Sound available

You are busy, but you shouldn’t sound busy.

If you slow down and don’t interrupt your caller and they will feel heard, cared for and like you better.

Wow, that’s quite a promise, you say! 

But it’s true.  When you fully listen to your caller and act as if they are the most important person in your world (right now) they can feel it. 

Tips:

Choose to speak at a slower pace to indicate you have time for them.  Need help?  Say this tongue twister “Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascals ran.”  That’s the pace and nice job with the enunciation! 

Choose not to interrupt.  Snap a rubber band on your wrist as a reminder to let them finish their sentence… completely.  Resist the urge to help them along. Just listen.

You know that feeling you get when you help someone?  When they say ‘thank you’ and you know you earned it?  Ya, that feels good and these techniques will help you experience that more often.

Enjoy Your Labor Day

Did you know that in 1999 the US became a country with more people employed in the service vs manufacturing industry?  In fact, the service industry now employs about twice as many workers as the manufacturing industry.

So if you are wondering why your job is so tough, it’s because you are trying to work with people and not things.  Things are easy to figure out, people are not.

Happy Labor Day!

What business are you in?

A: We're all in the 'Customer Service' business. 

Recently, the TSA has been in the news for their lack of customer service.  Oddly enough, lines winding out of airport doors don’t lead to positive Yelp reviews.

But wait, the goal of the TSA is to make flying safe for all of us.

If you scan their budget presentation, you’ll find 4,338 words and the phrase "customer service" only appears twice.  

Guess which word popped up most in their word cloud?  Security.

So, despite the fact that we count on the TSA for security, we rate them on their customer service. 

Your customers are doing the same.  It’s not what you do - it’s how you do it.

Be kind to your customers this week, they might have spent their summer vacation in a long TSA line and be short on patience.  

Have you been watching?

So much competition in the Olympics, but only a few winners.  What helps winners win?

Choosing to focus on what’s in their control and visualizing success.

An athlete can’t change how prepared the competition is, how hot it is, or what’s happening politically, but they can choose to focus on what’s in their control.

One technique that Olympians use to enhance this focus is visualization or mental imagery.  Before they compete, they imagine themselves running through their event, thinking through the movements and winning.

Take a moment to think through your day before it happens and imagine it going really well.  Play through some typical interactions and handle them in medal-worthy fashion.  Then head back to reality and enjoy your day. 

Want to learn more?  Read this article.

Keep your eye on the prize

Have you been watching the Olympics? The athletes are achieving great feats, breaking records and winning medals.

Do you ever wonder what it took to get there?   Sacrifice.

Olympians have been so focused preparing for their event that they’ve given up vacations, parties, hobbies and even participating in other leisure sports.  They’ve kept their eye on the prize.

Do you ever get:

1. Thrown off your game by an upset or intimidating caller?
2. Frazzled when someone asks about price?
3. Upset when they threaten to leave?

Today, when you get that tough caller, keep your eye on the prize by being patient, actively listening and offering empathy. 

The prize?  Happy Customers. :-)

Opening Ceremonies

The Olympics are steeped in tradition.

Consider the opening ceremonies with the fireworks, the speeches, the parade of nations, the lighting of the torch… did you tune in to watch?  Did you get what you were expecting? 

We are creatures of habit and knowing what to expect makes us feel comfortable, it puts us at ease.

Every time you deliver on a ritual or expectation, you create a memory in the customer’s mind and have the opportunity to put them at ease. 

I expect:

·      Netflix, Hulu and Mailchimp to welcome me back when I log in.

·      Amazon to tell me what other people also purchased.

·      Sundance to wag her tail when I walk in the door.

What rituals do you have in your office that make your customers feel welcome?

Perfect posture?

Quick, check your shoulders!  Are they crumpled and down and is your back curled in?

 Now straighten your back, stand up tall and breathe.

Which feels more powerful?

Standing tall will make you feel more powerful and will help you look more confident, which will encourage your co-workers to treat you with more respect.

It’s a win–win.  Strike a victory pose and have an awesome day!