Top Ten Ideas for Celebrating & Recognising your Customer Service
29/09/2009
1. Communicate customer service efforts internally
Whether it is on a monthly or weekly basis, all employees should be aware of the effort that goes into customer service throughout your organisation. A customer service bulletin would provide the perfect opportunity for teams and individuals to be recognised for their efforts as well as share tips and best practice
2. Customer display board or area
Good customer service can also be used a motivational tool. By featuring a customer service area or board within your office, not only can individuals receive recognition and praise for their efforts, but other employees can be motivated and inspired by the stories and features displayed. This would also act as a permanent reminder to everyone’s hard work.
3. Monthly theme day
A theme day could involve anything, from coming to work in your pyjamas or fancy dress, to holding food theme days where staff bring in food to share related to the chosen theme. This may be non-related to customer service but will be recognised by your employees as a day of celebrating customer service. It would also provide you with one day a month to sit all staff down together in high spirits and discuss and shares thoughts and ideas on customer service in your organisation
4. Cocktail Invention afternoon
Have an afternoon inventing cocktails (non-alcoholic of course), and name each one after a customer service term. This will allow staff to have fun and be creative, but also gets them thinking about customer service, what it means and why it’s important.
5. Forums
Running forums are a perfect way to encourage staff into being interactive over customer service. Forums provide an area for employees to share best practice, as well as pick up hints and tips. A forum would also provide your organisation with a space for employees to be recognised for their efforts, and for important customer service related documents to be issued for reading.
6. Rewards for those that go the extra mile
Employees should always be rewarded for exceptional customer service. Sometimes those that go the extra mile to ensuring customers receive the service they desire, are not always recognised within customer satisfaction surveys and customer compliments. So reviewing individuals on a regular basis means that those that do right by customers WILL be rewarded.
7. Staff nominations – Customer Service monthly champions
By getting employees to nominate each other for their customer service efforts, you will be encouraging each one to think about what the team does. This will obviously lead to praise for those that deliver excellent customer service, but also motivate others to act in same way. Recognition of each other is vital when building a strong team.
8. Regular get togethers
A healthy work-life balance has to be encouraged within any team. Regular get togethers, whether it’s a team meeting during work time of drinks out of office hours, provide staff with time to switch off from what they are doing, bond and relax. This would be a perfect time to reflect on the service you deliver as a team, and sing your own praises. Why not try a monthly breakfast morning or afternoon ice creams?
9. Customer Review session
Rather than using team meetings just to discuss figures and targets, why not allocate one team meeting per quarter to do a review of your customers. Time could be spent looking at how your customers are treated and the level of service you provide. This would also be a good time to look at customer compliments that have been sent through, and allow for recognition where needed. Time could also be spent then sharing ideas and making suggestions as to how you could develop or improve on service.
10. Customer compliments box
It has been said in the past that customers are very quick to complain but not to compliment. By creating a compliments box and making it visible to all customers as they pass through your premises, website or email, customers are likely to leave team or individual compliments if they are happy with the service they receive. Sitting down with a team or individual and reviewing any compliments made can be highly rewarding for employees as well as motivating for them to carry on doing what they do.
Author: Lynsey Blackburn
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