This Quick List* is written in celebration of Customer Service Week and in support of our Quote of the Week: Customer service is not a department…
Customer Service Week is a great week to treat and tweak. If done well, the result is an increase in awareness, morale, customer loyalty and overall performance. Here are 10 tips for treating and tweaking – plus they can be done with very little advance planning:
1. Celebrate the good. At a staff meeting, ask the group to put themselves in the shoes of your paying customers. Then ask the question: “What do customers like about doing business with us?” Quick. Quick. List as many things as you can in 5 minutes. Write them all on the easel or board. Leave it there and invite people to come back and add things during the week. Re-visit it at the next meeting. Then have it typed up and posted on your Wall of Fame or other prominent spot.
2. Continue to celebrate the good by reading comments or testimonials from customers to the group. Add these to your Wall of Fame as well.
3. Continue to celebrate the good by asking the group: “What do you like about working here?” Quick. Quick. List as many things as you can in 5 minutes. Write them all on the easel or board. Leave it there and invite people to come back and add things during the week. Re-visit it at the next meeting. Then have it typed up and posted on your Wall of Fame or other prominent spot.
4. Plant tweak seeds by asking this follow up to question #1: “What would make it better for our customers?” Quick. Quick. List as many things as you can in 5 minutes. Write them all on the easel or board. Can any of them be implemented right now? If so – do it!
Leave the list posted and invite people to come back and add things during the week. Your next steps depend upon the content of the list and your organization’s methods for decision making and change management. Just be sure to take action!
5. Plant tweak seeds by asking this follow up to question #3: “What would make it better to work here?” Quick. Quick. List as many things as you can in 5 minutes. Write them all on the easel or board. Can any of them be implemented right now? If so – do it!
You can do the same as in #4 ( leave the list posted and invite people to come back and add things during the week) or ask that each person, write down his suggestions and give to you. And make an appointment to meet with each person about her list. This would be time consuming. And perhaps the absolute best investment of your time. Because these individuals are YOUR most important customers.
From there – your next steps would depend upon your discoveries and your organization’s methods for decision making and change management. Just be sure to take action!
Now it’s time to treat.
6. Would it be safe to say that they provide “royal treatment” for your customers? Then make them kings and queens for a day (or more). Roll out the red carpet (red felt or cloth from a fabric store works great). Deliver a single red rose to each person’s desk. Crown each person (our local party store has great ones). Bring in a silver tray and coffee pot and china cups and serve coffee at each person’s desk (don’t forget to drap a white napkin over your arm).
7. Do things really pop in your office? Use this poppin’ idea.
8. Are things a little nutty in your office? This nutty idea may be perfect for you and your team.
9. If things really have been nutty, bring in a massage therapist on Friday to give neck and shoulder massages.
10. Reinforce your customer service values by posting questions and quotes on computer screens throughout your office. And on bulletin boards. You are welcome to use the favorites we’ve listed below.
11. BONUS ITEM of CRITICAL IMPORTANCE: Don’t stop at the end of this week. Repeat with similar activities – at least quarterly.
Jan is a coach, teacher, speaker and author who is passionate about performance management and corporate culture.
Her coaching specialty is working with women in leadership to take charge more effectively, make things happen and inspire others to do the same.
Find out how to get a free consult here Subscribe to Business Class E-Zine More about JanA few favorites from the Quote Library
Post to your computer screen with just 3 clicks. Instructions below.
Instructions for posting above quotes as wallpaper for your computer:
- Click on the desired image.
- Right click on theenlarged image that appears.
- From the drop down menu, select “Set as desktop background”.
Voila! There’s still plenty of room on the left side of the screen for all your shortcut icons.
For 152 additional motivational and instructional quotes in two different formats – for your computer screen and as a printable PDF, visit our Quote Library.
Don’t have access to the library yet? Get your password here.
Note: If you don’t like your new wallpaper, don’t want to replace it with a quote from the Business Class Quote Library and don’t know how to get rid of it……
Go to your control panel. Select “Display”. Select “Desktop”. And then choose from the designs offered.
Other Tips & Tools for Customer Service Week:
Get more ideas from:
- 10 Fun Team Activities
- 10 October-Only Morale & Productivity Boosters
- International Customer Service Association
- CSweek.com: Customer Service Week: 2010
- Customer Service Works: Customer Service Week: 2010
*Note: 10 by 10 on Tuesday (also know as a Quick List) is a weekly feature is for managers who don’t have time or don’t want to make time to read lengthy articles or even short paragraphs. Here you will find 10 tips or questions or steps or ways to Get 2 Goal or Be a Better Manager, etc). And it will be posted by 10 (AM – EST) on Tuesdays. Here’s our collection of Quick Lists to date.
copyright 2010 – Business Class Inc
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