It's the customer stupid!

I typically don't use negative remarks but today I had another less than good customer service experience and it is time to remind everyone about the importance of customer service at every size organization. Customer service makes or breaks a sale-I've been shopping for two big ticket items, central air conditioning and a water holding tank. The service experiences have been disappointing. Either the person answering the call doesn't display quality service skills or the person making the sales call doesn't. Individuals must realize that service impacts sales and you cannot have a successful business without both quality service and sales. It is the single most important aspect of the customer's experience and if it's the first experience it potentially can be the last. The beauty of correcting this is that it's not rocket science. It really doesn't have to be hard-be polite and respectful, don't interrupt, be knowledgeable in what you or your company sells, talk less and listen more, and remember it's about the customer-not you. Do these simple things and you will experience more success in selling and retaining customers.

Managing the Great Divides

We have four generations in one workforce. How do you manage the different communication and behavioral styles and the different approaches to learning and work? These appear to be deep divides between the different generations. Or are there more commonalities than differences? I've been studying this for the last few years as it became a challenge in the "corporate classroom". Try engaging an 18 year old and a 50 year old in customer service training and the divide is very clear. But I also discovered from a customer service perspective their wants are similar. They both want respect, friendly and courteous service. From a learning perspective it is a different story. It is important to recognize what each brings to the learning experience and how each learn differently and accommodate those differences. Quite often I'll engage both to share their experiences and little is about right and wrong perspectives, just different. The same is true for managing this multi-generational workforce-demonstrate respect, leverage the differences in talent and encourage collaboration-it works!