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May31
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 What a lot of people don't know concerning customer service is that many times it is business policies themselves that cause more problems than anything else.
In a retail setting a great problem that always arises is that customers are considered intruders rather than the reason the business exists in the first place.
What causes this mentality? Usually company policy. Let me say first though, that you do occasionally get the wrong person for the job who projects themselves as outward and friendly and you find out that once they're on the floor interacting with customers, they are anything but friendly. But I'm not talking about that here.
The thing that happens with customer service is that the company has to receive product, put the product on the sales floor and make sure the product is on the shelve when it's almost out. In other words, all of this has to be done while attempting to service the customer.
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May30
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One thing that the best managers know is vital to their teams success and encouragement, is to clear every obstacle out of their way so they can thrive and attain their full greatness for the company. Once an employee is...
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Every year at the Berkshire Hathaway meeting there is a clip played in reference to the Saloman scandal years ago. The meeting, which is going on at this time, replayed it again and it's worth hearing. These are the actual...
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May29
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When it comes to doing B2B sales and marketing, a research study by Warrillow & Co. shows that small business owners say the primary motivator for making recommendations of products and services they purchase, are based upon how easy the...
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I was reminded recently about the strength of keeping the zeal we had for things as a child. John Lasseter who was the chief architect of the success of Pixar (PIXR) in their release of animated hit after hit, was...
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May28
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With all of the "noise" out there in our information age, we must learn ways to cut through it all so that people will remember the story we have to tell. One of the losses of growing up to adulthood...
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Focus is an interesting thing. There are times in our work that it is paramount to or success, and other times it can drag on the creative side and growth of the company. Focus on the current customer, project or...
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If you believe that most people really want to do well at work, you can take that and use it in a right way to draw out of them everything that they have to give and offer to the company....
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May27
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An interesting thing happens when you reach a certain stage of your career and you're promoted. What usually happens when you're promoted is that the mentor you had was also promoted or a person you had valuable interaction with has...
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A recent survey revealed that only 25 percent of employees said that they worked as good as they were able. Another revelation the survey showed was that another 25 percent said that they were only working at about half the...
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A long time ago I posted on marketing to women and how it is a great mistake to consider treat them like they are all the same. I asked this question: "Why do almost all who report and talk about...
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One mistake that is made over and over again in large and small companies is the clarity of expectations that is essential for an employee to succeed in their position. Now it is the responsibility of any good manager to...
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May26
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In managing change, as we talked about in the last post, communication is they key to it all. There are several other aspects that can and must be added later, but lack of clear communcation will make the rest useless....
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Whenever there is change in your company the key component to it is to make sure the various communication tools at your disposal are used. Here is a list of things that you can make use of throughout the process....
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May25
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One of the strengths and weaknesses that involve good businesses is the presence of leaders and managers. For the purpose of our discussion, we'll look at one of those differences. The one I want to focus on is where leaders...
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The best way to handle problem employees is to not hire them in the first place. While there should be things in place to ensure the best hire, nobody is good enough to get it right all the time. One...
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One of the most important management tools we have is the performance appraisal, it is also one that can be misused the most. Many wrongful termination lawsuits are won or lost based upon the documentation of a performance appraisal. One...
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To advance in management and to be noticed, there is a way to go that alot of managers aren't willing to take. It's simple but hard to do. What it involves is to take on those assignments and jobs that...
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May24
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ClearRock, an executive coaching and outplacement firm found in a survey that managers are doing a much better job of managing employees than years ago. The survey revealed that managers are doing a much better job of delivering criticism in...
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In reading about this particular fiasco, I found it hard to like either side and what they did. Usually in customer service cases you can see fairly clearly whether there really was a service problem or the customer was...
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In our continuous trial-and-error concerning products and services, it is noteworthy to realize that it is always wise to look for things that don't work, as a way to discover new things that will. This is actually a thing to...
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One of the reasons that companies can be caught off-guard with their employees, as far as being pleasantly surprised at their contributions to the company, is that when they are hired, there is something that is very difficult to measure...
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May23
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One mistake that a huge amount of business owners make, along with managers, is to take on clients or contracts that go way beyond the ability for the company to service at the current time. While getting a big customer...
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May22
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Japan is facing a labor shortage that isn't too far away. In response they have been upping the quality of robots and their numbers. In the past and currently, the robots have been used in factory production lines, but with...
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The reason why customer service is so difficult is because what works for one customer may totally turn off another. So when a company implements a plan, it will only reach and cater to successfully, a certain type of person....
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May21
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All things tht are part of a businesses product or services offered have begun in an invisible place. Even if the product is copied by a competitor, it still has its origins in the thoughts of a human being. Those...
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A new look of customer service is EveR-1, and is the second android created in the world. She is slender, has a clear complexion and can smile. She is modeled after two well-known Korean actresses and has the body shape...
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One of the areas where being a perfectionist and growing a company can clash, is when you're offered more business than you can possibly handle and have a number of decisions that you have to make. You have to take...
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One good thing about customer's that have had an experience with your company that they're not happy with is that most will be very specific in what they think is wrong with your company. Because of this you need to...
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With the blogging world exploding and consumers interacting in forums all over the online world, it has given the opportunity for mad and angry consumers to vent their wrath on a company. What do you do when this happens to...
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I have seen otherwise great managers who move from what I would call 'ordinary' concerns or worries, to what eventually becomes obsessions with things in the workplace. One of the ways to indentify the difference between normal or obsessive worries...
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May20
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One of the more challenging aspects of management is the handling of employees that aren't performing up to the company's standards. It is our jobs as managers to not only deal with it but to recognize that it's there in...
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Another strategy you can use in business to anticipate customers' changing needs is track on your Web site what is most frequently being asked and searched for. This is so simple and yet many businesses don't measure this important area....
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Anticipating the service needs of your customers isn't as hard as it may seem. The time when it is the hardest is when you are going to make any type of change that affects the old way of doing...
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May19
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Fear is nothing to be concerned with if you understand a couple of things about it. First, fear is something every single person has in their lives. Some may pretend that is isn't there, but nonetheless it is. The question...
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We are always hearing the phrase that it's now what you know, but who you know, that makes a difference. There is a lot of truth in that. What isn't talked about alot, is the fact that this is a...
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May18
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Why should we as managers hope to be criticised? We should hope for it because criticism not only implies that you're trying stuff, but trying new stuff. Where does criticism usually come from? It comes from those that don't like...
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A major aspect of business that everyone hates is the wast-of-time junk. Employees hate it, it costs a lot of money and managers dread dealing with it. It's really not that hard to stop. Besides walking around and seeing what...
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May17
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Almost 75% of U.S. workers say they are satisfied with their compensation, yet 44% say that they would alter the ratio of cash to benefits if it was up to them. Peg Buchenroth, managing director, compensation and benefits, Hudson Highland...
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Do you want to know a question that you can ask your employees everyday that will bring you their loyalty far beyond your wildest dreams? Ask them if they need any help or can I help you in any way?...
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May16
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Marketing has to be managed in a more comprehensive way. When we listen to those promoting techniques to make sales, we need to realize that "technique" and "reality" must be one. Creating a great ad campaign with ad copy that...
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May15
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In a recent invitation from Google (GOOG), 100 members of the press and analysts were invited to have an inside look at the company. One particular writer came away with some very challenging questions that I think we as managers...
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In this post let's talk about working for a large company in a management position. Almost anyone in management wants their involvement in the company to make a difference. There a couple of realities you must consider when observing things...
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May14
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Sometimes as a manager, when you know you're really on to something that will work, but you find a lot of resistance by your bosses and also some of the employees, there is something that you can do to make...
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While we hear a lot today about the instant gratification society and some of its downfalls, there is another side to the issue that can truly enhance your success in business: those who have long-term outlooks and patience. One thing...
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May13
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When I was reading an article on management the other day, it talked about a manager knowing what is interconnected and how that interconnection will be affected when making business decisions. Do you think that you know all the...
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We talk a lot here about empowering employees and quality training so that they can do their jobs. On the management side of things, one of the ways to improve your effectiveness and increase results exponentially is to build the...
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May12
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One of the unending weaknesses in almost all businesses is that there are just an awful lot of people that are not very creative. That along with the reality that there is always a time when businesses go through an...
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If you've ever studied business history, you've learned that one of the greatest obstacles to a company being successful over a long period of time is its past and current successes. They not only didn't feel that change wasn't needed,...
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Many businesses still fail hugely at the empowerment of employees to handle problems and communicate in a way with the customer that brings great results. Now this goes way beyond simply when a customer is at the 'solve-my-problem' stage. I...
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May11
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One of the main reasons a number of managers keep a tighter control than is good for the department or business is related more to ego than efficiency. Any type of study shows that the tighter and more dictatorial the...
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May10
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Anybody that is involved with the sport of archery has seen a tremendous advance concerning the bows and arrows. The bows themselves have become lighter and quicker. Arrows are now fitted with mechanical broadheads which allow them to fly straighter....
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Jack Trout in a column in forbes.com reminds us of a powerful strategy that has been abandoned by many companies. He and former partner Al Ries wrote about it in a book called, Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind. The...
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We talk off and on here about invisible things. Management has more ability to impact those things than anything else. When you manage something that exists, it is a process of improving what's there and already seen. But the ability...
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May 9
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How can we manage the unpredictable when there is no way to know the future? How can we even prepare for it as a business? It really isn't as difficult as it sounds. The first and major step in managing...
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It is increasingly becoming important in the workplace, and concerning a company's success, that management is approachable. To set up a culture that doesn't invite people to be able to express themselves, is to basically set up a culture of...
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May 8
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Business leaders and workplace analysts make it very clear the huge changes can involve a lot of risk, the chances of employees rebelling against it are also very high. The other option pulling against it is of course lacking the...
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In the area of business we all have to make endless decisions that entail speed and excellence. The strength of speed is that it propels you into action - and action creates a momentum that gets you going toward the...
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May 7
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Have you ever found youself getting stuck in a rut concerning solving of a problem and simply can't find an answer? One of the things I've done is to get myself involved in some type of activity, reading, listening to...
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May 6
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Have you ever found change in your business or division fearful? It is far more common than you may realize and also something that is not always indentified as fear. One thing to consider with fear is that there is...
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In the area of investing, one of the things one always has to watch out for is speculating. Even now it is rampant all over the world as people thoughtlessly pour their money into investments that are risky at best,...
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May 5
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There are a number of trends that will go on unabated for years to come. Among one of the most important is the trend involving co-creating with your customers. This doesn't imply that all products and services will by any...
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What is your reputation as a manager? Not with only your workers, but with those above you? When we talk about an individual's reputation, you've got to separate it from thoughts such as how the celebrities and stars do it,...
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May 4
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Last post we talked some about Telling your Story and some mistakes that are made in that area. This post let's talk about the most important aspect about telling your story: living your story. In this information age, one of...
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One of the constant dangers that all of us are daily tempted with is to embrace new thoughts and ideas in our minds and then be deceived into thinking that because we understand them, that we know how to execute...
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May 3
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I used to be a financial advisor to a number of clients and a word that came up a lot was the word "portfolio." I like this word when it comes to management. It deals with having a variety of...
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Great managers love a great challenge. They will look at the company they own or division they work in, and they see a puzzle that needs to be solved and understand that it's a living puzzle, not a puzzle like...
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May 2
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With so much of the media focused upon technology companies as those that innovate the best, here is a company story that is as Rust Belt as you can get, that has provided a 387% return over the last five...
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When looking at mistakes that are made in managing customer service quality, one of the ones that stick out high above others is making promises that you can't keep. One thing we need to instill in our employees is that...
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May 1
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I usually post about this at one of my other blogs, but since this is a growing part of management responsibility, we need to look at the reality of local Internet advertising. Yahoo! (YHOO) Local has announced a new offering...
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