Employees of any organization play a critical role in the level of service that is delivered to customers.  And employees that feel appreciated by the organization for the work they perform are going to have more incentive to deliver the best service possible.  Alan and Ed discuss why showing appreciation to employees for the work they do is important, explain some of the aspects of effective appreciation, and then provide examples of ways that appreciation can be shown to a variety of employee types. Alan and Ed also provide their "Customer Service Story of the Month" where they share their own experiences from the last 30 days and lessons we can learn from those encounters. Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com.