Customer Service Week
Email Bulletins

Our office is still filled with Balloons, Posters, and Pennants, but we are already thinking about next year. And we wanted to share some important information and dates.

1. Mark Your Calendar. Customer Service Week 2020 will be celebrated from October 5 through October 9.
2. Sign Up. If there are others on your team who will be involved in planning for the week, now is the time to invite them to sign up for the CSW Bulletin or to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. They’ll receive early notifications about the week and special discounts.
3. Share Your Celebration. It’s not too late to send in photos, videos, and agendas from Customer Service Week 2019. We’d love to hear from you and to include your team in the 2020 website. Please email me at mdalessandro@CSWeek.com.

By celebrating Customer Service Week, you’ve provided an invaluable recognition and team-building experience for your service staff. But it doesn’t have to end when Customer Service Week is over.

Recognition, training, and motivation tools from Customer Service Group will keep the Customer Service Week message alive all year long.

Take a moment now to learn about some of the many practical materials available for you:

• Training newsletter. Provides monthly training and reinforcement to enhance service skills, morale, and motivation. Read a sample issue today.
• Training packages. Practical skill-building training for self-study or in a classroom setting. Packages cover phone skills, email communication, dealing with difficult customers, and more. See all topics and samples.
• Training DVDs. Information packed videos on essential service topics including conflict resolution, listening under pressure, service etiquette, and more. See all topics and samples.

Keep the Customer Service Week message alive for the other 51 weeks!

What a great week we just had. The best part was seeing people around the world celebrating their service teams and their customers. It really was a magical celebration.

Now, we’d like to hear from you. Please share your photos, videos, and event details. We’ll share as many celebration stories and photos as possible. Seeing your event online is a great way to extend the celebration!

You may post to Facebook and LinkedIn or email me at mdalessandro@CSWeek.com.

Our Animated eCards are attractive, fun, and easy to use. Today is a great day to test them.

Gather all of the email addresses you need, draft your greeting, and test a card by sending it to yourself.

Click to see all of the eCards, then place your order for celebration materials today.

Today is a great day to print all of the wonderful extras that will make your Customer Service Week celebration memorable.

Make a list, go to CSWeek.com, and print exactly what you need for your celebration. At the website you’ll find:

• 28 print-and-use puzzles to challenge and entertain.
• 21 ready-to-use activities with step by step instructions and handouts.
• 19 fun and useful printables. There are cupcake toppers, candy bar wrappers, photo booth props, table tents, and more.

Please keep in mind that some materials are free to all while others are exclusively for CSWeek.com customers. See all of the puzzles, activities, and printables available to customers, then place your order today.

Today is a great day to print all of the instructions, tips, and handouts that you need for your Customer Service Week activities.

Make a list, go to CSWeek.com, and print exactly what you need for your celebration.

At the website you’ll find 21 print-and-use activities. Each includes step by step instructions and handouts.

You’ll find teambuilding activities, skillbuilding activities, and recognition activities. There are even spells to use with our Magic Wand Pens. You’ll gather your team to cast spells to remove negative energy from the service center, manage incoming calls, and more.

Please keep in mind that some activities are free to all, while others are exclusively for CSWeek.com customers. See all of the puzzles, activities, and printables available to customers, then place your order today.

Today is a great day to print all of the puzzles that you need for Customer Service Week.

Make a list, go to CSWeek.com, and print exactly what you need for your celebration.

At the website you’ll find 28 print-and-use puzzles to challenge and entertain. There are word puzzles, math puzzles, logic puzzles, and even a set of five "Magic Squares" puzzles.

Please keep in mind that some puzzles are free to all, while others are exclusively for CSWeek.com customers.

See all of the puzzles, activities, and printables available to customers, then place your order today.

It’s not too late to celebrate.

Our team is on the warehouse floor awaiting your order. They will pick, pack, and ship in time for Customer Service Week.

Go to CSWeek.com now to plan your celebration and place your order.

Today is a great day to send out Save the Date Cards.

Remind your staff and guests from other departments that Customer Service Week is just around the corner. Use our handy Save the Date Cards.

At the CSWeek.com website, you’ll find a small card which you can print and distribute and a larger card which you can print and hang in common areas.

Or, if you prefer, you can email it to local or remote staff.

The Save the Date Cards are in the Printables section of the CSWeek.com website. Printables are only available to CSWeek.com customers. See the full list of printables then place your order today.

Don’t panic.

Friday was the Customer Service Week order deadline, but WE ARE STILL SHIPPING and you’ve still got time to recognize and reward your team for the magic they perform every day.

Go to CSWeek.com now to plan your celebration and place your order.

When we asked our customers to tell us about the best part of their Customer Service Week celebrations, they shared a lot of great ideas. Many people commented on their decorations.

• Ramona says that "decorations set the tone for fun." She decorates on Sunday afternoon so that everything is perfect on Monday morning. Her decorations include a Foil Balloon on a string floating above each chair. It creates a "sea of color," she says.
• Molly uses latex balloons, but since they won’t hold helium for the entire week, she attaches clusters of three balloons to the corners of office dividers. "It’s easy and pretty," she says.
• Barbara uses balloons as part of her effort to include remote team members. "Every year I send a gift and balloons to remote staff. I ask them to decorate their desk and take a selfie. We post the photos in our online workspace for everyone to see."

Decorating is more than just balloons, it’s banners, pennant strings, and sign packs.

Join these event organizers and place your order for balloons and much more.

Today, we posted the official Countdown Clock at CSWeek.com. This is a big deal around here because it means that we aren’t counting down months or even weeks, but days until Customer Service Week.

It’s also a good time to pause and share some important information and dates.

• The large order discount ends on September 6. If you’ve got a big team you can save up to 20%.
• The official order deadline is September 13. Don’t worry, we’ll still be shipping after the 13th, but we will no longer be able to ensure the availability of all items in all quantities, and some rush shipping charges may apply.
• Customer Service Week is October 7 - 11.
• And, of course, today is the day to order your celebration materials.

When we asked our customers to tell us about the best part of their Customer Service Week celebrations, they shared a lot of great ideas. Here are five for your celebration:

• Melissa hosted a red carpet award ceremony to recognize top performing employees.
• Gretchen finally tried a decorating contest, "We’ve thought about a Chair Decorating Contest, but never tried it. Lots of fun." More on chair decorating is in the Activities section at CSWeek.com.
• Walter says his team’s favorite was based on a popular TV show. "We had a Family Feud event in which each round consisted of questions about our products as well as funny questions about key management staff."
• Senior executives were also the highlight at this celebration. They served as guest speakers at many of the week’s events, says Wendell.
• For Kimberly, the highlight of the event came on the first day. She tells us, "For our kick off morning, we gave goody bags and had a huge breakfast celebration, but included everyone in our office, not just customer service."

Join these event organizers and order your celebration materials today.

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, but before you head out for that final plunge in the ocean or backyard barbecue, make sure you’ve ordered your Customer Service Week celebration materials.

It’s just one less thing to do when you’re back in the office.

And, if you’re ordering for a larger group you won’t want to miss the Volume Discount deadline of September 6.

Order your celebration materials today!

When we asked our customers to tell us about the best part of their Customer Service Week celebrations, they shared a lot of great ideas. Which ones will you try?

• Rebecca says that her team’s favorite activity brought two departments together. "We include the sales reps in our Minute to Win it Games and this is always very popular since our inside support team (customer service) works with the sales team daily."
• An employee breakfast, cooked and served by management, was the highlight of Angie’s celebration.
• For Alexa’s team, the highlight came on Friday. As she explains: "We raffle off gift baskets as final prizes. Reps earned tickets all week for attendance, phone stats, completing daily puzzles, etc. They put their tickets in for the baskets they were interested in. On Friday we pulled names and everyone received a basket."
• Puzzles and games are a highlight for many teams. Lea tells us that her team plays bingo every year and it is a "big hit." Bingo cards are available at the CSWeek.com website.
• And finally, there’s food: ice cream socials, pot luck lunches, gourmet burger bars, and cupcakes ("The toppers are sooo cute!"), are always favorites.

Join these event organizers and order your celebration materials today.

With summer drawing to a close, we thought you might need a shot of inspiration for your Customer Service Week celebration — It’s just five weeks away.

Oh, and don’t forget, Volume Discounts end on September 6.

So whether your celebration materials have been delivered, you’ve just placed your order, or you’re starting your planning, these resources will help:

1. Celebration Tips
   You’ll find 25 quick tips and ideas for every celebration.
2. Organizer’s Guide
   Go more in-depth with the Organizer’s Guide. It provides step-by-step directions, a sample agenda, and a timeline for success.
3. Celebration Stories
   You’ll find brief descriptions of some of the most creative celebrations we’ve seen. There are enough ideas here to fill a month-long celebration.
4. Ready to Use
   There are print-and-use activities to boost teamwork, recognize staff, and build skills, downloadable puzzles to challenge everyone, and our popular printables such as photo booth props, cupcake toppers, and invitations.
5. Decorations, Gifts, Rewards, and Stress Relievers
   You’ll find everything you need for your celebration and you can take advantage of Volume Discounts when you order by September 6.

Every year, we ask our customers to share their experiences celebrating Customer Service Week. Together, their responses point the way to a successful event.

Last year we asked, "If you could share one piece of advice for a successful celebration what would it be?"

The number one response was two simple words: Start Early. In fact, Kathy says, "Start earlier than you ever thought you would need to. This week is too important to leave anything to the last minute."

Jenna agrees, "Don’t wait until the last minute to order. We had really bad weather in September and I was a nervous wreck."

"Get started early and plan well," says Kimberly. "We all have busy schedules so try to have everything planned early so you are ready to go on that Monday."

Take a moment now to place your order for Customer Service Week materials. And you can laugh at the weather.

With a few simple keystrokes you can send animated Customer Service Week eCards to team members across the hall or
across the globe.

They are a fun way to announce your upcoming celebration, invite other departments and individuals, thank your organizing committee for their hard work, and much more.

And best of all, eCards work like magic:

• Simply select your favorite card.
• Compose your message.
• And send. It’s that easy!

Check out the eCards now at CSWeek.com. And while you’re there, be sure to click the Shop tab to view all of the decorations, rewards, gifts, and stress relievers that we have for you this year.

Order your celebration materials today!

Did you know that when you order from CSWeek.com you have immediate access to all of our printables?

What’s a printable?

It’s a little something extra to make your Customer Service Week celebration special. It’s Save the Date cards that you can print and distribute. It’s Cupcake Toppers because your cupcakes should match everything else for your event. And it’s Candy Bar Wrappers because chocolate really is magical.

All of the printables are available online. If you’ve already ordered, you have access right now. If you’re getting ready to order, you’ll have access soon.

Just make sure to get yours for a truly magical celebration.

You may see the full list of Printables at CSWeek.com. And while you’re there, be sure to click the Shop tab to view all of the decorations, rewards, gifts, and stress relievers that we have for you this year.

Last year I got a note from a customer who said that her team loves doing our puzzles during Customer Service Week, but that they are "too easy."

Challenge accepted.

This year you’ll find new logic puzzles at the CSWeek.com website. There’s the devilish Family Affair puzzle, the mind-bending Have a Seat puzzle, and the grueling Something from Nothing puzzle. In this puzzle, a frontline rep is asked to meet a customer’s request without having the necessary materials on hand.

You’ll also find some of our best puzzles from past years. With 27 puzzles to choose from, there’s something for every day of your celebration. Some puzzles are free to all, others are exclusively for CSWeek.com customers, all are fun and pretty darn difficult.

You may see the full list of Puzzles at CSWeek.com. And while you’re there, be sure to click the Shop tab to view all of the decorations, rewards, gifts, and stress relievers that we have for you this year.

Tomorrow is the last day for Early Bird Savings.

Make your Customer Service Week celebration fun, easy, and engaging with pre-planned activities. Each activity includes detailed instructions, a list of materials, and print-outs if needed. Here are three of our favorites:

• To incorporate the Customer Service Week theme, The Magic of Service™, try the "Cast a Spell" activity. You’ll gather your team to cast spells to remove negative energy from the service center, and more. But, the real magic in these spells is that they bring team members together and allow them a little time to share their worries, motivations, and goals.
• To build camaraderie, we suggest the "Answer the Question" activity. It is sure to have everyone on your team laughing out loud. This activity was adapted from the classic activity book, The Big Book of Team Motivating Games.
• And to build skills, try the "How’s the Weather?" Activity. It will help everyone develop their skills at building rapport.

With 23 activities to choose from, there’s something for every day of your celebration. Some activities are free to all, others are exclusively for CSWeek.com customers, all are fun and engaging.

You may see the full list of Activities at CSWeek.com. And while you’re there, be sure to click the Shop tab to view all of the decorations, rewards, gifts, and stress relievers that we have for you this year.

Tomorrow is the last day for Early Bird Savings.

This special discount applies no matter what you’re ordering. So if you need decorations and gifts for your department, a special "thank you" for remote staff, or materials for your entire organization, you’ll save.

Avoid the last minute crunch and order now.

I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day holiday. For us, it marks a quiet respite before the "Early Bird Crunch."

Between now and the early bird deadline — July 12 — we’ll be processing orders, answering questions, and hopefully helping everyone move along with their celebration planning.

And when you order your materials by July 12 — that’s just 4 days away — you’ll save 10, 15 or 20 percent off your entire order.

So don’t miss this opportunity to order early and save.

The long Independence Day weekend is fast approaching. But before your thoughts turn to family gatherings, parades, and fireworks, take a moment to place your Customer Service Week order.

It’s just one less thing to do when you’re back in the office, facing the email, voice messages, and projects that demand immediate attention.

And, when you order by July 12, you’ll save 10, 15 or 20 percent off your entire order — No matter what you choose.

So place your order today, take advantage of the early bird discounts, and enjoy the long weekend!

We are delighted to announce our annual Early Bird Savings.

Here’s how it works:

When you order by July 12, you’ll save 10, 15 or 20 percent off your entire order — No matter what you choose.

With the busy summer months ahead, it’s a relief to know that you have all of your decorations, gifts, puzzles, and activities ready for the big week.

So place your order today to take advantage of the early bird discounts.

When you order your Customer Service Week materials we’ll say "thank you" with dozens of free gifts including:

• 28 print-and-use puzzles to challenge and entertain. There are word puzzles, math puzzles, logic puzzles, and even a set of five "Magic Cube" puzzles.

• 21 ready-to-use activities with step by step instructions and handouts. You’ll find teambuilding activities, skillbuilding activities, and recognition activities. There are even spells to use with our Magic Wand Pens. You’ll gather your team to cast the spell to remove negative energy from the service center, and more.

• 19 fun and useful printables. There are cupcake toppers, candy bar wrappers, photo booth props, table tents, and more. You’ll find dozens and dozens of items for your celebration and best of all, the Customer Service Week theme, The Magic of Service™, is carefully woven into each item.

So place your order today to take advantage of the early bird discounts and, like magic, you’ll receive access to all of the free gifts.

At CSWeek.com, you’ll find everything you need for a truly magical Customer Service Week celebration. All you need to do is invite the guests, order the food, and have fun!

At the website you’ll find:

• Decorations. You’ll set the mood with coordinating balloons, posters, pennant strings, and more.
• Gifts. You’ll recognize and reward with practical, fun, and magical gifts that were selected with service professionals in mind.
• Puzzles & Activities. You’ll use the dozens of downloadable puzzles and pre-planned activities to boost teamwork, recognize staff, and build skills. All instructions and handouts are included.
• Printables. You’ll find print and use materials including photo booth props, invitations, cupcake toppers, placemats, candy wrappers, save the date cards, and more — All with the Customer Service Week logo.

Our goal is to provide everything you need for a celebration that will keep them talking all year long.

Last week we launched the Customer Service Week website and announced the 2019 theme — The Magic of Service™.

The theme recognizes that everyone has it in their power to create magic for customers and coworkers.

And we have some very special gifts for the people on your team who make magic happen every day.

• The Magic Mug — This black mug magically reveals the Customer Service Week logo when filled with hot liquid.
• The Magic Wand Pen — Your team will use this pen to take notes, cast a spell and add a little magic to the work day.
• The Magic Ball — Decision making is a little bit easier with this wonderful retro gift. The Magic Ball predicts that your team will love this gift.
• The Rabbit Stress Reliever — This adorable rabbit in a magician’s hat brings a little magic to stress relief.

We are delighted to present the all new 2019 Customer Service Week theme, logo, website, and much, much more.

This year’s Customer Service Week theme is
The Magic of Service™.

The theme recognizes that good service is magical. It can turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied long term customer. It can turn an occasional customer into a repeat customer. And it can turn any customer into your biggest fan and advocate.

The theme is colorfully illustrated in a teal, red and yellow logo which is imprinted on a wide-range of exclusive decorations, gifts, rewards and more.

If your team makes magic happen for customers, we invite you to celebrate them during Customer Service Week, October 7-11, 2019.

Every year, teams from all over the world celebrate Customer Service Week: Small groups and large, single location and multi-site, simple and over-the-top. But the people who celebrate all have a few things in common:

7. They enjoy puzzles. Every year Customer Service Week puzzles are cited as a celebration highlight. From pencil and paper puzzles to online variations, it’s a fun way to test skills and engage in a little light-hearted competition. At Associa Chicagoland, bingo is the favorite game each year. And at Chart Industries bingo takes on a new twist with teams all over the world playing together. As the numbers are called out over Skype, far flung teammates introduce themselves, chat, and heckle each other until someone calls BINGO!

8. They get physical. Customer Service Week saw teams testing their skills at obstacle courses and in ping-pong, corn hole and trashket ball tournaments. Last year also saw some unusual events like the bubble blowing contest at Systems Services of America and the paper airplane contest at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

9. They decorate. Service departments and call centers take on new life with the addition of colorful Customer Service Week posters, banners, pennants, and balloons. But the decorations don’t end there. Everyone gets involved with chair and cubical decorating contests.

If you missed activities 1-6, you’ll find them online at www.csweek.com/bulletins.php

Every year, teams from all over the world celebrate Customer Service Week: Small groups and large, single location and multi-site, simple and over-the-top. But the people who celebrate all have a few things in common:

4. They get creative. Paint ’n’ sip parties, cake decorating contests, and a range of craft projects all provide fun ways to relax and get to know coworkers. For a hands-on creative activity, the team at the Mississauga 3-1-1 Contact Center joined forces to paint a custom-designed mural for the call center.

5. They share a meal. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and lots of snack breaks highlight most celebrations. Pot-luck lunches and ice cream sundae breaks are especially popular and there are also competitive activities like Bake Offs, and the annual Soup-Off at Orion Food Systems.

6. They get to know each other. Activities that encourage people to mingle and build team cohesion are a must during Customer Service Week. Match up games, baby-photo contests, and ice breakers are all popular. During an "introductions game" at Chicago Fire Soccer Club, "Fish" and "Chips" met up, "Mario" and "Luigi" found each other, and more classic duos got better acquainted.

If you missed activities 1-3, you’ll find them online at www.csweek.com/bulletins.php

Every year teams from all over the world celebrate Customer Service Week: Small groups and large, single location and multi-site, simple and over-the-top. But the people who celebrate all have a few things in common:

1. They play games. Games based on popular TV shows are always a hit. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Last year teams solved puzzles to get out of escape rooms, they went on treasure hunts around the office, they played pin the moustache on the boss, and they competed in office-themed relay races. At PartnerShip, the four legs of the race saw team members typing, sorting, and stapling papers in record time.

2. They dress up. Theme days and dress-up days are always popular and can be tailored to suit any group. From fan gear to PJs to company colors, there are lots of options. Last year, the Chicago Fire Soccer Club celebrated with Ugly Tie Day and Plaidurday.

3. They give great prizes. Prizes, especially fun and meaningful prizes keep everyone engaged in the week’s activities. Many teams award prizes throughout the week and host a large raffle on Friday. And, of course, prizes don’t have to be expensive. Gabe Chamale was awarded a VIP parking space right outside the Mississauga 3-1-1 Contact Center.

Next week, three more can’t miss activities. But for now, if there are others on your team who will be involved in planning for the week, invite them to sign up for the CSW Bulletin. Or to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

In the hectic service environment it can be hard to keep your Customer Service Week plans on schedule.

But this event is too important to miss.

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll send you plenty of timely reminders, but for now, here are some important dates for your calendar.

If there are others on your team who will be involved in planning for the week, now is the time to invite them to sign up for the CSW Bulletin. Or to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The Customer Service Week Bulletin has been on a brief hiatus. But we’ve been busy behind the scenes planning the biggest and best celebration ever.

And we have lots planned for you this spring, summer, and right up to Customer Service Week 2019 — October 7 - 11.

Here’s what you can look forward to in the next few weeks:

• Emails with the best ideas, tips and advice from people who organize Customer Service Week celebrations each year.
• Announcement of the new 2019 theme and logo. You’re going to love it!
• Launch of the 2019 Customer Service Week website including new decorations, gifts, rewards, and stress relievers. Plus new puzzles, games, activities, and printables.

If there are others on your team who will be involved in planning for the week, now is the time to invite them to sign up for the CSW Bulletin. Or to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Let’s get everyone involved this year!