Activities • Bulletins • Celebration Stories and Ideas • Gift • Printables • Puzzles •
Materials:Hink-Pinks sheets for each team member. A Customer Service Week Two-in-One Pen to use. Notes:Hink-Pinks are fun puzzles that put the focus on decoding the meaning of a customer’s words.The last question on each puzzle sheet asks participants to create their own Hink Pinks. Gather these and share them with your team.Reward everyone who completes a puzzle…Continue reading
| Materials: | Puzzling Pairs sheets for each team member. A Customer Service Week Two-in-One Pen to use. |
| Notes: | Listening is one of the most important skills for service professionals. In this fun word puzzle, changing a single letter in a word gives it a whole new meaning. This illustrates the point that you must listen carefully to every word, every letter, and even every non-verbal clue that a customer provides. The last question on each puzzle sheet asks participants to create their own Puzzling Pairs challenge. Gather these and share them with your team. Reward everyone who completes a puzzle with a Customer Service Week Scratch Off Card. |
| Puzzles/Solutions: | Puzzling Pairs 1 sheets. Puzzling Pairs 2 sheets. Puzzling Pairs 1 solutions. Puzzling Pairs 2 solutions. |
| Materials: | Rabbits in a Pen 3 sheets for each team member. A Customer Service Week Two-in-One Pen to use. |
| Notes: | In this logic puzzle, reps must come up with a creative solution to help a desperate customer. Reward everyone who completes the puzzle with a Customer Service Week Scratch Off Card. |
| Puzzles/Solutions: | Rabbits in a Pen 3 sheets. Rabbits in a Pen 3 solutions. |
| Materials: | Matchstick Squares & Triangles instruction sheets for each team member. 15 matchsticks or toothpicks for each team member. A prize or Scratch Off Card for each winner. |
| Notes: | Matchstick puzzles originated as simple pub games that could be played with materials, such as matchsticks, that were readily at hand. But don’t let the simple materials fool you these are very challenging puzzles.Toothpicks may be substituted for matchsticks or, if you have enough space and choose to make this a team activity, drinking straws work well. Or go even bigger with pool noodles. |
| Puzzles/ Solutions: | Matchstick Squares & Triangles sheets. Matchstick Squares & Triangles solution. |
| Materials: | Matchstick Squares instruction sheets for each team member. 16 matchsticks or toothpicks for each team member. A prize or Scratch Off Card for each winner. |
| Notes: | Matchstick puzzles originated as simple pub games that could be played with materials, such as matchsticks, that were readily at hand. But don’t let the simple materials fool you these are very challenging puzzles.Toothpicks may be substituted for matchsticks or, if you have enough space and choose to make this a team activity, drinking straws work well. Or go even bigger with pool noodles. |
| Puzzles/ Solutions: | Matchstick Squares sheets. Matchstick Squares solution. |
At the height of the pandemic, the J. Paul Getty Museum popularized this activity. It has continued to spark creativity ever since. The museum sent out a tweet asking people to recreate their favorite pieces of art using everyday household items. The images were shared via social media.
Common household items
Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners
CSW Scratchers for all participants
Ask participants to recreate their favorite piece of art using items in their homes.
The original image and the new image should be submitted to the activity organizer via email or your communication platform.
Share the best artwork with everyone on the team. Announce the first, second, and third place winners or allow team members to vote for their favorites.
Share links to online museum art collections. Images in these collections may be downloaded and used for free.
Getty Museum
https://www.getty.edu/art/collection
Art Institute of Chicago
https://www.artic.edu/collection
National Gallery
https://www.nga.gov/collection.html
Share images from the Getty Museum to inspire your team.
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Sitting in certain positions can be relaxing for body and mind while other positions aggravate stress. This exercise demonstrates the right way to sit to relieve stress.
A Mini Zen Garden or Lavender Reed Diffuser for each participant
Ask participants to arrange their chairs so that they are all facing you. Ask a volunteer to come forward with their chair. Explain that you will be demonstrating a seated relaxation posture that can alleviate some of the tension that comes from sitting for long periods of time.
First, ask the volunteer the sit in an awkward or unnatural position. Now ask all participants to get into the same position. Hold that position for one minute.
Next, demonstrate the correct posture. Ask all participants to get into the same position. Hold that position for one minute.
To find the correct posture, follow these steps:
First, bring your heels together on the floor in front of you, then let you feet and legs find their natural position. Your knees will separate slightly, the space between your thighs will widen and your toes will naturally move to the left and right.
Now, face your palms toward the ceiling, let your fingers curl up naturally, and gently drop your hands to your lap.
Let your shoulders relax.
Let your jaw go slack, so that your mouth is open a bit.
Close your eyes.
After a minute, have people slowly open their eyes and ask them how they feel. Lead a discussion about how the relaxation posture might be used during the day.
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This fun exercise will convince even the most reluctant participant that there is real value in practicing simple relaxation techniques when stressful situations arise.
Participants will hold an ice cube in one hand for one minute. After a short break, they repeat this while doing a relaxation exercise. The exercise demonstrates that deep breathing helps people feel more in control and relaxed despite outside stressors.
One ice cube for each participant, plus extra
Large bowl
Paper towels
Timer
A 10-Second Stress Test or Stress Ball for each participant
Ask participants to arrange their chairs in a circle. Explain that you will be demonstrating a useful stress reduction technique, but that it might get a little messy. Distribute paper towel and ice cubes to each person. Ask participants to grasp the ice cube tightly in one hand until you tell them to let go.
After one minute has passed, tell them that they can let go. Now ask two or three people to tell you how it felt to hold the ice cube.
Next, you’ll repeat the exercise with everyone tightly grasping their ice cube. But instead of silence, you will guide the group in a simple meditation with the following words:
Close your eyes,
Breath in and out slowly through your nose,
Focus your attention on your breathing,
Silently say the word “one” each time you exhale.
When one minute has passed, have participants release the ice cubes. While the remnants are being collected, lead a discussion about how the second experience compared to the first.
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This fun on-site game is perfect for encouraging people to mingle and get to know each other while completing the challenge.
A small gift for all participants
A few days before Customer Service Week begins, create a list of perfect food pairings. Write each item on a separate sheet of paper.
As each person arrives for the activity, tape one sheet of paper to their back. No peeking!
When the entire group has gathered, explain that each person has the name of a unique food item written on the paper on their back. The challenge is to discover what that item is and to find the person with their food pair.
Encourage people to mingle and ask each other questions to discover their food. The only rule in this game is that people may only ask YES or NO questions. Such as “Am I a frozen food?”, “Am I served at breakfast?”, “Am I sweet?”
As people find their pairs, they should remain together to chat and to make it easier for the remaining couples to meet.
Here are some sample food pairings to get started.
Bacon and eggs
Burger and fries
Cake and ice cream
Chips and salsa
Coffee and donuts
Cookies and milk
Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Macaroni and cheese
Peanut butter and jelly
Rice and beans
Salt and pepper
Spaghetti and meatballs
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Minute to Win It challenges are perfect for on-site teams. They are quick, fun to complete, fun to watch, and there are endless possibilities.
As in the TV show, individuals or teams will complete challenges in under one minute.
Timers, watches, or phones with a stop-watch function
Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners
CSW Scratchers for all participants
Additional materials will vary based on the challenges selected
Gather your team for a series of five or six quick challenges that involve dexterity, coordination, and problem-solving skills. Based on group size this may be an individual or a team activity.
Set up various “challenge stations” each with a separate activity. If possible have a supervisor or activity leader at each station to explain the rules and record the winners. Each activity must be completed in under one minute.
When everyone has taken a turn at each challenge, tally the winners and award prizes to the fastest individuals or teams.
Here are some sample challenges to get started.
Create your own. Challenges based on your products, services, or office procedures will be the most fun.
Stack ’em Up. Participants must stack 28 paper cups in a pyramid.
Paper Clip Chain. Link 50 paper clips in a chain.
Ticket Sorting. Print out 30 customer service tickets. Number them 1-25 and mix them up. Participants must stack them in numerical order.
Desk Dash. Participants must dash from the office door to their desks through a maze of office chairs, banker’s boxes, waste paper baskets, and coworkers with service questions (all questions must be answered). If you choose this activity, prepare questions in advance.
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Each day your staff interacts with customers, coworkers, and supervisors. Each of these interactions is a potential source of stress. This easy to teach activity will give reps useful stress reduction tools that they can use at any time. This activity was adapted from the booklet Yoga at Your Desk.
A Mini Zen Garden or Lavender Reed Diffuser for each participant
Ask participants to arrange their chairs so that they are all facing you. Explain that basic yoga practices can be used to combat the stress and tension that are often present in customer service work.
Instruct participants as follows. Saying these words slowly and deliberately will encourage participants to slow down and get the most benefit from each exercise.
“These simple wrist and hand relaxers are especially important for people using a keyboard for long periods of time. They can be used at any time during the day and can be done sitting or standing in a minute or less each. The real beauty of these refreshers is that they are so simple to do.
“Wrist Releases. Raise your left forearm until it is parallel with the floor, while keeping the elbow close to your ribcage. Raise your fingertips to the ceiling. Push forward with the heel of your palm until your arm is fully outstretched. (You will look like you are trying to stop traffic.) Now, angle your fingers back toward your shoulder to increase the stretch. Hold for three seconds. Release. Slowly release your arm at your side. Repeat with the right arm, then one more time with each arm. Shake out your wrists.
“Finger Releases I. Hold your hands wherever they are comfortable, stretch your fingers as far apart as you can, close them in a fist, then stretch them wide again. Repeat two more times.
“Finger Releases II. Stretch both arms forward and begin to “climb” an imaginary ladder in the air, grasping the rungs and moving hand over hand. Follow the movement of your hands with your eyes as you reach for the highest rung possible. Relax your arms at your sides and shake out your wrists.”
How did you feel during the exercise?
Did you feel the the tension leave your wrists and hands?
How can you incorporate these movements into your daily routine?
Consider adding Wrist and Hand Relaxers to your department’s regular routine. Start your morning huddle with Wrist Releases. Add the Finger Releases I to your weekly team meeting. Or during a particularly stressful time, call for an emergency stress break. Everyone will stop where they are and practice Finger Releases II for 30 seconds.
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