I love Trefoils. Thin Mints are a close second (and apparently the top seller nationwide). Every year my family looks forward to Girl Scout cookies. We buy a bunch of cookies, yet they have a tendency to disappear very quickly.
My family has a tradition of girl scouting. My mother was a scout, I was a scout, and my nieces are girl scouts. Given that tradition combined with my love of Trefoils, one could say that I am Truly Loyal.
Imagine my excitement to learn there is a new Customer Loyalty badge for Girl Scouts. “Girls told us they want more challenge, and we’ve responded with substantive, focused, fun new badge offerings that will prepare girls for lifelong success,” said Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of the USA.
The new badge is part of the Senior Scout Cookie Business badge. According to the Girl Scout website, their Cookie Program prepares girls for their future by developing business building skills such as goal setting, decision making, and people skills.
To earn a badge, a scout goes through a five-step test to prove her knowledge on the topic. In this case, she will know how to build her cookie business by increasing customer loyalty.
Although I wasn’t able to find the specific requirements for earning the customer loyalty badge, I was reminded of a Walker client who developed a training program for their employees. At the end of the training, each participant needed to prove their knowledge on the topic. A certification exam was used to “earn the badge” for Customer Loyalty. Incorporating the exam into the training ensures employees understand both the importance of customer feedback and how to act on that information.
I can’t wait for Girl Scout cookie time to see how the Customer Loyalty effort impacts their Cookie Program! In the meantime, should you consider a Customer Loyalty badge for your associates?
Kitty Radcliff
Vice President
