I know this sounds pretty obvious. Why would any of us insult our customers on purpose? But it happens more than we realize.
Here’s a recent example.
I’m ordering a sandwich at my favorite sub shop. As I’m chatting with the sub-maker, the co-owner walks over. She notices that I’ve had the roast beef in my sandwich cooked so it’s brown, not pink (just how I like it). Her face gets a pained look and she says:
“Oh, that hurts”.
Then she went on to explain how she prefers her roast beef rare.
I ignored her. (Hunger is good for that.) But I found myself wondering if she realized she just insulted me.
Probably not.
She was totally focused on what she thought. And, apparently, she thought I would be interested in knowing how my sandwich offended her good taste.
What she forgot is that I was not there to hear how she liked her roast beef cooked. I was there to get a sandwich the way I want it. Her opinion shouldn’t even have entered the conversation unless I asked her what she thinks.
Even then she shouldn’t tell a customer what they just did “pains her”. Might as well tell your customers they have bad taste. Or they’re just plain stupid.
If you disagree with what a customer is doing, keep it to yourself (unless you’re giving them professional or technical advice). Remember, you’re not there to talk about your likes and dislikes. And you’re certainly not there to insult your customer.
Your job is to help your customers accomplish what they want.
http://AmazingServiceGuy.com
Monday, April 5, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
A different View of the Glass
From Shep Hyken:
A departure from the typical customer service tip, here is a motivational story...Recently I ran into an old friend, Michael Packman, who I grew up with. We were talking about our kids and he told me a great story about his daughter, Amanda.When Amanda was younger, Michael had the idea to ask her a question to see if she was an optimist or a pessimist. So, he set a half-filled glass of water in front of her and asked:“Is the glass half-full or half-empty?”Her response took him by surprise. Amanda said:”That depends if you are drinking or pouring.”Metaphorically speaking, the next time you have a "half-filled glass of water," what will be the answer to the question? Is it half-empty, half-full - or is there another answer? Sometimes the less obvious answer is a better one, or at least another alternative.
Web: www.hyken.com
A departure from the typical customer service tip, here is a motivational story...Recently I ran into an old friend, Michael Packman, who I grew up with. We were talking about our kids and he told me a great story about his daughter, Amanda.When Amanda was younger, Michael had the idea to ask her a question to see if she was an optimist or a pessimist. So, he set a half-filled glass of water in front of her and asked:“Is the glass half-full or half-empty?”Her response took him by surprise. Amanda said:”That depends if you are drinking or pouring.”Metaphorically speaking, the next time you have a "half-filled glass of water," what will be the answer to the question? Is it half-empty, half-full - or is there another answer? Sometimes the less obvious answer is a better one, or at least another alternative.
Web: www.hyken.com
The Dam letter
Sometimes we have to deal with customer responses and resolve issues in a dignified manor.
"The pen (it is said) is mightier than the sword" as you will see!
This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania . This guy's response is hilarious, but read The State's letter before you get to the response letter. State of Pennsylvania 's letter to Mr. DeVries: SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec 20; Lycoming County Dear Mr. DeVries: It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity: Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond. A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity.. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated. The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2010. Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.. We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.
Sincerely, David L. Price District Representative and Water Management Division.
The response :
Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:
Re: DEQ File No.. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr..Price,
Your certified letter dated 11/17/09 has been handed to me. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run, Pennsylvania .
A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood 'debris' dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials 'debris.'
I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.
These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.
My first dam question to you is: (1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or (2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?
If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)
I have several dam concerns.. My first dam concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.
The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.
If you want the damed stream 'restored' to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.
In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).
So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2010? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.
In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step! The bears are not careful where they dump!
Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.
THANK YOU,
RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS
"The pen (it is said) is mightier than the sword" as you will see!
This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania . This guy's response is hilarious, but read The State's letter before you get to the response letter. State of Pennsylvania 's letter to Mr. DeVries: SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec 20; Lycoming County Dear Mr. DeVries: It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity: Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond. A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity.. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated. The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2010. Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.. We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.
Sincerely, David L. Price District Representative and Water Management Division.
The response :
Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:
Re: DEQ File No.. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr..Price,
Your certified letter dated 11/17/09 has been handed to me. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run, Pennsylvania .
A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood 'debris' dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials 'debris.'
I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.
These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.
My first dam question to you is: (1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or (2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?
If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)
I have several dam concerns.. My first dam concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.
The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.
If you want the damed stream 'restored' to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.
In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).
So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2010? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.
In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step! The bears are not careful where they dump!
Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.
THANK YOU,
RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS
Friday, March 5, 2010
Create Moments of Magic
From Seth Hymans top 5
Moments of Truth, Misery & Magicby Shep Hyken, CSP
It's all about creating Moments of Magic! What is a Moment of Magic and where did it come from?In 1986 Jan Carlzon, the former president of Scandinavian Airlines wrote a book, Moments of Truth. In his book, Carlzon defines the moment of truth in business as this:“Anytime a customer comes into contact with any aspect of a business, however remote, is an opportunity to form an impression.”From this simple concept, Jan Carlzon took an airline that was failing and turned it around to be one of the most respected airlines in the industry.Some examples of moments of truth in Jan Carlzon’s airline business are:when you call to make a reservation to take a flight, when you arrive at the airport and check your bags curbside,when you go inside and pick up your ticket at the ticket counter,when you are greeted at the gate,when you are taken care of by the flight attendants onboard the aircraft,and when you are greeted at your destination.All of these are main moments of truth, and notice that they are all controlled by people. There are many moments of truth that are not controlled by people, such as advertisements (radio, television, billboards, newspapers, etc.). The emphasis of this article is on the moments of truth that we, as people, have control over. These are the points of contact that our customers and clients have directly with us and our organization.Mentioned above are a number of the main moments of truth, not just at Jan Carlzon’s airline, but in virtually all commercial airlines. These are the main ones. And while these may be the most important, there are lots of small ones as well. For example, you might be walking toward your gate at the airport and walk by a couple Scandinavian employees. They look up and smile at you. Now that may be a small moment of truth, but it is an important one. It adds to the total experience of the customer.Disney has taken the small moments of truth to an even higher level. They understand the importance that these small moments of truth have on their customers. They train their cast members (Disney’s term for employees) to acknowledge the guest (Disney’s term for a customer) with a smile or facial expression if within ten feet. If the cast member gets within five feet of the guest, they are to acknowledge them verbally. All of the little moments of truth, combined with the major ones, with the addition of the product or service your organization is selling, add up to the overall level of a customer’s satisfaction.Jan Carlzon said there are good moments of truth and bad moments of truth. I believe there is a third type - average moments of truth. Average is middle-of-the-road - simply acceptable, but not great. I have a term for the good and bad ones. The bad ones are referred to as moments of misery, and the good ones are referred to as moments of magic.Our goal should be to create all great moments of magic, even if they start out to be moments of misery. Sometimes a customer may have a legitimate complaint. We not only need to fix problems and complaints, we also need to give customers a reason to want to come back and continue to do business with us again and again. Even if we fix a problem, it doesn’t mean the customer is coming back. For example, if you own a restaurant and one of your guest’s meals is over cooked, don’t simply fix it or take it off of the bill. Consider giving the guest a business card with a note that gives him or her a round of drinks or a free appetizer the next time they come back.At times these moments of misery may not even be our fault. The customer may just be having a terrible day. For example, a customer may be checking into a hotel. This person may have had three flights delayed and he or she is in a very bad mood. It is not the hotel’s fault the customer is unhappy due to the airline’s delayed flights. But, it is the person who is checking in this irate customer who has the opportunity to start to turn the customer’s mood around. It is an opportunity to take someone else’s moment of misery and turn it into the hotel’s moment of magic.So, manage your moments of truth. Seize every one of them, even if they are moments of misery, as opportunities to show how good you and your organization are. This will go a long way in building long-term customer loyalty and total customer satisfaction.
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep’s speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs contact (314)692-2200 or Shep@hyken.com. (http://www.hyken.com)
Moments of Truth, Misery & Magicby Shep Hyken, CSP
It's all about creating Moments of Magic! What is a Moment of Magic and where did it come from?In 1986 Jan Carlzon, the former president of Scandinavian Airlines wrote a book, Moments of Truth. In his book, Carlzon defines the moment of truth in business as this:“Anytime a customer comes into contact with any aspect of a business, however remote, is an opportunity to form an impression.”From this simple concept, Jan Carlzon took an airline that was failing and turned it around to be one of the most respected airlines in the industry.Some examples of moments of truth in Jan Carlzon’s airline business are:when you call to make a reservation to take a flight, when you arrive at the airport and check your bags curbside,when you go inside and pick up your ticket at the ticket counter,when you are greeted at the gate,when you are taken care of by the flight attendants onboard the aircraft,and when you are greeted at your destination.All of these are main moments of truth, and notice that they are all controlled by people. There are many moments of truth that are not controlled by people, such as advertisements (radio, television, billboards, newspapers, etc.). The emphasis of this article is on the moments of truth that we, as people, have control over. These are the points of contact that our customers and clients have directly with us and our organization.Mentioned above are a number of the main moments of truth, not just at Jan Carlzon’s airline, but in virtually all commercial airlines. These are the main ones. And while these may be the most important, there are lots of small ones as well. For example, you might be walking toward your gate at the airport and walk by a couple Scandinavian employees. They look up and smile at you. Now that may be a small moment of truth, but it is an important one. It adds to the total experience of the customer.Disney has taken the small moments of truth to an even higher level. They understand the importance that these small moments of truth have on their customers. They train their cast members (Disney’s term for employees) to acknowledge the guest (Disney’s term for a customer) with a smile or facial expression if within ten feet. If the cast member gets within five feet of the guest, they are to acknowledge them verbally. All of the little moments of truth, combined with the major ones, with the addition of the product or service your organization is selling, add up to the overall level of a customer’s satisfaction.Jan Carlzon said there are good moments of truth and bad moments of truth. I believe there is a third type - average moments of truth. Average is middle-of-the-road - simply acceptable, but not great. I have a term for the good and bad ones. The bad ones are referred to as moments of misery, and the good ones are referred to as moments of magic.Our goal should be to create all great moments of magic, even if they start out to be moments of misery. Sometimes a customer may have a legitimate complaint. We not only need to fix problems and complaints, we also need to give customers a reason to want to come back and continue to do business with us again and again. Even if we fix a problem, it doesn’t mean the customer is coming back. For example, if you own a restaurant and one of your guest’s meals is over cooked, don’t simply fix it or take it off of the bill. Consider giving the guest a business card with a note that gives him or her a round of drinks or a free appetizer the next time they come back.At times these moments of misery may not even be our fault. The customer may just be having a terrible day. For example, a customer may be checking into a hotel. This person may have had three flights delayed and he or she is in a very bad mood. It is not the hotel’s fault the customer is unhappy due to the airline’s delayed flights. But, it is the person who is checking in this irate customer who has the opportunity to start to turn the customer’s mood around. It is an opportunity to take someone else’s moment of misery and turn it into the hotel’s moment of magic.So, manage your moments of truth. Seize every one of them, even if they are moments of misery, as opportunities to show how good you and your organization are. This will go a long way in building long-term customer loyalty and total customer satisfaction.
Shep Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep’s speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs contact (314)692-2200 or Shep@hyken.com. (http://www.hyken.com)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Procrastination for Fun and Profit
A few days ago my manager sent out Seth Greens blog about Procrastination
I found it amuzing at best then I found the real dirt on the subject and of course favorite quotes!
Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday. ~Don Marquis
Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday. ~Author Unknown
Every duty which is bidden to wait returns with seven fresh duties at its back. ~Charles Kingsley
The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up. ~Author Unknown
If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done. ~Author Unknown
Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment. ~Robert Benchley
There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back. ~Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in. ~Earl of Chesterfield
The two rules of procrastination: 1) Do it today. 2) Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. ~Author Unknown
One of the greatest labor-saving inventions of today is tomorrow. ~Vincent T. Foss
You may delay, but time will not. ~Benjamin Franklin
Someday is not a day of the week. ~Author Unknown
To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing. ~Eva Young
Don't fool yourself that important things can be put off till tomorrow; they can be put off forever, or not at all. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. ~C. Northcote Parkinson, 1958
Procrastination is opportunity's assassin. ~Victor Kiam
If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it. ~Olin Miller
What may be done at any time will be done at no time. ~Scottish Proverb
There's nothing to match curling up with a good book when there's a repair job to be done around the house. ~Joe Ryan
Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow. ~Gerald Vaughan
The best way to get something done is to begin. ~Author Unknown
You know you are getting old when it takes too much effort to procrastinate. ~Author Unknown
I do my work at the same time each day - the last minute. ~Author Unknown
Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week. ~Spanish Proverb
The time to begin most things is ten years ago. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible. ~George Claude Lorimer
Tomorrow is the day when idlers work, and fools reform. ~Edward Young
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. ~Mark Twain
Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man. ~Jimmy Lyons
A year from now you may wish you had started today. ~Karen Lamb
Procrastination is like masturbation. At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself. ~Author unknown, possibly from Monty Python?
One of these days is none of these days. ~Attributed to both Henri Tubach and H.G. Bohn
Procrastination is the thief of time. ~Edward Young
I found it amuzing at best then I found the real dirt on the subject and of course favorite quotes!
Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday. ~Don Marquis
Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday. ~Author Unknown
Every duty which is bidden to wait returns with seven fresh duties at its back. ~Charles Kingsley
The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up. ~Author Unknown
If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done. ~Author Unknown
Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment. ~Robert Benchley
There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back. ~Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in. ~Earl of Chesterfield
The two rules of procrastination: 1) Do it today. 2) Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. ~Author Unknown
One of the greatest labor-saving inventions of today is tomorrow. ~Vincent T. Foss
You may delay, but time will not. ~Benjamin Franklin
Someday is not a day of the week. ~Author Unknown
To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing. ~Eva Young
Don't fool yourself that important things can be put off till tomorrow; they can be put off forever, or not at all. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. ~C. Northcote Parkinson, 1958
Procrastination is opportunity's assassin. ~Victor Kiam
If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it. ~Olin Miller
What may be done at any time will be done at no time. ~Scottish Proverb
There's nothing to match curling up with a good book when there's a repair job to be done around the house. ~Joe Ryan
Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow. ~Gerald Vaughan
The best way to get something done is to begin. ~Author Unknown
You know you are getting old when it takes too much effort to procrastinate. ~Author Unknown
I do my work at the same time each day - the last minute. ~Author Unknown
Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week. ~Spanish Proverb
The time to begin most things is ten years ago. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible. ~George Claude Lorimer
Tomorrow is the day when idlers work, and fools reform. ~Edward Young
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. ~Mark Twain
Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man. ~Jimmy Lyons
A year from now you may wish you had started today. ~Karen Lamb
Procrastination is like masturbation. At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself. ~Author unknown, possibly from Monty Python?
One of these days is none of these days. ~Attributed to both Henri Tubach and H.G. Bohn
Procrastination is the thief of time. ~Edward Young
Friday, January 22, 2010
Customer Service and The Pursuit of Happiness
from The customer service Reader
Does happiness at work matter? Most of your life is spent going to work, being at work, going from work, thinking about work, and talking about work after work. If you work in customer service, and are not happy with your job, you have the wrong job. You should find the calling that makes you happy. When you are happy at work, you’ll never have to work another day.
Most people don’t expect to find happiness, working a customer service job. But customer service, by its very nature, presents unique opportunities for the pursuit of happiness, not only for individuals, but for society as a whole.
Researchers in the field of Subjective Well-being (happiness) have found that there are certain characteristics that happy people have in common. Happy people:
Have self-control
Are grateful
Have good social relationships, supportive friends and family
Have an adequate income
Have respectable jobs, and
Have a philosophy that provides meaning to their lives.
Using this framework, can we, as providers, find happiness through customer service?
Self-control
The consistent practice of outstanding customer service behaviors requires an extraordinary amount of self-control. It starts with the realization that YOU are in control.
You choose your attitude
You choose your response
You choose to set aside your personal problems
You choose to give others a better day
When we take control, we refuse to be victims of circumstance, or of our own personal weaknesses. We take charge of our lives and of the situations that we face. This is a principal requirement of a life in service and, as it turns out, a principal requirement for a happy life.
Gratitude
"Thank you" is perhaps that the second most important customer service phrase. We use it (or ought to use it) dozens of times a day (thank you for calling, thank you for bringing that to my attention, thank-you-come-again). When we use these phrases authentically - i.e. when we mean what we say - we develop a habit of thankfulness. In Akumal III, Dr Bob Emmons reported research which showed that "people high in gratitude are more satisfied with life, have more vitality, more happiness, more optimism, hope, positive affect, lower psychological symptoms, more prosocial behaviors, and are higher on empathy".
Good social relationships
When you consistently practice customer service values and skills, such as kindness, listening, empathy, gratitude, responsibility, and persuasion, you develop habits that will stay with you for the rest of your life, and that can be applied to all other aspects of your life. You'll be able to make friends more easily, and will be better skilled at strengthening your relationships with your friends and family. They in turn will tend to reciprocate. People who are happy have strong relationships with friends and family. This is both a characteristic of happy people, and a consequence of their behavior.
Adequate income
There is a premium in the labor market for outstanding customer service providers. More important, we have the opportunity to constantly increase both our short-term and long-term income by applying our customer service skills. As Henry Ford once said, one who is “absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.”
Respectable jobs
This has two components. There’s the respect that you get for how you do your job, and there’s the respect you get for having that job. It’s not easy to provide outstanding customer service to every customer, on every transaction, every minute of the day. If you can do that, that’s something you can truly be proud of, and it’s certainly deserving of respect. Chances are you already stand out, and are duly rewarded.
The second component, respect for the job itself, depends less on the individual, and more on the team as a whole. When everyone in your organization or location provides outstanding service, people tend to talk about you, and you're likely to be known and respected for the service that you provide. It's a source of pride just to be part of such a team. The hard part is that it does depend on everyone. All it takes is one bad player to ruin the whole game.
A philosophy that provides meaning to their lives
The principles at the root of outstanding customer service are simple enough to say:
Our lives have more meaning when we serve others
Customer service is, first and foremost, a form of service
To serve each other and each customer is to serve humanity
As customer service providers, we touch millions of people each year. Each contact is an opportunity to make each life we touch a little better each day. And when we make people happy, they tend to pay it forward. Through the phenomenon psychologists call the “emotional contagion”, we can be carriers of an epidemic of kindness. We can be weapons of mass construction.
I'll end with some thoughts from some people who are a lot smarter than me:
Everyone can be great because everyone can serve. Martin Luther King Jr
Joy can be real only if people look on their life as a service. Leo Tolstoy
The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive. Only a life lived for others is a life worth living. Albert Einstein
Every one of us does render some service or other. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and will make, not only our own happiness, but that of the world at large. Mohandas K Gandhi
Thanks to the Customer service reader: http://customerservicereader.typepad.com/
Permissions Pending
Does happiness at work matter? Most of your life is spent going to work, being at work, going from work, thinking about work, and talking about work after work. If you work in customer service, and are not happy with your job, you have the wrong job. You should find the calling that makes you happy. When you are happy at work, you’ll never have to work another day.
Most people don’t expect to find happiness, working a customer service job. But customer service, by its very nature, presents unique opportunities for the pursuit of happiness, not only for individuals, but for society as a whole.
Researchers in the field of Subjective Well-being (happiness) have found that there are certain characteristics that happy people have in common. Happy people:
Have self-control
Are grateful
Have good social relationships, supportive friends and family
Have an adequate income
Have respectable jobs, and
Have a philosophy that provides meaning to their lives.
Using this framework, can we, as providers, find happiness through customer service?
Self-control
The consistent practice of outstanding customer service behaviors requires an extraordinary amount of self-control. It starts with the realization that YOU are in control.
You choose your attitude
You choose your response
You choose to set aside your personal problems
You choose to give others a better day
When we take control, we refuse to be victims of circumstance, or of our own personal weaknesses. We take charge of our lives and of the situations that we face. This is a principal requirement of a life in service and, as it turns out, a principal requirement for a happy life.
Gratitude
"Thank you" is perhaps that the second most important customer service phrase. We use it (or ought to use it) dozens of times a day (thank you for calling, thank you for bringing that to my attention, thank-you-come-again). When we use these phrases authentically - i.e. when we mean what we say - we develop a habit of thankfulness. In Akumal III, Dr Bob Emmons reported research which showed that "people high in gratitude are more satisfied with life, have more vitality, more happiness, more optimism, hope, positive affect, lower psychological symptoms, more prosocial behaviors, and are higher on empathy".
Good social relationships
When you consistently practice customer service values and skills, such as kindness, listening, empathy, gratitude, responsibility, and persuasion, you develop habits that will stay with you for the rest of your life, and that can be applied to all other aspects of your life. You'll be able to make friends more easily, and will be better skilled at strengthening your relationships with your friends and family. They in turn will tend to reciprocate. People who are happy have strong relationships with friends and family. This is both a characteristic of happy people, and a consequence of their behavior.
Adequate income
There is a premium in the labor market for outstanding customer service providers. More important, we have the opportunity to constantly increase both our short-term and long-term income by applying our customer service skills. As Henry Ford once said, one who is “absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.”
Respectable jobs
This has two components. There’s the respect that you get for how you do your job, and there’s the respect you get for having that job. It’s not easy to provide outstanding customer service to every customer, on every transaction, every minute of the day. If you can do that, that’s something you can truly be proud of, and it’s certainly deserving of respect. Chances are you already stand out, and are duly rewarded.
The second component, respect for the job itself, depends less on the individual, and more on the team as a whole. When everyone in your organization or location provides outstanding service, people tend to talk about you, and you're likely to be known and respected for the service that you provide. It's a source of pride just to be part of such a team. The hard part is that it does depend on everyone. All it takes is one bad player to ruin the whole game.
A philosophy that provides meaning to their lives
The principles at the root of outstanding customer service are simple enough to say:
Our lives have more meaning when we serve others
Customer service is, first and foremost, a form of service
To serve each other and each customer is to serve humanity
As customer service providers, we touch millions of people each year. Each contact is an opportunity to make each life we touch a little better each day. And when we make people happy, they tend to pay it forward. Through the phenomenon psychologists call the “emotional contagion”, we can be carriers of an epidemic of kindness. We can be weapons of mass construction.
I'll end with some thoughts from some people who are a lot smarter than me:
Everyone can be great because everyone can serve. Martin Luther King Jr
Joy can be real only if people look on their life as a service. Leo Tolstoy
The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive. Only a life lived for others is a life worth living. Albert Einstein
Every one of us does render some service or other. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and will make, not only our own happiness, but that of the world at large. Mohandas K Gandhi
Thanks to the Customer service reader: http://customerservicereader.typepad.com/
Permissions Pending
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Another Year Gone Bye
Well it has been an eventful year, We had the fire and the minor success of getting the yard and Garage back in order. We took relationships to the brink and brought them back again. Truly a year full of UP’s and Down’s And this year we leave it on a bright note. A Blue moon starts or new decade and that is special.
We have Made friends and left some behind. We have been re-organized and shook up the dust in all areas.
We can look back and see where we have been and where we are about to go as a company and as a team.
I want to thank the powers that be, for all they have done to make this year better than the last in the company
I wish to thank my wife for everything, you are why I am here and why I keep doing what I do the best.
I promise that this blog will be more success orientated soon. We need to hear of more success and how to turn a sour customer into a happy one and keep them that way.
We have Made friends and left some behind. We have been re-organized and shook up the dust in all areas.
We can look back and see where we have been and where we are about to go as a company and as a team.
I want to thank the powers that be, for all they have done to make this year better than the last in the company
I wish to thank my wife for everything, you are why I am here and why I keep doing what I do the best.
I promise that this blog will be more success orientated soon. We need to hear of more success and how to turn a sour customer into a happy one and keep them that way.
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