Activities • Celebration Stories and Ideas • Gift • Printables • Puzzles •
Materials:Something from Nothing 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:Something from Nothing sheets.Something from Nothing solutions. Return to Puzzles and GamesFull content with purchase
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…Full content with purchase
Description This activity was adapted from the classic 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. Materials A small gift for each…Full content with purchase
Description One of the great enemies of good listening is a common tendency to assume that we know what the customer is going to say. When this happens, reps go on auto pilot and attempt to serve the customer without really understanding the issue. This simple exercise makes a very clear point about the need…Full content with purchase
Description This classic communication exercise illustrates the importance of two-way communication in a very visual and often humorous way. Materials 8-1/2" x 11" paper for each participant Directions Have participants arrange their chairs classroom style or around a table. Give each participant a sheet of paper. Ask them to close their eyes and follow your…Full content with purchase
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…Continue reading
Customer Service Week is the perfect time to recognize frontline reps and others for the excellent service they provide.
While typically a peer-to-peer activity, you can also ask managers, supervisors, or team leaders to complete Caught in the Act Cards.
Distribute cards to reps and ask them to fill in the blanks whenever they catch a team member providing excellent service. At the end of the week, collect all of the cards and create your own Caught in the Act display. Include one or two cards describing the acts of each rep on your team.
In addition to this recognition, present gifts to the three reps to receive the most Caught in the Act Cards.
A brief closing ceremony gives your team an opportunity to end the week on a high note and to reflect on the special celebration they have shared.
The Certificate of Participation is presented by CSWeek.com to your organization. It recognizes your participation in Customer Service Week and your commitment to your customers and staff.
Gather for a brief ceremony. Thank all of the people who gave their time and energy to make the week a success. Make your final prize awards. And then hang your Certificate of Participation.
This is also the time to remind reps that while you are returning to a normal schedule, you hope that the teamwork, camaraderie, and spirit that were shared this week, will last until Customer Service Week 2023!
Signing the Customer Service Week Pledge is a great way to start your week-long celebration. It provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of the week and for your team to recommit themselves to customer service.
Make the event more meaningful by giving each person who signs the pledge a Customer Service Week Logo Pin to wear during the week.
Once the pledge has been signed, post it prominently along with your Certificate of Participation in Customer Service Week.
Customer Service Week Pledge
Logo Pins
Gather for a brief ceremony. Discuss this year’s Customer Service Week theme, Celebrate Service™, and ask each participant to sign the pledge.
Sample dialog for Opening Ceremony:
This week we join with customer service professionals in all 50 states and over 60 countries to celebrate Customer Service Week.
For over 30 years, the first full week in October has been set aside to celebrate the importance of customer service and of the people who serve and support customers on a daily basis.
An important part of our celebration is signing the annual Customer Service Week pledge. By signing the pledge we affirm that we will provide all customers with courteous treatment, our full time and attention, fast and accurate information, quick resolution, and our appreciation for their trust in us.
Please join me in signing the pledge.
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In this traditional scavenger hunt, each team receives a list of items that they must collect. The team to collect all of the items in the least amount of time wins the challenge.
Rather than simply preparing a list of items to gather, focus on objectives for your group such as, learning more about teammates, learning more about other departments, or learning more about your products and services.
If you have items on the list that are large or bulky, consider asking teams to take a selfie with the item.
List of scavenger items
Prizes for the winners
Compile a list of 10 to 15 items to be collected. If your staff will be visiting other departments, be sure to discuss this well in advance and to provide firm dates and times so that other departments and individuals are ready to meet with visitors.
Also, consider staggering start times or mixing up the order of the items so that teams aren’t arriving at one location at the same time.
Below are five sample questions, which were used in a “getting to know you” scavenger hunt.
Item #1: This model rep has not missed a day of work in the past three years. On her desk is a photograph of her pet Sandy. Bring back a selfie with Sandy.
Item #2: He has led our organization through ups and downs and ups. He is known for saying that, “Our service is what makes us strong.” Visit the corner office and bring back one business card. Plus you’ll get a chance to shake hands and hear a little bit more about what makes us strong.
Item #3: When you need to check the status of a late payment you call this team. If you stop by you’ll see that someone has a bowl of candy on their desk. Bring back one piece of candy.
Item #4: Coming in early or working late? You’re never alone, George or Greg is always at the front desk. And they’re always ready with the latest sports scores. Bring back a page from the sports section.
Item #5: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. While we may scream, one person has been filling the ice cream freezer in the cafeteria all summer. Bring back a wooden ice cream spoon with her name on it.
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This activity is based on the Penny Wars activity at Health Business Systems. The goal was to build teamwork while competing to raise the most money for a local charity. See the penny wars event in action.
The activity lasts for five days so you can start on the Monday of Customer Service Week and you will be done on Friday.
A gallon container with a wide opening for each team
A white board, chalk board, or large sheet of poster paper for daily score keeping
Day 1: Divide the group into teams of roughly six to eight people. Each team receives a gallon container to decorate and store all of the coins they collect. Ask team members to bring in all of their pennies the next day.
Day 2: Now, the competition begins. Each team counts the pennies in their container and posts the results.
Days 3 through 5: Now the competition gets sneaky. For three days, opposing team members put their silver coins in the other team’s containers. Each silver coin reduces the number of points from that container by the amount of the coin (nickel = 5 points, dime = 10 points, quarter = 25 points).
The team with the most pennies at the end of the competition is the winner. And the value of all of the coins is donated to the selected charity
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There are so many variations and so many ways to get to know team members with this simple matching game. If you have remote staff, it can be an effective way to include them in the celebration as well.
The objective is for participants to match photographs to their coworkers. Popular match themes are baby pictures, pets, smiles, and even shoes.
Click to see how Mondial added a high-tech twist to the classic Match Up activity.
Photos of team members
Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners
CSW Scratchers for all participants
Collect photos from participants or snap photos yourself. Then create a display with each photo clearly numbered. People will enjoy gathering and chatting about the photos, so a nice display in a central location is best.
When your staff is assembled, explain that each person should create a numbered list with their answers. Allow two or three days for completion. When the time is up, invite the group for an announcement of the correct matches.
This is a good at-your-desk activity when played via email or a collaboration platform.
Instead of posting photos in a central location in the office, simply post to a shared online location.
During a team chat read out the correct matches and award prizes.
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