In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive market, outstanding customer service is no longer a nice to have. Rather, it’s a key differentiator that can make or break a company’s reputation. Good customer service fosters loyalty, enhances customer satisfaction, and turns everyday interactions into meaningful, long-term relationships. By prioritizing customer needs and resolving issues with care, businesses not only retain clients but also build a brand people trust.
National Customer Service Week (NCSW) is one of four key weekly observances highlighted in the U.S. each October. As such, it creates the perfect opportunity to celebrate the immense value that service teams bring to the table. NCSW highlights the crucial role customer service teams play in building strong connections with clients and customers. It offers organizations a chance to recognize and appreciate the hard work of these professionals and the significant impact they have on overall business success. By engaging employees through activities, shoutouts, and educational content focused on exceptional service, businesses can boost morale and renew focus on customer satisfaction.
The Cerkl Customer Success Team exemplifies this value by ensuring clients receive the personalized, seamless support they need, helping to drive client satisfaction and loyalty. So, in this post, we’re shining a spotlight on our very own Customer Success (CS) Team, whose dedication ensures exceptional, personalized experiences every day.
Origins of National Customer Service Week
NCSW was founded in 1984, AND spearheaded by the Illinois-based International Customer Service Association ICSA), which merged with the international Professional Association for Customer Engagement (PACE) in 2020. Headquartered in Indiana, PACE ceased operations in November 2023 after more than four decades, blaming economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Celebrated annually during the first full business week of October, National Customer Service Week was officially recognized by the U.S. Congress in 1992.
Many companies in various parts of the world use this week to underscore the importance of great customer service and honor the dedication of their teams that work so closely with customers.
NCSW in the United Kingdom
In the UK, NCSW is championed by The Institute of Customer Service, an independent London-based professional membership body for customer service. Their mission is to “drive business performance through service excellence,” and promoting this special week is just one way to do it.
Their NCSW 2024 themes include:
- Monday: The Future of Service
- Tuesday: Service with Respect
- Wednesday: Effective Service Leadership
- Thursday: Risk, Reputation & Trust
- Friday: Customer Service Recognition Day
“National Customer Service Week is a week-long opportunity to raise awareness of customer service and the vital role it plays in successful business practice and the growth of the UK economy.” The UK Institute of Customer Service
You don’t have to be in the UK, or even have customers in the UK, to use or adapt their themes to fit your needs. Customer service plays a vital role globally.
Customer Service Week in the U.S.
Since PACE (which incorporated ICSA in 2020) ceased operations only last year, there is no one organization that currently spearheads NCSW in the U.S.
However, there are large organizations that support it, including The Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA). CSIA is dedicated to the advancement of customer service standards and recognizes excellence through certifications like the International Service Excellence Awards. They recognize NCSW as an annual opportunity to promote service excellence and honor professionals who contribute to great customer experiences.
SOCAP International (Society of Customer Service Professionals) is a member-driven association that promotes customer care and engagement across industries. While they do sometimes celebrate NCSW, their focus is more on providing professional networking, training, and development opportunities for customer service professionals.
Be inspired!
The Cerkl Customer Success Team
At Cerkl, our commitment to customer success goes beyond just providing a service. We partner with you every step of the way. Every client has a dedicated customer success manager and a customer success team that offers personalized, white-glove service. And they help you design a unique roadmap tailored to your specific needs. Our team collaborates with you to set measurable goals and ensure that you’re equipped to achieve long-term success. From onboarding to optimization, the Cerkl Customer Success Team is here to make sure your experience is seamless, effective, and built for growth.
Maddy Rieman, Head of Customer Success
Maddy Rieman joined Cerkl in 2015 and was the second employee and first Enterprise Sales Executive. She says she basically “fell into” the job. She’d been at Cerkl for nearly two years when CEO, Tarek Kamil offered her the position of Director of Customer Success. “I headed back to my desk and Googled ‘what is customer success’? It was a new division in the company, but that really excited me. It gave me an opportunity to pave the way and build something from the ground up — how I wanted it to be built. How I would want to be treated if I were a customer of Cerkl. So that’s been really fun.”
As Head of Customer Success, she says building a customer-centric approach has been her primary focus. She calls it the Golden Standard, where the Cerkl Customer Success Team literally sets the standard in the industry, raising the bar. “We want to be the most proactive. We don’t want to think about our interactions with clients as a ticketing system, we pride ourselves on having, real, honest, and impactful one-on-one engagements with clients”
“I see how successful we’ve been with our current clients, engaging with them in a way that no other SaaS vendor or software service that they worked with, in the past, can measure up to. It’s really exciting.”
She also shares how rewarding it is to meet with the Customer Success Team and talk about how clients have achieved goals and outcomes utilizing Cerkl technology in an innovative way.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to encourage my team to maximize their impact through an empathetic and humanistic approach. This proves that setting yourself apart as a first-in-class Customer Success Team yields incredible results (and honestly, just feels right).” Maddy Rieman
The Proof is in the Stats
In terms of renewal rate, 90% of customers renew after their initial contract or subscription, says Maddy. Their net revenue retention (NRR) exceeds 120%. “It’s well above the industry average, which is fantastic.” And their customer satisfaction score (CSAT) has consistently hit 99% over the past three years.
As she says, accolades show that the Cerkl CS Team is setting the standard for the new world of Customer Success.
Carly Toyzan, Senior Manager of Client Relations
Carly Toyzan joined Cerkl in 2022. She started out as a Customer Success Manager and is now Senior Manager of Client Relations.
She says she got into Customer Success at Cerkl because she was an internal communicator for nearly 10 years. “I’ve sat where our clients are sitting, and I’ve faced many of the challenges that they face now. I really believe that Cerkl Broadcast can help, and I just wanted to be part of that.”
Asked what the best, most favorite, part of working with internal communicators is, she focuses on their ingenuity and can-do spirit.
“I think internal communicators tend to be super creative and scrappy people. They aren’t always provided with the most resources. So they are super good at doing a lot with a little, and it’s awesome to watch.”
One of the most rewarding parts of her job, she says, is to see Cerkl clients become Broadcast pros. “I also love when a client has a question I haven’t heard or an idea I’ve never had, or they come up with a new way to use Broadcast.”
“I love my job mostly because of my Cerkl team. Everyone just truly cares about what they do, and it shows in how collaborative, patient, and supportive everyone is.”
Carly Toyzan
Melissa Siegel, Customer Success Manager
A mathematics teacher for many years, Melissa Siegel decided she wanted to do something different. What she liked most about teaching was:
- Teaching people something new
- Creating relationships
- Solving problems
- Making a difference
These are the values that she wanted to hold onto while switching careers and has found in her role at Cerkl.
When she learned of an opening at Cerkl for an education specialist to assume a customer support role in 2022, she knew it was a perfect fit. Six months later, she was promoted to Customer Success Manager.
On the other hand, the most rewarding part of her job is the relationships she has built and continuously nurtures. “I feel like all of my client relationships are based on the principle that we are all humans first. We strive to build real human connections above all else. And that is something that I value with my clients and it’s something that makes this work the most enjoyable.”
Melissa enjoys working with internal communicators and values how open and creative they are.
“You’re constantly problem-solving and thinking outside of the box in new and creative ways. They’ve really had an open mind to new ideas and new technology like AI and want to embrace change and embrace the unknown — and that is really exciting.”
Melissa Siegel
Jordan Veach, Customer Success Manager
Jordan Veach joined the Cerkl CS Team early in 2023 after working in customer success management and business development for several years. He currently helps Cerkl customers use Broadcast software to communicate more effectively with their organizations. “I listen, educate, and advocate in a way that guides clients and moves the needle forward.”
He says he has always been drawn to work that involves a lot of communication and helping people solve problems. The most rewarding part of his current job is facing new challenges every day. “Whether it’s aligning with clients on their communications strategy, brainstorming customer feedback, or discussing technical projects, it’s safe to say that there’s no such thing as a boring week at Cerkl. It’s rewarding to experience such a large amount of personal and professional growth here.”
His favorite part of working with internal communicators is being able to witness the true impact that Cerkl Broadcast has on their lives. “Internal communications is a function that’s often a little underappreciated and undervalued in the business.”
Asked what is the most surprising thing he’s heard, Jordan says he’s been shocked to hear customer stories about really poor experiences with other software vendors. “Cerkl CS has super-high standards for customer satisfaction. So, it can be easy to forget that not all companies place such a big emphasis on client success.”
And the most stressful part of his job? As a Customer Success manager, to a certain extent, he has to be a jack of all trades. Even though he isn’t expected to have the technical knowledge of an engineer, he needs to know how to decipher technical issues and translate them into plain English so that clients can understand what’s happening. “This can be pretty stressful when acronyms are flying around like seagulls at a beach.”
The Bottom Line
“At the end of the day, my job is not to be a technical wizard. My job is to listen, educate, and advocate in a way that helps clients move the needle forward.”
Jordan Veach
Robert Lanckton, Senior Manager of Customer Support and Education
Robert Lanckton joined Cerkl in 2022 and has been in customer support for many years. He started in the video game industry because it was a way to work around a hobby he loved at the time. “I realized I was good at problem-solving and communicating with all types of people.”
Today, he says the most rewarding part of his job is being the voice of the customer. “Many organizations treat CS departments as a Cost Center and don’t properly utilize the wealth of knowledge that their teams build or the feedback from their customers. At Cerkl, we make sure it’s at the center of everything we do.”
But his favorite aspect of working with internal communicators is that they are “truly authentic people. These are people who know themselves really well, and are comfortable sharing their thoughts.”
What he finds surprising, though, is how small many internal communications teams are.
“They are creating communications for tens of thousands of people every day. It’s incredible what they’re able to accomplish and I’m proud that Cerkl Broadcast is able to make that job easier.”
Robert Lanckton
At the same time, the biggest challenge for any CS team is being the bridge of communication between customers and a company or development team. But, the best part is that everyone at Cerkl gets involved to help solve that challenge, he says. “From our Product and Design teams meeting directly with clients to our Engineers watching our live support and providing their expertise to help.”
However, working in a more responsive role can be stressful. You never know what is going to happen next. At the same time, it’s one of the things that I love about the work because it constantly introduces my team to new learning opportunities.”
Brendan Lawson, Implementation Project Manager
After many years in marketing and working as an account manager, Brendan Lawson joined Cerkl three years ago as Software Implementation Project Manager. As such, he leads end-to-end implementation projects for clients, overseeing the deployment of Cerkl’s software solutions within specified timelines and budgets.
“I just fell into the line of work,” he says. “Just having some experience and looking for a way to get from the start to the finish line was what a project manager’s role was. It aligned with my background and past experience, and seemed like a good fit.”
Of course there’s much more to Brendan’s role, but he says that the most rewarding part is being able to get people successfully through the implementation process. “We all know whenever you take on something, whether it is a new job or learning a new product or skill, it takes a lot out of you. It’s usually pretty difficult even if it feels like it’s something you should learn quickly. So, just being able to work hand-in-hand with clients and get them to feel comfortable with that new change is great. And getting them to the finish line successfully in a timeline-efficient manner is the most rewarding part of my job.”
Asked what his favorite part of working with internal communicators is, Brendan admits that he had never worked with them previously. Now he simply loves getting the opportunity to see how they work on a day-to-day basis. “It is really interesting to me to see how creative these people are in order to succeed.”
A Favorite Experience
“I know with the role that I have, thinking outside the box is something that I try to do to get people through implementation. But I think that really pales in comparison to how outside of the box a lot of internal communicators have to think to get their messages across. This makes it my favorite part about working with them.”
Brendan Lawson
Travis Williams, Implementation Project Manager
Travis Williams has worked as a Software Implementation Project Manager at Cerkl for nearly three years. He joined the company in 2022 and admits that it’s a far cry from where he imagined work would take him.
He graduated from college with a degree in hospitality management and tourism. However, his employment background is in account management, mostly in the insurance industry. He says it was his wife’s uncle, a CTO at a software company, who introduced him to the industry. “His perspective on this field and just the creativity it takes to thrive in this industry. This is what really drew me to this line of work.”
He joined Cerkl in March 2022 and says the most rewarding part of his job is solving clients’ complex issues — or finding a workaround. If a solution doesn’t exist at the time, he says “it helps instill trust in me and our company, which in turn lays the foundation for a successful relationship moving forward.”
For Travis, the best thing about working with internal communicators is their passion, creativity, and attention to detail.
“I enjoy our interactions because I always learn something. Each one is different and has a unique communication style. I’ve seen some communicators elevate their style/strategy to match our platform’s capabilities, while others opt to simply use the platform to continue communicating how they have been. Neither way is wrong, but I am able to pull learnings from each to assist future clients.”
Travis Williams
Yoseli Orozco, Customer Success Engineer
Yoseli Orozco began her collaboration with Cerkl as a Sales Engineer in 2022 because this was related to her previous work experience. But then she was asked to join the Customer Success Team in the role of CS Engineer. Yoseli said her immediate response was that she didn’t have experience in that field, only theoretical knowledge. Nevertheless, she joined the team because she likes to venture into new things and gain new knowledge.
This, she says, has been the biggest challenge she’s faced since joining Cerkl. She says she knew there would be ongoing implementations and she would have to learn to be useful for clients and for the CS team. “Now I see that phase and I laugh at myself, but it was really challenging.”
The most stressful part of his job, she says, is when major clients are used to following “non-regular configurations.” This makes everything more complicated, especially since there are usually manual processes to go through. “From the very beginning with the SSO configuration, up until the last step of audience integration, it’s painful. But we always learn from those cases, which is the positive side of them.”
Additionally, Yoseli says she is surprised that there are communicators out there who are scared of everything they do because of their bosses. “It is not surprising on a positive note, but it’s scary. And that makes me thankful for the great working environment and energy we have at Cerkl.”
At the same time, she loves working with internal communicators because everything is super different from what she used to do.
“Even the mindset of communicators is super-different — and interesting. So, it is a great opportunity to see the world from another perspective, and for sure, learn from that.”
Yoseli Orozco
The Best Part
For Yoseli, the most rewarding part of his job is solving client problems or getting customers to the success stage. She also loves when customers say things like, “I love Cerkl. This has been so easy. This makes my life easier, which is super-rewarding, especially with so many horror stories out there.”
Testimonials Say a Lot
Here are a few reviews from clients that we’d like to share. They say a lot!
Cerkl Customer Success Testimonials
“This is a small, high-touch organization. You WILL be important to them. They WILL be responsive to your suggestions and requests. Not all of them will be put into practice — customers have different needs, and recommendations have to be globally applicable — but they listen and give them fair consideration. That’s rare, and really welcome.”
User from a telecommunication enterprise (>1,000 employees)
“Always quick to answer all the questions we have. If he doesn’t know the answer right away he’s always amazing at getting back to us promptly. He takes the time to understand our business needs and follows up with updates and possible solutions. He feels like part of our team here at ATB.”
ATB Financial
“Thanks for putting the explanation in layman’s terms so I can easily report back to our subscriber and assuage her fears that this is a never ending battle. We appreciate your quick response time and how much time and effort you put towards ensuring a good client and subscriber experience. Cheers to Cerkl!”
RetireMEDIQ
“Thank you, Maria, for responding so quickly to my high-priority question, researching and providing assurance we could move forward, and quickly identifying the issue and resolving it for all moving forward. I am thankful for your partnership!”
VMware, WorldWide Sales
“I love the Cerkl team — Maddy, Robbie, Maria — with them I feel like we can move mountains together. Their patience, thoughtfulness, and expertise is incredible.”
Internal Communications Manager from an enterprise (>1,000 employees)
“I like the training and support that was part of the onboarding process. The staff were helpful and made themselves readily available to answer any questions. That kind of support is unique, and I haven’t found it in other email service providers I have used in the past.”
Mid-market, non-profit organization management (51-1,000 employees)
Cerkl for Marketing Testimonials
“You guys are always coming up with super cool stuff and always 10 steps ahead. I can’t believe how fast the response is. Robbie is so helpful. In my circle of peers, people ask me how we achieve such a high open and click through rate.”
Custom Distributors
“Cerkl has redefined the way the City of Hamilton engages digitally with residents. Outside of the impressive 60% increase in open rates, more than doubled new subscriber rate, and glowing feedback from our digital community, Cerkl platform is designed to optimize and add value to your entire digital communication strategy. The opportunity to seamlessly integrate our Cerkl stories across web and social has given us the opportunity to better reach and engage our community, adding efficiency and increased impact to our existing outreach efforts.”
City of Hamilton
“The Health Collaborative prides itself on healthcare innovation, our communications are no exception. Allowing our members to customize the news they receive from us through Cerkl, has meant our communications team gets to spend more time on developing quality content while our audience receives the information they want, when, and how they want it.”
The Health Collaborative
“Our circulation numbers are increasing, and that’s a direct result of Cerkl. I have to tell you folks, I LOVE coming into work and finding notes on my desk telling me how much people are enjoying our digital newsletter platform CERKL! We couldn’t be happier with how people are engaged with the library through automation that is personally crafted to the choices of each and every patron! We now have a subscriber base of over 900 patrons!” Marion Co. Public LIbrary
What Next?
Are you looking to take your internal communications strategy to a new level? Are you apprehensive because you don’t want to make changes without guaranteed support? If so, the Cerkl Customer Support Team is ready to stand beside you.
