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Added for You - Bad Customer Service Does Not Happen Overnight
Laser pointers are useful when used at a business meeting to point out areas of interest on a chart or graph, and very amusing when the kitty chases them around the floor. But, innocuous as they seem, even the weakest of laser pointers can do damage if the eye is exposed to them directly for a length of time.Visual disturbances and sometimes damage of the retina or cornea can develop from exposure to a laser pointer. Though it may seem silly, eye protection may be necessary to avoid injuries that arise from exposure to laser pointers. There is nothing funny about loss of vision caused by ‘playing’ with a laser pointer, so handle them carefully and use them only as intended.Proper eyewear can filter the laser wavelengths and protect the eye. Many places of work have banned laser pointers as being a hazard already, especially with children. Most authorities recommend that children not be allowed to play with laser pointers, as the risks far outweigh the fun. Ma
One of the requirements for all manufacturers is the installment, maintenance and support of fully trained personnel especially if you are involved in the servicing of a product. Asking someone who is not properly trained to perform a task is like asking a two year old to bake a cake.
Oh sure, give them all the ingredients, and you might end up with a pan full of flour and eggs, but it is not really a cake, is it? And although giving a two year old free reign of your kitchen might be fun to watch, you are not going to want to clean up the mess that is left behind, are you?
When you put someone who is not trained in charge of your most valuable asset, you are going to end up without a cake to eat, a mess to clean up and a someone who now feels like a two year old baking a cake. No clue.
This is where management must be active in
There are many types of advertising and there are many reasons that companies advertise. Most of the time companies advertise a special or a sale in order to get customers to come in the door and make purchases. All advertising is trying to get the reader to do something or to make a decision; a decision to support something, adopt an idea, vote for a candidate or purchase a product or service.When a corporation or a company advertises to strengthen their brand name they are trying to get the consumer to adopt that brand-name, as their first choice when purchasing or buying that type of product or service. It is at essentially the same, although how it is done is vastly different.When you advertise to support your brand name in the marketplace you want the reader or consumer to associate your brand with strength, durability, acceptance, integrity or perhaps reliability. If the consumer adopts these as underlining themes about your brand you have accomplished your m
Bad Customer Service is not from bad customers, poorly made product, high prices, poor location, voodoo or moon phases. (I have personally blamed angry customers on the phases of the moon, have you?)
Let’s take a moment and examine the items that influence Customer Service.
Policies have a major influence in how you are allowed to treat your organizations Customers. I have worked in and consulted with organizations that have written policies regarding everything from starting time to break time to quitting time and everything thing in between, including greeting techniques, phone manners, dress code, computer use and what time to turn the outdoor lights on. When complying with every policy, you must consider the Customer Factor. You might start by asking this question.
Does the policy in place allow the employee to perform a duty, act on behalf of, and act in the name of The Company for the Benefit of the Customer? (We are not addressing safety policies, or other policies that deal with Company ordering policies or employee benefits, etc…this is strictly in regards to Customer Service)
If the policy does not benefit the Customer, why do you have it in place? And if you are trying to meet Company policy and it obviously is affecting your ability to provide the best service experience to your Customers, write a letter! Document in detail what is wrong, why you would like it changed and offer a solution! If you are really concerned with how you perform your duties and treat your Customers you owe it to them to correct deficiencies in your organization, if you can.
At the very least, bring it to the attention of someone that can make a change. If you are the person in charge of policy change, and there is something brought to your attention, fix it!
If you need legal to look at it, let ‘em look. If you need the CEO to sign off, get ‘em to sign off. Whatever it takes to put a policy in place that works best for your Customers is what you need to focus on.
Procedures have normally been written to help guide a person through the act of helping a Customer, perform a task in relation to helping a Customer, or describe a course of action to take in response to a Customer request, action or behavior.
If you are employed at an organization that passes all the knowledge down from one “old guy” to the “new guy”, without it being in writing, please ask someone in the company to check the calendar and make sure that it reads "Information Age," not "The Dark Ages."
Maybe you feel you really don't need a written procedure. Let me ask you this. If you go into a court of law and the judge asks you for your written procedure or policy, could you hand it over to them? In a document? Or would you tap the shoulder of the “old guy” and tell him to stand up and recite the procedure to the judge? If this is your company, stop reading and start writing your job description, duties, operational techniques, tips and anything else that pertains to what you do on a daily basis. And then present it to your direct manager for review. He/She will Thank You. If they don't, write a resume and start looking for a company that has moved into the 21st Century.
Written documents remove confusion and uncertainty from procedures and policies. (Well written documents I might add)
And they provide a base from which to design training and select personnel.
Without proper training, how can you expect good results? And without ongoing training how can you predict those results?
One of the requirements for all manufacturers is the installment, maintenance and support of fully trained personnel especially if you are involved in the servicing of a product. Asking someone who is not properly trained to perform a task is like asking a two year old to bake a cake.
Oh sure, give them all the ingredients, and you might end up with a pan full of flour and eggs, but it is not really a cake, is it? And although giving a two year old free reign of your kitchen might be fun to watch, you are not going to want to clean up the mess that is left behind, are you?
When you put someone who is not trained in charge of your most valuable asset, you are going to end up without a cake to eat, a mess to clean up and a someone who now feels like a two year old baking a cake. No clue.
This is where management must be active in
The toughest part of any job interview can be answering the dreaded job interview questions. In the majority of circumstances, your answers to these questions and your demeanour when you answer them will determine whether you get the job or not. This makes things pretty stressful for the average job interview participant, but fear not, I have compiled a tip sheet, giving answers to five of the most popular questions so you need not worry about job interviews ever again!1-Why do you want to work here? A pretty straightforward question, but it can still trip up people who have not prepared. A question in this vain can basically be used to show the interview what kind of research you have done on their company. “I would like to work for Company X because I respect their input with the community and the research they do into...” A well prepared candidate can usually always impress the interviewer with their job interview answers.2- Why should we hire you as oppo
Does the policy in place allow the employee to perform a duty, act on behalf of, and act in the name of The Company for the Benefit of the Customer? (We are not addressing safety policies, or other policies that deal with Company ordering policies or employee benefits, etc…this is strictly in regards to Customer Service)
If the policy does not benefit the Customer, why do you have it in place? And if you are trying to meet Company policy and it obviously is affecting your ability to provide the best service experience to your Customers, write a letter! Document in detail what is wrong, why you would like it changed and offer a solution! If you are really concerned with how you perform your duties and treat your Customers you owe it to them to correct deficiencies in your organization, if you can.
At the very least, bring it to the attention of someone that can make a change. If you are the person in charge of policy change, and there is something brought to your attention, fix it!
If you need legal to look at it, let ‘em look. If you need the CEO to sign off, get ‘em to sign off. Whatever it takes to put a policy in place that works best for your Customers is what you need to focus on.
Procedures have normally been written to help guide a person through the act of helping a Customer, perform a task in relation to helping a Customer, or describe a course of action to take in response to a Customer request, action or behavior.
If you are employed at an organization that passes all the knowledge down from one “old guy” to the “new guy”, without it being in writing, please ask someone in the company to check the calendar and make sure that it reads "Information Age," not "The Dark Ages."
Maybe you feel you really don't need a written procedure. Let me ask you this. If you go into a court of law and the judge asks you for your written procedure or policy, could you hand it over to them? In a document? Or would you tap the shoulder of the “old guy” and tell him to stand up and recite the procedure to the judge? If this is your company, stop reading and start writing your job description, duties, operational techniques, tips and anything else that pertains to what you do on a daily basis. And then present it to your direct manager for review. He/She will Thank You. If they don't, write a resume and start looking for a company that has moved into the 21st Century.
Written documents remove confusion and uncertainty from procedures and policies. (Well written documents I might add)
And they provide a base from which to design training and select personnel.
Without proper training, how can you expect good results? And without ongoing training how can you predict those results?
One of the requirements for all manufacturers is the installment, maintenance and support of fully trained personnel especially if you are involved in the servicing of a product. Asking someone who is not properly trained to perform a task is like asking a two year old to bake a cake.
Oh sure, give them all the ingredients, and you might end up with a pan full of flour and eggs, but it is not really a cake, is it? And although giving a two year old free reign of your kitchen might be fun to watch, you are not going to want to clean up the mess that is left behind, are you?
When you put someone who is not trained in charge of your most valuable asset, you are going to end up without a cake to eat, a mess to clean up and a someone who now feels like a two year old baking a cake. No clue.
This is where management must be active in
The Threat of Violence is On the Rise...A safe and productive workplace is in everyone's interest, but the number of violent acts, including threats of violence, has increased over 400% over the last decade. Workplace Violence Prevention and Education initiatives are paramount before an incident happens, saving businesses considerable time, resources in addition, legal fees, but most importantly, the implementation of mandatory changes to the workplace to protect employees from any future threat of a violent act. It is important to note that when experts refer to violent acts, they are referring to acts of violence by employees and criminal predators that commit armed robberies or assault employees while on the job.Reality Hitting Home...OSHA & NIOSH Statistics show that the risk of being attacked while working is seven times greater in the U.S. than in Europe. Did you know that the number of managers killed has doubled over the past 10 years. Moreover, th
If you need legal to look at it, let ‘em look. If you need the CEO to sign off, get ‘em to sign off. Whatever it takes to put a policy in place that works best for your Customers is what you need to focus on.
Procedures have normally been written to help guide a person through the act of helping a Customer, perform a task in relation to helping a Customer, or describe a course of action to take in response to a Customer request, action or behavior.
If you are employed at an organization that passes all the knowledge down from one “old guy” to the “new guy”, without it being in writing, please ask someone in the company to check the calendar and make sure that it reads "Information Age," not "The Dark Ages."
Maybe you feel you really don't need a written procedure. Let me ask you this. If you go into a court of law and the judge asks you for your written procedure or policy, could you hand it over to them? In a document? Or would you tap the shoulder of the “old guy” and tell him to stand up and recite the procedure to the judge? If this is your company, stop reading and start writing your job description, duties, operational techniques, tips and anything else that pertains to what you do on a daily basis. And then present it to your direct manager for review. He/She will Thank You. If they don't, write a resume and start looking for a company that has moved into the 21st Century.
Written documents remove confusion and uncertainty from procedures and policies. (Well written documents I might add)
And they provide a base from which to design training and select personnel.
Without proper training, how can you expect good results? And without ongoing training how can you predict those results?
One of the requirements for all manufacturers is the installment, maintenance and support of fully trained personnel especially if you are involved in the servicing of a product. Asking someone who is not properly trained to perform a task is like asking a two year old to bake a cake.
Oh sure, give them all the ingredients, and you might end up with a pan full of flour and eggs, but it is not really a cake, is it? And although giving a two year old free reign of your kitchen might be fun to watch, you are not going to want to clean up the mess that is left behind, are you?
When you put someone who is not trained in charge of your most valuable asset, you are going to end up without a cake to eat, a mess to clean up and a someone who now feels like a two year old baking a cake. No clue.
This is where management must be active in
We have just finished our survey of Medina OH for a possible location for a car wash. We believe an upscale car wash in this market would be excellent and well received by the growing middle class consumer there. In Akron and Medina area there are many very nice and updated car washes. The level of sophistication is representative of the auto industry influence there and the love for the car, being clearly an extension of people’s personality, right away you notice that people love their cars. Many new models and SUVs as well as many custom street rods and high end luxury sedans.We immediately noticed more red cars there then in most places, meaning people also identify you by your car, Everyone knows this unspoken language of who you are and what level you view yourself and how you want to be judged. All good for car and aftermarket auto sectors there on service and products side. The OH attitude and relationship with the automobile, is alive and well there, no doubt about i
Written documents remove confusion and uncertainty from procedures and policies. (Well written documents I might add)
And they provide a base from which to design training and select personnel.
Without proper training, how can you expect good results? And without ongoing training how can you predict those results?
One of the requirements for all manufacturers is the installment, maintenance and support of fully trained personnel especially if you are involved in the servicing of a product. Asking someone who is not properly trained to perform a task is like asking a two year old to bake a cake.
Oh sure, give them all the ingredients, and you might end up with a pan full of flour and eggs, but it is not really a cake, is it? And although giving a two year old free reign of your kitchen might be fun to watch, you are not going to want to clean up the mess that is left behind, are you?
When you put someone who is not trained in charge of your most valuable asset, you are going to end up without a cake to eat, a mess to clean up and a someone who now feels like a two year old baking a cake. No clue.
This is where management must be active in
Advertising and marketing in the South African market is one of the toughest in the entire world, just for starters 22 different languages can be identified in our market. You might say this is common in many countries the world over. But do they have 11 official languages as is the case in South Africa.Capturing a broad market in South Africa is virtually impossible unless you have an internationally acclaimed product, something that has built up a reputation overseas either in the USA or European markets. This is not to say our own big brands have not captured a broad South African audience or an international market but they a few and far between.Our advertising and marketing techniques in South Africa must be simple yet effective if a broad customer base is to be achieved. Many South African advertising and marketing gurus are applying international principles to our market, wrong thing to do in my opinion. The basics, but add the South African flavour if you wish
One of the requirements for all manufacturers is the installment, maintenance and support of fully trained personnel especially if you are involved in the servicing of a product. Asking someone who is not properly trained to perform a task is like asking a two year old to bake a cake.
Oh sure, give them all the ingredients, and you might end up with a pan full of flour and eggs, but it is not really a cake, is it? And although giving a two year old free reign of your kitchen might be fun to watch, you are not going to want to clean up the mess that is left behind, are you?
When you put someone who is not trained in charge of your most valuable asset, you are going to end up without a cake to eat, a mess to clean up and a someone who now feels like a two year old baking a cake. No clue.
This is where management must be active in a role that encourages, supports, guides and observes. Without strong management, your organization can function, but it cannot proceed. The reason you have management is not to make sure that everyone shows up on time, clocks in when they are supposed to and wear the proper attire.
“Supervisors who think their job is to baby-sit will be eliminated sooner or later.” This is a quote from a wonderful book by Richard Moran called “Fear No Yellow Stickies” and one of my favorites.
If you are in management and are “baby-sitting”, you should look down at your shirt right now, as there is a bull’s- eye on it. Think I’m kidding. Look out your office door; you can see everyone in your department right now who knows you are just “phoning it in.” And don’t think that upper management does not know.
They have already received a complaint, a recommendation and a solicitation for your job.
You must be active in your position and your vision and not in your past. Yesterday is done and gone, today is here and now.
Hire Friendly, Hire Trainability and Hire Competence. The number one requirement for excellent Customer Service personnel has got to be a friendly, open personality. It is the basis for every action that employee will ever take. If they are friendly, they are going to treat your Customers in a friendly manner. Hey, you can’t make a silk purse from a sows ear, and you can’t make a friendly rep from a sour attitude.
In addition to being friendly, they must be trainable. You can look at their past and see what they have accomplished in their educational career and use that as a guide. However, I must say that many people including myself, have not the greatest pedigree when it comes to education. We make up for it by constantly reading, attending seminars, training and practicing self development to stay ahead of the curve. There is a lot to be said for the person who takes the time to become self educated and well read vs. someone who has a background but does not update it.
Competence is a demonstrated skill set. You can gauge that by role playing or scenario questions on a pre-hire exam. I prefer role play with a set script to see how a person reacts to different situations presented to them. If they can demonstrate a real sincere friendly attitude during role play, chances are they will carry that into the position. Once there, through ongoing training and support, they become even more competent. However, if they do not demonstrate even the barest minimum of competency, you will have to invest more time and energy into them and then you have to ask yourself, will this be worth it in the long run?
Let’s face it; some people are not cut out to be in Customer Service. I know that sounds shocking, but it is the Truth!
Nearly everyone can relate to a time when they were in a position they did not like and did not perform well in that position. You knew you were not doing well and everyone around you knew it as well. So, why would you allow someone like that to stay in a position that they were not suited for?
You cannot train away a bad attitude.
Bad Customer Service does not happen overnight. It can be identified and corrected by examining the policies, procedures, training, management and personnel you have in your company.
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