If you’re reading this article the day it comes out, then next week – the first full week of October – is Customer Service Week. This special week was created in the 1980s when the International Customer Service Association suggested that organizations should recognize the employees who create the experience that gets customers to say, “I’ll be back.”
Here are five ideas to celebrate.
There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging customers during this week. I encourage it. But who makes those customers want to do business with you? Your employees! So, with that in mind, here are five ideas, one for each day of the week, to inspire you to motivate and appreciate your employees:
- On Monday, kick off the week with a rally around your customer service vision. And if you don’t have one, now’s the time. I refer to this vision as a mantra, which is a sentence or less describing what you want your customers to experience. My favorite, and if you’ve been following me, you will already know this, comes from The Ritz-Carlton: We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.
- Tuesday is Testimonial Tuesday. Invite several customers to record a 60-second video testimonial about how much they enjoy doing business with your organization and its employees. These can be edited together to create a short video. If you have video monitors at work, play it throughout the day. You can also email it to all employees.
- Wednesday is Innovation Day. This is like a massive suggestion box exercise. Ask every employee to participate by sharing at least one idea that could enhance the employee or customer experience, boost efficiency, foster safety, make money, save money, advance sustainability and more. All suggestions – big or small – are encouraged. Participation guarantees entry into a prize drawing, celebrating the spirit of innovation rather than competition.
- Let’s make Thursday about food. Bring in pizza or ice cream for the employees to enjoy. And if you really want to show how much they are appreciated, have the leadership or management serve it up. This doesn’t have to be extravagant. Just a little something to say, “Thank you for doing a great job!”
- Friday is Kudos Day. This is a celebration where every employee writes a personal compliment for a colleague, fostering a culture of appreciation and connection throughout the company. Assign this idea at the beginning of the week, maybe even a week before.
Celebrate your employees all year.
Over the years, I’ve shared many more ideas about Customer Service Week. You don’t have to do something every day. And maybe there are other ideas that you want to do during the week. This short article is meant to jump-start your creativity. And if you think it’s too late for this year’s “celebration,” start planning for next year. And finally, even though Customer Service Week is five days, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t express appreciation to your employees and customers all throughout the year.
