Some people see customer service as a thankless job. After all, your customer service team works hard all year to ensure that your customers are happy and satisfied — yet they rarely get the same attention as sales teams, for example.
It's important to go out of your way to celebrate these employees and make them feel appreciated, and Customer Service Week (and Month) was made for it!
Why is Customer Service Week important? 🤔
National Customer Service Week is commonly celebrated during the first full week of October (aka Customer Service Month), and it's dedicated to elevating and recognizing the team that's constantly on the front lines of your workforce, solving problems, and handling complaints with style and grace.
Celebrating your customer service employees helps them feel like their work truly matters. In turn, this inspires a feeling of purpose and boosts their morale. These positive feelings and attitudes not only lead to better employee retention but can rub off on other employees as well, lifting everyone's mood as a result.
As an added bonus, celebrating your customer service team can also help to increase workforce productivity. When you have happy employees who feel appreciated on the job, your customers will receive better, more enthusiastic service. Studies show that your customers care about how you treat your employees, and knowing that you care about and celebrate them regularly can potentially lead to even higher customer satisfaction and retention.
Simply put, supporting your customer service team is how you empower them to support customers.
Show gratitude to your customer service team with these ideas during Customer Service Week:
If you need a few ideas on how to best show your customer service team some love, check out these 10 ideas that can't go wrong! Make sure you pick a few from the list and use them together to ensure your team knows how much you appreciate them.
1. Give shout-outs and public recognition 📣
If you have a good customer service team that works hard to help customers thrive, you must recognize them for their stellar performance to encourage more of the same!
Keep in mind that recognition and shout-outs coming from managers and the leadership team are great, but it's also valuable for your customer service team to hear what their peers value about them. Also, remember that specific praise is always the most meaningful. Make sure that you are always giving a specific compliment or shout-out so each member of your customer service staff feels individually valued.
If you feel like your team could do better, you might feel like there's nothing to recognize. On the contrary: By celebrating any win, no matter how small, you encourage better performance in the future.
How to get started 👉 Thank your team with Workplace Gratitude!
2. Host a "Customer Service Bingo" Challenge 🎉
Turn everyday tasks into a fun and interactive game with Customer Service Bingo! Create bingo cards filled with various actions and accomplishments specific to customer service scenarios, such as "Received a customer compliment," "Helped a team member solve a problem," or "Handled a difficult call with grace." Team members can mark off squares as they achieve these tasks throughout the week.
To encourage participation, offer small rewards or prizes for those who complete a row or the entire card. Rewards can be as simple as extra break time, a gift card, or a small token of appreciation. This game is not only a great way to engage your team but also highlights the positive actions that make your customer service outstanding.
3. Cool off at a (virtual) Water Cooler together 🚰
If your customer service representatives are remote or hybrid, it can be challenging to ensure that everyone knows they are seen, heard, and cared for. So if your team often feels isolated, team building activities to celebrate Customer Service Week are the perfect remedy.
Confetti’s water cooler experience allows your customer service reps to get to know each other through interactive icebreaker prompts in virtual breakout rooms. They'll be able to share fun, weird facts about themselves and hear about the strange or interesting things their teammates love. It's also a great place to share stories about customer service — not in the spirit of complaining about the job, but uniting around a common cause and deflating some of the common stressors that build up over time (while also providing humorous anecdotes).
These types of events are great for bringing the whole team together and fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared mission.
How to get started 👉 Break the ice at the Water Cooler!
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4. Swap stories together 💬
Bring your team together for a fun and engaging "Virtual Story Hour," where everyone gets a chance to share their best or funniest customer service stories. Make sure to keep the storytelling HR-friendly and respectful of customers, focusing on the positive or humorous aspects rather than any frustrations.
The goal is to celebrate the unique experiences your team encounters daily while maintaining a professional and friendly atmosphere. Remember, it's all in good fun, so encourage everyone to share stories that highlight the quirks, challenges, and joys of customer service in a way that everyone can enjoy.
5. Host an Eating for Immunity class 🍵
Your customer service staff will feel valued if they know you care about their well-being. What better way to show this than by helping them incorporate healthy lifestyle practices at work? An Eating for Immunity class is a fun way for your staff to come together and learn recipes they can use to fight off illness and combat the effects of outside stress.
Luckily, a cooking class doesn't always need to involve lots of ingredients or cooking utensils. It can be something as simple as a drink or snack with just a few ingredients. Regardless of the recipe, the point is for your customer support teams to walk away with something delicious that can help them with their self-care goals.
How to get started 👉 Learn how to eat to feel your best in an Eating for Immunity class!
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6. Create a digital appreciation wall 🖼️
Showcase your team's achievements and special moments with a Digital Appreciation Wall! This online board can feature shout-outs, thank-you messages, customer compliments, and even photos or videos highlighting great work moments. It's a dynamic and engaging way to make recognition visible and accessible to everyone, regardless of whether they work on-site or remotely.
To make it even more special, invite team members to contribute by sharing their favorite experiences, proudest accomplishments, or compliments they've received from customers. A Digital Appreciation Wall fosters a culture of recognition, allowing everyone to see the value of their work and feel connected to the team.
7. Take some time to be calm and create 🖌️
Customer service is not the easiest job. Between dealing with complaints, fielding irrelevant calls, and often answering the same questions dozens of times each day, customer service agents can easily succumb to stress if they're not careful. So giving your employees some space and time to relax and unwind is yet another way you can make them feel valued and cared for.
One of the best ways to combat stress is by engaging in creativity. Of course, speaking with customers all day doesn't exactly invite opportunities for creativity, so this is your chance to inspire your team differently. Invite your customer service team to bring their favorite beverage to the event, and provide them with a calming space free of the normal distractions of work life. You can even invite someone to teach your team techniques to stay calm and present while tackling their daily challenges.
How to get started 👉 Give your team some time to Calm and Create!
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8. Ease stress with a fitness class 🧘
Fitness is a great way to encourage your customer service reps to leave the day's stress behind them and find a feel-good activity to engage the mind and body. And when you share this experience, it can provide opportunities for employees to engage with and encourage each other beyond metrics.
When hosting a fitness class, make sure to:
- Customize to your team's fitness level
- Incorporate your remote teams using video conferencing software
- Encourage everyone to have fun and don't worry about performance
Sweating it out together is a great way to remind teams that working hard can be fun when you do it together!
How to get started 👉 Sweat out the stress in a Tai Chi Class!
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9. Define professional development goals 🎯
One of the best ways to show your customer service team that you value their growth is by asking them directly what customer service skills they’d like to learn or improve. Engaging your team in this process empowers them to take ownership of their growth, while also ensuring that any training or development activities are relevant and meaningful. Whether it’s mastering advanced communication techniques, improving technical skills, or learning to handle challenging customer interactions, your team members are the best source of insight into what skills they want to develop.
Start by conducting a survey or holding a brainstorming session to gather input from your team. Encourage everyone to share their ideas and prioritize the skills that will have the greatest impact on their daily roles. Once you’ve identified these goals, tailor a professional development event or series of sessions that specifically address these areas.
10. Unwind with a group happy hour 🍸
Bring your team together for a virtual happy hour filled with drinks, laughter, and great conversation! Even when working remotely or in a hybrid setup, you can create a fun and inclusive event that encourages your team to relax, connect, and enjoy some downtime together.
Instead of meeting at a local spot, host the happy hour online using a video conferencing platform. You could make it a BYOB kickback or invite a mixologist to lead a cocktail (or mocktail) class, where everyone learns to make a new recipe together.
How to get started 👉 Unwind from the day with a Mixology Class!
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For participants 21+ only.
Throw a Customer Service Week Celebration with Confetti 🎊
Customer service teams often feel like they work in a silo, cut off from the rest of the company and grinding at a thankless job. That's why it's so important for businesses to show these workers what an integral part of the company they are. Providing experiences focusing on team building and self-care can help you accomplish this goal. If you're not sure where to start, Confetti can help.
We specialize in creating unforgettable team-building experiences for businesses. Simply let us know the kind of experience you'd like to create for your employees, and our team will do all the heavy lifting to make your vision come to life. We have many different experiences to choose from, so there's sure to be something everyone can enjoy.
Book your Customer Service Week celebration today! Discover how Confetti's experiences can strengthen your culture, increase employee engagement, and give your team shared memories that will bring them closer together.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of Customer Service Week?
The purpose of Customer Service Week is to bring well-deserved recognition to those who spend their days serving and supporting customers. It has been a nationally recognized event since 1992, occurring in the first full week of October each year.
What is the theme for Customer Service Week in 2024?
Above & Beyond is the theme for 2024's Customer Service Week.
How do you plan a Customer Service Week?
You can plan a Customer Service Week by searching for ideas to bring fun and relaxation to your team. Consider planning one event for each day of the week and surveying your team to find out what kind of events they would like to see. You can also hand off the responsibility to Confetti and let us execute the ultimate experience.
