Annie Olson, Manager of Customer Service Department, hired me as the team lead in September 2008, when Annie was preparing to go out on maternity Leave.  As a former educator and trainer, I saw an opportunity to create a customer service training manual, partially to help me learn the job at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and partially to use as a helpful tool for working with existing staff.  Initially, I met with staff from the Recreation Department to get ideas, and there I learned that the Recreation Department had previously purchased and trained their staff with the FISH! Training materials created by the Pike Place Fish Company in Seattle, Washington. Included in the training materials was a lively and entertaining video of the staff working and sharing their philosophies on making each day fun for the customers and the staff (and if you have ever been there, you know what I mean as you duck flying fish).     I tailored our first  training manual to meet our staff’s needs, using the FISH! materials. It was very successful, especially as we threw toy fish to staff for answers to questions and treated each staff person to a package of Nemo  gummi candies. They also left with a certificate of completion (naturally with a fish theme) so they had documentation of their training class for their files.

Annie returned from maternity leave eager to join me in training staff. We learned that we complement each other with our love of the English language and keen desire to write specialized training manuals.  Neither of us got insulted if the other vetoed an idea or theme.  We had great fun grabbing at ideas, laughing at some ridiculous scenarios, and researching what others have created.   The challenge for us mainly has always been to carve out the time in our busy department to take time to sit somewhere quiet and create new materials.

We offered the FISH! Training sessions for the first two summers specifically to Recreation staff.  In our third year, we identified a need to include everybody in the organization in more intense customer service training which we named the iPlan for Customer Fitness. Key components included  cultural, diversity and inclusion.  What made it successful was that we included games for staff to move around and learn new facts about each other so they became invested in the session.

In our fourth year, the assistant superintendent for recreation asked for something focused on basic customer service skills in interacting with park patrons.   Annie and I had already talked about something fresh and had tossed around a Boot Camp theme.  We eagerly wrote a brand new training manual focusing on offering the highest level of customer service to those whom we serve, our customers. To add interest, Annie and I dress in camo t-shirts and march in with army boots and whistles to start the session (makes people a bit nervous but they sure do pay attention). We assure them that it is their minds that we wish to exercise!  We have currently trained aquatics and golf staff along with recreation center staff as the word got around that we have a successful program.  The key is to make it fun and interesting!