What does it take to create a customer experience someone remembers for years?
Sometimes, it has nothing to do with the service you were hired to provide.
In honor of Customer Service Week and Customer Experience Day (CX Day), I want to tell you about a gentleman named Perry.
A few years ago, I filed a claim with my home warranty company because my kitchen sink was leaking. They sent Perry, a technician from a local company, to fix it.
He did. He explained the issue, packed up his things, and could have walked out the door having done exactly what he was there to do.
Instead, he looked up at the light fixture above my kitchen and said, “Now tell me, what am I looking at up there?”
Unfortunately, what he was looking at was dust and a few dead bugs inside the fixture. 😬
I’d noticed them approximately 20 times and cleaned them exactly zero times. I had two very young kids, the fixture was super high up and, well… priorities.
Perry asked me for a ladder. I told him absolutely not. He had fixed my sink! Cleaning my light fixture was most definitely NOT his job.
But he insisted. And when I protested again, he told me his mother would never approve of him not leaving something better than he found it—especially for a busy mom. Then, he threatened to go “find one in the garage” himself if I didn’t comply!
So, sweet, caring Perry took down my light fixture, scrubbed it with dish soap and paper towels, dried it, climbed back up the ladder, and reinstalled it.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the service call.
And I still remember it years later.
THAT is customer experience.
Why Customer Service Week Is About More Than Customer Service
Every October, businesses celebrate Customer Service Week and Customer Experience Day, two occasions that recognize the people and practices behind exceptional customer experiences.
And I love that they happen together. Because experiences aren’t created by companies. They’re created by people!
Yes, processes matter. Technology matters. Policies matter. Products matter. But ultimately, your customers experience your company through hundreds of moments created by the people who work there.
And sometimes (often!), the moments they remember most are the ones that were never in the job description.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know my mantra: Everyone is in the experience department.
But Customer Service Week is a particularly important opportunity to recognize the people who spend their days closest to your customers.
And celebrating them doesn’t have to mean throwing an elaborate party or spending a fortune.
Here are two of my favorite ways to make Customer Service Week meaningful for your team AND your customers.
1. Take Care of the People Who Take Care of Your Customers
One of the best ways to celebrate Customer Service Week is to show genuine appreciation for the employees who make great customer experiences possible.
Send lunch. Write a handwritten note. Give an unexpected afternoon off. Send a Sugarwish and let them pick their own treat. (You can even use the code SUPERFANS for $10 off your first order!)
Or, recognize someone who went above and beyond.
Better yet, ask your team what would make them feel appreciated and do that.
After all, personalization isn’t just for customers! 🙂
Employee appreciation is most meaningful when it reflects the individual. For example, a gesture that feels thoughtful and personal can have a much bigger impact than a generic gift or company-wide announcement.
As a result, when employees feel seen, valued, and supported, they’re better positioned to create those same feelings for your customers.
2. Listen to Your Frontline Employees
While you’re celebrating your employees, make sure you’re learning from them, too.
I always say, “The people closest to your customers are closest to your biggest opportunities.”
After all, they hear the questions customers ask repeatedly. They know which processes create confusion. They see where friction exists and where small improvements could make a big difference.
In other words, your frontline employees have a perspective that no dashboard, survey report, or quarterly meeting can fully replicate. They’re living your customer experience every day.
So, during Customer Service Week, ask your team two simple questions:
“What’s one thing you wish leadership understood about our customers?”
And:
“What’s one thing we could change that would make life better for our customers?”
Then, really listen to the answers.
More importantly, don’t just collect feedback and move on. Instead, look for patterns, identify opportunities, and commit to taking action on what you’ve learned.
Maybe there’s a policy that creates unnecessary friction. Maybe customers are confused by something that could be explained more clearly. Or maybe your employees have a brilliant idea that leadership has simply never thought to ask about.
Sometimes, the best customer experience improvements start with one conversation.
The Best Way to Celebrate Customer Service Week? Leave Something Better Than You Found It.
Maybe the perfect way to celebrate Customer Service Week and CX Day is to borrow a lesson from Perry the Plumber’s mom:
Leave something better than you found it.
Take care of someone who takes care of your customers. Learn something from them that you didn’t know yesterday. Fix one frustrating process. Make one interaction easier. Give someone permission to do the unexpected thing that isn’t technically in their job description.
You don’t need to transform your entire customer experience overnight.
Just leave it a little better than you found it.
Because creating superfans isn’t about getting every moment perfect. It’s about recognizing that every interaction is an opportunity to make someone feel seen, valued, and cared for.
And sometimes, the smallest gestures leave the biggest impressions.
Planning a celebration for your employees? Check out this article with 20+ ideas for showing your appreciation this week.
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