We know we simply cannot be everything to everyone. Yet, the temptation is there and sometimes the need, to provide customers with more services to make dealing with you more convenient.

That means you may want to provide added-value services by contracting parts of the work to other companies. For example, if you are a graphic artist, you may decide to align yourself with a printer so you can provide a one-stop service for your customer. Here is the danger: you are now accepting responsibility for the service and quality of someone over whom you have absolutely NO control.

If they let you down, it doesn’t reflect on them. It reflects on you and your relationship with your customer. Choose your alliances with the utmost of care. Even then, be careful not to over-promise. Allow time for repeating the job if it is unsatisfactory—especially until you are sure you can depend on them.

Remember that the company you are using for your out sourcing has other customers, who may be more profitable. They will make a better margin on orders they do directly for their clients. You have put yourself in the position of a re-seller. Moreover, they probably know that you are not likely to tell your customer who did that part of the work—hence they may not feel like their reputation is on the line.

Out-sourcing can end up costing you money. If you have to refund a customer for work you did not do, and you have made a very low margin it can end up costing you more than it is worth.

Cover your bases. Do not become overly dependent on one source, whether it is for supplies or out sourced services. If they suddenly close their doors, change ownership or start to become complacent, you need other options. Don’t leave it until you are in a crisis situation.

Although it sounds pessimistic, always cover the worst case scenario. It is like taking your umbrella when it looks like rain. If you take it and don’t need it you have expended a little effort for nothing. If it rains and you don’t have it — it is too late to react.

Pay attention to detail. Don’t get yourself in an “I never thought of that” trap! How many times have you been caught unawares only to look backward and to have said “I should have thought of that.” You can say “hind sight is 20/20”. But there are no real secrets in business—sensibility and good planning are not really rocket science. If you do your research, you can accomplish almost anything.

Customer Service and Salespeople

Customer service skills are not only for the Customer Service Department. The sales force within a company need customer service training and an understanding of customer service also, otherwise sales will occur and the number of customers heading for the customer service department after the sale will be far too high.

Anything for a Sale

If your salespeople will do anything  for a sale, and fail to worry about the company’s ability to pull the deal together, you are in trouble. Hire sales professionals, not salespeople.

Choose professionals who listen to the customer.  They should focus on solutions and be a source of knowledge, clearing the way for the customer to make the right decision.  Sales professionals must have exemplary interpersonal skills. They must be team players and cognizant of company policies and customer service standards.

Keep your sales staff current.  They must be up-to-date with new releases. They must be able to explain the subtle nuances between products and/or services.  They must NEVER put down the competition to build up your company, product or service!

Empower your Employees

Strictly regimented policies and regimes, prevent the employee from recognizing the individual needs of the customer.  Therefore, your sales force must be a team, and understand the inside of the business more than was necessary twenty-years ago.

Companies large and small are recognizing the need for employees to have entrepreneurial skills.  Employees need to be allowed enough autonomy and authority to make a decision that will keep the customer happy without having to constantly seek advice from management.  Sales  professionals must be able to identify market trends, company objectives and present suggestions that address customer needs, effectively.

Your service/product is only as good as your customer says it is. Consumer demands must drive your customer service.  However, you cannot afford to wait to respond to dissatisfaction before you take action.

Customer Surveys

Take the guess work out of how you are doing.  Ask. Your customers opinion is what matters.  It will enable you to perfect your business.  If you can’t handle constructive criticism, how do you expect to deal with a customer who is displeased with you?

Your perception of what customers think doesn’t matter at all if your customers don’t agree with you. Take the information you gather from customers and put it into practice.

Take Customer Service Courses

Stay current, include customer service training in your personal and professional development plan.  If you have staff, be sure that they have taken customer service training—or provide it.

What do Consumers Want?

Business expertise and image top the list, followed closely by dedication to customers and sensitivity to individual customers.  Customers want you to be the expert.  Someone who is a resource, providing information and guidance.

Often price doesn’t rank quite as high on the list as we may think it would. Consumers will pay a little extra, just for peace of mind and assurance that they will receive better service.

Service only Businesses

If your business is strictly service, with no products or inventory, your definition of service is even more important.  It  all depends on you and your staff.  Without you there  is  no business.

You must do everything possible to keep the customer happy.  “The customer is always right” must be more than a cliché.

A dissatisfied customer dealt with appropriately can be the most powerful public relations person in your community.  The amount of ‘good news’ they spread is well worth the price you pay to please them.  The price you pay otherwise is ‘bad press’ which spreads like an oil spill on an ocean.  A little goes a long way and is very damaging and very hard to clean-up!

Your actions must be meaningful.  We all can think of times when someone did something and said “I’m sorry”, and the apology meant nothing.  It did not show remorse.  It did not mean they wouldn’t do it again. Just idle words, that is all they were.  Even if the perception was wrong—if it didn’t make you feel better it was of no avail. Remember this when dealing with customers.

Too often we assume we are giving good customer service, when in fact we are giving mediocre or unsatisfactory customer service.  How often does your customer service have to be excellent before you can say you give excellent customer service? 80% of the time? 90% of  the time? Or, every time?

Customer Service: Begins before the Sale

Excellent customer service means right product, right price, convenience, quick response, empathy, personalized (or at least sensitive to the individual), delivered with a smile, with excellent guarantees, and excellent after sale support.  That is a TALL order.

Customer Service: Zero Tolerance

Excellent customer service means zero tolerance for the following (from you or your staff):

• Sour or indifferent expressions
• Negative attitudes or rudeness
• Dumping personal problems on  customers
•  Making excuses
• Indifferent service
• Putting people on hold or bouncing a  person from person to person when they have a question or complaint
• Failing to return messages
• Half-baked answers to questions
• Misinformation about delivery dates
•  Procrastination if following up on problems
•  Minimally compensating a customer who has been inconvenienced
• Slow response/delivery or follow-up service
• Failure to honor warranty or guarantees
• Faulty or exaggerated promises
• Too much pressure
•  Any lack of dependability or consistency
•  Invalidating customer concerns, questions   or complaints
• Sloppy handling of customer’s possessions        (e.g. when left for repair)
• Inconsistent product or service
• Sloppy packaging
• Over-packaging and/or environmental  insensitivity
• Expecting clients to overlook your lack of   skills (communication, language or any  other skill you need for the business  relationship)
•  Insincere apologies
• Failure to listen

The converse of anything in the next list.

Effective customer service doesn’t happen by chance.  Proper training of Customer Service employees is necessary for a business to thrive. Good customer service requires consistent reviews and tweaking the strategies of the customer service department to reflect the needs of customers.

Responding effectively to the same complain again and again, without doing anything to prevent future complaints or without removing the source of the complaint  is one of the most common problems of Customer Service departments.

Workplace Relationships:

The workplace relationships between employers and employees and employees and customers impact the bottom line of the company. Relationships either increase trust or result in distrust.

Making or Breaking your Career Success

The way you interact with your peers or the company’s customers goes a long way to either grow your success in your career or damage it. Taking the time to learn effective relationship management skills is a worthwhile endeavor.

Workplace Relationships: Interdependency

Workplace relationships either make or break our careers. We may claim to be independent. However, the fact is in every aspect of our lives we do depend on others. In the work place that is no exception. You are responsible to other employees, your employer and your customers. Look for the significance of your role in relationship to the end user is crucial in building a company with the ultimate in service.

The attitude you carry reflects on your business and/or employer even when you are not at work. As a member of the community you are a symbol of that company in the eyes of the customer when you meet on the street as well as at work. Your workplace relationships are important to your success in your job and in your future career path.

Workplace Relationships: Conflict resolution

It takes at least two people to have a conflict. By dragging in other people to take your side, you can escalate the conflict. Some places of work become so bad for this that the whole work environment becomes dysfunctional.

You have to give someone permission to make you upset, therefore, you also have control over your ability not to be upset. This applies for customers and co-workers. Workplace relationships can either make a place a great place to work and a great place to shop or the reverse. If workplace relationships are stressful this is felt by customers too.

Calmly address the topic. State the problem from the point of view of the other person. Explain that you understand why they are upset and ask for a solution that they think would be fair. When problems occur and workplace relationships are challenged to the max, the workplace relationships are not a product of only one person’s behavior.

Conflict can be avoided by dealing with issues before they get out of hand. Small differences are easier to resolve, than if you let them get larger and larger. Do not allow your ego to over-rule your logic. Do what is right.

Developing skills for effective workplace relationships not only helps you at work, it impacts the quality of relationships you have in your personal life.

5. Get out of the past and into the present!

Your ability to move forward is diminished if you are looking backward. Reminiscing about past mistakes or disappointments is a sure path to depression. Let go of the past and don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow.  Focusing on the past or future is a waste of energy.

You can do nothing about the past.  It is gone. The only value of the past is the lessons you learn from the mistakes and successes you made in the past. The way to make the past of value is to take action today.  The actions of today determine what tomorrow will bring.  The most important day you will ever have is today.

Present-centered awareness allows you to have all of your energy for the present.  It doesn’t mean that you do not have to deal with the hurts of yesterday.  Deal with them, and get on with it. Every child eventually learns that interfering with the natural course of healing by picking a scab, only lengthens the process. Hanging on to or talking about old hurts frequently is like picking at a scab.

Choose to focus on creating a positive and healthy present for ourselves, or dwell in the past. Do not allow depressed moods, creating anxiety anger, guilt, and remorse to rob you of your ability to enjoy today.  It is difficult, if not impossible to take positive steps forward if you are looking backward.

Have a clearly stated vision, keep your eyes fixed on it and press forward to that vision by taking positive steps every day.  Making a vision become a reality requires planned action. Invariably action chases away the ‘blues’.

6. Be CREATIVE!

The left side of the brain is used mainly for the concrete thinking.  The right side is used for creativity.  Creative hobbies are very effective tools to help you cope with the more demanding aspects of life.  Allow your creative side the opportunity to change your pace. Celebrate your creativity.  Creativity and fun go hand in hand.

Do not allow obsessions or perfectionist tendencies to rob you of your creativity. Creativity is not a science.  Creative things are not intended to be perfect.

Artistic creations alter a person’s mood.  Why do restaurants serve foods with a visual appeal?  Why does the movie industry choose their music with care?  It is because it alters the mood of their customers.

Use creativity to solve problems.  Looking for creative solutions can increase your ability to see more options.  Creativity applied to your business may enable you to inspire your clientele or separate you from your competition.

3. Give something to another person.

Take time to do something for someone who is less fortunate than you.  It can change your attitude.  Pick a cause that allows you to be part of a vision of making a difference.  Choose to support a cause you believe in. It shifts the focus from yourself and your problems, to seeing the BIG picture.  In a different context, your problems may seem small.

Giving a small, thoughtful gift or donation may move your thoughts from self-absorbed worry to a feeling of gratitude for the many good things you enjoy in life. No matter how bad your day is, there is always someone who is having a worse day.

There is no greater gift than giving of your time.  Yes, time is a limited resource.  However, spending just an hour or two volunteering can change your mood. Just taking a walk through a hospital or extended care facility can wake us up to how good we really have things.

The next time you are tempted to complain about the weather, or your hurting feet, take a moment and reflect on those who would gladly trade their problems for yours.

4. Watch a funny movie.

Never underestimate the benefit of a good laugh.  Laughter can be an effective relief for many ailments, physical or emotional.

Laughter has long been understood to be a quick and effective panacea for ills of all kinds. Laughter results in increased levels of endorphins in the blood.  Endorphins are natural hormones that inhibit pain and elevate your moods.

Medical studies have also shown that laughter influences the auto-immune system, enabling us to fight disease.  Studies have also shown that students achieve higher marks on a test following a humorous movie  than they do if they spend the hour prior to the test studying.

Allowing yourself to imagine yourself as being part of the action in a movie or humorous performance can enable you to substitute your feelings with the feelings that match the mood of the actors.  In order to increase the benefit, it is necessary to allow yourself to let go of your troubles and engage fully in the plot of the movie or performance.

It can be a constant process to learn the skills you need to manage your emotions in the workplace. Next blog post will take a look at more strategies for managing emotions and moods

1. Socialize and think positively!

Feelings of mild depression are often enough to make us want to withdraw from others.  However, withdrawing and isolating yourself when you are down only escalates the problem. When we isolate ourselves, we tend to focus on the same mental tapes that caused us to feel down in the first place!

Calling a friend and meeting for coffee, a movie, a walk, a talk–anything to get out and change your atmosphere can improve your mood.  Whether your depression is mild and occasional or more chronic, try and remember, “We are what we THINK.”  The difference between the feeling of ecstasy and the ‘blues’ is often controlled more by our thoughts than by the events we experience.

Focusing in the present and being aware of the effects of our thoughts is crucial to our ability to control our negative thought patterns.  Even when our subconscious messages to ourselves would undermine us, we can choose to think thoughts that can uplift us.

 Do something just for YOURSELF!

Often when the pressures of our business or personal problems mount, we are more likely to spend less time caring for ourselves.  Doing something just for your self is not selfish.  It is a crucial part of an effective life management plan.  Think of something that will make you feel really good.

Perhaps buying  a rose or downloading a new piece of music, can brighten the spirits. Perhaps going for a pedicure, to the theater, or on a short trip. It does not have to be extravagant nor costly.  Too often we treat others better than we treat ourselves.

Whatever you choose to do, be good to yourself and don’t feel guilty about it. You deserve this, and it can enable you to gain a new perspective.  It may not alter the circumstances that made you feel blue.  However it may enable you to enjoy a reprieve.

When you recharge your batteries, you can always cope better than when they are running low. Always remember that the more you deplete your ability to cope, the more difficult it is to rejuvenate your energy.  Remembering to take care of your emotional well-being can have a far reaching effect on your business and/or career.

In our next blog, we will look at a few more strategies for managing one’s mood and emotions.

Interview Prep

On the day of your interview, prep yourself.

• Be prepared. Know where you’re supposed to go. Check their website, and call in if you have are unsure about where you are to go. Double check the address. Sometimes addresses on websites can be outdated or the human resources department may be at another location.
• Know the Company. You’ll likely be asked why you want to work there. Think about your answer to this question in advance can enable you to have a better answer. Always be sure you have familiarized yourself with the company, through their website and other online accessible information.
• Be Timely. Do not turn up late – no matter what. Allow for transit or traffic problems. Even allow for the unlikely events – within reason. Arrive five to 10 minutes early. If you’re earlier, wait somewhere else first.
• Be friendly. Greet the receptionist and anyone that talks to you before the interview. Thank them for any assistance. Hold the door for the person behind you, or let them go first. Be polite on the elevator. You may be encountering the person who will be interviewing you before you even reach the interview.
• Learn your interviewer’s name. If he or she has an unusual name, ask the receptionist for the proper pronunciation.  Some people can be very sensitive about how their name is pronounced.  Sometimes, a mispronunciation can turn their name into a rude or unpleasant phrase in their native tongue. Names that look easy such as Hogg may actually be pronounced with a long ‘o’ and may bring reminders of childhood teasing if wrongly pronounced.
• Don’t smoke. At least not on the premises. You don’t want to smell of smoke. If you absolutely must smoke after dressing for the interview, go to a washroom and wash your hands and use a breath mint.  Cigarette smoke lingers on the hands and can be off putting to non-smokers.
• Use the restroom beforehand. Better safe than having to go during the interview. Comb your hair, ditch your chewing gum, etc. If you need a last minute trip to a washroom, find a place other than asking the receptionist. It can lead to awkward situations. If you need to wear an overcoat or rain gear it can be better to remove it and fold it over your arm.  Use your judgement.
• Turn off your cell phone. Remember to turn off all electronic devices that could beep or ring during the interview. Take out any Bluetooth earpiece you might be wearing.

Managing Stress: Having a Bad Day?

Everyone has an occasional bad day.  Expecting to always be in an up mood at work is not realistic.  As challenging as it is, one does not want to demonstrate a depressed mood to one’s clientele or boss.  Faking it can be very difficult and sometimes impossible.  Therefore, it is important to have a way of lifting your mood when you get down.  It is okay to get down.  You just want to get back up as soon as possible.

Firstly, it is necessary to differentiate between chronic depression and the occasional down day.  If your down mood lasts for more than a few hours or a few days and is not associated with any specific emotional event, then you may be suffering from more than a down mood.  If your ‘blues’ are related to  an event in your personal or business life such as news of a close friend’s serious accident or illness, or something similar, it is unreasonable to expect yourself to be in a good mood.

Generally speaking it is not a good thing to bring emotional baggage to work. It can snowball and affect your performance and/or your bosses perception of you as an employee.

Sometimes mood fluctuations may occur due to changes in the weather.  Understanding the reasons for your mood shifts can enable you to cope more effectively.

Even if your down mood is a result of an event that is legitimately upsetting, it may be necessary to take steps that will enable you to cope more effectively so that impact on your business can be minimized.  Burying your head in the sand or ignoring your feelings is not the answer.

In addition to moods being affected by emotional events, moods can be affected by holidays such as Christmas or New Year’s.  It may be the result of  alcohol and the end of a year that has not been a good one.  Moods may be affected by anniversaries of the date of a parent or loved one’s death or anniversary of an event such as a romantic break-up or an accident, anniversaries  that remind you of broken romances or similar events.  Although most of these diminish as the event becomes less memorable, they do affect us and we need to be aware of how events in other parts of our lives affect our business life and vice versa.

Bad days, when they occur too often, result in accumulated stress. Here are some warning signs that can alert you to recognizing that you are getting stressed out.

1. You are impatient– you want results sooner than is realistic.

2. You feel anxious and frustrated.

3. Problems seem insurmountable.

4. You feel stuck or overwhelmed by problems.

5. You get angry.

6. You distance yourself from your friends and family.

7. You feel out of control.

8. You start making poor decisions and use bad judgment.

9. You fail to recognize warning signs or fail to learn from every day experiences.

10. You find yourself rationalizing or regretting decisions.

If you find these describe your situation, it is time to take action to prevent or avert problems at work or in your business. Here are some strategies that can help minimize the effect of down moods on your career.

In our next post we will discuss some strategies for dealing with negative emotions.