Customer Service Week Resources

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A New Kind of Theme Day

  By Celebration Stories and Ideas, Highlight Training

Theme days have always been popular during Customer Service Week — from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, to superheroes, to team jersey days.

But at Demag — A Terex Brand, theme days took a more serious tone. The company has six core values, each of which is represented by a different color: Integrity, Respect, Improvement, Servant Leadership, Courage, and Citizenship.

Each day of the week, employees celebrated a different core value. They did this by dressing in the appropriate color and reflecting on the actions taken by their peers, which exemplified the daily value.

Customer Service Manager, Tricia Ater, explains that this was not a contest, it was simply a way to focus on these important values and to illustrate that small actions can bring the team closer to achieving each value.

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A Speech To Make Everyone Proud

  By Celebration Stories and Ideas, Build Stronger Teams

The team at Taro Pharmaceuticals began celebrating Customer Service Week four years ago and as Carol Augias tells us, “it has grown little by little from a breakfast on Monday, to include a small lunch on Friday, to a week-long celebration that everyone looks forward to.”

But certainly the highlight has to be the Closing Lunch Soiree. A theme is chosen and appropriate decorations and food are provided. At the event, each rep receives an award and Carol gives a carefully prepared speech. In it she talks about the accomplishments of the department and weaves in an anecdote about each rep’s success during the year. She even includes a quote from at least one customer and one outside sales rep.

Additional activities included:

  • Monday. Kick-off breakfast, introducing the Customer Service Week theme, schedule of events, goals for the week, and a presentation from the senior vice president of global sales and marketing.
  • Tuesday. Seminar on time management, plus a fun afternoon playing Minute to Win It.
  • Wednesday. Presentation on the service teams activities, plus announcement of the customer service rep of the year, and a rousing game of Deal or No Deal.
  • Thursday. Donuts and small stress relievers are delivered to other departments. Pizza lunch with company trivia contest.
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Amazing Race

  By Celebration Stories and Ideas, Host Games and Competitions

Team building games of all types abound during Customer Service Week. One exciting example comes from the Information Services Department at the Cobb County Government in Marietta, GA. The highlight of the celebration was a version of the television show Amazing Race.

The show features 11 teams racing around the world to win one million dollars. The teams compete in 13 activities. And the last team to complete the activity and arrive at the “pit stop” is eliminated.

Rather than racing around the world, these teams traveled through the office. Each day, they were given a clue that described the location of the first “pit stop.” When all teams arrived at the “pit stop,” they competed to complete a task. The last team to complete the task was eliminated.

Each challenge took just 10 to 15 minutes and each person on the team was required to participate.

Following are examples of three of the “pit stop” clues and tasks:

  • Pit Stop #3 Clue. You will now make a visit to the place where the Great Oz resides. There you will find task #3.
  • Task #3. The task is to eat the collard green pie. The last team to finish the pie will be eliminated from the race. If your team completes this task successfully you will be given the next clue.
  • Pit Stop #5 Clue. Navigate your way to this office where very few Information Services staff visit, but they support the entire county’s needs for all geographic locations. There you will find task #4.
  • Task #5. The task is to complete the crossword puzzle provided within 10 minutes. If you do not complete the crossword puzzle within 10 minutes your team will be eliminated from the race. If your team completes this task successfully you will be given the next clue.
  • Pit Stop #7 Clue. Customer service is defined in this area. This area handles all your technical support needs. There you will complete the final task and the winning team will be announced!
  • Task #7. Today your team will answer some tough questions. Pick a captain and when the question is asked talk among your group and come up with the correct answer — hit the bell and you will be given a chance to answer. If you get the answer wrong — two points will go to the opposing team and they will get the opportunity to answer the question. The team to get 100 points first wins the Amazing Race.

Additional popular game show activities include Fear Factor, Jeopardy!, Cash Cab, and Survivor.

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Answer the Question

  By Activities, Team Building

Description

This activity was adapted from the activity book, The Big Book of Team Motivating Games.

The objectives are to demonstrate the benefits of humor and to increase comfort within the team.

Materials

A small gift for each participant

Directions

Divide your group into teams of 10 to 20 people.

When the teams are assembled ask them to sit or stand in a circle.

Tell them that this activity consists of each person asking and answering open-ended questions. Instruct each participant to remember the question that they asked and the answer that they gave.

To start the game, have one team member turn to their right and ask a question. After providing an answer, that person turns to their right and asks a new question. This continues around the circle.

Now, the fun begins. Have everyone move to a new position in the circle, so that they have a new person on their left and right. To start this round, have the original team member ask the person to their right the original question, and have that person give their original answer. Get ready to laugh.

Sample

Here are a few of the questions and answers from our game testers at CSWeek.com:

Q: Where would you like to go on vacation this year?
A: The bus stop on the corner.

Q: How many children do you have?
A: Cherries, bananas, and strawberries.

Q: Are you a morning person or a night person?
A: I’m a cat person.

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Beginning and End (Remote ready)

  By Puzzles
Materials:Beginning and End sheets for each team member.

A Customer Service Week Pen to use.
Notes:Consistency is the secret to this devious word puzzle. You see, each two-word pair describes a new word, but the new word begins and ends with the first and last letters of the pair. Pretty tricky.

The last question on the puzzle sheet asks participants to create their own challenge. Gather these and share them with your team.

Reward everyone who completes the puzzle with a Customer Service Week Scratch Off Card.
Puzzles/
Solutions:		Beginning and End sheets.
Beginning and End solutions.

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Best and Worst Customer Service (Remote ready)

  By Activities, Skill-building

Description

Frontline reps will share service stories and develop a list of what to do and what not to do when working with customers.

Materials

Paper and pen, or white board and marker, for the leader.

Directions

First, draw a line down the center of the paper. Label one side, “What to Do,” and the other side, “What NOT to Do.”

Ask participants to think of the best experience they have ever had with a customer service rep. Invite three or four people to share their experiences. As they are telling their stories, add key words and phrases in the column headed, “What to Do.” For example, listened, asked great questions, really cared, etc.

Now, ask participants to think of the worst experience they have ever had with a customer service rep. Again, invite three or four people to share their experiences. Add key words and phrases in the column headed, “What NOT to Do.” For example, interrupted, ignored, argued, etc.

Remote Tip

This activity works well when the leader shares handwriting on screen via Zoom or another collaboration platform. Discussion will be ongoing while the leader takes notes which are viewed by all participants.

Discussion

After the activity is completed ask everyone to take a quiet moment later in the day to think about their own work and to ensure that it reflects the team’s dos and don’ts.

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Breakfast Celebration

  By Celebration Stories and Ideas, Build Stronger Teams

A creative team building activity was the highlight of the breakfast celebration at RACO Industries. The activity was designed to encourage team members to learn a little bit more about each other. When they do, stories are shared, bonds are formed, and cooperation and teamwork soar.

Manager Tracey Veith asked each person on her team to bring in one item from home. It had to be something that was meaningful to them but not easily identifiable as theirs.

During breakfast at a local pancake house, all of the items were arranged at the center of the table. Throughout the meal reps took turns trying to guess who brought in each item. When all of the connections were made, each person shared a few words about their item and why it is important to them.

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Build a Web of Compliments

  By Activities, Recognition

Description

In the busy service center it’s often easy to forget to make time for kindness. This activity encourages reps to recognize coworkers and create a literal web of compliments, which connects each individual to the team.

Materials

One ball of yarn for each team

Directions

This activity works best with teams of eight to 12 participants. Have each team form a loose circle and provide one person on each team with a ball of yarn. This person is the team leader.

When your teams are assembled, explain that they will have an opportunity to create a web of compliments by recognizing others on the team.

Ask the team leader to start the process by sharing something that they like or admire about a member of the team. After sharing the compliment, the leader wraps the yarn around their hand and tosses the ball to the person who has received the compliment. Now, they compliment a team member, wrap the yarn around their hand, and toss the ball. In the first round, each participant may receive only one compliment.

In the second round, the person holding the yarn may compliment anyone. For some teams, two rounds is ample. For others, the game can continue for many rounds.

Discussion

Take a few moments to discuss the web. Everyone should be included and have several connections to and from team members. Ask the team to discuss the types of compliments that they heard. These are the traits that the team values and that should be encouraged.

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Building Rapport

  By Activities, Skill-building

Description

This activity was adapted from the activity book, The Big Book of Customer Service Training Games.

In this activity, participants practice picking up clues that can help them build rapport with customers. Building rapport, or creating a bond of trust, will help ensure productive relationships with customers even in the most trying times.

Materials

A small gift for each participant to take away

Directions

Prepare for this activity by cutting out magazine photos of people in everyday situations. You’ll need three to four photos per group.

Briefly discuss the concept of rapport. Explain that in this game participants will practice picking up clues from “customer” photos. These clues will be used to build connections with customers.

Divide your group into teams of two or three people. Give each team a selection of photographs. Ask them to come up with questions or statements that they might use to make pleasant, light conversation with the “customer” in the photo.

Provide an example to help the teams get started. For example, for a photo of a man in a Denver Broncos shirt with three children at his side you might say:

  • How old are your children?
  • Are you a Broncos fan?
  • Sounds like you all had quite a winter in Denver this year.

After about 10 minutes, ask the teams to share one or two of their photos and rapport-building questions or statements with the entire group.

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Cake Decorating

  By Celebration Stories and Ideas, Focus on Fun

You’ve seen the Cake Challenges on TV — Master bakers pitted against each other to create the most beautiful and over-the-top creations.

So when you host a cake and coffee break, or need an fresh idea for a team challenge, why not think cake?

For a cake decorating contest at CBK Mountain Adventures, the staff was divided into teams of two. Each team received a sheet cake, and an assortment of frostings. The challenged was to create a theme cake for the week.

At Princeton Watches, teams of cake decorators were asked to create cakes, which answered the question “What is Customer Service?”

And at Axis New England the cake is the highlight of the celebration, with a professional baker creating a masterpiece each year.

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Cake Decorating

  By Activities, Team Building

Description

This is a fun and creative activity that everyone enjoys. Teams are challenged to create a cake that is both delicious and represents the assigned theme. For example: “What service means to me,” “Our service mission,” “Mission: Possible,” or “Spy Gear.”

Materials

Each team will need the following items:
Plain sheet cake
Frosting, assorted colors
Icing tubes, assorted colors
Sugar sprinkles, assorted colors
Small spatulas or frosting knives
Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners
CSW Scratch Off Cards for all participants

Directions

Prepare a workspace and a set of materials for each team. Or if you can’t have all teams working at the same time, have them rotate through the work area.

Divide your group into teams of three to five people.

When your teams are assembled, explain that they will be decorating their cakes to reflect the theme that you have selected. Provide the time frame for the project. Half-an-hour is ample for teams to come up with a plan and execute it. In addition to the materials provided, teams should be allowed to use other materials found throughout the office.

When time is up, invite the group to view all of the cakes. Announce the first, second, and third place winners or allow the group to vote for their favorites.

Then dig in. Serve up slices of cake and coffee for a special break.

Discussion

As you view each cake, ask the team to explain their work and the process they used to arrive at the design.

Keep it going

With all that cake on hand, invite the individuals and teams you work with to enjoy a cake and coffee break.

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