Make the Most of National Customer Service Week 2024!

It's been a wild year for customer service professionals. The way organizations think about and invest in customer-centric priorities has shifted dramatically. Service professionals have had to adapt to new technologies, expectations, and priorities quickly. We should celebrate these professionals' growth and resilience, and there's no better time than National Customer Service Week (NCSW), October 7–11!

Even so, I'd like to offer a challenge. There's tremendous strategic value that can be generated from NCSW, enabling outcomes that go far beyond the power of free food. 😁 With some planning, leaders can elevate a customer-centric mentality across the business. Here's a simple framework to help leaders make the most of this wonderful week:

• Day One: Educate – Bring the reality of the customer to life for employees.
• Day Two: Activate – Give everyone in the organization a chance to engage directly with customers.
• Day Three and Four: Co-Create – Facilitate meaningful collaboration across the organization to envision a greater future for customer experience (CX).
• Day Five: Celebrate – Make your customer service workers feel appreciated for their incredible work.

By designing NCSW to build up in this way, you can create a major "AHA!" moment for employees at all levels.

"I know more about the customers we serve." I see how our organization works together to make them successful. I understand customer service's unique role in keeping them on the path to success."

Let's dive deeper into each day with specific ideas for inspiration:

Day One: Educate

Employees can often lose sight of how their work directly impacts customers, or how the business as a whole is changing customers' lives. Bring your "Voice of the Customer" insights to life to help make this connection. The goal here is to spark curiosity about who the customer is and what their journey looks like. Consider these examples:

• Bring in a customer to share a testimonial on how your organization has positively impacted them. Ramsey Solutions' "debt-free scream" is an excellent example of this.
• Host a "Voice of the Customer Open House" to give employees a behind-the-scenes look at a specific part of the customer journey. This could include feedback, product demonstrations, or even brainstorming solutions for common customer pain points. Have the customer service team facilitate.

Day Two: Activate

It's easy for employees to assume that customer service is the responsibility of the customer service team alone. On this day, encourage employees to apply what they learned on Day One by actively participating. For example:

• Create a special deck of cards featuring your customers. As employees arrive at work (or log in virtually), give them a card with a customer profile and a specific challenge. This could include thanking a customer, following them on social media, or brainstorming new collaboration ideas.
• Release a customer journey map focused on a specific customer persona. Highlight how various roles across the organization impact this persona and invite employees to brainstorm ways to enhance "their part" of the journey.

Days Three and Four: Co-Create

CX work can't happen in isolation. Encourage cross-departmental collaboration to achieve customer outcomes. Ideas include:

• Live out your brand purpose through a volunteer event—with a twist—and partner with a customer group to participate. For instance, if you supply building materials to homebuilders, consider collaborating on a Habitat for Humanity project.
• Organize cross-functional task forces to develop CX improvement ideas from Day Two. Host a "Shark Tank"-style event where teams present their ideas to a panel of executives. The best ideas can then move forward for implementation.

Day Five: Celebrate!

It's time to roll out the red carpet and spread some serotonin! While everyone has a role in supporting customers, the dedicated service workers should be the stars of the show on this day.

• Form a house band made up of employees from across the company. Nothing says "we appreciate you," like a marketing leader belting out "Thankful" by Celine Dion.
• Showcase your "Voice of the Customer" top hits throughout the office to remind everyone of the impact of great service.

A key opportunity during NCSW is positioning leaders from departments outside of customer service to express their gratitude. Whether through serving food, writing personal notes, or simply stopping by to connect, these gestures will go a long way.

I'm excited for you to make this your best National Customer Service Week yet! Even so, if you're unable to go all out, that's okay, too. A simple, authentic celebration can be just as meaningful. Please reach out to me if you'd like to brainstorm ideas. Just make sure your customer service workers feel a little extra love during NCSW 2024!