Celebrating Customer Service Week

Delivering excellent customer service is a common goal for B2C organizations and it is a commitment near and dear to my heart. While in college, I worked in a sales and customer service position and firmly felt that by delivering the best customer experience, more people were likely to make repeat purchases and remain loyal to the chain I worked for. Simply put, I believe in providing great customer service because I have seen its impact on customer loyalty. Customer Service Week was started in 1988 and is the first full week of October, but what is its purpose and how should you commemorate it?

The International Customer Service Association began the tradition of celebrating Customer Service Week and according to a USA Today columnist, wanted this occasion to "create a positive message that lasts all year long and to provide a productive opportunity to generate an even stronger commitment to customer excellence." There are many Customer Service Week ideas abound and I would like to share a few with readers this week in celebration.

Thank and Show Appreciation to Customer Service Leaders

When a person works with customers all day long, he or she is likely to have positive and negative experiences throughout the day. It is important to recognize employees who demonstrate excellent customer service skills in an effort to maintain employee engagement and focus. An eHow article emphasizes that Customer Service Week is the perfect time of the year to present employees withrecognition awards. Specifically, the author recommends giving out certificates of appreciation to employees who work with customers. If your organization has some top performing customer service leaders, make sure you express thanks and appreciation for what they do throughout the year but also specifically during the first week of October.

Some websites suggest holding a customer service contest and then giving recognition awards to the winner(s) of the contest. I would recommend staying away from these kinds of competitions as you do not want to unintentionally create rivalry between co-workers. Rivalry can create an unpleasant atmosphere to work in and make it more difficult for employees to provide good customer service. To me, customer service is about competing against yourself; you are always looking for ways to improve your skills and keep your cool when dealing with dissatisfied customers. Customer service should not be boiled down to a competition between workers who could be helping each other instead.

Recognize the Importance of Customer Service to Customers

If your organization empowers employees to make sure customers are satisfied within reason, then you should tout your emphasis on customer service to customers. Take this week to raise awareness that your company celebrates Customer Service Week and recognizes employees who go above and beyond for their customers. I have seen companies do this in a few of ways: displaying customer service banners over entries and exits, publishing press releases on the activities during Customer Service Weeks and having employees dress up or wear something during the week for fun. (Have you ever walked into a credit union or bank and see tellers sporting crowns/tiaras or dressed up like their favorite rock star or celebrity? You surely noticed but may not have realized they were celebrating Customer Service Week.)

Develop Customer Service Skills

Dee Cohen, author of the article, “Customer Service Week: How to Give Back to Your Customers and Employees,” suggests that Customer Service Week is also the ideal time to provide training to staff members who work directly with customers. I would suggest holding a training session each day of the week on a different customer service topic and then presenting those who participate with a customer service award.

Celebrating Customer Service Week can mean holding different recognition events, touting your company’s commitment to customer service to your customers and taking time to develop customer service skills. No matter how you decide to plan Customer Service Week in 2010, making it a point to observe this occasion should be a tradition for any company who relies on customer service specialists to keep customers happy and coming back for more.