Digg it UP - 7 Tips for Managers in Customer Service for 2007

It’s our co-workers, employees, brothers in arms, men, women all engaged in the game of life and the business of well, business. We are so focused on the Customer needs, wants and expectations, we forget to ask what the people we engage to provide that service need, want and expect.

Here are 7 things that you might want to review in the coming year.

Do you have complete job descriptions, or are you just plugging in whomever and hoping that they work out? With a complete job description in hand, you can weed out candidates who obviously will not be able to perform the task. Maybe your position requires heavy counter and personal contact. Would you hire someone that is extremely introverted during the interview process, someone that you continually coax to provide answers? I think the answer would be no.

Hire Friendly, Hire Trainability, Hire Competence.

Once they have been hired, do you train them properly? I don’t mean show them to their work area, tell them where the fridge is and wish them “good luck, and call me if you have any problems.” (If you have been through this training, you know exactly what I mean) I’m talking about not only providing them with formal training as necessary, I’m talking about assigning them a “work mentor”, someone who has the responsibility to stick with them from beginning to end for a few days of acclimatization.

And not the new person, or the “whomever is available.” You might actually consider assigning someone who really knows your business and can spend time explaining things the way they are supposed to be explained. And paying them for the training they provide. Most corporations assign this to HR, and that may or may not work for your business. How to Implement Change in the Workplace Without Sending Your Staff to a Psychiatrist
It seem that the only time people are open to change is when what they have always done no longer works for them. In other words when our needs are no longer being met by previous behaviors, thought patterns or procedures.Your task as a CEO or manager is to show your staff that this applies to your business as well. When certain procedures and practices no longer meet the needs of your business or organization change is needed.To facilitate this change you must show respect for both the needs of that service need, want and expect.

Here are 7 things that you might want to review in the coming year.

Do you have complete job descriptions, or are you just plugging in whomever and hoping that they work out? With a complete job description in hand, you can weed out candidates who obviously will not be able to perform the task. Maybe your position requires heavy counter and personal contact. Would you hire someone that is extremely introverted during the interview process, someone that you continually coax to provide answers? I think the answer would be no.

Hire Friendly, Hire Trainability, Hire Competence.

Once they have been hired, do you train them properly? I don’t mean show them to their work area, tell them where the fridge is and wish them “good luck, and call me if you have any problems.” (If you have been through this training, you know exactly what I mean) I’m talking about not only providing them with formal training as necessary, I’m talking about assigning them a “work mentor”, someone who has the responsibility to stick with them from beginning to end for a few days of acclimatization.

And not the new person, or the “whomever is available.” You might actually consider assigning someone who really knows your business and can spend time explaining things the way they are supposed to be explained. And paying them for the training they provide. Most corporations assign this to HR, and that may or may not work for your business. So You Were Wrong
I once worked for a boss who was never wrong, never made a mistake or a bad decision. All you had to do was ask him. To his staff he was Teflon-man. Nothing stuck to him and everything came sliding toward us.Accountability was not a concept he practiced unless things turned out well and then, he claimed the credit. But if they didn't, he immediately embarked on endeavors to identify someone responsible. Being called to his office typically meant he was looking for information and trying to decide whom toheavy counter and personal contact. Would you hire someone that is extremely introverted during the interview process, someone that you continually coax to provide answers? I think the answer would be no.

Hire Friendly, Hire Trainability, Hire Competence.

Once they have been hired, do you train them properly? I don’t mean show them to their work area, tell them where the fridge is and wish them “good luck, and call me if you have any problems.” (If you have been through this training, you know exactly what I mean) I’m talking about not only providing them with formal training as necessary, I’m talking about assigning them a “work mentor”, someone who has the responsibility to stick with them from beginning to end for a few days of acclimatization.

And not the new person, or the “whomever is available.” You might actually consider assigning someone who really knows your business and can spend time explaining things the way they are supposed to be explained. And paying them for the training they provide. Most corporations assign this to HR, and that may or may not work for your business. Charity Campaigns - Making Them An Online Success
A charity’s annual awareness day, awareness week or awareness month is a big event. Run well it can raise huge amounts of money and create a greater public understanding of your cause. Hundreds of campaigns take place through the year – who hasn’t heard of World Aids Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and World Book Day? Brilliantly run events - you can probably name the months they fall in but sadly many campaigns fail to make such an impact.I edit www.countmeincalendar.info that profiles of campaigns fm where the fridge is and wish them “good luck, and call me if you have any problems.” (If you have been through this training, you know exactly what I mean) I’m talking about not only providing them with formal training as necessary, I’m talking about assigning them a “work mentor”, someone who has the responsibility to stick with them from beginning to end for a few days of acclimatization.

And not the new person, or the “whomever is available.” You might actually consider assigning someone who really knows your business and can spend time explaining things the way they are supposed to be explained. And paying them for the training they provide. Most corporations assign this to HR, and that may or may not work for your business. Establishing Yourself as an Expert in the Eyes of Your Customers
The most important aspect of a successful business is developing the correct mindset toward your customers. And this is not the over used phrase The customer is always right. Actually the correct mindset we are referring to here is to always think in terms of benefits for your customers. The highly successful businessperson thinks of ways to show interest in their customers even before they come into their store.They endeavor to educate the customer on the benefits of their products and services. They mas of acclimatization.

And not the new person, or the “whomever is available.” You might actually consider assigning someone who really knows your business and can spend time explaining things the way they are supposed to be explained. And paying them for the training they provide. Most corporations assign this to HR, and that may or may not work for your business.

You might consider setting up an employee “think tank.” Their job is to get together once a month and analyze anything that affects Customer Service and getting the GIR value up. (GIR=Get It Right) They would make recommendations for management review and implementation. The key to this is “Buy In” by management and personnel.

Making “window dressing” recommendations is a huge waste of time and will actually set your efforts back. People will stop believing that they can effect change and be indifferent to putting time into a project with no chance of having the recommendations put into place.

If you are not sitting down with your staff at least once every 6 months one on one, you are missing a big opportunity. Who best knows what is happening and how to improve it? The people who work there and care, that’s who!

I’m not talking about Eyores and Schleprocks.

I’m talking about people who put something into what they do. My biggest mistake in management was not sitting down with my staff and reviewing with them their goals, their hopes and what they would like to accomplish that year. And believe me, when I say “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in management,” I have.

If I had a"Mulligan" to use in my career, I would use it right there. Talking with your staff on a regular formal and informal basis is critical for you to help them see the company vision and for you to see their view and bring them into alignment with each other. They can tell y

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