Customer support is a tough job, and it would not all the time get the popularity it deserves. In some ways in which is sensible: Customer support occurs within the background. It’s not a flashy a part of enterprise, nevertheless it’s an extremely vital one. The truth is, almost 70% of shoppers say they’re keen to pay extra for services from manufacturers which might be recognized to offer nice customer support.
Customer support people are those most definitely to work together with clients immediately and have a big impression on how clients understand your model. They clear up issues, advocate for patrons, and share invaluable insights to assist make services higher. In our opinion, all that tough work deserves to be celebrated.
A technique you may have a good time and acknowledge the arduous work of your customer support crew is by collaborating in customer support week.
What’s customer support week?
Customer support week is an annual occasion that celebrates and acknowledges the arduous work of customer support professionals. Customer support week is all the time the primary full week of October and has been round for the reason that late 80s, with all U.S. states recognizing the day beginning in 2016. There are at present round 60 international locations in complete that remember the day, with extra certain to affix within the close to future.
Celebrating customer support week is vital as a result of it acknowledges the integral position customer support professionals play in a corporation’s success. Plenty of customer support work occurs within the background, so it’s not generally one thing that will get a ton of visibility. Collaborating in customer support week is basically a possibility for a corporation to point out that they worth that work.
Customer support week concepts
Now that you realize what customer support week is, you may want some concepts on find out how to take part. Merely sending a company-wide e mail acknowledging the vacation’s existence gained’t reduce it. Beneath are a number of concepts you should use to get energetic and concerned in customer support week and present your crew how a lot they — and their work — imply to you.
Themed days
Breaking apart every day of the week into its personal mini occasion is a good way to maintain folks engaged on daily basis and to make sure everybody in your crew can take part. You would tie every day of the week to a distinct customer support subject or subject. You would additionally do themes like “gown up like a co-worker” day or different enjoyable occasions. We predict it’s finest to do a mixture of severe and lighthearted themes. What enjoyable is a celebration with out no less than a bit of silliness?
Complete firm help
Customer support is all about empathy, and among the finest methods to point out your appreciation is to stroll a mile of their sneakers. Complete firm help offers customer support members a bit of time again whereas additionally serving to folks perceive the worth of the work they do. If you happen to’re curious to be taught extra about entire firm help, we’ve got an total article on how one can pull it off.
Out-of-the-queue dash
By advantage of the place, loads of customer support professionals spend a considerable amount of their time “within the queue” — this refers to any time an agent is immediately interacting with a buyer by way of telephone, e mail, chat, or one other channel. Although queue work is an important facet of customer support, it is only one facet.
Chances are high there’s an out-of-the-queue mission folks have wished to sort out however merely haven’t had the time. Customer support week is a good time to provide your crew the time to concentrate on these initiatives. Having a break from the on a regular basis hustle may be energizing and in addition reveals you perceive customer support is extra than simply responding to clients.
City corridor gathering
Customer support week is about consciousness simply as a lot because it’s about appreciation. Organising a city corridor the place your customer support crew can share concerning the work they do in addition to reply questions from others may also help give a large amount of visibility into the vital work that they do every day and assist others within the firm acknowledge their contribution.
Customer support week actions
Video games and different actions are a enjoyable technique to have a good time in addition to carry groups collectively. If you wish to make issues a bit of extra attention-grabbing you could possibly embody prizes, too. Beneath are a number of choices to think about.
Scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are a enjoyable technique to have interaction groups and get them outdoors of their common routine. You possibly can choose to create your personal journey or use a lot of on-line instruments to create a enjoyable exercise. You possibly can tie the clues to company-related issues or not. Both method, it’s a great way to foster connection amongst crew members and convey a bit of novelty to their day. You may as well make it remote-friendly by having it’s a web based scavenger hunt.
Escape room
Escape rooms are one other teamwork exercise that may be a enjoyable technique to carry folks collectively. They often aren’t terribly costly and don’t take a ton of time. You additionally often have an possibility to decide on the issue degree of the room you’re escaping from, which may be good if there are some who need a extra relaxed route by way of. It additionally makes dividing into groups simpler as folks are inclined to self-select for problem degree.
High Golf (or one thing comparable)
High Golf (or one thing comparable, like bowling) is a extra informal exercise the place folks can select to have interaction immediately or not. They’ve golf equipment at locations like High Golf, so there’s no must carry something. There are additionally typically food and drinks choices as properly. Relying on the dimensions of your group, it is perhaps a bit of pricier than different choices on the listing, so we advise calling forward to get charges.
Laser tag
When you have a really energetic or aggressive group, laser tag may very well be an excellent possibility. It’s one other crew exercise that encourages folks to work collectively. It’s enjoyable, nevertheless it gained’t take up a complete day as rounds are often half-hour or so. It’s additionally typically not extremely costly. And, should you grew up within the 90s, it’s in all probability nostalgic.
Jeopardy
Customer support people typically have encyclopedic information of your product and firm. A Jeopardy-style sport can put that information to the take a look at. There are on-line instruments (like this) you should use to construct this out so it’s not an enormous elevate. You possibly can select to do that as groups, or people can play individually. It’s additionally good for digital groups because it would not require being in particular person.
Arcade
Although it’s not precisely a bunch bonding expertise, going to a neighborhood arcade may very well be a enjoyable factor to do. Primarily you purchase tokens and divy them out to crew members. From there they’ll select their very own journey and determine what video games to play. That is an alternative choice that in all probability gained’t break the financial institution or take up the entire day, so it may very well be an excellent one to think about.
Customer support week presents
Presents are a good way to point out appreciation in your crew’s arduous work. They don’t should be extravagant to have an effect; they only must be considerate. The scale of your crew and finances will decide what varieties of presents you can provide, however so long as they’re considerate, your crew will recognize them.
Catered meals
Although free meals isn’t essentially the most artistic factor, it’s typically appreciated. To take it up a notch, think about ordering in from a neighborhood favourite. Additionally make certain to get any dietary restrictions upfront so everybody can take part. If you happen to’re a distributed crew, it’s also possible to ship out reward playing cards and let crew members select what they’d like.
Personalized swag
Group-specific swag could be a nice possibility for a considerate reward. T-shirts, hoodies, and water bottles are inclined to all the time be a success, however you could possibly additionally survey your crew to see if there’s one thing else they’d like. For instance, we’ve seen some fairly stellar socks through the years. Relying on the merchandise, this may very well be a bit of costlier than different choices, in order that’s one thing to bear in mind.
Thank-you playing cards
Extra on the sentimental facet of issues are thank-you playing cards. Having management handwrite personalised thank-you playing cards for every crew member, highlighting what they recognize about them particularly, may be an extremely impactful factor to do. It’s a small gesture however one that may go a great distance in making folks really feel seen.
Present playing cards
Just like meals, reward playing cards is probably not essentially the most artistic reward, however they’re good as a result of they put the receiver within the driver’s seat. It’s basically a choose-your-own-adventure reward. With a ton of on-line choices accessible, it’s additionally an excellent possibility for distributed groups. Additional, because you select the quantity of the reward card, it additionally offers you loads of company over the entire value.
Closing ideas
Customer support people actually don’t get into the career for the reward, nevertheless it’s all the time good to be acknowledged for the arduous work you do. Customer support week is a good alternative to take action. As it’s for many issues, it’s the thought that counts. So, be considerate in your efforts, and it doesn’t matter what you do, your crew will see that you just care.