Today is 11 September 2012.  I received an e-mail from a Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.  It was pretty powerful.  In edited form: "Forgetfulness occurs when those who have been long inured to civilized order can no longer remember a time in which they had to wonder whether their crops would grow to maturity without being stolen or their children sold into slavery by a victorious foe. . . . They forget, in short, that there has ever been a category of human experience called the Enemy. And that, before 9/11, was what had happened to us. . . .The Enemy is someone who is willing to die in order to kill you.  And while it is true that the Enemy always hates us for a reason - - it is his reason, and not ours."  This is from "Civilization and its Enemies" by Lee Harris.  Food for thought for this day of remembrance. 

I just returned from the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta - I coached high school rowing for 20 years - where I watched one of my former rowers win two gold medals.  What a wonderful experience for him.  What is the point? What have some of your employees accomplished that none of your clients or customers knows about?  Why not tell your callers about those accoplishments in one of the messages of your on hold messaging production?  How much more interesting will your employee be when he answers the phone at your company or organization?  How much more real will she seem to the individual who is calling in?  It is an easy way to get authentic dialogue started - that brief story about a significant accomplishment in sports, volunteerism, business, or whatever. 

What is your favorite charity?  What have you done for it? What has your company or organization done in the way of volunteer efforts in your community?  What is it about your company or organization that sets you apart in your community, that shows the human and humanity side of your business, that demonstrates your commitment to excellence beyond your product and/or service offerings?  Callers on hold who hear about your efforts via the on hold messaging will tell others.  You know they will.  But only if you tell them! 

The Olympics are in full swing here at the end of July.  How about some office Olympics?  And announce the winners in your on hold messaging?  The down side may be that the on hold messaging production will have a relatively short shelf life.  But what a great way to talk about your employees, to indicate to your callers that the folks who are helping them are real people with fun accomplishments.  What kind of events?  Sharpen 24 fresh-out-of-the-box pencils, run 100 letters through the postage meter, package ten standard product items for shipping, tally up ten expense reports - error free, estimate package weights, deliver ten cups of coffee with the correct sugar/cream mixture to ten other employees, find ten current clients who are prime candidates for additional products/services, convert five of them (That may take a little time!), race office chairs down the hall way or around the perimeter of the floor, set up a miniature golf course in the office and play, hide (in plain sight) whatever item that always comes up missing and time the length of the search.  You get the idea!  Remember to announce the winner(s) in an on hold messaging production.