Customer service has always been a top priority for us at Baudville. As the place for daily recognition, we're known for our quick and friendly service delivered both over the phone and the Internet.

Today, we're proud to announce that we have received an EXCELLENT rating from STELLAService, an independent, third-party company that rates the customer service performance of online stores.

STELLAService evaluates companies on every attribute of the online shopping experience from ease of website navigation to interaction with company customer service representatives. STELLAService experienced all of Baudville’s customer service while “under cover” to make an objective decision about the company’s service.

As the recipient of an EXCELLENT rating, we are eligible to display the STELLAService seal on the company website as a trustmark that objectively and credibly communicates our commitment to quality customer service. You can see the seal on Baudville.com now! The STELLAService criteria are so rigorous, only half of all companies that apply receive a rating seal. 

Brad Darooge, our President and CEO is also honored to display the rating: "We are very excited to receive this service designation from STELLAService. Baudville has always made customer service our number one priority, and we’re proud to have STELLAService acknowledge our efforts with the EXCELLENT seal."

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

I don’t know about you, but I dread first days. Did I wear an appropriate outfit? Where do I sit at lunch? What parking spot isn’t claimed already? I calmed the butterflies in my stomach with a deep breath and pulled the glass door towards me entering the world of Baudville for my first day as the new Web Marketing Intern.

I was greeted by a friendly face, an enthusiastic hand shake, and a welcome on board. After the brief encounter I was whisked away by Kim, the person whom I would be annoying the next couple of months with my endless questions. First stop, my cubicle. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the cubicle is larger than a lot of bathrooms I’ve seen! While I was being introduced to the employees who surround me, I marveled at how colorful and full of personality everyone’s cubicles were and contemplated what I can put in mine. Then off I was to tour the company, where I met Jeff in purchasing and determined my outfit was fine but slightly awkward, because he was basically wearing the same outfit!

Lunch already, I thought as Katherine and Kim asked me where I wanted to go. Company’s treat! At lunch I learned more about Baudville and even better, more about Kim and Katherine, two out of many tremendous co-workers. After a full belly it was back to the daily grind for me. Well kinda. I let Kim and Katherine tackle some work while I headed off to Human Resources to fill out paper work and learn about the history of Baudville. One of the forms included questions like what my favorite food, restaurants and hobbies were, so Baudville could get to know ME better!

A half-an-hour later it was 5 o’clock and time to go. On my first day, I met about 90% of the company. Now I know all the wonderful employees and don’t have to worry if I already introduced myself. I even had a great time filling out paperwork with Human Resources and going over the company handbook step by step. Other companies have told me to read the handbook on my own time. Cindy actually took time to make me feel welcomed and comfortable with the Baudville ways. Another plus, I was able to join the health and fitness competition late. A team took me in right away and I received an awesome free tee shirt. (Something every college student wants!) The cherry on top, lunch was on Baudville and restaurant of my choice.  My first day at Baudville wasn’t so bad… actually, can I do it again!

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Kendra is the newest Baudvillian. She is currently an advertising intellectual at Grand Valley State University, and is ecstatic about the change of atmosphere as Baudville’s web marketing intern. Watch out because this young professional just touched down at Baudville.

Next week, our Recognition TV webisode will be sharing the details of our recent success story at Grace Haven Assisted Living, an assisted living facility in Michigan. We worked with Grace Haven to help them turnaround the negative culture, low level of teamwork, and high absentee rate that was defining their organization. After implementing strategic employee recognition programs, Grace Haven experienced a true culture transformation!

Register for the special half hour webisode and download the complete employee recognition success story.

You can get started transforming your culture today with these easy and low cost culture boosting ideas:

1. Personalize Your Services. A payroll officer personalized her job of delivering paychecks by donning a rhinestone tiara and sash and becoming the Payroll Queen. She would often write a personal note on the check stub and hand-deliver the checks to each worker. Brainstorm ways you can bring more fun to your position and your team!

2. Send Out Sweet Sensations. There are many ways to sweeten someone’s day at work. Put a candy dish on your desk or give a treat, like a Crunch bar to someone who is under a deadline crunch.

3. Fun Catches On. Don’t wait for fun to come to you! Consciously choosing your attitude and behavior to embrace enthusiasm, joy, and fun generates positive energy and directly affects the mood of all around you. Fill a Tupperware box with on-the-spot recognition items, and give them to deserving colleagues!

4. Lighten Up Your Presentations. By using other methods of “edutainment,” audience members will find your message more memorable than the usual training tedium. Present your information in a fun format, such as a rap song, skit, dance routine, or puppet show.

5. Be the One for Fun. Champion the cause for creating an enjoyable workplace! Laughing is a simple way to improve the mood at work. It’s contagious! Your good mood can affect others in a positive way.

6. Refresh, Renew, and Recharge. Encourage your team to take short breaks in between bouts of concentrated work. When they return to the task, they will feel revitalized and ready to be even more productive! Encourage them to go for a short walk or take a break outside to get some fresh air.

7. Make a Game of It. Challenge yourself and your team to make a mundane task more exciting. For example, set a timer to see how much you can complete in a set period of time, or challenge a co-worker to see who can get the most done.

8. The Name Game. Build morale and team spirit by making a game of naming your teams, departments, products, or meeting spaces. Baudville’s creative team made a game of naming their rooms using the Fish Suggestion System – the winning names included the Think Tank, Fish Bowl, and Theatre.

9. Open House Today. Have each department host an open house to share what they do and how they do it. Often, co-workers don’t always know exactly what goes on outside their immediate territory. Host an open house complete with treats, greeters, and a tour of the department.

10. Prime Time Players. Enlist a creative and dramatic team of employees to create an entertaining educational training video for new hires. A new hire video is a great way to introduce new team members to your culture. 

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

As Baudville’s copywriter, I am responsible for a lot of the words you see in print, online, and in your inbox. Do you know what happens when you write about recognition day in and day out? You sometimes repeat yourself, without even knowing it. (And sometimes fully knowing it.)

When I realize this is happening, I usually try to spice things up a bit by interjecting ridiculous words into our marketing materials. They most often get intercepted and put back into my rotating arsenal of absurdities; but I still keep trying.

The other day, I was making a hard case that “hoopla” is a completely appropriate word to use when talking about trophies and certificates. I lost that negotiation, by the way, but I still stand behind my position. Though, I will admit that it might be a little too informal of a word to capture the sophisticated fanfare of an award celebration.

However, it is definitely not too informal to attach to National High Five Day, which is today—always the third Thursday in April.

Now, you might be thinking: this sounds familiar…

Well, it is, because I have actually written twice about the power of a high five. Once for National High Five Day proper, and once after I received a high five that came precisely when I needed it.

But my timing is perfect on this because, as it turns out, my desire to see hoopla in print and my love of high fives go hand in hand. Here it is, straight from Dictionary.com:

hoop·la [hoop-lah]
–noun Informal
1. bustling excitement or activity; commotion; hullabaloo; to-do.

When someone does something noteworthy at your workplace, it’s not only OK to make a big deal about it, it should be a requirement. It doesn’t need to be an expensive or shiny award. The important thing is that it’s on the spot and meaningful to the recipient.      

So, today, National High Five Day, surprise a coworker (or even a stranger) with a high five for a job well done. You’ll make their day and yours, too.

(Today is also my Birthday today; so, if you see me, you know what to do!)

Looking for other highly affordable (ahem, FREE!) ways to make someone’s day? Check out our free ePraise and Print & Posts!

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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for two years and has worked in a variety of business settings for more than 17 years. Before becoming a professional writer 10 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!   

Even if you love your job, you probably still spend a little time Sunday night in denial that Monday is just a few hours away. I do and I do.

But last Monday was different, because several of us in Baudville’s creative group were looking forward to an afternoon field trip to a letterpress studio in downtown Grand Rapids. One of our design interns has a small setup called Not Design and she was more than happy to let us invade her space for a few hours to learn about old-school printmaking—a very hands-on process that’s a far cry from the high-tech computerized graphic design and desktop publishing tools we use today.

I had such a great time that I really wanted to tell everyone about it; but, before you think I’ve hijacked the Baudville blog for my own personal agenda, let me illustrate the many tangible business benefits of such an excursion:

Building Camaraderie. Also known as teamwork’s kissing cousin, camaraderie is as much about working together as it is about working nicely together. Let’s face it, when you see the same people every day, you tend to take them for granted. Engaging with your coworkers “out in the wild” can rekindle your appreciation for their contributions and unique talents.  

Offering Growth and Fulfillment. Learning opportunities can be a part of an employer’s total rewards package. In addition to compensation and benefits, many companies offer different educational activities as a way to sweeten the pot, so to speak. Even a modest field trip can have a profound impact on job satisfaction and, in turn, morale. (the fact that I’m so eager to tell you about it is proof right there.)

Inspiring Innovation. Magical things very often come out of these experiences. They’re called ideas. Whether it’s a training conference, or a seminar, or a tour of a local business, if it’s relevant to the work you do (and even if it’s not), something is bound to create a spark. We’ve seen it first hand at Baudville, which is why we usually kick off a new product development cycle with some kind of off-site brainstorming session to take our minds out of the familiar. (By the way, you can check out all the new products that came out of our last session here!)

Put all of these benefits together and you have the makings of a great place to work. In fact, there’s a web site called Great Place to Work®, which describes the five fundamentals of a great place to work (hence, the name). You can learn more here.   

And, finally, here we are, creating our masterpieces:

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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for two years and has worked in a variety of business settings for more than 17 years. Before becoming a professional writer 10 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!