or 80’s Day. Make sure to take lots of pictures and share them on your social media and around your contact center to help boost morale!
5. Participate in a Charitable Event
Since Customer Service Week is close to the beginning of the holidays, it is a good time to start supporting a local charity for holiday donations or fundraising. This also helps to create teamwork among employees.
6. Awards and Recognition
Doing something extra special for your staff during Customer Service Week is a nice way to show your appreciation. To do this, you can create special awards to recognize employees that have went the extra mile for your customers. In addition to the award, you can include a special bonus such as a gift card or tickets to a sporting event. This will help promote your customer service mantras and show your staff that you reward those who serve your customers well.
7. Close Early
One of the things that employees appreciate the most is getting some extra time off. So, if possible, you can arrange to have employees leave 30-60 minutes early on one of the days during Customer Service Week. You can have some of your staff cover when employees leave early.
CH Consulting Group provides unparalleled expertise in the Contact Center and Customer Experience (CX) verticals. We have a nationwide team of industry veterans that can assist you to achieve exponential growth, manage change, and generate profit. For a comprehensive CX assessment and strategic plan customized for your unique business needs, connect with us here today.
