When Friday the 13th shows up the first month of the new year, it’s definitely an omen to take seriously. And for contact centers, that means getting all your stuff aligned to avoid the possibility of a hex or getting jinxed in 2017.
So, if you’re planning a successful year which includes only happy customers calling in, 100% first call resolution and 101% NPS score, then these are the 13 things to set a foundation of good luck and avoid getting jinxed in 2017.
For extra customer Service good luck, here we go:
1 – Agent #13 or ticket #666 are both big no nos. Make sure agents never ever say these numbers out loud, especially not three times in a row. Beetlejuice is a damn troublemaker.
2 – As you enter the office on Friday the 13th, hang a wreath of garlic above the entryway. Garlic is long touted to ward off evil. If in doubt about how much garlic prevents bad luck, serve extra garlic mash potatoes for lunch. Note – garlic also wards off romance due to bad breath.
3 – Buy all your customer service agents wood coasters. Instruct them to knock on the coaster three times before answering each call. After Friday the 13th, they can use the coasters as mini frisbees.
4 – DO NOT, under any circumstances, hit ‘Reply All’ on ANY emails. Need to reach out to multiple people? Better wait for the 14th, or you might end up having a lot of explaining to do. Trust us.
5 – Make sure your agents avoid using a Ouija Board. Just don’t. Not ever.
6 – This one is self-explanatory – don’t break any mirrors or the entire customer service team will have 7 years of bad luck, per mirror. If you got short tempered agents who are prone to frustration bring in a punching bag for them to blow off steam, exercise is good anyway.
7 – Make sure your call center environment is not under construction. In addition to agents not being able to hear customers over construction, tripping over tools isn’t a walk in the park and walking under a ladder is bad luck.
8 – Don’t step on any cracks. Not on the way to work, not at work, not on the way home. It will break your mother’s back on Friday the 13th. Make sure the entire team follows this rule.
9 – Decorate the office with acorns. Yes, acorns, which protect your call center from vengeful lightning strikes. Better safe than sorry.
10 – Absolutely no brooms after dark. With witches out at large broomsticks should be kept hidden, ideally behind a door locked by a virgin.
11 – To ward off goblins which will inflict your customer service team with a full year of crankiness hang a horseshoe over the front door to the call center (next to the garlic….). make sure it’s hung securely because if it lands on someone’s feet it means a broken toe and bad luck.
12 – On the morning of Friday the 13th, start the day by walking around the center with a large bouquet of burning Sage. Shake it well in every room and corner. Be sure to avoid standing under smoke alarms. This could set off the sprinkler system. Follow that up with a visit from fire department and Friday the 13th wins.
13 – For the smokers in your call center, hang a sign that clearly states, ‘Don’t ever give away the last cigarette in your pack.’ Giving away your last cigarette on Friday the 13th may result in death. As an added measure have a CPR specialist standing by.
Friday the 13th – The Summation
Good luck is a serious matter, both in and out of the call center, so don’t mess around with Friday the 13th.
If you follow the above tips for warding off evil, then 2017 will be ripe with good luck for your call center. Of course, you are free to ignore our tips, but at your own risk.
