To all of you who do your very best to provide quality customer service – thank you, you work brings great value!
Last week was Customer Service Week. When I was in Corp America this was my absolute favorite week of the year. It was the week that we celebrated our most valued resources- our customer facing employees. Though I frequently told them how much I appreciated them, this was the week that I got to demonstrate it fully. We would have a committee that would come together and plan all of the festivities, decorations, meals, prizes and they really got creative with our remote employees. They too felt included and appreciated.
I was often asked why this week was such a priority for me. The reality is that I know what it is like to sit in those seats, that’s where my career started. I know first hand that customers don’t routinely call, email or chat to tell you about the wonderful job you are doing. Sure there are some exceptions that are few and far between, and those customer compliments are greatly appreciated (keep sending them).
The truth is that customers call because they need something. That’s why we, as service providers, are there; to serve the customer. Every service provider knows this and many great ones that I know are happy to be there. Yet their job can be thankless and they can often be treated as less than. Yet, so many of them learn to shake off the negativity of their last interaction, keep a positive mindset a show up for the next customer. They do this time and time again, and just think about the number of interactions most specialists have in a day, week, month, and even years! This is why I believe expressing genuine appreciation and gratitude is important.
There is another reason to celebrate your frontline specialists. They care about your customers and keep your customers coming back. Without them it can almost be impossible to support your customer. This is a big role in any company, and is often overlooked. Hopefully you celebrated your service providers last week. I am even more hopeful that you make this a practice and commit to thanking them regularly.
To all of you who do your very best to provide quality customer service – thank you, you work brings great value!