Virtual Backgrounds (3 designs)
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A Meme contest lets individuals share their sense of humor and everyone share a good natured laugh.
See links listed below.
This activity is based on the Make Your Own Meme Contest at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont. With a few simple steps, it will work in virtually any office.
Choose six to eight photos that will spark ideas for your team. We recommend selecting photos from Creative Commons licensed material. These images are in the public domain. This means that you can share, use, and remix these images. Learn more and select images at https://search.creativecommons.org
Ask participants to create one or more Memes using the photos provided. For inspiration, provide some recent popular Memes or the samples from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont.
To produce high quality memes, participants should use one of the following meme creators. These sites allow participants to upload the photo of their choice and to add their text to the image. Next they can email Memes to the activity organizer. Two popular sites for creating Memes are:
https://filmora.wondershare.com/meme-maker
https://www.kapwing.com/meme-maker
Finally, share the best Memes with everyone on the team. Announce the first, second, and third place winners or allow the group to vote for their favorites.
Frontline reps will share service stories and develop a list of what to do and what not to do when working with customers.
Paper and pen, or white board and marker, for the leader.
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.
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.
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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This witty activity was developed by a customer service manager. Her goal was to help team members get to know each other while working from home.
This activity requires Zoom or another collaboration platform.
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Select a date for the activity. Ask reps to dress with special care on that day. They should dress in appropriate office attire on the top and for a hobby or favorite activity on the bottom.
Next, call on each person individually to stand up and describe what they are wearing.
Reps will learn about each other’s interests and perhaps find some common ground.
Were you surprised by any of the split personalities in our group?
Has this sparked interest in trying a new activity yourself?
This activity suggests that we don’t have to be all business all of the time. How do you find balance between work and hobbies?
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This activity was adapted from the classic activity book, The Big Book of Virtual Teambuilding Games.
In this activity, participants focus on communication skills and try to avoid talking over each other. The game can be played with local teams, remote teams, or hybrid teams via phone or collaboration platform.
As the group struggles to stop talking over each other, they may realize that they need a system, such as speaking in alphabetical order by last name.
Some groups will come to this realization and decide on a plan. Others will not.
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The challenge is for the team to count up to the number of people on the team. For example, a team of 10 needs to count from one to 10. If two team members speak at the same time, the team starts from the beginning. When this happens, a different person must start the count-off.
Questions for groups that choose to collaborate:
How did you come to the decision to collaborate?
What became possible once you made the decision to work together?
Questions for groups that do not collaborate:
Why did you choose not to collaborate?
Was it a conscious choice or did it not occur to you?
What would have been possible if you had decided to work together?
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In this scavenger hunt, remote staff will compete to collect all of the items, snap a photo, and share with the entire team. This fun activity is so quick and easy you can host a new scavenger hunt each day of Customer Service Week.
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This activity can be used over the course of one to five days.
For a five day activity, compile five lists of items to be collected, or use the sample lists below. The lists should include items commonly found in the home along with one or two tricky items.
Distribute the daily list via email or a collaboration platform and ask reps to share photos showing all of the items that they collect.
Photos should be displayed online for all to see. The real fun comes when people realize what they have in common, “We have the same shirt” and what’s different, “Where did you find that rotary phone?”
The winner is the person to find the most items over the course of the scavenger hunt.
Here are two sets of sample scavenger hunt items:
Day 1 Elephant Hawaiian style shirt Seashell Spice that starts with the letter M Wedding photo | Day 1 Something in Customer Service Week blue The softest thing you own Something smaller than a penny Something with two ears Flowers or flour |
Day 2 Cast iron skillet Feather Mercury thermometer Ribbon Rotary phone | Day 2 Something in Customer Service Week orange The last book you read Something round Something with four feet Knight or night |
Day 3 House plant Record or video tape Salt shaker Slippers Train | Day 3 Something in Customer Service Week yellow Something sharp Something that makes you smile Something with a tail Mail or male |
Day 4 Polka dots Postage stamp Red food Shell Six pins | Day 4 Something a little bit country Something fuzzy The sweetest thing you have Something with polka dots Pear or a pair |
Day 5 Ball Funny socks Happy Birthday Pantry item with a 2018 expiration date (or older!) Rock | Day 5 Something a little bit rock and roll Something hot Something older than you are Something plaid Son or sun |
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This popular Customer Service Week activity provides an opportunity for 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.
Getting To Know You Questionnaire
Prizes for daily winners
A few days before Customer Service Week, ask each team member to complete the questionnaire. Then decide how you will play:
Option 1: Email all of one person’s “answers” to the team and ask them to identify the person described in the email.
Option 2: Email all of the “answers” to a single question, such as “what is your favorite movie?” to the team and ask them to match the movie titles to their coworkers.
As each round of the game is completed, share the names of the winners and the correct answers via email.
Finally, keep in mind that your goal is to have as many winners as possible. After all, the more ways in which team members connect, the stronger the team. So be sure to encourage everyone to play, even if they have to guess, and award prizes to all participants.
This is a good at-your-desk activity, when played via email, or a collaboration platform.
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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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Chair decorating contests have always been part of Customer Service Week celebrations. The activity allows enough flexibility to fit into any event and participants enjoy the camaraderie and creativity. In addition to decorating chairs many organizations decorate the entire work area as well. Click to see how Health Plan of the Upper Ohio Valley decorated with a holiday theme.
Each team provides their own materials
Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners
CSW Scratchers for all participants
First select a theme for your contest. Some popular themes are “Vacation getaway: Decorate one chair to represent a place where you can kick-back and relax,” “Seasons: Decorate one chair to represent a favorite season,” or if you choose to make this an individual rather than a group activity, “Getting to know you: Anything that represents you, your hobbies, or your passions.”
Divide your group into teams of three to five people.
When your teams are assembled, explain that they will be decorating one of their chairs to reflect the theme that you have selected. Provide the time frame for the activity. Allow two or three days so that team members are able to bring materials and props from home, if they wish.
When the work is completed, invite the group to view all of the chairs. Announce the first, second, and third place winners or allow the group to vote for their favorites.
Dispersed teams can easily complete this activity using a video conferencing tool such as Zoom, Webex, or Google Hangouts.
Instead of gathering in the office to view decorated chairs, ask reps to take photos of their chairs and share them with the activity leader. Then use screen sharing to view and vote for the team’s favorites.
As you view each chair, ask the team to explain their work and the process they used to arrive at the design.
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