The Customer Service Group’s
Service Starters

Dear Subscriber,

Any service manager will tell you that there’s a direct connection between staff recognition and motivation. Yet a recent Gallup poll shows that 65 percent of Americans haven’t received any recognition in the past year.

In the November issue of Customer Service Newsletter, author Paul Facella provides three ways to incorporate recognition into your daily routine. These include:

• Make recognition a policy, not a perk. Take the time to develop a system of rewards for everyone in your department. Include annual, monthly, weekly and daily recognition. Educate your staff about these programs and promote them frequently.
• Don’t forget the little things. “A handshake is the least expensive way to recognize top performers — and it might be the most effective,” Facella says. “Look employees in the eye and say thanks, but be specific about what the employee did that you appreciated so much, and why.”
• Remember the spouse. “For marathon efforts — such as large-scale projects or major service efforts — remember to recognize the employee’s significant other,” Facella says. “After all, without the support of the employee’s partner, he or she wouldn’t have delivered such terrific results.”

I hope that these idea starters have given you some food for thought until the next edition of Service Starters.

Sincerely,

Mary Dalessandro
Editor, Service Starters