Question for you...

How much Dunkin’ Donuts coffee does Ann drink a year?
     -  Do you know?
     -  Would you like try to figure it out or guess?

Your answer should be: “I don’t know” but most people are uncomfortable saying those words.   
We like to be smart, have answers, and be an expert.  This is helpful when we are solving problems, but not when we are listening.  When you are listening, it’s better to be curious and open.

At the beginning of your next call,  aim to be curious not right.

Try this simple chant as you greet your caller: “I wonder who it is? I wonder what they need?”

Give it a whirl and let me know how it works for you.  I’m curious and probably drinking a dunkin'.

It's the people

If you left your job today, what would you miss?

The most common response to this question is: “the people.”
This answer doesn’t change across businesses and industries that I work with.  It’s the people.

Why not take a moment today to appreciate your people:
-    Offer to get someone a coffee
-    Bring in some homemade goodies
-    Share a good binge-watchable show recommendation
-    Give someone your full attention as they share a personal story

For inspiration, check out this 2.48 minute video story.

Aww...

Yes, that's the reaction I was expecting.  

Last week's post about putting on your positive pants received a lot of great feedback so I thought I'd share more tips from Jane McGonigal.

Tip #3: Emotional Resilience

Looking at pictures of baby animals changes your frame of mind in an instant. Didn't you have a reaction when you saw the seal pup?  We added this picture but it'd be a good idea to have a picture at your desk of something or someone that makes you smile.

Tip #4: Social Resilience 

We need human connection. Find someone and shake hands for 6 seconds.  This positive, personal interaction is said to increase oxytocin in the brain and make you feel better.  

Now you have all four resilience tips from Jane: Physical, Mental, Social and Emotional.  And yes, there's an app for that: https://www.superbetter.com/  

Choose the one that you need when you need it and send me (well, Karen, actually) a picture of your favorite baby animal.

Put Your Positive Pants On

via GIPHY

That was the quote posted at the gym this morning, and it's very fitting for the office.  There are so many things that are out of your control (the caller's issue, the weather, the volume of calls) and that can make it hard to bounce back between calls. 

Here are some tips to build resilience so that you can stay positive. 

Try this for physical resilience:

• Stand up and walk three steps from your desk then back again.  

Can’t do that?

• How about extending your arms up in the air or standing up and striking a victory pose?

Repeat as needed.  
Those movements will build your physical resilience which can help you stay in control of you. 

Try this for mental resilience:

• Snap your fingers 50 times.  Yes, exactly 50 times.  Count ‘em.  Go.    

Can’t snap?

• Then count down from 100.

Let me know which one you tried and how it worked for you.  

For more information on these tips watch Super Better by Jane McGonigal on Ted Talks.

Hurry up!

Companies like Uber, Pizza Hut, Grubhub, and Amazon are experts at keeping us informed and we love that. But, it fuels our impatience and feeds our desire for immediate gratification. 

“Instant gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment. Basically, it’s when you want it; and you want it now. Instant gratification is the opposite of what we’ve been taught and try too hard to practice — delayed gratification.”

— The Psychology of Instant Gratification. www.entrepreneur.com/article/235088

Customers want what they want - when they want it.  What can you do about it?

1. Manage expectations well by replacing  'Hold on a sec., A.S.A.P., end of day, and right away' with expressions such as: 

"This may take 3-5minutes to investigate. Would you like to hold or should I call you back?" or "Let me look into this and call you in 2-hours with some options."

2. Reply to emails upon receipt to let the customer know you've received their request and are working on it. (Be sure to let them know when to expect a solution.)

3. Offer a strong closing.  Instead of 'buh-bye', use their name, thank them, and tell what to expect next; a phone call, email, or visit, and of course, when to expect that action.

Customers are impatient, to offer outstanding service, manage their expectations.

Are you at work today?

Kidding aside, thank you for covering the phones and making customers smile.

Happy Labor Day!

Words Matter Too

Your body language impacts your tone of voice and that has a huge impact on your conversations.  But your words also have an impact on how your customers feel.

Turns out the words customers like the most are:

• Delighted
• Absolutely
• Pleasure
• Happy
• Understand
• Yes

Here’s a way to add some fun to your day and to make their day.

Make a list of these words and see how often you can use them with your customers.  Sort of a happy-word-bingo game!


Tip:   The goal isn’t to use them in one sentence, but if you can, please send me that sentence I’d love to see it!