Make the Most of Customer Service Week

Make the Most of Customer Service Week Make the Most of Customer Service Week Customer service is a powerful tool for any company. It influences employee and client retention, brand loyalty, buying behavior and business opportunities. So when Customer Service Week comes around every October, show some appreciation to your workers who interact with customers on the front line, whether they’re call center representatives, customer service managers, receptionists or member services representatives/enrollment specialists. An OfficeTeam survey shows that having employees with strong customer service skills has several benefits. Nearly half (45 percent) of the senior managers surveyed said those abilities lead to effective problem solving, followed by increased customer/client satisfaction (38 percent) and better collaboration (17 percent). What is Customer Service Week? It’s an international celebration that calls attention to the importance of customer service and the people who serve and support customers. Its goals are to boost morale and teamwork, reward employees for the significant work they do, raise awareness of the value of customer service, thank other departments for their support and remind customers of the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction. Every year, Customer Service Week falls on the first week in October, so you might want to mark these dates on your calendar: 2018: Oct. 1-5 2019: Oct. 7-11 2020: Oct. 5-9 What is its history? Customer Service Week was established and designated by the U.S. Congress in 1992. In the proclamation President George H. W. Bush signed, he said, “the most successful businesses are those that display a strong commitment to customer satisfaction,” and, “A business will do a better job of providing high quality goods and services by listening to its employees and by empowering them with opportunities to make a difference.” The Customer Service Group sponsors the official program, with how-to information and celebration materials at its website, CSWeek.com. The event is now celebrated in more than 40 countries. What can you do to improve customer service? You can show your appreciation to the customer service professionals in your workplace in several ways: Evaluate and offer competitive customer service representative salary levels. (Download your free copy of the OfficeTeam Salary Guide for compensation data on 60 administrative roles.) Encourage them to grow in their careers by providing or offering to pay for professional development training. Establish an employee rewards program and reward your team with staff incentives. Our survey also shows companies are providing the following types of educational benefits to their employees to improve their customer service skills: Tuition reimbursement for off-site courses or seminars Online courses On-site workshops or brown-bag sessions led by an instructor Books or other reference materials