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.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Happy Birthday ParentLink
A lot can happen in 20 years,
Happy Birthday ParentLink!
20 Years ago I today I was promoted from an auto detailer to lubrication mechanic, a move that changed the course of my life.
My childeren were 4 and 6, I weighed 135 lbs.
While I worked at Morris Motors my wife, Dianna worked at The Utah State Hospital. Our rent was $225.00 amonth I made 6.75 an hour, life was good then and now.
here is what else happened.
1989 In Technology the 486 series of microprocessor is released by Intel opening the way for the next generation of much more powerful PC's and Microsoft releases it's Office Suite including Spreadsheet, Word Processor, Database and Presentation Software which today still dominates in office applications. Following Massive protests against the Berlin Wall bringing about the collapse of The Berlin Wall and the East German Government both are dismantled which leads after many years to the reunification of East and West Germany. In China Pro democracy protestors clash with Chinese Security Forces in Tiananmen Square and the pictures of a man taking on a tank are seen on TV news throughout the world.
Parlant Technology makes its first sale.
Cost Of Living 1989
How Much things cost in 1989
Yearly Inflation Rate U.S.A. 4.83%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 2753
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 10.50%
Average Cost of new house $120,000.00
Average Income per year $27,450.00
Average Monthly Rent $420.00
Average Price for new car $15,3500.00
1 gallon of gas 97 cents
US Postage Stamp 25 cents
In the News
The Phillips 66 Chemical Complex in Houston, Texas has a series of explosions and fires killing 23 employees.
Serial killer Ted Bundy is executed in Florida's electric chair
In Alaska's Prince William Sound the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (11 million gallons) of oil after running aground
Leona Helmsley the billionaire hotel operator is convicted on Tax Fraud Charges ( Hooray!)
The Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, strikes San Francisco Bay Area in California, killing 63
Technology
Parlant Technology rates #1 in sales of School to Home communications
The first of 24 satellites of the Global Positioning System is placed into orbit
Nintendo begin selling the Game Boy in Japan
Voyager II passes the planet Neptune and its moon Triton and sends pictures back to earth.
The 486 series of microprocessor introduced by Intel.
Scientists pronounce 1989 as the warmest on record possibly a sign of the greenhouse effect
Florida and Virginia allow use of DNA genetic fingerprinting evidence as admissible
First release of Microsoft Office. which was a bundle of Microsoft's office applications, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel , Dependent on the Version you purchased would depend on which applications were included
Popular Culture 1989
The first episodes of the Simpsons are shown
Popular Films
Batman
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Lethal Weapon 2
Twins
Back to the Future Part II
Ghostbusters II
The Little Mermaid
Driving Miss Daisy
Parenthood
Dead Poets Society
Licence to Kill
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
My Left Foot
When Harry Met Sally. Popular Musicians
Popular Musicians
Duran Duran
Paul McCartney
Phil Collins
Prince
Madonna
Erasure
The Bangles
Major World Political Leaders 1989
Australia Prime Minister Bob Hawke
Brazil President José Sarney
Canada Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
China Chairman of the People's Republic of China Yang Shangkun
France President François Mitterrand
Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl
India Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi Till 2 December
India Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh From 2 December
Italy Prime Minister Ciriaco de Mita Till 22 July
Italy Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti From 22 July
Japan Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita Till 3 June
Japan Prime Minister Sosuke Uno From 3 June
Japan Prime Minister Sosuke Uno Till 10 August
Japan Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu From 10 August
Mexico President Carlos Salinas de Gortari
Russia / Soviet Union
General Secretary of the CPSU Mikhail Gorbachev
South Africa State President Pieter Willem Botha Till 15 August
South Africa State President Frederik Willem de Klerk From 20 September
United States President Ronald Reagan Till January 20,
United States President George H. W. Bush From January 20,
United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Happy Birthday ParentLink!
20 Years ago I today I was promoted from an auto detailer to lubrication mechanic, a move that changed the course of my life.
My childeren were 4 and 6, I weighed 135 lbs.
While I worked at Morris Motors my wife, Dianna worked at The Utah State Hospital. Our rent was $225.00 amonth I made 6.75 an hour, life was good then and now.
here is what else happened.
1989 In Technology the 486 series of microprocessor is released by Intel opening the way for the next generation of much more powerful PC's and Microsoft releases it's Office Suite including Spreadsheet, Word Processor, Database and Presentation Software which today still dominates in office applications. Following Massive protests against the Berlin Wall bringing about the collapse of The Berlin Wall and the East German Government both are dismantled which leads after many years to the reunification of East and West Germany. In China Pro democracy protestors clash with Chinese Security Forces in Tiananmen Square and the pictures of a man taking on a tank are seen on TV news throughout the world.
Parlant Technology makes its first sale.
Cost Of Living 1989
How Much things cost in 1989
Yearly Inflation Rate U.S.A. 4.83%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 2753
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 10.50%
Average Cost of new house $120,000.00
Average Income per year $27,450.00
Average Monthly Rent $420.00
Average Price for new car $15,3500.00
1 gallon of gas 97 cents
US Postage Stamp 25 cents
In the News
The Phillips 66 Chemical Complex in Houston, Texas has a series of explosions and fires killing 23 employees.
Serial killer Ted Bundy is executed in Florida's electric chair
In Alaska's Prince William Sound the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (11 million gallons) of oil after running aground
Leona Helmsley the billionaire hotel operator is convicted on Tax Fraud Charges ( Hooray!)
The Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, strikes San Francisco Bay Area in California, killing 63
Technology
Parlant Technology rates #1 in sales of School to Home communications
The first of 24 satellites of the Global Positioning System is placed into orbit
Nintendo begin selling the Game Boy in Japan
Voyager II passes the planet Neptune and its moon Triton and sends pictures back to earth.
The 486 series of microprocessor introduced by Intel.
Scientists pronounce 1989 as the warmest on record possibly a sign of the greenhouse effect
Florida and Virginia allow use of DNA genetic fingerprinting evidence as admissible
First release of Microsoft Office. which was a bundle of Microsoft's office applications, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel , Dependent on the Version you purchased would depend on which applications were included
Popular Culture 1989
The first episodes of the Simpsons are shown
Popular Films
Batman
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Lethal Weapon 2
Twins
Back to the Future Part II
Ghostbusters II
The Little Mermaid
Driving Miss Daisy
Parenthood
Dead Poets Society
Licence to Kill
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
My Left Foot
When Harry Met Sally. Popular Musicians
Popular Musicians
Duran Duran
Paul McCartney
Phil Collins
Prince
Madonna
Erasure
The Bangles
Major World Political Leaders 1989
Australia Prime Minister Bob Hawke
Brazil President José Sarney
Canada Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
China Chairman of the People's Republic of China Yang Shangkun
France President François Mitterrand
Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl
India Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi Till 2 December
India Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh From 2 December
Italy Prime Minister Ciriaco de Mita Till 22 July
Italy Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti From 22 July
Japan Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita Till 3 June
Japan Prime Minister Sosuke Uno From 3 June
Japan Prime Minister Sosuke Uno Till 10 August
Japan Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu From 10 August
Mexico President Carlos Salinas de Gortari
Russia / Soviet Union
General Secretary of the CPSU Mikhail Gorbachev
South Africa State President Pieter Willem Botha Till 15 August
South Africa State President Frederik Willem de Klerk From 20 September
United States President Ronald Reagan Till January 20,
United States President George H. W. Bush From January 20,
United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving 2009
From the WIKI:
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.
The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. The traditional "first Thanksgiving" is the celebration that occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. The Plymouth celebration occurred early in the history of what would become one of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States. The celebration became an important part of the American myth by the 1800s.[citation needed] This Thanksgiving, modeled after celebrations that were commonplace in contemporary Europe, is generally regarded as America's first. Elementary school teacher Robyn Gioia has argued that the earliest attested "thanksgiving" celebration in what is now the United States was celebrated by the Spanish on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida.[1][2] Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.
Celebrating Thanksgiving is a mixed bag, I am thankful for my wife, life, family, friends and colleagues
For the Job I have and the home it helps to provide.
I know things are not always the way you wish them to be and things do go wrong and though it may sound weird for this too I am thankful. That said, I must explain. When the things in my life go the way they have these little blessings in disguise have a way of making things right in the end. If you are lucky (and, I am) then things wind up better than ever. I am truly thankful!
This day is (to me) not so much as a day of "Thanks and Praise" to a higher authority but a day of reflection for me, taking stock of how things went (so far) this year and what is to come of it. My hopes are risen my resolve to do better renewed, I have a great meal and I have a more positive outlook on a full stomach and triptophan overdose. Give thanks and Praise!!
!
Festivus is soon upon us! But that is yet another day.
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.
The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. The traditional "first Thanksgiving" is the celebration that occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. The Plymouth celebration occurred early in the history of what would become one of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States. The celebration became an important part of the American myth by the 1800s.[citation needed] This Thanksgiving, modeled after celebrations that were commonplace in contemporary Europe, is generally regarded as America's first. Elementary school teacher Robyn Gioia has argued that the earliest attested "thanksgiving" celebration in what is now the United States was celebrated by the Spanish on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida.[1][2] Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.
Celebrating Thanksgiving is a mixed bag, I am thankful for my wife, life, family, friends and colleagues
For the Job I have and the home it helps to provide.
I know things are not always the way you wish them to be and things do go wrong and though it may sound weird for this too I am thankful. That said, I must explain. When the things in my life go the way they have these little blessings in disguise have a way of making things right in the end. If you are lucky (and, I am) then things wind up better than ever. I am truly thankful!
This day is (to me) not so much as a day of "Thanks and Praise" to a higher authority but a day of reflection for me, taking stock of how things went (so far) this year and what is to come of it. My hopes are risen my resolve to do better renewed, I have a great meal and I have a more positive outlook on a full stomach and triptophan overdose. Give thanks and Praise!!
!
Festivus is soon upon us! But that is yet another day.
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Rules of Failure ( a little Humor)
We all know we have goals and rules to follow.
and soon be trained on what not to do
here are some more (place toung in cheek)
George Santanya said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." If we continue in practicing the failure rules something much worse could happen. The rules are:
Resist learning anything new that could lead to more responsibility–
Don’t share what you know with others–
Be a jerk!–
Always look out for Number One–
It’s all about the money–
Promise things you have no intention of doing–
It’s always someone else’s fault–
Truth is in the mind of the beholder–
Do the least that’s necessary for success–
The customer is someone you have to put up with–
I have done all of these at one time or another and have learned much along the way.
Please do remember these rules are so true and if avoided then success is at hand
and soon be trained on what not to do
here are some more (place toung in cheek)
George Santanya said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." If we continue in practicing the failure rules something much worse could happen. The rules are:
Resist learning anything new that could lead to more responsibility–
Don’t share what you know with others–
Be a jerk!–
Always look out for Number One–
It’s all about the money–
Promise things you have no intention of doing–
It’s always someone else’s fault–
Truth is in the mind of the beholder–
Do the least that’s necessary for success–
The customer is someone you have to put up with–
I have done all of these at one time or another and have learned much along the way.
Please do remember these rules are so true and if avoided then success is at hand
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tilting Towards Windmills!
"The Quixotes of this Age fight with the Wind-mills of their owne Heads."
John Cleveland
Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from that plain. And no sooner did Don Quixote see them that he said to his squire, "Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, and thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to be rich for this is a righteous war and the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless."
"What giants?" asked Sancho Panza.
"Those you see over there," replied his master, "with their long arms. Some of them have arms well nigh two leagues in length."
"Take care, sir," cried Sancho. "Those over there are not giants but windmills. Those things that seem to be their arms are sails which, when they are whirled around by the wind, turn the millstone."
Cervantes' Don Quixote
In this “automated world” There are some things that have to be done by hand. I like things that are hand crafted not matter if it is new or old as I know it has that Human touch. With all of its beauty and “Craftsmanship” there are things, flaws and imperfections that make it that way.
Take a task I must run each day. I understand that it is supposed to be scheduled and run automatically but things being what they are, I must do this one myself.
If I can I run it from home (on my way out the door) and off to work I go! Some times this cannot be done and is the first thing I do each day.
The Customer, Jorge (not his name) sends an e-mail upset that the “temporary fix just does not work and we are not doing anything about it!” HAHAHA! I am the fix for now (can I go home since I do not work?)
I work! I am getting e-mails now after I run the task, saying it doesn’t work and I send Jorge the e-mail telling him to check the process.
Oh how I want to send this instead.
Hey how is it you , you missed me running this thing? Go look it is there! So calls us and be rude again, I really like it when you attempt to have each of us feel small and cheap. But being a professional I don’t
Dealing with rudeness is difficult at best. But once something goes wrong or not done right on time (Stuff happens) This, they do not want to hear.
I had a Death in my family not too long ago. I missed some time from work and a project I was working on was left to sit for 3 days. I was the owner of the ticket and management would not allow the job to someone else.
I got back to work and contacted my customer (a man much like Jorge) and explained the situation. He did not acknowledge why I was not right on the task, just that the task was not completed. This taught me not to go fishing for empathy and makes for akwardness when haveing to dispence some when needed.
We get calls from clients that have the same situation and Empathy flows like water. We train on it we practice it. We do our level best to identify with our customer so they feel better about the product and us as technicians ( note that I did not say individuals).
We do it because it is the Human thing to do! It helps to alleviate stress on the caller’s part. Helps them learn to look at a situation before calling it a problem. We feel better in the process.
Then there is Jorge! We all have one. That one customer devoid of empathy, or any concept of understanding.
The problem is "The Quixotes of this Age fight with the Wind-mills of their owne Heads." By Hollering at technology Created by Humans yelling at machines doing things for Humans that get yelled at by humans for being Humans.
I love irony!
John Cleveland
Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from that plain. And no sooner did Don Quixote see them that he said to his squire, "Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, and thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to be rich for this is a righteous war and the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless."
"What giants?" asked Sancho Panza.
"Those you see over there," replied his master, "with their long arms. Some of them have arms well nigh two leagues in length."
"Take care, sir," cried Sancho. "Those over there are not giants but windmills. Those things that seem to be their arms are sails which, when they are whirled around by the wind, turn the millstone."
Cervantes' Don Quixote
In this “automated world” There are some things that have to be done by hand. I like things that are hand crafted not matter if it is new or old as I know it has that Human touch. With all of its beauty and “Craftsmanship” there are things, flaws and imperfections that make it that way.
Take a task I must run each day. I understand that it is supposed to be scheduled and run automatically but things being what they are, I must do this one myself.
If I can I run it from home (on my way out the door) and off to work I go! Some times this cannot be done and is the first thing I do each day.
The Customer, Jorge (not his name) sends an e-mail upset that the “temporary fix just does not work and we are not doing anything about it!” HAHAHA! I am the fix for now (can I go home since I do not work?)
I work! I am getting e-mails now after I run the task, saying it doesn’t work and I send Jorge the e-mail telling him to check the process.
Oh how I want to send this instead.
Hey how is it you , you missed me running this thing? Go look it is there! So calls us and be rude again, I really like it when you attempt to have each of us feel small and cheap. But being a professional I don’t
Dealing with rudeness is difficult at best. But once something goes wrong or not done right on time (Stuff happens) This, they do not want to hear.
I had a Death in my family not too long ago. I missed some time from work and a project I was working on was left to sit for 3 days. I was the owner of the ticket and management would not allow the job to someone else.
I got back to work and contacted my customer (a man much like Jorge) and explained the situation. He did not acknowledge why I was not right on the task, just that the task was not completed. This taught me not to go fishing for empathy and makes for akwardness when haveing to dispence some when needed.
We get calls from clients that have the same situation and Empathy flows like water. We train on it we practice it. We do our level best to identify with our customer so they feel better about the product and us as technicians ( note that I did not say individuals).
We do it because it is the Human thing to do! It helps to alleviate stress on the caller’s part. Helps them learn to look at a situation before calling it a problem. We feel better in the process.
Then there is Jorge! We all have one. That one customer devoid of empathy, or any concept of understanding.
The problem is "The Quixotes of this Age fight with the Wind-mills of their owne Heads." By Hollering at technology Created by Humans yelling at machines doing things for Humans that get yelled at by humans for being Humans.
I love irony!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Company Loyalty or Self-Reliance?
I pondered company loyalty and came across this letter and thought it very fitting. I am very proud of the company I work for we do lots of good things for our customers, My job is not taxing and I work with a group of fine professionals. To that end I owe more gratitude to my position than loyalty, I save loyalty to my friends, family and faith.
Loyalty isn’t a good term for describing the relationship between an employee and an employer in an industrial organization. When did your company ask you to take a loyalty oath? When did your company pledge loyalty to you? I think you’re confusing terms. Integrity, honesty, and compassion are noble attributes that you and your employer have every right to expect, but not loyalty.
My dictionary defines loyalty as “being faithful in allegiance to one’s lawful sovereign or government; faithful to a private person to whom fidelity is due; faithful to a cause, ideal or custom.” Your company or any other company is neither sovereign nor government. Nor is it a person, a cause, an ideal, or a custom.
You and I go to work each day, and we are expected to put out our best efforts and use our talents to their fullest. Perhaps we are even expected to serve above and beyond the call of duty (or at least beyond what we feel our current pay justifies!). In turn, we expect a fair wage, or at least an agreed wage. That is where loyalty begins and ends; we give our service, and the company pays us for it.
When any employee works through a whole weekend to repair a machine so the factory can open on Monday, this is not an act of loyalty to a company. When an individual or group works arduous hours to prepare a persuasive presentation to a prospect, this is not an act of loyalty to an employer. When a lawyer works nights to complete a brief, it is again not an act of loyalty to a firm. Rather, these are acts of loyalty to ourselves, to us as individuals who are making the sacrifices.
People work hard and extend themselves because they expect something in return. They expect to be paid for their efforts and eventually to receive a promotion, a bonus, or even just a pat on the back.
I would not be disloyal to my employer if I failed to do my best; I would be disloyal to myself. And if a company retained an employee in spite of mediocre performance just because he or she has 20 years' service, supposedly out of loyalty, it would actually be disloyal to other employees and the stockholders.
Remember when you and I worked with Ed What’s-His-Name, who had been with the company 10 years longer than we had and was earning ten percent more than we were? You and I wondered why we weren’t all paid the same salary since we were doing the same work. We questioned the fairness of a seniority system that resulted in Ed’s higher rate of pay. We never did resolve that question of fairness, but you and I both ended up with better jobs than Ed. So in the long run, what good did Ed’s loyalty do him?
Loyalty to or from a company isn’t something to give or expect. Loyalty is an act each person gives or shows to himself or herself. When an employee says he or she has been loyal to a company, I hear this: "I haven’t changed jobs or sought another job. I have (without being asked) devoted my time to this organization.”
"Loyal" employees want to avoid the pain in cutbacks, but was this deal in the original hiring agreement? Did the company ever promise that "X" years of service would ensure a job until retirement?
A while back, The Wall Street Journal reported that a 12-year veteran with a soft-drink company was leaving to become executive vice-president of a competing company. Was Mr. X disloyal for leaving his company for a better job? Was I disloyal to our employer when I left 10 years ago? Were you loyal because you stayed on for another 10 years? Would someone who stayed there 40 years have been twice as loyal as you, who were there 20?
If we must be loyal to our employers, then any new company must be composed of employees who were disloyal to their last employers. After all, they left that job to work for the new company.
I've had several employers, and I would like to think I gave to each above and beyond the call of duty. But I was acting out of loyalty to myself. I was striving for advancement, for rewards, and for the security that comes only from being valuable to my employer. I’ve left companies to take new jobs that offered advancement in responsibility and money—but not out of an act of disloyalty to my employer. It was an act of loyalty to myself, to my cause, to my ideals.
None of this is to say that long service shouldn’t be recognized or protected. But companies must be explicit in saying that long service will be recognized or protected, and not have it as an assumed policy—an assumption made by employees. From my vantage point, compassion and understanding usually aren’t a part of the human resources development program. (The term human, in industry, does not imply humane.)
Remember that what you owe to your employer is honesty, integrity, and hard work.
Source: http://www.winstonbrill.com/bril001/html/article_index/articles/151-200/article175_body.html
From: What Price Company Loyalty?
by Harvey Gittler
Mr. Gittler, of Oberlin, Ohio, is a retired manufacturing executive who writes and lectures on management issues.
Permissions pending
Loyalty isn’t a good term for describing the relationship between an employee and an employer in an industrial organization. When did your company ask you to take a loyalty oath? When did your company pledge loyalty to you? I think you’re confusing terms. Integrity, honesty, and compassion are noble attributes that you and your employer have every right to expect, but not loyalty.
My dictionary defines loyalty as “being faithful in allegiance to one’s lawful sovereign or government; faithful to a private person to whom fidelity is due; faithful to a cause, ideal or custom.” Your company or any other company is neither sovereign nor government. Nor is it a person, a cause, an ideal, or a custom.
You and I go to work each day, and we are expected to put out our best efforts and use our talents to their fullest. Perhaps we are even expected to serve above and beyond the call of duty (or at least beyond what we feel our current pay justifies!). In turn, we expect a fair wage, or at least an agreed wage. That is where loyalty begins and ends; we give our service, and the company pays us for it.
When any employee works through a whole weekend to repair a machine so the factory can open on Monday, this is not an act of loyalty to a company. When an individual or group works arduous hours to prepare a persuasive presentation to a prospect, this is not an act of loyalty to an employer. When a lawyer works nights to complete a brief, it is again not an act of loyalty to a firm. Rather, these are acts of loyalty to ourselves, to us as individuals who are making the sacrifices.
People work hard and extend themselves because they expect something in return. They expect to be paid for their efforts and eventually to receive a promotion, a bonus, or even just a pat on the back.
I would not be disloyal to my employer if I failed to do my best; I would be disloyal to myself. And if a company retained an employee in spite of mediocre performance just because he or she has 20 years' service, supposedly out of loyalty, it would actually be disloyal to other employees and the stockholders.
Remember when you and I worked with Ed What’s-His-Name, who had been with the company 10 years longer than we had and was earning ten percent more than we were? You and I wondered why we weren’t all paid the same salary since we were doing the same work. We questioned the fairness of a seniority system that resulted in Ed’s higher rate of pay. We never did resolve that question of fairness, but you and I both ended up with better jobs than Ed. So in the long run, what good did Ed’s loyalty do him?
Loyalty to or from a company isn’t something to give or expect. Loyalty is an act each person gives or shows to himself or herself. When an employee says he or she has been loyal to a company, I hear this: "I haven’t changed jobs or sought another job. I have (without being asked) devoted my time to this organization.”
"Loyal" employees want to avoid the pain in cutbacks, but was this deal in the original hiring agreement? Did the company ever promise that "X" years of service would ensure a job until retirement?
A while back, The Wall Street Journal reported that a 12-year veteran with a soft-drink company was leaving to become executive vice-president of a competing company. Was Mr. X disloyal for leaving his company for a better job? Was I disloyal to our employer when I left 10 years ago? Were you loyal because you stayed on for another 10 years? Would someone who stayed there 40 years have been twice as loyal as you, who were there 20?
If we must be loyal to our employers, then any new company must be composed of employees who were disloyal to their last employers. After all, they left that job to work for the new company.
I've had several employers, and I would like to think I gave to each above and beyond the call of duty. But I was acting out of loyalty to myself. I was striving for advancement, for rewards, and for the security that comes only from being valuable to my employer. I’ve left companies to take new jobs that offered advancement in responsibility and money—but not out of an act of disloyalty to my employer. It was an act of loyalty to myself, to my cause, to my ideals.
None of this is to say that long service shouldn’t be recognized or protected. But companies must be explicit in saying that long service will be recognized or protected, and not have it as an assumed policy—an assumption made by employees. From my vantage point, compassion and understanding usually aren’t a part of the human resources development program. (The term human, in industry, does not imply humane.)
Remember that what you owe to your employer is honesty, integrity, and hard work.
Source: http://www.winstonbrill.com/bril001/html/article_index/articles/151-200/article175_body.html
From: What Price Company Loyalty?
by Harvey Gittler
Mr. Gittler, of Oberlin, Ohio, is a retired manufacturing executive who writes and lectures on management issues.
Permissions pending
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Meanwhile back at the woodshed…He got his comeuppins…
I was taken back the other day when a client called my boss and reported that I was short with her and she felt I was talking down to her. Now I am one to call a spade a spade (only if it is a card) and a shovel a shovel. Needless to say this has prompted me to re-think some practices and how to develop, a more sincere and empathetic approach to callers. I am adding improved customer satisfaction to my anual goals and hope I can get the "Right Feedback" from this and other clients. I have been keen to point out problems with calls and take little notice of my own ( even my ego gets in the way) I am not that great negative feed back) and really take it to heart when someone becomes upset over the way things are. I am Blunt, honest and straight forward in dealing with customers. I want the same from anyone I deal with, but I should go easy on BLUNT. So what have I learned? That feedback is good, Opinion matters (see my previous posts!)
My point is that collecting customer feedback isn’t just about finding out what your customers are unhappy about–instead, it’s about gaining a better understanding of what your customers want, need and care about most in order to create more and lasting value for them.
And, if you do happen to receive some negative comments along the way, don’t take them personally. Instead, view that feedback as an opportunity to improve. As Bill Gates, chairman and founder of Microsoft, once said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”. And he’s right. Talking to your customers and listening to their feedback is the only means through which you can gain clarity about what’s most important to them. Plus, if you listen closely, it may even show you where and how to gain a competitive advantage and retain that customer and more.
Thanks to http://blog.allegiance.com/ for a few words and inspiration.
My point is that collecting customer feedback isn’t just about finding out what your customers are unhappy about–instead, it’s about gaining a better understanding of what your customers want, need and care about most in order to create more and lasting value for them.
And, if you do happen to receive some negative comments along the way, don’t take them personally. Instead, view that feedback as an opportunity to improve. As Bill Gates, chairman and founder of Microsoft, once said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”. And he’s right. Talking to your customers and listening to their feedback is the only means through which you can gain clarity about what’s most important to them. Plus, if you listen closely, it may even show you where and how to gain a competitive advantage and retain that customer and more.
Thanks to http://blog.allegiance.com/ for a few words and inspiration.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
You are Fired (the last act of a customer)
A note before you read this, I have tried to show in this blog what it takes to treat a customer correctly. This is the end result when you do not.
Dear Cynthia Hardy Young et al., Re: Policy US280231363
This letter is to inform you of my intention not to renew my policy with you. This decision is based on the abysmal performance of your company relating to a fire I had at my residence on January 28, 2009 Claim # Z1075870. Some of the things which have frustrated me include the use of incompetent third parties for damage assessment and investigation, which aggravated an already-stressful experience. The hassle of the inefficient claim process took huge quantities of time away from my work and family. The process was further complicated by the fact that I had to contact the adjuster, Chris Nakano numerous times to get the information I needed to create the inventory that the Crawford Company should have handled from start to finish. Furthermore, after the Field Claims Adjuster for Crawford cleared my damaged building for demolition, the restoration company took half of my inventory to the dump. Mr. Brattos (the Adjuster) had already taken a haphazard inventory, but he had issues that forced his removal from the company (with prejudice). This resulted in a loss of documentation regarding my inventory and an inadequate reimbursement for my personal property. Finally, after the dismissal of Mr. Brattos I was forced to waste more time calling supervisors to get Mr. Nakano to contact me. Even when he did, his attitude and deportment were less than professional. Finally, these events have tarnished my child’s name, sullying the reputation of a 7-year old who was wrongly blamed for this disaster. This travesty of a claim process has managed to lose both you and your parent company a customer.
Your third-party Fire Inspector informed me on-site that he could not determine the cause of the fire, but after his investigation was complete, he blamed my 7-year-old son. This conclusion seems unjust and arbitrary, as it was not based on facts uncovered in his investigation, but rather on his assumptions.
I have never had the misfortune to be treated in this manner by any other company. Fires are stressful enough without being mislead about my insurance coverage by a company that touts how fast and fair they are. It is my opinion that a complete review of the performance of the Claims and Property Reimbursement Departments in the California Office should take place, and that corrections with personnel be “fast and fair.”
I work in the communications field and have been in the customer service industry for over 40 years. Your complete lack of compassion and disregard for the feelings of your customers is a disgrace. Should any of my subordinates act in a similar fashion they would have been summarily dismissed!
This experience has cost me possessions and memories that according to the policy were not covered. For the items that were covered, the estimated replacement costs of brand-name items were priced using generic items of lesser quality from lesser stores to diminish the payout, which should have been the full replacement cost. The exclusion of a personal property item, my Father’s 1972 Chevrolet El Camino that had not been on the road for over 5 years (pending the completion of restoration) was extremely upsetting. The replacement of the 8-person hot tub from a specialty vendor with one from Home Depot at less than half of the prices we quoted from web investigation is another significant example of this nefarious practice.
As a customer of your company, I have been made to feel that if I pay my premium and don’t say a word, then I am the perfect customer. However, the moment something happens that requires action from you, I become merely an expense to be minimized or ignored if possible. I have been treated with disdain and contempt because now you have to do something for the paychecks you get from the silent ones. As of today, it has taken almost eight months to recover from this, and almost all of the reimbursements for my destroyed possessions (those that were actually counted) have gone to the rebuilding of the garage. 10% of the value of the home is not reasonable to rebuild a large stand-alone structure from the ground up. Consequently, I was forced to put 20,000 of the 39,000 I had been given for the replacement of destroyed items into the rebuild.
Now I have chosen a new company with a better service record and higher coverage, although at over twice the amount it cost to have your service. I guess the old adage is true “You do get what you pay for,“ although I would argue that in the case of your company, I did not even receive that. My experience has been chronicled and posted for all to see along with this termination letter. To that end I hope that no one has to go through the hell you have assisted in putting me and my family through.
We as customers have the right to be treated with compassion and respect. You as a company have not succeeded in this. You as a company will find this is not the way to treat your customers. I hope more follow me in discontinuing policies with you to the point where you have to ask for a bailout. This company should take pride in its service and reputation, but in my eyes and those of my family and friends, you are a shabby, untrustworthy, unscrupulous, slack-jawed group of con artists who think that the bottom line is profit, when the bottom line should in fact be the people you serve.
Dear Cynthia Hardy Young et al., Re: Policy US280231363
This letter is to inform you of my intention not to renew my policy with you. This decision is based on the abysmal performance of your company relating to a fire I had at my residence on January 28, 2009 Claim # Z1075870. Some of the things which have frustrated me include the use of incompetent third parties for damage assessment and investigation, which aggravated an already-stressful experience. The hassle of the inefficient claim process took huge quantities of time away from my work and family. The process was further complicated by the fact that I had to contact the adjuster, Chris Nakano numerous times to get the information I needed to create the inventory that the Crawford Company should have handled from start to finish. Furthermore, after the Field Claims Adjuster for Crawford cleared my damaged building for demolition, the restoration company took half of my inventory to the dump. Mr. Brattos (the Adjuster) had already taken a haphazard inventory, but he had issues that forced his removal from the company (with prejudice). This resulted in a loss of documentation regarding my inventory and an inadequate reimbursement for my personal property. Finally, after the dismissal of Mr. Brattos I was forced to waste more time calling supervisors to get Mr. Nakano to contact me. Even when he did, his attitude and deportment were less than professional. Finally, these events have tarnished my child’s name, sullying the reputation of a 7-year old who was wrongly blamed for this disaster. This travesty of a claim process has managed to lose both you and your parent company a customer.
Your third-party Fire Inspector informed me on-site that he could not determine the cause of the fire, but after his investigation was complete, he blamed my 7-year-old son. This conclusion seems unjust and arbitrary, as it was not based on facts uncovered in his investigation, but rather on his assumptions.
I have never had the misfortune to be treated in this manner by any other company. Fires are stressful enough without being mislead about my insurance coverage by a company that touts how fast and fair they are. It is my opinion that a complete review of the performance of the Claims and Property Reimbursement Departments in the California Office should take place, and that corrections with personnel be “fast and fair.”
I work in the communications field and have been in the customer service industry for over 40 years. Your complete lack of compassion and disregard for the feelings of your customers is a disgrace. Should any of my subordinates act in a similar fashion they would have been summarily dismissed!
This experience has cost me possessions and memories that according to the policy were not covered. For the items that were covered, the estimated replacement costs of brand-name items were priced using generic items of lesser quality from lesser stores to diminish the payout, which should have been the full replacement cost. The exclusion of a personal property item, my Father’s 1972 Chevrolet El Camino that had not been on the road for over 5 years (pending the completion of restoration) was extremely upsetting. The replacement of the 8-person hot tub from a specialty vendor with one from Home Depot at less than half of the prices we quoted from web investigation is another significant example of this nefarious practice.
As a customer of your company, I have been made to feel that if I pay my premium and don’t say a word, then I am the perfect customer. However, the moment something happens that requires action from you, I become merely an expense to be minimized or ignored if possible. I have been treated with disdain and contempt because now you have to do something for the paychecks you get from the silent ones. As of today, it has taken almost eight months to recover from this, and almost all of the reimbursements for my destroyed possessions (those that were actually counted) have gone to the rebuilding of the garage. 10% of the value of the home is not reasonable to rebuild a large stand-alone structure from the ground up. Consequently, I was forced to put 20,000 of the 39,000 I had been given for the replacement of destroyed items into the rebuild.
Now I have chosen a new company with a better service record and higher coverage, although at over twice the amount it cost to have your service. I guess the old adage is true “You do get what you pay for,“ although I would argue that in the case of your company, I did not even receive that. My experience has been chronicled and posted for all to see along with this termination letter. To that end I hope that no one has to go through the hell you have assisted in putting me and my family through.
We as customers have the right to be treated with compassion and respect. You as a company have not succeeded in this. You as a company will find this is not the way to treat your customers. I hope more follow me in discontinuing policies with you to the point where you have to ask for a bailout. This company should take pride in its service and reputation, but in my eyes and those of my family and friends, you are a shabby, untrustworthy, unscrupulous, slack-jawed group of con artists who think that the bottom line is profit, when the bottom line should in fact be the people you serve.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Before and after (what the fire left us)
Well folks it is all but over. The pictures here are the extent of the damage caused by the fire and the result of a (for the most part) good contractor, a bad insurance company and a much too long wait for completion.
The fire-started 01/28/2009 the garage and Patio were completed 07/20/2009 almost 7 months to the day. Needless to say I am relieved to see it done. So on to the pictures.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
At Long Last
We last held a barbecue at our house just after Labor Day 2008. This weekend with all the same guests (save one) we held the first barbecue this year. The patio is finished and the whole event seemed surreal in a way. We have been under much stress and the relief was quite refreshing. Life is slowly getting back to normal the stuff we lost is being replaced (at a much slower pace) and the new grill is fantastic!.
Although it was just Hamburgers and hot dogs it felt as we had just had a picnic last week..
I am angry still at the insurance company and that is a resentment I think I can hold on to for awhile.
I wish to thank My Brother In Law for all of his help in getting the yard in shape and Isaac for the help in the garage. To my wife this is just a start and we have much to do still but we will get it all taken care of in short order.
Expect the before and after pictures as soon as we have the doors in place nd the final inspection completed.
Imagine, 8 months from fire to feast, 13 guests, 20 Hamburgers 16 Hot Dogs, Homemade salads and deserts. Lots of pop and mostly Laughter and the love of friends and Family. This is what summers are all about.
It’s Been a long time coming!
Although it was just Hamburgers and hot dogs it felt as we had just had a picnic last week..
I am angry still at the insurance company and that is a resentment I think I can hold on to for awhile.
I wish to thank My Brother In Law for all of his help in getting the yard in shape and Isaac for the help in the garage. To my wife this is just a start and we have much to do still but we will get it all taken care of in short order.
Expect the before and after pictures as soon as we have the doors in place nd the final inspection completed.
Imagine, 8 months from fire to feast, 13 guests, 20 Hamburgers 16 Hot Dogs, Homemade salads and deserts. Lots of pop and mostly Laughter and the love of friends and Family. This is what summers are all about.
It’s Been a long time coming!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
a play on banned buzzwords
We need some face time with the lexicon of the industry with some banned buzzwords that have been pushing the envelope of productivity. Because on the ground there are a lot of Parking lot issues about kicking the tires of post-mortem, process driven, eager beavers standing on the platform, picking the pockets of resistance. The next steps are to take a quick hit and pull the trigger so we can bury this one outside the box while taking a Helicopter view of lessons learned by using banned buzzwords.
The other day I was taking a thought shower and dropped the soap while trying to Throw it against the wall and see if it sticks I slipped and fell Under the bus which was moving forward on the ground floor in the third sector with a ten thousand foot view of wordsmithing wishlist of water cooler Solutions that make up this blog.
Yes I am trying to be transparent and uber seamless in utilizing the words I am not supposed to use in this songsheet of tools that socialize the issues of what we are not supposed to use in meaningful dialog.
They say it is mission critical that I transfer knowledge upon you due to my out of the loop mindset and vast experience in the jobjar! The real deal here is the game plan we have because it’s that time of year again to facilitate our competencies build up the bottom line of our community of learners so we can enhance the environment of blue sky thinking thus becoming the best of breed when it comes to empowering the core values of this department.
The best practice here is not to get caught in the eddies or with them while crosscutting and drilling down to that simple plan of brining the bells and whistles to the cost cutting of the consumer-centric that is our customer.
The game changer here is to have a heads up on the high level expectations of our off the shelf clientele
Leveraging our experience with multi-tasking . put the best foot forward on the path to success lest we get caught in the perfect storm of slippage into the synergistic talking points that get far too streamlined into top down warm and fuzzy feelings toward sustainable world –class and tested for soundness technical support.
There I have used them all ,the list of words and phrases some visionary in Marketing has told us not to use. These words are spewed out in some surreal songsheet of conversation with the client, as we do not know what the hell we are saying. Using this blog as a temperature gauge of our written communications with each other and the end user as well our fellow cohorts will keep us in the forefront of lasting ownership of the situation and solution of the client needs. So at the end of business we are on the same page as the other departments without confusing the other guys with a bunch of nonsense!
When the rubber hits the road the competition will be pushed off the platform, on the ground floor running under the bus because we just dropped the dime on them!
The other day I was taking a thought shower and dropped the soap while trying to Throw it against the wall and see if it sticks I slipped and fell Under the bus which was moving forward on the ground floor in the third sector with a ten thousand foot view of wordsmithing wishlist of water cooler Solutions that make up this blog.
Yes I am trying to be transparent and uber seamless in utilizing the words I am not supposed to use in this songsheet of tools that socialize the issues of what we are not supposed to use in meaningful dialog.
They say it is mission critical that I transfer knowledge upon you due to my out of the loop mindset and vast experience in the jobjar! The real deal here is the game plan we have because it’s that time of year again to facilitate our competencies build up the bottom line of our community of learners so we can enhance the environment of blue sky thinking thus becoming the best of breed when it comes to empowering the core values of this department.
The best practice here is not to get caught in the eddies or with them while crosscutting and drilling down to that simple plan of brining the bells and whistles to the cost cutting of the consumer-centric that is our customer.
The game changer here is to have a heads up on the high level expectations of our off the shelf clientele
Leveraging our experience with multi-tasking . put the best foot forward on the path to success lest we get caught in the perfect storm of slippage into the synergistic talking points that get far too streamlined into top down warm and fuzzy feelings toward sustainable world –class and tested for soundness technical support.
There I have used them all ,the list of words and phrases some visionary in Marketing has told us not to use. These words are spewed out in some surreal songsheet of conversation with the client, as we do not know what the hell we are saying. Using this blog as a temperature gauge of our written communications with each other and the end user as well our fellow cohorts will keep us in the forefront of lasting ownership of the situation and solution of the client needs. So at the end of business we are on the same page as the other departments without confusing the other guys with a bunch of nonsense!
When the rubber hits the road the competition will be pushed off the platform, on the ground floor running under the bus because we just dropped the dime on them!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Under pressure (The cost of being a customer)
Some time ago I was approached with a demonstration for my nephew. This was his new job and he is selling fire alarm systems for homes. This is pretty good stuff I might add.
The demonstration was filled with newsy stuff about the dynamics of a fire and all that happens in the 2 or 3 seconds you have to collect your thoughts and get to action getting out (best bet) or put it out which is not always your best bet.
We agreed we needed the system and promised to purchase one when the time was right.
Well 2 months later we had a fire and all the commotion that followed (see other posts), Then after long last the insurance paid off and we were in the process of getting the Garage rebuilt This is not complete as of yet but we are close.
So my Nephew calls us the other day and asked if we were ready to buy the system ($3,000 worth), “But Uncle you really need this after all you have already had a fire. (National average is one fire in a life time, typically) I am not typical.. by no means! Well I said I did promise to by one but all in good time. I want the house finished before I get this (a big choice was an a/c unit or this).Then the second call came in “But Uncle I have to have my work order in by the end of the week” I asked “ is your boss pushing you? “Sorta”. I told him I would call back.
In discussion with my wife she said we needed the system but we still need to finish the garage. I agreed and called him back “we want to wait about a month” . “But you promised!” I asked “Are they still bugging you?” Now it is the regional manager he replied.
Then came the text messages, the voice mails and only an hour had passed. “ Can we do the paper work and install it now? I can put the application through and you can pay later?” “That would be fine but Credit is something the fire helped to remove from me along with my tolerance for pushy salesmen!
A week passed after I exclaimed “Enough! I will buy when I am DAMN GOOD AND READY!! At a family picnic my nephew was there and the boss showed up. “Hey give him a break, I really didn’t like the way you yelled at him!” “Expletive deleted” Pat! ( This is a family site ya know) I will buy it when I am ready and I still have added expenses with the Garage as it is.” Well we will talk later he said. That reminded me of the little kid in the movies that shakes his fist and says I will get even!
I was at the Grand Fathers Day celebration and sure enough (you guessed it) he was there!
“OKAY!” I will fill out the paper work!, “Oh then you’re ready to install?
NO! Paperwork that’s all! Oh! he said with great disappointment.
“By the way I have to go to a friends house so I can pick Cherries for Grandpa, Want to come with me?”
“Sure”
Some Friend (dare I say Fiend) He takes me to Pats house to pick cherries. While ther the topic of the application came up. I said ok. Then before we left the car was filled with alarms and detectors and a free gift or three. The next day I was once again pressured to fill out the application. “Wait The Bank information is missing!” That’s Right I said (I never intended a credit application to be completed) “But I will get in deep trouble if it isn’t filled out the proper way!” This was his first solo sales gig.
My Nephew was very upset I was feeling pressure from him. His boss and my wife (family thing ya know?) I Exclaimed, “ALRIGHT, DAMN IT!” Her take this check and get out!
I am 3,000 dollars lighter and much relieved that if I have a fire that I have 2 or 3 seconds to get out or put the damn thing out and my homeowners insurance (who ever it will be with) (see posts) will be 25% less!
Ring a ding!
The Frustrating thing is that I succumbed to higher than normal pressure, I Bought the thing not to save my home or save money or protect my home (all the right reasons and was going to happen anyway) but to get them off my back! This was a bad customer move. Note to sales department: use leverage but not pressure.
Use the unfortunate event do not prey upon it and last but not least never do this with a family member.
My Nephew is happy, I am protected, Family is safe and I am a better customer for the experience!
Next week you should see my new Garage! I hope!
The demonstration was filled with newsy stuff about the dynamics of a fire and all that happens in the 2 or 3 seconds you have to collect your thoughts and get to action getting out (best bet) or put it out which is not always your best bet.
We agreed we needed the system and promised to purchase one when the time was right.
Well 2 months later we had a fire and all the commotion that followed (see other posts), Then after long last the insurance paid off and we were in the process of getting the Garage rebuilt This is not complete as of yet but we are close.
So my Nephew calls us the other day and asked if we were ready to buy the system ($3,000 worth), “But Uncle you really need this after all you have already had a fire. (National average is one fire in a life time, typically) I am not typical.. by no means! Well I said I did promise to by one but all in good time. I want the house finished before I get this (a big choice was an a/c unit or this).Then the second call came in “But Uncle I have to have my work order in by the end of the week” I asked “ is your boss pushing you? “Sorta”. I told him I would call back.
In discussion with my wife she said we needed the system but we still need to finish the garage. I agreed and called him back “we want to wait about a month” . “But you promised!” I asked “Are they still bugging you?” Now it is the regional manager he replied.
Then came the text messages, the voice mails and only an hour had passed. “ Can we do the paper work and install it now? I can put the application through and you can pay later?” “That would be fine but Credit is something the fire helped to remove from me along with my tolerance for pushy salesmen!
A week passed after I exclaimed “Enough! I will buy when I am DAMN GOOD AND READY!! At a family picnic my nephew was there and the boss showed up. “Hey give him a break, I really didn’t like the way you yelled at him!” “Expletive deleted” Pat! ( This is a family site ya know) I will buy it when I am ready and I still have added expenses with the Garage as it is.” Well we will talk later he said. That reminded me of the little kid in the movies that shakes his fist and says I will get even!
I was at the Grand Fathers Day celebration and sure enough (you guessed it) he was there!
“OKAY!” I will fill out the paper work!, “Oh then you’re ready to install?
NO! Paperwork that’s all! Oh! he said with great disappointment.
“By the way I have to go to a friends house so I can pick Cherries for Grandpa, Want to come with me?”
“Sure”
Some Friend (dare I say Fiend) He takes me to Pats house to pick cherries. While ther the topic of the application came up. I said ok. Then before we left the car was filled with alarms and detectors and a free gift or three. The next day I was once again pressured to fill out the application. “Wait The Bank information is missing!” That’s Right I said (I never intended a credit application to be completed) “But I will get in deep trouble if it isn’t filled out the proper way!” This was his first solo sales gig.
My Nephew was very upset I was feeling pressure from him. His boss and my wife (family thing ya know?) I Exclaimed, “ALRIGHT, DAMN IT!” Her take this check and get out!
I am 3,000 dollars lighter and much relieved that if I have a fire that I have 2 or 3 seconds to get out or put the damn thing out and my homeowners insurance (who ever it will be with) (see posts) will be 25% less!
Ring a ding!
The Frustrating thing is that I succumbed to higher than normal pressure, I Bought the thing not to save my home or save money or protect my home (all the right reasons and was going to happen anyway) but to get them off my back! This was a bad customer move. Note to sales department: use leverage but not pressure.
Use the unfortunate event do not prey upon it and last but not least never do this with a family member.
My Nephew is happy, I am protected, Family is safe and I am a better customer for the experience!
Next week you should see my new Garage! I hope!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Hey, It's not my job!
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Source: www.comedy-zone.net
Who’s job is it? All of ours. When we need to get to the bottom of an issue, it is not abnormal to go to Client services or sales to get an answer and communicate the information you received back to the customer. I have led Sales to new clients or added services to a customers program. This is not unusual, as this is how teams work together. The 4 people in the above story remind me of places I have worked at in the past. Where everyone knew it wasn’t their job.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Source: www.comedy-zone.net
Who’s job is it? All of ours. When we need to get to the bottom of an issue, it is not abnormal to go to Client services or sales to get an answer and communicate the information you received back to the customer. I have led Sales to new clients or added services to a customers program. This is not unusual, as this is how teams work together. The 4 people in the above story remind me of places I have worked at in the past. Where everyone knew it wasn’t their job.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Fostering Good Customer Relations on the front line
Customer loyalty is built on customer relations. The front desk clerk, the counter clerk or even the security guards can make or break your business based on the impression they leave with customers. Whether you are in a service-oriented business, manufacturing, education or the health care field, your goal is to make that first impression lasting and gain loyalty from customers.
No matter what type of business you are in, the following are standard guidelines in handling customer relations:
1.Make the customer feel like royalty when attending to them. Pamper your customers. You must have well-oriented and well-trained customer relations personnel to assist them. Everyone in the selling area or in the place where customers are expected to move around must know their job. Keep your customer relations personnel updated on how to handle customers. This has proven to be an effective way of keep customers and get them to return. Make customers feel like they are part of the company, or a member of your corporate family. Value them.
2.Handle complaints properly. Each one of us has been customers of various establishments. We know that a customer is always right , and as companies we should stand by that principle. The basic steps in handling customer complaints are to listen, validate the complaint and act on it promptly. The key to handling customer complaint is to act quickly. It is said that one dissatisfied customer equates to hundreds of thousands of lost sales, since word of mouth travels. Protect the company from losing more because of one complaint.
The performance of the customer relations department plays an integral part in helping the company sell whatever product or service they are offering. Needless to say, customer relations should be a paramount concern, especially for your front line workers.
Source:
http://blog.allegiance.com
This tid bit comes with permission from
Chris Cottle
VP Marketing
Allegiance
No matter what type of business you are in, the following are standard guidelines in handling customer relations:
1.Make the customer feel like royalty when attending to them. Pamper your customers. You must have well-oriented and well-trained customer relations personnel to assist them. Everyone in the selling area or in the place where customers are expected to move around must know their job. Keep your customer relations personnel updated on how to handle customers. This has proven to be an effective way of keep customers and get them to return. Make customers feel like they are part of the company, or a member of your corporate family. Value them.
2.Handle complaints properly. Each one of us has been customers of various establishments. We know that a customer is always right , and as companies we should stand by that principle. The basic steps in handling customer complaints are to listen, validate the complaint and act on it promptly. The key to handling customer complaint is to act quickly. It is said that one dissatisfied customer equates to hundreds of thousands of lost sales, since word of mouth travels. Protect the company from losing more because of one complaint.
The performance of the customer relations department plays an integral part in helping the company sell whatever product or service they are offering. Needless to say, customer relations should be a paramount concern, especially for your front line workers.
Source:
http://blog.allegiance.com
This tid bit comes with permission from
Chris Cottle
VP Marketing
Allegiance
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