When Travel Support Europe flipped the script and focused on compliments, not complaints, it sparked more than a culture shift – it reignited pride.
“We didn’t do it to prove a point. We did it to see if praise could be just as powerful as pressure – and it was.”
That’s how Felix Klingborg, Network Manager at Travel Support Europe, sums up a three-month experiment that ended up transforming more than just the mood in the office.
In late 2025, Felix joined Assistance Stories – The Podcast to talk about a challenge that started as a post-meeting thought – and ended up shifting the way the team approached quality, collaboration and care.
A simple idea: track compliments, not complaints
“It all started after a check-in with one of our insurance partners,” Felix explains. “They had been experimenting with a new quality initiative internally, and I thought – what would happen if we did the opposite of what we usually do?”
At Travel Support Europe, a company that delivers medical and roadside assistance to travellers across Europe, quality assurance is deeply embedded in the day-to-day. But that quality often focuses on avoiding mistakes, minimising friction, preventing issues.
This time, Felix wanted to flip the script.
“We talk a lot about KPIs, SOPs, workflows. But what really sticks with people? Knowing they made someone’s day better.”
So the team launched an internal challenge: collect sincere, specific praise in at least 10% of all assistance cases – without ever asking for it. Vague “thanks” didn’t count. The compliments had to be meaningful, authentic and unprompted.
“There was this energy shift almost immediately”
The team started tracking feedback manually on a whiteboard in the office, updating progress every Monday.
And then something happened.
People got excited. Not because of a leaderboard or reward – but because they were seeing how their work truly landed with customers. The case managers started sharing quotes from happy customers over coffee. It became a source of connection and pride.
“We had one person say: ‘Your help made me relax.’ That sticks with you,” Felix says. “You realise – we’re not just solving cases. We’re helping people breathe again.”
Another message described how a customer’s elderly parent was stranded and scared – but thanks to the swift coordination, they felt safe within minutes.
Real praise. Real people. Real impact.
What started as a fun initiative soon bled into everything. The team began sharing praise more openly – across shifts and roles. Each week, new quotes and examples were added to the whiteboard, turning it into a growing wall of recognition.
“The funny part? We never told the team about the 10% target,” Felix says. “We just let it unfold. And because it wasn’t forced, it took on a life of its own.”
It wasn’t about perfection. It was about presence. Seeing the human side of assistance. The daughter who could finally relax, knowing help had arrived. The father who got home safely — thanks to someone who took the time to listen and act.
The serious power of fun
Felix is quick to point out that the initiative didn’t rely on new tools or complex systems:
“All we used was a whiteboard, markers and intention.”
But what really fuelled the success? Fun.
“When people feel safe, they loosen up. They laugh more. They connect. That’s when people do their best work – not when they’re afraid of messing up, but when they care about doing it well.”
That mindset isn’t just talked about at Travel Support Europe – it’s embedded in the culture. On the office wall are the words: We leave no one behind. It’s not just about the people we assist on behalf of our customers – it’s a reminder to support one another, too.
When asked what advice he’d give other companies looking to try something similar, Felix keeps it simple:
- Keep it authentic. Only count praise that’s specific and genuine.
- Keep it visible. Make it something the team sees, feels, shares.
- Keep it human. Adapt it to your own culture and people.
“If you tell people what they’re doing right, they’ll want to do more of it. That’s just human nature.”
A mindset that lasts
More than a year later, the ripple effect is still visible. Travel Support Europe continues to raise the bar in how it delivers medical and roadside assistance on behalf of its partners — and how it supports the people behind that delivery.
“We realised something important,” Felix says. “Recognition isn’t the cherry on top. It’s the base layer of quality.”
Because great service doesn’t start with a checklist.
It starts with people who feel proud of what they do.
And that’s something worth celebrating.
