A.USA National Customer Service Week 

The International Customer Service Association (ICSA) launched National  Customer Service Week in 1988. It celebrates this the first full week of  October. This years theme is WHATEVER IT TAKES. National Customer Service  Week "focuses on and celebrates the importance of the customer and the  customer service profession." This is an ideal time for companies to  recognize and thank employees who work in a customer satisfaction role for  their contribution to company success. The purpose is to instill an all  year round organizational committment to the customer. There are dozens of  ideas on how to celebrate this at their site. 

 Here's a bakers dozen (13) of 55 ideas one of my clients brainstormed in  one of a recent series of customer service learning sessions. You can  actually use these all year long:  - employee picks their schedule for a week  - letter to family noting achievement  - get customer involved in the recognition  - managers wash customer service employees cars  - small article featuring selected employee in company newsletter  - everyone else answers csr's telephone and is a go-for for a day  - gift certificate for ice cream or yogurt all week long  - year magazine subscription of their choice  - family pass to a recreation park  - bus trip for the group to local fun spot of their choice  - a paid training class of the employees choice  - pay for a pizza to be delivered to homes for one evening  - for gals: pedicures, manicures, massages and guys: tune-up on car, fill  up on gas, tire balance and rotation 

 For information about this event, and ICSA, visit their website:  http://www.icsa.com/public/activities/service.html 

 
B. Serious Fun for Leaders 

Last month at a conference with 50 business leaders and 150 student leaders  we roped in greater understanding about leadership for the new millennium.  YOU can do this with your team to spice up some team synergy. It's short  enough in time that you can drop it in an upcoming meeting as either an  icebreaker or an ending. The overview gives you instructions, prop and  timeframe. 

 -First, ask for 6 volunteers. Use Bob Pike's method that motivates people  to step up: volunteer now, listen to the assignment, decide if it's  something you want to do OR if it's something YOU want to pass on to a  friend to do! People will volunteer easily!  -Next, give the entire group the overview: The 6 volunteers will stand in a  circle, blindfolded. I'll toss in a rope (about 50' to 75') and ask you to  create some polygon (rectangle, square, etc) shape with it. Do your best to  create it quickly. 

 Now ask that either the volunteers form the circle or ask them to delight  in choosing associates. Task usually takes 3 to 8 minutes. When complete,  have them remove their blindfolds, thank them with applause and have them  join the rest. 

 Debrief the fun with questions like: how was it you could accomplish the  task? what did we discover regarding leadership? how was communication  helped or hindered with the blindfolds?? what did we find about teamwork? 

 Points: Results can be accomplished more quickly if someone takes the lead.  There are a variety of roles a team has that people can fill to be  successful. Highly effective communication, cooperation and someone in the  lead makes forming the shapes easy. Other ideas you can draw from  discussion. 

 This has been around for years and I don't know the original source of  this. If any of you know, please let me know so I can credit the source.  And if you try this, let me know any results or findings! 
 

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