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CWA Locals Honor Customer Service Workers
Recognizing the important, complicated and often stressful jobs of customer service employees, CWA locals across the country held a day of appreciation Oct. 3 to honor their dedication and professionalism.
Locals in every district participated, taking cakes to workers, serving them lunch and handing out special pins and information-packed brochures which included comments from grateful customers.
CWA represents 130,000 customer service employees, the most of any union. They include members at airlines, telecom companies, newspapers, colleges and government offices.
CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen said he couldn’t have been happier with the way locals responded to the event. “They did an outstanding job honoring their customer service members,” he said. “These jobs are complex and demanding. They require skills in conflict resolution and problem solving, as well as vast knowledge of products, services and resources.”
Locals were so eager to participate in customer service day that they soon exhausted the union’s initial supply of “Customer Service Professional” pins and brochures. More were quickly ordered.
Cohen said CWA will build on the momentum of Oct. 3 with new efforts to assist and recognize customer service employees. For instance, locals will be asked to identify the most worker-friendly policies and practices at various companies to generate a list of best practices.
CWA has long fought to promote the professionalism of its customer service workers, and is recognized for it. “No other organization knows as much or has been as proactive as an advocate for customer service employees as CWA,” said Rosemary Batt of Cornell University’s Department of Human Resources Studies.
The difference a union makes is clear. For instance, unionized phone company service representatives get a minimum of eight weeks training on average, more than twice what non-union members receive. And they are paid more than 20 percent above non-union workers, studies show.
Companies’ sales practices frequently emphasize speed and a hard-sell approach over service, practices CWA is fighting to end. Cohen said CWA’s role is “to promote high road customer service and block the low road.”
“The high road leads to meaningful work and good union jobs,” he said. “The low road leads to a high-turnover work force and frustrated employees.”
October’s day of appreciation was especially moving for airline customer service workers, who have worried about their jobs and the future of air travel since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. At the San Francisco Airport, Local 9423 brought cakes, cards, pins and brochures to US Airways agents. In the break room, “they were so happy and ecstatic they were being acknowledged that they turned up the music and started to dance,” said Teri Calderon, the local’s secretary-treasurer.
“It was a really welcome relief, because it’s been so tense at the airport, so quiet,” she said. “And with the dread of maybe losing their jobs, it’s been a very depressing time for them. So they were very appreciative.”
Honoring phone workers in Connecticut, Local 1298 piggybacked on events at commercial marketing locations that SNET was holding to observe the industry-driven Customer Service Week.
“We’re really proud of the customer service we provide,” said Pat Telesco, the local’s vice president for commercial and marketing units. “We have won the J.D. Power award for best customer service two years in a row. The reps were so proud to wear that pin, and it came at a good time because the company has been pushing sales. Selling is important, but there has to be a balance between sales and service.”
Below are other ways locals recognized their customer service employees:
Locals in every district participated, taking cakes to workers, serving them lunch and handing out special pins and information-packed brochures which included comments from grateful customers.
CWA represents 130,000 customer service employees, the most of any union. They include members at airlines, telecom companies, newspapers, colleges and government offices.
CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen said he couldn’t have been happier with the way locals responded to the event. “They did an outstanding job honoring their customer service members,” he said. “These jobs are complex and demanding. They require skills in conflict resolution and problem solving, as well as vast knowledge of products, services and resources.”
Locals were so eager to participate in customer service day that they soon exhausted the union’s initial supply of “Customer Service Professional” pins and brochures. More were quickly ordered.
Cohen said CWA will build on the momentum of Oct. 3 with new efforts to assist and recognize customer service employees. For instance, locals will be asked to identify the most worker-friendly policies and practices at various companies to generate a list of best practices.
CWA has long fought to promote the professionalism of its customer service workers, and is recognized for it. “No other organization knows as much or has been as proactive as an advocate for customer service employees as CWA,” said Rosemary Batt of Cornell University’s Department of Human Resources Studies.
The difference a union makes is clear. For instance, unionized phone company service representatives get a minimum of eight weeks training on average, more than twice what non-union members receive. And they are paid more than 20 percent above non-union workers, studies show.
Companies’ sales practices frequently emphasize speed and a hard-sell approach over service, practices CWA is fighting to end. Cohen said CWA’s role is “to promote high road customer service and block the low road.”
“The high road leads to meaningful work and good union jobs,” he said. “The low road leads to a high-turnover work force and frustrated employees.”
October’s day of appreciation was especially moving for airline customer service workers, who have worried about their jobs and the future of air travel since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. At the San Francisco Airport, Local 9423 brought cakes, cards, pins and brochures to US Airways agents. In the break room, “they were so happy and ecstatic they were being acknowledged that they turned up the music and started to dance,” said Teri Calderon, the local’s secretary-treasurer.
“It was a really welcome relief, because it’s been so tense at the airport, so quiet,” she said. “And with the dread of maybe losing their jobs, it’s been a very depressing time for them. So they were very appreciative.”
Honoring phone workers in Connecticut, Local 1298 piggybacked on events at commercial marketing locations that SNET was holding to observe the industry-driven Customer Service Week.
“We’re really proud of the customer service we provide,” said Pat Telesco, the local’s vice president for commercial and marketing units. “We have won the J.D. Power award for best customer service two years in a row. The reps were so proud to wear that pin, and it came at a good time because the company has been pushing sales. Selling is important, but there has to be a balance between sales and service.”
Below are other ways locals recognized their customer service employees:
- Local 2201 in Richmond, Va., had celebrations at all its locations and fed over 800 members hot dogs, hamburgers and cake. “Everyone was wearing the pins,” said CWA Represent-ative Ann McQueary, who coordinated the event nationally. “You just felt a terrific pride from folks in their union and in their work. Everyone made me feel so at home that I didn’t want to leave.”
- Local 2202 in Virginia Beach, Va., brought cakes decorated with the CWA logo to its customer service employees, along with the pins and brochures. The underlying theme of the celebration, said local Vice President Carol Castillo, was that “customer service and marketing people are professionals and not machines. We are highly trained and provide good service to our customers.” At the event members were asked how they felt about their careers and their union. “I’m proud to help people and being able to help the union is the only way to go,” member Patty Eckart said.
- Local 4202 printed its own poster and hung it on union bulletin boards at its worksites throughout Illinois. It featured pictures of members with quotes from customers praising their work. “Our stewards in every building handed out pins and brochures. We gave out cookies and candy and raffled T-shirts, sweatshirts and coffee mugs,” Local President Maureen Ehlert said. “And the local poster was a huge success.”
- Local 6201’s stewards put on a lunch for their SBC service representatives in Arlington, Texas. “The dedicated stewards teamed up to throw a celebration that included feeding 100-plus reps,” said Joanne Wells, chair of the local’s health and safety committee. “Recognizing the significant contribution that service reps make to the success of the company, the local manager joined in and provided food and even served the reps their lunches.”
- Local 7301 in Bismarck, N.D., handed out pins and brochures to members in the Qwest small business credit management center, and to outside technicians. The local brought balloons and cakes, and members were treated to music by a talented guitar-playing janitor. Qwest provided a taco lunch.
- Local 7704 in Salt Lake City gave members a package with a candy bar, ribbon and their customer service pin.
- Local 9423 in San Jose, Calif., in addition to honoring airline workers, took cakes and cards to Pacific Bell representatives and held a safety fair at the company’s campus. The three-hour fair featured firefighters, emergency medical workers and other experts on health and safety. The local also sold hot dogs and sausages, with proceeds going to United Way.