Articles

Do you believe there is a correlation between the service you receive as a consumer and your loyalty to the supplier? Please explain your answer

Yes there is. There's a "but." All things being equal I go for convenience - what's the easiest or cheapest. That is if all things are equal.

I will go out of my way to spend money and work with people who are interested, who care, who offer me more value, who pay real attention to my needs, who create an atmosphere or environment that I find inviting. I evaluate service on the different dimensions that I teach. Great service is a multi-faceting thing.

In your opinion, which industry sectors provide great service and which ones are poor? Please do not name individual companies just sectors.

The airlines stink. One airline stands out in many ways, but there service could be better - as could others The rest I won't even mention - they lost it years ago.

I think some online retailers have a lot going for the and a few of the catalog companies too. I don't know if there is any other "Sector" that comes to mind.

Telecommunications is getting worse with consolidation, Healthcare is pretty dismal. I'll have to think hard on this one. I think there are some individual stars here or there, but over all service - despite all the hype it gets, hasn't gotten a whole lot better.

Can you recall a really good experience recently - where you were WOW'd by the service you received? Please explain in as much details as you would like.

Actually - I can tell you about a good recovery experience. A retail company dished up some really bad service a few months ago. I talked about it on my blog - they saw it there and their recovery was out of this world. Really great stuff. What I have not done is follow up to see what they have done to make sure that kind of experience won't happen to another customer again. What would knock my socks off is if they checked back with me again to tell me how they had corrected the root problem so it wouldn't happen again. That would be a wow.

Talking about bad experiences, where do companies go wrong with the service they provide? Give examples to illustrate your response

I don't think companies teach people what a customer is worth. If employees really got the connection between my coming back again and their paycheck, I know they would pay more attention. I think leadership does a really lousy job of elevating service in the organization. Service people are poorly paid - in general - it's seen as entry level and not a career job. These are the people that touch the customers on a routine basis - they should be the best trained - and the happiest - people in the company. It's a joy to talk to someone who loves their job. Last year I interviewed some of the customer service people at a catalog company. I was writing an article and called people who delivered service as well as executive level people. The people I spoke to there loved the company - and the products. Their employee discount was so good they could afford to buy and own many - if not all - the products in the catalog. They also had all kinds of product samples and colors they could get their hands on and took a big interest in helping the customer. No "upselling" needed there - it happens naturally as an outgrowth of someone who loves the product and raves about their employee experience. I want to do business with people like that!

Have you noticed any differences in service from people from different cultures? Please explain.

Yes. We all come to an experience with our history. In lieu of being trained continually in the company culture and how the company wants us to represent it, we revert to what we brought to the party. Different cultures have different attitudes towards service and customers. I won't generalize here, but I will say that it's critical to know what kind of customer experience you'd like your company to be known for and be sure to hire and train in alignment with that. Otherwise, you get what you get.

If you had to give just 1 tip regarding the use of technology in relation to improving customer service, what would your tip be?

Never never never ever give a customer more than 7 choices on a phone menu. Of you can keep it to three - that's better!

Enough already with these voice recognition systems that companies THINK are adequate for getting the customer to the right place. I spent hours and precious hours last month trying to accomplish something slightly unusual with my telephone company last month and the only word that comes to mind is NIGHTMARE. I wanted to send them a bill. My valuable (and billable) time trying to get through to the right person - while the automated system just kept sending me down the wrong path. It's hideous in my opinion to do that to a customer. (Why not switch, you might be wondering? I found my last experience with a different phone company just about as aggravating!)

If you had to give just 1 tip regarding staff in relation to improving customer service, what would your tip be?

Make sure that staff gets trained, inspired, motivated, recognized and rewarded on a regular basis.

If you had to give just 1 tip regarding business processes in relation to improving customer service, what would your tip be?

Make them as simple as possible. Go outside your own company and be a customer. Eliminate all frustration. Make processes seamless for the customer.

In your opinion, how should contact centers measure the level of service they give?

With customer feedback and with first call resolution.

Lastly, can you share with us one of the worst customer service experiences you have experienced recently.

I needed to buy a computer and started the process (which ended up taking WEEKS to sort out) at a big box retailer. Their process was so broken and so stupid that even their staff members agreed that it was the dumbest they've ever seen. (I understand they are going through all kinds of improvement operations now and looking fix all their service gaps.) Compounding my frustration, I then went to one of the internet retailers known for good service. They screwed up the order too, (how hard is it to install xp?) and so at one time I ended up with three laptops all of them NOT what I ordered. YIKES!

Source:http://www.contactcenterworld.com/view/contact-center-executive-interview/Customer-Service---Two-Words,-Big-Consquences..asp

From our studies and readings about team development, we have discovered three basic criteria that have to be fulfilled in order to achieve the greatest heights in team management and performance.

Coupled with relevant reward and satisfaction for each team-mate, you have a recipe for success.

These criteria are: 

1. Resources and Commitment
2. Ownership and Heart
3.  Learning

Though these three requirements form the defining structure of teamwork, they are not everything.

You see, every group is different and the needs and factors that guide its team effort have to be outlined exclusively.

The second of the outlined conditions, “Ownership and Heart” specifies that the success of a team is determined by the involvement of the members while the foundations are being laid. The effort needs to be heartfelt, and all the members must strive to come up with “team friendly” attitudes, principles and beliefs.

Teamwork is most fruitful when the members believe in it genuinely and execute their tasks with faith and loyalty, in a way that adheres to the primary principles of team effort. Unbreakable groups are made of the right attitude, frame of mind, and principles as much as the policies and systems that support them.

At the most basic position, the key to unlock the power of the team effort “Genie” depends on the eagerness of the team members to the rub the lamp of responsibility. Individuals who hold the stakes in the group need zeal for personal management to incorporate teamwork and to maintain it. The seeds of team effort must be planted, watered and developed by the members themselves. As said earlier, the team can only be built from the inside and not the outside.

There is no doubt that external agents will bring about the pace and comfort with which teamwork takes hold. But these forces cannot run the hearts and minds of the members. Each person in the team is answerable for his/her actions to the rest. There are many people who simply cannot grab the concept of responsibility.

However, these very people are the ones to tell us that they are disappointed with the lack of tightness and integrated teamwork that are found in working groups today. Some maintain that they can experience the power, energy and enthusiasm that should radiate from an ideal team effort.

Frequently, members of an organization are ignorant of the level and nature of the teamwork that define their groups. They are too occupied in their own competitions against each other to worry about such issues. In any social condition, if the individuals are unwilling to take responsibility, get involved, or show interest in what’s going on, they cannot expect more than the poor results they achieve.

Group members forfeit their rights to report against the poor level of motivation and the quality of work life when they shirk their duties, do not assist in building teams or contribute to teamwork.

One of the principal challenges nowadays is to teach and empower people to be more involved while building teams. The main factors that affect teamwork are not those external to the team like the top management, the union or the government, the stockholders or the weather.

The ideas, beliefs, principles and mental constitutions we form collectively as members of a group are the important factors. We see alarmingly large numbers of people who play the roles of victims to the external enemies of an organization and instead trying to improve the situation lament on its adversity.

They constantly complain about how their confidence has been shattered by these factors but fail to act in order to protect the group.

Source: http://www.callcentercafe.com/2009/05/14/building-your-team-and-managing-it-successfully/

Discover what motivates your Agents by asking them. You do this with a career development conversation. The key is to find out what motivates your team members. Just like in sales, do not assume the answer. ASK to find out.

Position this structured conversation by letting the Agent know you want them to be as fulfilled and productive as possible. You are there to support them in being the best they can be.

Schedule a meeting with your Agent rather than just spontaneously taking them aside. Let your Agent know you want to find out more about what motivates them. This conversation is like a sales inquiry. Your goal is to ask open-ended questions to discover what motivates your Agent and how you can help them stay motivated.

Possible questions to ask your Agents:

1. What motivates you in your current role? What do you enjoy most about this job? (Convenient location, steady shifts, opportunities for advancement, compensation, spiff campaigns for extra income, interaction with people, etc.)

2. What do you wish you could change about your current job?

3. Where do you see yourself in your career over the two years?

4. What will you have to do to achieve your career goal over the next two years?

5. How can I help you in reaching your goals?

Take notes in your monthly coaching journal so you can keep track of each Agent’s comments. Position the notes by explaining to the Agent that the notes are meant to help you keep track of their needs and assist them in staying fulfilled. Also, to lower resistance, offer to let the Agents read the notes or even take a photocopy.

Let the Agent know they can change their mind as they learn and grow. Even though a Agent said “having a great shift” was important to them, they can still change their mind and list “opportunities for advancement” as their prime motivator next month.

Be patient. The first time you have this conversation, you may feel some resistance from your Agents. They may not feel comfortable divulging their career goals. So, they may give you motherhood statements like “maintaining a great working environment.” You can gently ask for more specific information like “what specifically do you enjoy about your working environment?”

Refer to their goals. As you meet with them on a regular basis for coaching, refer back to their stated goals and motivators to reinforce their behavior.

Thank them for having this conversation with you.

This career development conversation should be done with every team member at least once a quarter. You need to know what currently motivates each member of your team. If your Director walked up to you and asked “What motivates your Agents and keeps them productive?” could you answer that question?

Once you find out what motivates your team members, use that information to decide how to reward them for positive performance and motivate them to improve their performance.

Source: http://www.callcentercafe.com/2009/04/25/how-to-motivate-your-call-center-agents/

In all my years training managers how to coach their staff, common misconceptions always arise regarding what we actually mean by coaching in a business setting.

If you are planning to improve your coaching skills with your employees to help develop their potential, here’s what you need to know first.

Mentoring is not Coaching although there are many similarities.

Like Coaching, Mentoring can be formal or informal. Like Coaching, it’s a positive relationship, often between a more experienced person and a less experienced person. Like Coaching, Mentoring is also done with respect and wisdom and is valued by the other person.

However unlike Coaching, Mentors provide advice and solutions and tell what they think the other person should do. Key words are: “provide advice and solutions” If you find yourself providing advice to your employees you are not coaching.  More on this in a moment.

Counseling in business is not Coaching.

Counseling is where either:

a) A staff member receives disciplinary action and is counseled on their behavior and that terminology is used very much in the military and police force or

b) Your staff are having serious personal problems and need to speak to a qualified counselor who specializes in that area. Unlike Coaching, Counseling focuses on past issues and ends in the present. Key words are “disciplinary action, personal problems and past to present”.

So if you find yourself having in-depth conversations with staff about personal issues and trying to provide guidance, chances are you are not Coaching, you are Counseling them.

Training is different again.

A trainer tells and demonstrates. Often it’s a one to many scenario and the trainer has a license to be quite prescriptive in his/her language and directive in their actions. Key words are “tells and demonstrates”.

Now this is where students often say-”hey wait a minute

But that’s not what Coaching employees is all about and if you visit any Executive, Business or Life coaching school or check in with the International Coach Federation which is the leading body for professional coaching world wide you’ll soon see that professional coaching in business demands a different approach to your regular sports coach. Read this very carefully because this is the simplest yet often the most contentious concept for managers to grasp yet it goes to the very heart of who you will or will not become as a coach for your people. Coaching in the workplace does not provide advice. It does not spend a lot of time looking into the past. It does not rely on a one way flow of telling and instructing.

Life, Business and Executive coaching all:

a) Start in the present (not the past)

b) Use listening and powerful questioning techniques to understand where your employee is now and where they want to go so that they determine how they will get there.

c) Are based on the philosophy that your staff already know the answers to the majority of their challenges but lack confidence or insight to back their own judgment and take action.

d) Focus on unlocking the employees’ inner wisdom so that they can solve their own problems with confidence.

Business, Executive and Life Coaches all know that in the majority of circumstances, their coachee (staff member) has either experienced a similar problem before or know someone else who has or have the ability to come up with a variety of options and chose a solution with a little help. The coach’s job is not to provide the solution or give advice (as a

It is surprising, how a few quick guiding questions can help others on the path to see the opportunities around them and give them confidence and insight to explore them.

The phrase “project manager” is a bit of a misnomer; while project managers do manage projects, they deliver them by managing a project team that does the work of the project. How successful they are at managing that team will go a long way to determining the success or failure of the project.

Perhaps the most difficult (and certainly the most unpleasant) aspect of managing the high performance team is dealing with issues of poor performance. We’ve put together some tips to help you make this unpleasant experience as easy and productive as possible.

These articles are not intended to be a comprehensive manual on managing project teams. They are meant to provide you with some insights gained through years of practical experience.

Before you implement any of the measures you read here, please check with your HR representative and educate yourself on your HR groups policies.

Identifying Performance Issues

You need to be very certain that your project is experiencing performance issues before you take any steps to correct them. Attempting to correct poor performance when you’re not actually experiencing it is unproductive at best and can be destructive to the moral of team.

Lets start with the performance of the project. Poor performance, that is missing deadlines, behind schedule, over budget or poor quality, may or may not be signs your project has performance issues. Performance issues are just one possible cause for these ailments, but if poor performance is contributing to poor project performance here are some of the signs you’ll see.

* Excessive absenteeism - one or more of the team will be absent for 2 or more days per month. We’re talking about casual days off here, not a genuine long term illness or injury. Mondays and Fridays are particularly popular days to “phone in sick” as they extend the weekend.

* A team member consistently missing deadlines - this team member simply can’t complete their work on time. They assure you they can complete the work in the time allotted, commit to delivery, then disappoint you on the due date.

* A team member consistently delivering poor quality - this team member has their name on the lions share of the trouble tickets issued by the QA group. They frequently claim to have fixed a bug and either haven’t, or have fixed it but caused 2 others.

* A team member is always asking for help from the team - this team member will always be seen at their neighbors work station getting help with their work. They may also get the help delivered to their work station.

* The team, or individuals on the team, complain about a team member who is interfering with their productivity - the team member they are complaining of is dragging performance down because they are always asking for help.

* Conflicts on the team - one individual on the team always seems to be involved in a dispute with someone else on the team.

* Conflicts between a team member and stakeholders external to the team - this team member always seems to be involved in a dispute with someone external to the team. These are frequently the same people that are involved in the intra-team conflicts.

If your team is experiencing any of these symptoms, there is a good chance that poor team performance is contributing to poor project performance and it’s time for you to take action.

source:http://www.callcentercafe.com/2009/06/20/dealing-with-performance-issues/

An engaged employee is less likely to be habitually absent. Absenteeism is an organizational, and possibly a managerial, leadership issue that can undermine productivity and morale of present employees.

Be sure, however, that the absent employee isn’t also a very results-driven employee. If they are able to be absent and be effective, it is likely their strengths are not being utilized. For more information on results-driven workplaces, read Why Work Sucks (and How to Fix It) by Cali Ressler and

An engaged employee is involved in and enjoys their work. There are a variety of organizational development theories on how to improve employee engagement. Several will be examined here.

Identifying the Effects of Absenteeism and Lack of Engagement

There are numerous ways that absent, disengaged employees affect the workplace:

Decreased Productivity. A team is composed of people doing interrelated tasks. If one fails to deliver, it creates a domino effect on productivity. When a person is absent and is integral to daily work functions, others take their place and their own primary responsibilities and motivation suffer.

Demoralized Employees. Those same employees who are at least present, even if not fully engaged, lose enthusiasm for their work and respect for the organization’s leadership if absenteeism is not corrected. Additionally, if the reality that they are compensating for the missing employee is not recognized, morale, engagement and retention are also at further risk.

Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction. It’s obvious, but employees are the backbone of any organization and its customer service. As productivity and morale decline, so too will customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Ways to Engage Employees and Reduce Absenteeism

1. Ask employees what they want and need. Suggestion boxes, town halls, and surveys that seek anonymous feedback about the workplace provide information about interest and engagement among employees. Be prepared for surprises. What management thinks is most important to employees isn’t always.

2. Implement the items that are possible. Many of these suggestions are free or inexpensive. Research shows that most employees struggle with a work/life balance and any concessions or programs that can be offered for workplace flexibility will likely be appreciated.

Casual Fridays or a spontaneous jeans day, allowing interested employees to cross-train in other departments is engaging and succession planning, conducting meetings outdoors when possible on nice days-these are all free. Time off for community involvement, additional education, and recreational events can be inexpensive ways to make employees feel involved with their organization. Engaged employees are absent less often.

3. Spontaneously and religiously reward great results! Recognition of good work should not be saved for annual merit increases and performance reviews. Recognition does not have to be monetary. In fact, some studies show that monetary rewards are less effective than verbal praise, particularly in front of peers. All employees provide some benefit to the organization.

Take time to note a particularly well-worded memo, a project completed under budget, a kindness extended from one employee to another. Be aware of the team! Additional types of recognition can include small bonuses, gift certificates for goods or services, an afternoon off. A recognized employee is less likely to be absent.

4. Be aware of employee’s life issues. Human Resources can guide managers on what types of life events are protected by law, but also be aware and as cooperative as possible when employees are undergoing significant personal life issues: illness, death, divorce, care of an older parent. Enforce absenteeism policies, but do so effectively and judiciously. Other employees are watching how someone struggling is treated and it will impact their impression of the organization. However, the employee who is clearly just disinterested and disrespectful does need to be disciplined and/or dismissed to eliminate the many issues above.

5. Leaders are role models. Employees model their behavior on their managers’ more than the employee handbook. Managers should be on time but not expect entry level employees to put in the same 10-12 hour work days they might. Those expectations breed resentment and a lack of understanding about the differences between employees and management.

6. Provide a good working environment. As much as possible, make sure the environment employees work in is clean, technologically updated and pleasant with ergonomically correct office furniture or machinery. Providea lounge where they eat or relax, a television for break time and give them input on what they need.

7. Keep the lines of communication open. If an employee seems disengaged or is habitually absent, having the proper communication relationship in place in advance is imperative. While maintaining appropriate boundaries, a strong leader is able to address issues directly as they happen and coach an employee safely to a more engaged place at work. Be flexible and proactive in devising short-term solutions like working from home, non-traditional hours or a reduced work week.

The key to an engaged work force that is present and invested in the success of the organization is consulting them routinely on what they need to be engaged. Address issues early and directly while building an environment that employees are more likely to care about.

As a personal branding strategist and professional speaker,

Source: http://www.callcentercafe.com/2009/04/19/employee-engagement-and-absenteeism-understanding-the-reasons-behind-absent-employees/

As a call center manager, it can be a struggle to build a team when high attrition is an issue at your site. Here is an article by Marcia Zidle that you may find useful.

There are many reasons why good employees quit and go to another company, perhaps even your competitor. Most of the reasons start with management and most are preventable. Good people don’t leave good companies, they leave poor managers. Here are seven reasons. Are they prevalent in your organization?

• Management demands that one person do the jobs of two or more people, resulting in longer days and weekend work. This turns into a morale killer not only for the person but for the team.
• Management doesn’t allow the rank and file to make decisions about their work. Therefore, employees see their job as only a job rather than developing enthusiasm and pride of ownership.
• Management constantly reorganizes, shuffles people around and changes direction constantly. Therefore, employees don’t know what’s going on, what the priorities are and what they should be doing.
• Management doesn’t take the time to clarify their decisions. For example, it rejects work after it was completed, damaging the morale and esteem of those who prepared it.
• Management alienates staff by promoting someone who lacks training and /or the necessary experience to supervise. This leads to employees to feel management shows favoritism and so why do a good job?
• Management promotes departments to compete against each other while at the same time preaching teamwork and cooperation. Therefore, employees become cynical and only put effort in what they see management wants not what they say.
• Management throws a temper tantrum, points fingers and assigns blame when things go wrong. Therefore, employees don’t want to be at the other end of the barrage of negativity.

Marcia Zidle, the ‘people smarts’ coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job - to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management.

Source: http://www.callcentercafe.com/2009/02/11/employee-turnover-seven-reasons-why-people-quit-their-jobs/

Elizabeth Black, providing independent, objective, project-based support for human resources, organizational change management, management and supervisory skills training, communications, organizational and team challenges–writing for employee newsletters a speciality.

Are happy employees more productive? Should employers and managers hire people that are more positive and happy with their lives? Should organizations be creating the kind of conditions that enhance worker happiness?

These are the kinds of questions that have been occupying the attention of researchers and psychologists in recent years, in an attempt to provide definitive evidence that can or can’t demonstrate a link between happy workers and greater productivity.

Since 2006, an international conference attracting hundreds of experts on the topic has been held in key centers around the world.

The National Post article, Put On A Happy Face, Pile on the Profits, in October 21, 2007, cited research that shows that a 1% positive increase in a worker’s relationship with the boss is equal to a 30% increase in salary.

Psychologists from around the world, such as Ed Diener, Martin Seligman, Stephen Post, Ruut Veenhoven and John Helliwell have all concluded in the studies the following:

* creating conditions under which workers felt happy about their work resulted in greater productivity and other positive work behaviors;
* happy individuals were more likely than their less happy peers to have fulfilling, positive relationships, superior work performance and robust health;
* happier people tended to get better performance evaluations and higher pay.

In my two decades of work with senior executives and CEOs that focuses on developing productive workplaces, employee motivation and peak performance, it is clear to me that the vast majority of happy people love their work.

They get more enjoyment from their jobs, are less likely to be bored and enjoy better relationships with their superiors and peers than less happy people. The happiest people tend to be the most productive, efficient and energetic. They tend to have more mastery over themselves and their surroundings in order to achieve their goals.

So the big question becomes are workers happy as a result of satisfying work, or are they happy to begin with and therefore become more productive workers? A parallel question can be are people happy because they have attained a certain level of wealth, success or status, or have they attained those things because they are happier and satisfied with themselves? Is it correlation or cause and effect?

It is my belief, and experience and it’s being borne out by recent research, that happy people become more successful, and productive. People’s success in life, rather than being the cause for happiness, may in fact be the outcome of happiness. And that success includes being a more productive worker.

With companies struggling to survive and succeed in a competitive and recessive economy, and fighting the war for talent, employee recruitment, retention and engagement have become critical management challenges.

If happy workers are more productive workers, it is incumbent upon employers and their managers to make a happy frame of mind a criteria for hiring, and create the working conditions that would enhance happiness. To do so would be one of the most significant strategies for improving bottom-line performance.

Ray Williams is Co-Founder of Success IQ University, a company based in Phoenix Arizona, providing products and services for professionals, entrepreneurs, companies in the area of personal growth and leadership development, through an innovative approach to improve your success IQ.

Source: http://www.callcentercafe.com/2009/05/31/are-happy-employees-more-productive/#more-1819