🚨 Alert! This is not a drill. Customer Service Week starts on October 7th! 🚨
Article Overview: Looking for ways to reward your remote customer service staff? Customer Service Week is approaching so we worked with managers to put together the best customer service week ideas to show just how much you appreciate them and what they do!
What is Customer Service Week?
National Customer Service Week is an annual event where customer service staff are recognized and appreciated for the exceptional work they do to keep customers happy.
89% of first-time customers are more likely to come back and make a repeat purchase following a positive customer service experience. Share on X
Motivated and happy customer service representatives are your key to repeat business.
But over and beyond that, here are five key reasons why you really should celebrate Customer Service Week:
👉 It’s one week a year dedicated to the cause of appreciating the sheer hard work and dedication of your customer service teams. Think of it as a more official and practical way to express gratitude.
👉 Recognizing employees is a great way to boost motivation and improve team spirit which in turn will reflect in a continued commitment to good customer service.
👉 It helps reinforce your company’s commitment to great customer service across the entire organization.
👉 CSW is an important time to reflect on customer service initiatives and identify process improvements or training needs for your customer-facing staff.
👉 Feeling appreciated can inculcate a feeling of loyalty to the organization.
🧐 Curious about my favorite customer service week ideas for remote employees?Trust me, it was tough to choose just a few, but here you go! |
📆 When is Customer Service Week?
Customer Service Week is celebrated by companies nationwide throughout the first full week of October.
If the process of coming up with fresh, unique, and truly memorable ideas to celebrate customer service week is making you pull your hair out in frustration, you won’t want to miss this article.
Up next are 17 pre-vetted, fresh, and unique ideas to celebrate Customer Service Week, perfect for remote teams👇
Best Customer Service Week Ideas for Remote Employees
1) Gift of Choice
Give your customer service team members the power of choice!
Goody’s Gift of Choice comprises curated gift selections where each employee can select one gift from a themed gift collection. The best part – you can choose the budget for the gift from a range, typically starting at $30 – perfect even for managers on a tight budget!
Gift of Choice essentially gives your employees multiple options to choose from, so they can pick what they prefer the most. At the same time, they’re not too overwhelmed by an excessively large amount of options.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Sign up to the Goody platform, select your gift, and simply send it to the recipient. It’s that easy.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Community member Jillian Hufnagel’s experience:
“We offer an option rather than assume they all want same stuff. Our current selection: t shirts, caps, winter beanies, socks, coffee mugs and stickers. I have found people really appreciate choice.”
2) Social Media Shoutouts
Give your team a high-five on social media!
Social media shoutouts are when you acknowledge your customer support teams or team members on social media.
Typically, you share a post where you highlight how they delivered an exceptional service while including their social media handle. To increase engagement and interaction, encourage them to share their experiences, and, specifically what they loved about the experience.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: If you haven’t already created a social media page for your brand, start one today. Create team shoutouts and thank them individually for their most recent demonstration of an exceptional customer experience. Don’t forget to tag them and encourage them to share their experiences, too!
🔦 Real-Life Example:
A social media shout out like this Employee of the Month announcement is a great way to showcase your individual contributors and teams!
3) Plan an Afternoon Virtual Happy Hour
Remote employees don’t have to miss out on the fun!
Virtual happy hours are a fun way to show appreciation to your customer service team while creating a memorable and engaging event where they can let their hair down. You can easily find event planners that specialize in online events for teams so your remote workers never feel left out again.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Try the Virtual Mixology Class for a fun and engaging way to celebrate customer service week. s. The event host will walk participants through three stunning cocktail recipes, and they’ll even get all the materials required for the class mailed to them in advance.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Community member Deidra Bailey Haass’s experience:
“My manager, another coworker and I have been having virtual happy hours every Friday afternoon. We usually set them up for an hour, but we have so much fun, they always last way longer. The last one was 3 hours! Lol”
4) Mail Personalized Thank You Cards to Your Customer Service Team
Personalization adds meaning and value.
Mailing personalized cards to your customer support staff is a thoughtful gesture that not only makes each team member feel valued but also provides a tangible reminder of their importance to the organization.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: The easiest thing to do is batch process thank you cards and write personalized messages inside each addressed to the individual employee. Dispatch these through postal mail to your customer support team so that they arrive just in time for the customer service week celebration.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
5) “Theme” Your Week
Use a popular theme to get everyone on board!
Another idea that’s sure to go down well is tying your customer service week activities, events, gifts, and treats to a theme. Using a theme can encourage buy-in if everyone knows why they’re celebrating CS Week.
A few ideas of themes – ‘customer heroes,’ ‘empathy in action,’ and ‘team unity’.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Start with incorporating the theme into all the communication, decorations, and activities planned for the week. Incorporate team-building activities as well as activities focused on creating positive customer interactions.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Community memeber Kate Wax’s experience:
“I was Pam Beesly 😆 Our theme was fave TV or movie characters.”
6) Send Branded Swag Kits
Branded swag keeps your company close!
Branded swag is a tangible token of appreciation for your hard-working employees that they can keep and use, serving as a lasting reminder of their value to your company. They can be cost-effective in bulk, and at the same time, they’re easy to personalize and customize.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Check out the selection of personalizable/customizable swag kits available on SwagMagic.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
The team at TaskRabbit sent out insulated water bottles to their entire company!
7) Story Sharing Sessions
Share individual experiences into collective wisdom!
Use this idea to foster a sense of community where employees can come together to share their unique experiences, success stories, challenges, and key learnings. Schedule dedicated time for story-sharing sessions during Customer Service Week and encourage team members to prepare brief anecdotes about memorable customer interactions.
Consider having themes for each session, such as “Most Challenging Customer,” “Most Rewarding Experience,” or “Creative Problem-Solving.” to focus the conversations and draw insights from them.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Create a Slack channel or Google Form for employees to share their stories and experiences within the company.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
“By far, the most common workplace question is, “so… tell me about yourself.” Any time someone invites you to “tell me about yourself,” that really means, “tell me something about yourself that reminds me of me.”
As psychologist Robert Cialdini’s research on social influence has shown, we not only tend to like people we perceive as being like us, but we’re also more likely to form a stronger connection with them and find their ideas persuasive. So, you can earn credibility points when you know your audience and answer the “tell me about yourself” question with a story that resonates with them. That doesn’t mean offering people mirror images of themselves. Instead, tell a story about yourself that is universal enough to make them think about how it intersects with their own story.”
8) Personalized E-Gift Cards and Deliveries
Recognize the individual so they don’t feel like another cog in the wheel!
Personalized e-gift cards and deliveries are a modern, functional, and flexible way to celebrate Customer Service Week. Whether they’re digital vouchers or physical items sent directly to employees’ homes, personalized gifts demonstrate thoughtful recognition of individual preferences and circumstances. This approach ensures that each team member feels uniquely valued and celebrated, regardless of their location.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Talk to the team at Stadium to send digital gift cards to kick off Customer Service Week with a little shopping spree! 🛍
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Community member Karen Rae‘s experience:
“I received a $200 gift card and a card signed by five people in management (my 3 execs and 2 directors who report to them). They all wrote individual messages of appreciation in the card.”
9) Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop
A unique gift of a memorable experience!
Show appreciation to your customer service team by gifting them the unique experience of attending a Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop. According to Elevent, during the workshop, team members will be taught “the techniques of a 500-year ancient craft and practice while assembling Islamic geometric patterns, as well as historic techniques for laying the tiles (tesserae).” They will also be guided to create their very own traditional Turkish mosaic lamp.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Simply book online at Elevent! Participants will be mailed the kit with all the materials required for the workshop.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
“This class was so much fun! So relaxing and satisfying. And now I have a lamp that I made that will brighten up my house!” – Taylor R
10) Half-Day Friday (Friday, October 11th) to Celebrate Customer Service Week
Start the party early!
Want an idea that your staff will absolutely love? Give half the day off on a Friday that occurs during Customer Service Week. Customer service can be a stressful job, and getting some extra time off gives team members more time to relax and enjoy with friends and family.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Make the announcement with enough advance notice (say a week or so) so employees can start making plans. Drum up anticipation by highlighting other fun activities that are scheduled for Customer Service Week.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Community member Courtney Paré’s experience:
“We have half day Fridays in the summer and it’s amazing I think it definitely does a lot for morale!”
11) Send out a Snack Appreciation Box
It’s snacks for the win!
Aside from being a truly fulfilling and satisfying week, snack boxes create shared experiences, the kind that team members are sure to remember for a long time. Remember to ensure a varied selection that includes healthy bites and indulgent treats. Take dietary restrictions into account, so everyone can enjoy the experience. If you are looking to reward your employees, sometimes keeping it simple is the best route.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Order a curated snack box for your customer service teams. Expect turkey meat sticks, potato chips, mini cookies, salt crackers, olives, fava beans, pistachio kernels, ginger chews, ginger chews, and so much more!
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Community member Susie Jeyanthan’s experience:
“Checkout SnackMagic – they are not gift baskets per say, but are a cool option. The employees can select items they’d like based on the budget you’ve set and they do deliver within a time frame. I’ve tried them and the experience is pretty cool!“
12) Recognize Employees on a Virtual Recognition Wall
Showcase achievements on a virtual wall!
Courtesy of Nectar
This idea, at the outset, helps foster a culture of gratitude and recognition known for strengthening team bonds. A virtual wall is a centralized space for people to come together and appreciate customer superstars in a very visible way.
Keep the wall up throughout Customer Service Week and then present the messages in keepsake memento for your employees to take away and keep with them.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: You can use a tool like Nectar to create a virtual recognition wall. With Nectar, you can appreciate through rewards, boost meaningful employee engagement, and, in the process, drive outstanding performance.
Alternatively, simply setting up a shared space on a communication app like Slack or even a Google Slides project will do! Then encourage other team members to post appreciation notes, customer compliments, or success stories based on positive customer interactions.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
HR specialist, Ashley Glasgow, shared the “Honor Wall” her team put together to celebrate tenured employees!
13) Virtual Lunch
Free food to reward your favorite people!
Gifting a virtual lunch to your remote employees is a great way to show appreciation in a tangible way.
Don’t forget to ask for preferences. Also, consider dietary restrictions. Send a gift voucher, which the team can collectively redeem at a restaurant covered by the voucher. Alternatively, just simply gather online and have people share their home-cooked lunch and eat as a group.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Try the Virtual Lunch Party by Confetti. Schedule a lunch for a time that’s perfect for everyone and then email the voucher out to all the email addresses.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Community member Melissa Marshall’s experience:
“We are doing Grubhub credits and offering virtual lunch for whoever wants to hop on.”
14) Professional Development Webinars
Share the gift of knowledge to celebrate Customer Service Week!
Gifting professional development webinars is an innovative way to celebrate Customer Service Week while investing in your team’s growth. Your staff will appreciate the thought behind encouraging them to learn new skills and advance in their career.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Start with surveying your staff and asking questions about the types of webinars they would be interested in. Ensure the webinars are tied to professional development in the specific area of customer service. Put together a selection of popular courses and ask your staff to pick the course they like the best!
🔦 Real-Life Example:
15) Calm & Cozy Gift Box
A Portable Box of Zen!
Having a box of calming gifts reminds your employees that they’re a valued part of your organization and that you genuinely care about their wellbeing. Aside from looking and smelling wonderful, remote employee gifts like these also remind your employees of the need for self-care and rejuvenation as a way to rest and rewind.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Invest in this Calm & Cozy Gift Box on Goody containing a pair of Ivory Cozy Cloud socks, Hand and Body Scrub by Essence One, a hand-poured Soy Wax Candle, tea with Tae Mini Tin, Aromatherapy shower steamers, and a Deluxe gift wrap. It’s a guaranteed crowd favorite.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Community member Catherine Colosimo’s experience:
“I second anything like heating or weighted bags/pads, a comfy blanket/warm socks, hot beverages.”
16) Yoga for People Who Work at Desks
Yoga for improved mental and physical well being.
A virtual yoga event shows your employees just how much they mean to your organization because it highlights your commitment to their well being. Customer service can be a very stressful role, involving long hours on your feet or sitting at a desk. An event like this helps to break with routine and promotes stress relief.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Book this hosted virtual yoga event by Elevent. The host will lead you through a variety of simple exercises that your customer service agents can continue to use long after the event’s officially over.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
“We loved this event! It was so nice to be able to disconnect and zen out for an hour in the middle of our workday. The host was clearly a professional and you could tell she enjoys what she does. I liked that she gave different options to moderate certain moves to be inclusive of everyone on the team. Thanks again for the great yoga session!” – Cheyenne
17) Crowdsource “Notes of Appreciation” from employees in other departments
Spread the enthusiasm for Customer Service Week!
Crowdsourcing appreciation notes from other employees and departments does a lot more than making your customer service agents feel valued.
It also sends a message loud and clear about the importance of building a culture of appreciation for customers and a culture of creating exceptional service.
✅ How to implement this customer service week idea for remote employees: Create an online form or dedicated email box where employees from other departments can send their appreciation notes for your customer service team. Compile all the notes and bind them into customized booklets to share with each member of your team.
🔦 Real-Life Example:
Francisco Farias shared their appreciation for Walter in this LinkedIn post:
People Also Ask These Questions About Customer Service Week Ideas for Remote Employees
Q: What are some virtual customer service week activities that can boost morale for remote employees?
- A: Virtual activities like virtual escape rooms, online team-building games, themed dress-up days via video calls, and virtual coffee breaks can boost morale and engagement.
Q: How can remote teams celebrate customer service week on a budget?
- A: Remote teams can celebrate on a budget by organizing virtual appreciation events, sending personalized thank-you notes or e-cards, hosting virtual lunch or coffee meetings, and offering flexible work hours as a reward.
Q: How can I ensure remote customer service teams feel appreciated during customer service week?
- A: Create a recognition campaign with shout-outs on company social media or internal newsletters, send care packages with snacks or company swag to their homes, and provide opportunities for professional growth through online training sessions or certifications.
