Customer Service Week (October 3- 7, 2023) is coming up soon, and we want to help you make it the best week possible! This is a wonderful opportunity to express your gratitude to loyal customers and recognize your employees.

Ways to Celebrate

The sky is the limit when it comes to thinking of ways to observe this very special week! You could have a theme that runs throughout all your daily activities and decorations. For instance, consider themes like  “Customer Service Super Heroes”, “Service Magicians”, “Service Champions” for your employees and “Customer of the Year” “Best Customer Ever” or “VIP Customer” for your customers. Your teams could help make or buy fun decorations, including  festive Customer Service Week signs and banners.

Need ideas? Click here for an amazing resource that will give you some great ideas, along with some products that you can purchase, to help with your celebrations!  But if you’re on a limited budget, similar decorations and signs can be created by hand or on a desktop, or simply purchased at a local party supply store.

Employee Appreciation

Give managers and team leads a chance to acknowledge the hard work and sincerity of their teams. There are many ways to show appreciation but here are just a few ideas:

• Write a card to everyone on your team for a job well done—which is still greatly appreciated and can really stand out more than just sending out an email.
• Express appreciation for employees in a team meeting in front of their peers.
• Give out award certificates for different categories, such as teamwork, leadership or service excellence to outstanding employees. Here is an opportunity to also empower and enable peers to celebrate outstanding customer service. Allow them to nominate those who’ve made a significant impact on a customer/client.
• Nominate employees for a service excellence award – If you really want to let someone know they are a customer service rockstar, then nominate them for an ISEA Service Excellence Award!
• Create a physical or online “bulletin board” of appreciation and post stories about how team members have provided internal and external service excellence. . . or just went beyond the call to serve a customer.
• Reward for meeting or exceeding individual goals, team goals, and departmental goals… This could be something as simple as a ”Pizza Day” or catered office party.  If there is a bigger budget,  exceptional employees could win bigger prizes such gift cards, a party at a restaurant or a hotel certificate.
• Throw a company spirit or costume dress-up day. Hold a costume contest around this, and award the most imaginative person or team!
• Have teams play games such as video games or outdoor games such as ball games and/or relay races.
• Hold a talent contest for employees and their family members, and discover hidden talents!
• Hold a cake or pumpkin decorating contest.
• Decorate the office and common areas with Customer Service Week banners.
• Set up a “photo booth” with fun props and signs for people to take individual and group selfies.
• Encourage everyone at your organization to post about Customer Service Week on social media. Use hashtags #CustomerServiceWeek and #RedefiningServiceExcellence.

Customer Appreciation

Here’s the perfect chance to thank clients or customers for their loyalty. Here are some suggestions on how to express your gratitude:

• Write heartfelt thank you cards or e-cards to customers.
• Center your social media posts around customer appreciation. You could even showcase some of your VIP customers or plan customer marketing campaigns.
• Invite customers to a customer appreciation event – offer free refreshments and giveways!
• Offer clients or customers a special Customer Service Week discount, free product, service or a thoughtful gift.
• Hold a contest for customers – such as a photo or costume contest – and give out gifts or awards

Above all, the point behind Customer Service Week is to to take time to acknowledge the importance of customer service, service excellence, employee recognition and customer appreciation!

From all of us at CSIA: Have a wonderful Customer Service Week!