This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Bill Gessert writes about National Customer Service Week and shares ideas to continue the celebration next week and beyond. I especially like his comment: A customer experience IS NOT an “event.” – Shep Hyken It’s Friday of National Customer Service Week, 2014 edition….the last day […]
This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Bill Gessert writes about National Customer Service Week and shares ideas to continue the celebration next week and beyond. I especially like his comment: A customer experience IS NOT an “event.” – Shep Hyken
It’s Friday of National Customer Service Week, 2014 edition….the last day of this great week. Hopefully, your organization has had a week full of Celebrating Customer Connections, the theme of this year’s NCSW.
But now what? What happens after this week is complete and the celebrations are over? To answer that question, I want to go back to the roots of National Customer Service Week, initially launched in 1984 by the International Customer Service Association (ICSA).
The ICSA leaders understood the vital role that customer service plays in business. They already knew that the customer experience was something that could be measured and directly linked to revenue and profits. Their decision to launch National Customer Service Week was an effort to bring well-deserved recognition to service providers, but not just during the first week of every October.
Listen to what past ICSA President John Kressaty said about the purpose of NCSW:
“National Customer Service Week activities have far-reaching effects in October and throughout the year. “There are two main purposes of National Customer Service Week,” said Kressaty. “It lets you recognize the job that your customer service professionals do 52 weeks a year. The other purpose is to get the message across to a wide range of businesses, governments and industries that customer service is very important along with bottom line profit in running a business.”
So, just because this National Customer Service Week is nearing completion, recognition of the contributions of your service providers should not stop! In fact, it should be a year-long, strategic element of your business planning.
A customer experience IS NOT an “event.” It should be a carefully crafted strategic contact between two of the most important people to your business or organization – your customer and the individuals who connect with them!
There are lots of other ways to keep the energy around National Customer Service Week going all year. I would encourage you to consider the three that I’ve provided. Trust me, if you do, the ROI will be measurable and meaningful to your business.
Happy National Customer Service Week! Now, make it last!
Bill Gessert has served as President of the ICSA and has for the past seven years. Bill is now Director of Business Development for Fernley & Fernley Inc. Based in Philadelphia, Fernley & Fernley provides professional management services to non-profit trade associations and professional societies.
For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors, go to customerserviceblog.com.
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