When we hear the words “customer service” we often think of polite and patient people handling complaints over the telephone. Why? Because that is often our experience, the odd few % of people who feel let down by a product or service end up talking to the customer services team who otherwise go un-noticed, henceforth organisations are often measured on how well they handle complaints and not on how well they service the majority of their customers.
As a training organisation, when asked if we do courses on customer relationship management, we often find out that we are actually being asked how to handle complaints and conflict. It’s great when this happens however, as we can then set about fixing the culture behind the perception.
Perception is projection, ask yourself have you ever been into an organisation and felt how good the atmosphere is? How proud and passionate the staff are about what they do and where they work, and how this passion reflects in your perception of service? Did you feel like you really wanted to be part of that? That maybe even you would love to work there? That’s what great customer service is all about, because when it’s that way round, we forgive the mistakes, not look for them.
If you’re interested about improving customer service way beyond the realms of improving statistics on responding to complaints then you should come and see this guy, Derek Williams...
Derek is creator and Chief Executive of The WOW! Awards.This programme is now being used by organisations around the world in a wide variety of sectors including both public and private sectors.The WOW! Awards is helping to significantly improve employee engagement by providing a channel for positive feedback between customers, front line employees and management.The results are outstanding with organisations reporting reduced costs, improved turnover and happier people.
And he is speaking at the next O4RB event in Huntingdon on the 9th September at Hemingford Golf & conference centre. Come and see what all the fuss is about then discuss it here. If you want to know how to attend ask here...
Don’t pee down my back and tell me it’s raining...
I don’t know about you, but I like to know how I’m doing. We all love a bit of back slapping but can we take the criticism when it comes?
So when it comes to staff appraisal time, in many organisations, there are usually a mixture of groans and silent worries mixed with a sense of frustration over the forthcoming bureaucracy. The appraisers could be doing more pressing things and the appraisee’s feel a sense of intimidation and self preservation, which in turn leads to defensiveness, negativity and in the worst cases stress.
However appraisals should be motivational and developmental for both the individual and the organisation concerned. We have got a fantastic system that works, I would love to share it with you... in fact there are some workshops in September.
But first tell me, what do you think to appraisals, and would you like to know how to make them more effective?
The tree of governmental business support is dead and the rotting QUANGO’s are lying around the base waiting for the flies to pick the last unhealthy remnants of fruit that’s left.
So what will become of our small businesses now that we don’t have the support from Business Link and the like? What did they do for us in the first place?
Well they did do some good things EADA have figures that suggest they helped hundreds if not thousands of start up companies get going, who can argue? They also spent a lot of tax payers money doing some very average things. Some of the free or low cost training for example was delivered in a less than passionate way because of the tendering system involved with training providers.
The real question is what do we do now? The past is history and we can only control the future.
Which saplings will need to grow to replace the dead tree?
Well actually, there have been a few seeds growing for some time already, driven by a desire for something more than the fruit dropping from the worn out branches. This means that we don’t need to panic about young saplings, there are established, sturdy, energy filled young trees with solid trunks already there. For example O4RB, which has developed a fantastic business support system already and can provide, via consortiums a vast opportunity for new and emerging businesses as well as established firms to compete and thrive in the modern market.
I want to know what people want out there. Are you thinking of setting up your own business and haven’t got a clue where to start? Or are you already running a company and can’t get the support you need? Are you frustrated by being too small to win the tenders you desperately need and yet the service you provide would fit the criteria perfectly?
Despite not being a huge football fan, of course I really hope England do well and qualify for the next round.
Whether they do or they don’t, the whole thing has produced a really interesting leadership debate. For once I have been able to contribute something meaningful to a conversation about football. I know nothing about football, but I do know a bit about leadership.
In my limited observation, and I confess I only have access to a few pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, it looks like out Italian manager has done a good job of taking a fairly undisciplined team by the scruff of the neck, imposed some harsh methods and got them on track. But the process has moved on now and he hasn’t.
What he has done is shouted, metaphorically, got their attention, and rather than now began to evolve a developing team of motivated individuals, he has just continued to “shout”. We all know that a shout will indeed get our attention, but if it continues it just becomes noise and we switch off.
Leadership is about inspiration, vision, dealing with individual’s strengths and weaknesses and allowing personal flair to have a positive effect while controlling the objectives of the team.
What do you think of our illustrious manager’s style, and how could we take a lesson from this into the workplace?
With the world cup set to see many business suffer a blight of "sicky" culture many businesses are bracing themselves for yet another inconvenience in an already difficult period. Just when we need to really get stuck in and help the recovery, this fanatical game takes over and threatens to destroy our livelyhoods once again...
Personally, I am not much of a soccer fan, so that gives me a bit of licence to play devils advocate here.
As I see it, we have a choice as business leaders when it comes to tackling a major sporting event. Football is more popular that the rest and there is no bigger event that the World Cup and it has a unique empathy with all ethnicity in the workforce, so the fact is we can't escape it, or brush it under the carpet.
Choice one: We get tough with the workforce and go for damage limitation. Treat it as a leisure pursuit that should be left outside of the workplace. The risk of affecting the efficiency and motivation of the staff will be one for each leader to calculate and limit depending upon circumstances.
Choice two: We get creative and embrace the opportunity to use this as a leadership tool to strengthen our workforce's ability to deliver long term performance.
What an opportunity to be seen as progressive in difficult times, these small emotional deposits could breed long term loyalty and actually increase production.
How?
There must be a thousand ways. Some ideas off the top of my head (of course, things will "depend" as they always do):
Flexible working - not everybody will be interested in every game, or indeed any game, so allow the workforce freedom to cover each other with flexible working where possible, but set the parameters around what needs doing.
Bring the customer into what you're doing. Remember all of our stakeholders are in the same boat, so why not find creative ways of using this fact.
Use World Cup themed mini motivators
Allow TV's but communicate to all the stakeholders in advance so that they know what you're up to.
If you are a boss, or a worker, indeed if you are already doing something pro-active, let's hear you ideas.
It's been a wild week in politics and it's been a mad week in PAIYBAC again too. It's always a joy to meet new customers and run bespoke workshops, and that is how we ended yet another very busy week.
Thursday and Friday were dedicated to a great group of people (you know who you are) who engaged with quite a challenging program based around leadership and sales and how to get the best out of coaching and mentoring methods, stress management and motivation while achieving corporate goals. A familiar set of needs maybe for many organisations, but these guys really helped me to bring it alive for them and we not only had a great couple of days, but I am convinced they will remember them for ever and use the material for the rest of their careers. I just have a hunch :)
What makes a great training workshop like this?
Understanding; Rapport; Relationships; Knowledge; Effort; Passion; Interaction; some P's (usually 8 for me); EXPERIENCE that we can all relate to, you can't do all this from a theory.
This week was awesome, thank you to all our customers who were engaged, you are why I do this!
Welcome to the PAIYBAC. My name is James Leet and I am the Director of PAIYBAC. I will be using this blog to communicate the latest news and updates from the training world like this one:
In collaboration with O4RB, we are setting up a Training Consortium, which will aim to provide all users with information and choice about finding the righttraining solution for your developmental needs.
We will keep you up to date with the latest methods and news about business and personal development, funding and qualifications, as well as provide you with a list of pre-approved providers and training courses/programs.
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