« August 2007 | Main | October 2007 »
September 2007 Archives
September 6, 2007
I can't stress this enough...
Hello there! Sorry for the long delay. I was offline longer than expected; and that leads nicely into my topic for today. Customer service can go a long way, but if you drop the ball, you'd better hope you can fix it while there's still goodwill left over.
I wrote before about how happy I am with Rogers. Well, that relationship's been strained lately. When the Saturated Market Headquarters moved, I had my internet moved from the old location to the new one. Problem is, the technician left with the job unfinished. The service wasn't working, but instead of staying to fix it, he just left. So I had to wait 5 days for a new tech. I was offline for about half of that, then managed to use the old connection still at the house (from Sympatico, competitor numero uno). So that was a bit of a loss.
Also, seems that in the move they turned off my email account. The one that I needed to keep above all. The reason I moved this account instead of transferring it to my roommate and starting a new one. And while they can usually fix that from tech support, they had to get the engineers to do it manually...and I'm still waiting. That's my account I use for resumés. Needless to say, I'm upset.
The only things keeping me with them are 1) a history of going above and beyond (until now), 2) a history of getting screwed by Bell/Sympatico, and 3) the hope that getting this all resolved will be less work than changing services. So. They're going to have to build all that trust up again.
However, there is some good news. After trying unsuccessfully for 2 days to fill an important prescription at the local pharmacist, I tried again today; they had 2 epipens (for my allergies), but I needed 3. The owner of the branch said he was going to another store to get more, and even VOLUNTEERED to deliver the last one to me himself. Which he did. So. I'm very happy about that.
It just goes to show: Customer service can buoy a sinking reputation, kill an already good one, and establish trust.
We are customers, and we are fickle.
Until next time,
JW
Posted by JW on September 6, 2007 7:30 PM Permalink
September 8, 2007
Abandon hope, ye who early adopt
Apple has dropped the price of the iPhone, and as a result, all the early adopters are crying foul. I have no pity, and one question: Are they really surprised?
Being surprised over a price reduction in new technology is like being surprised that the sun goes down at the end of the day. Sure, you don't know exactly when it's going to happen, but it's only a matter of time. That's the risk you take in being an early adopter.
As a side note, I'm not into that whole thing. I see no benefit to stressing out, standing in huge lines (to possibly not even get what you want), and paying a ridiculous amount that will be reduced in a month. What do you get? Bragging rights? I dunno. I can wait. I bought a Gamecube when the Wii came out. So that may say something about me.
But anyway, price reductions for new technology after the buzz dies a little is a common part of the product cycle. It happened (and is still happening) with the iPod, it happened to digital cameras (in a BIG way), cellphones, and computers. That's just a natural progression.
Paying extra for something when it first comes out is just part of the territory, and these people ought to have known better.
That having been said, Apple knows how to do damage control; their offering $100 store credit will not only appease many angry customers, but to Apple's credit, will put all that money back into their hands. Remember, that's STORE CREDIT.
Touché, Mr. Jobs.
Until next time,
JW
Posted by JW on September 8, 2007 11:53 AM Permalink
September 9, 2007
Learn to respect your boss
One of the hardest things to do is take orders from somebody you don't respect. So if you find yourself in this situation, you have four alternatives:
1) Suck it up
2) Quit
3) Try to undermine them by doing as little as possible, or
4) Learn to respect them
1, 2 and 3 are the most common solutions...but how do you accomplish #4?
For everything (turn, turn, turn), there is a reason (turn, turn, turn)
The most important step to respecting your superior is to realize that they got their job for a reason. Nobody just hands out promotions; often the manager has proven themselves over time, or came into the company with an impressive background, or in some cases, built the business with their bare hands. And they probably wouldn't have kept their job for very long if they were completely incompetant.
Take notice, rather than giving it
When you have a negative view of your boss, you tend to focus on the things that bother you, which just reinforces your perception. Try changing your focus; start to look for the good things they do around the workplace, rather than obsessing over the bad. It's a big part of human nature to only notice what supports our current opinions. If you can overcome this, maybe you will start to appreciate them more.
Devil's advocate
When your boss breaks up your fun and tells you to get back to work or hounds you about that project that's coming due, it's easy to be annoyed. However, you have to remember that as a manager, they have a job to do: get the job done. I'm sure every boss would enjoy a little fun now and again, but it reflects poorly on them if their department is spending more time at the water cooler than getting things done. Sure, you may get the job done regardless, but perception often dwarfs reality. If you don't look like you're working, even if you are, that memory tends to outshine the fact that you have a long list of successful projects.
Only human
As outlined in this post over at I Hate Your Job, one thing we often overlook is that our bosses are normal people with normal lives, who just happen to be in charge of what we do from 9-5. Recognizing that they have their own problems and worries and weaknesses is a good way to realize that maybe they deserve a little slack.
Give and take
Now, to be fair, there are often bad bosses out there. It happens. But the fact of the matter is, following some of these steps can still improve your impression of them. And the best part is, if you start to respect them more and resent them less, your attitude will improve; this can lead to greater work satisfaction, less frustration, and maybe even a better relationship with your boss (which has its own benefits). So whatever your goal, sometimes a little understanding can go a long way.
Until next time,
JW
Posted by JW on September 9, 2007 11:45 AM Permalink
September 15, 2007
Stylish suggestions for customer service
It's been a busy week, what can I say! Between travel, appointments, project management, presentations and conferences, I haven't had time to blog; I have, however, found time in that busy schedule to learn from an expert in customer relations: my barber.
Keep 'em coming back
I really shouldn't be surprised. I've been going to the same shop since 1989. I don't always have the same barber, but I do try. I should also mention that I haven't really lived in the town where it is located since 2002. But if I have reason to be there, I find it's worth it to wait that extra week or so to get my hair cut. And barbers love it when they have dedicated clientele. If they're good, they'll get people waiting for them; that makes them look good to their boss, and gets them more tips. So it's very important for them, just like salespeople. Here, for your benefit, are a few things I picked up from my experiences, and from talking with them.
Know the style
Every time I get a return barber (even when I'm testing out a new place closer to where I live), they always remember exactly what they did, and can do it again. This is especially good since I often have no idea what it was. It may have been over a month, and they have other people to cut, but I always seem to get remembered. And that's good. It saves me time explaining, and means I'll get that great cut I got last time. Always remember your customers preferences and nuances. A little bit goes a long way. This is the power of CRM.
Keep in mind - Don't try to fake it. You may have a lot of customers to try to remember, but they only have to remember one good or bad representative. If they've never dealt with you before, don't try to convince them they have. They'll see right through it, and it'll turn them off.
A little extra goes a long way
On my first trip to a small shop here in the city, I once had a haircut I really did not enjoy. The look was meh, the process was kinda painful, and I remember thinking, "never again". But at the end, on a men's cut, the barber straightens out the back and sides with a precise razor. This particular barber used hot foam and a straight-edge. And that really made me sit up and take notice (not to mention sit very still). My back-home barber shop has raised their prices almost double from when I first started going. However, somewhere along the line they started washing hair for everyone at the end, which kinda justified that high cost a little for me. Sometimes you can really make a difference by doing something special for your customers, and maybe smooth out some rough experiences.
Keep in mind - If you start doing a little something extra on a regular basis and then start neglecting it, you can really create a negative impression. If it becomes part of the overall experience, you can't change your mind on a whim and just stop. The sudden change will not be well received.
Do what you're told
If you went to a barber and told them exactly what you wanted, but walked out with something totally different, you wouldn't be happy, would you? Same goes for business. When you do something for a customer, make sure you address their needs, not your own. Do what they want, not what you think they want. A bad hair cut, they have to live with. A lost customer is YOUR problem.
Get your own!
On a more inter-business note, don't try to compete with your own kind for their clientele. Regular customers will often prefer to deal with the same person, and if you try to hijack it, you might scare them off, kill a great relationship, and you will certainly annoy the person you took them from.
Learn the territory
If you find yourself in a new region or company, remember that you need to work within their boundaries, not those of your old one. My barber was talking about a coworker who had come from a discount cutter, and so did things far too fast, had little regard for existing relationships, and would cut corners and forget crucial steps (you can see where much of this post comes from now, right?). If you find yourself making a switch, you need to learn that sometimes you have to work within new rules.
Keep in mind - Don't let this scare you off from using your personal style; that's what differentiates you from your peers.
Make the cut
Everything we know about customer service doesn't come from business school; it comes from being tested in the field, and knowing what makes people happy. Treat people well, and they will keep coming back and being satisfied. Hair may change, but good customer service will never go out of style.
Until next time,
JW
Posted by JW on September 15, 2007 6:29 PM Permalink
September 16, 2007
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
7 Habits is a very well-known entry in the world of self-improvement literature. Whenever I thought of self-help, I would usually think of this book. And I must say, I never thought I would read it. I said to myself, "self-help? There are a certain kind of people who read those, and that's not me!" But after having it recommended to me, I decided to give it a shot...and I'm glad I did.
I'm not going to sit here and regurgitate the book for you; instead I'll talk about what it sets out to do, and what it's done for me.
The first thing author Stephen Covey does is to establish that we all have a frame of reference for looking at the world, a paradigm. It determines how we work our way through the world and how we prioritize things. The key to changing ourselves, he contends, is to change that paradigm.
The first three habits: Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and Put First Things First, are part of what he calls the Private Victory. They teach us to be independent. We first learn that everything in our life is a choice, and is our responsibility. Covey asserts that we have to accept responsibility for everything in our lives, and that by acting instead of reacting, we can have greater control. Once we learn to choose for ourselves, we need to figure out what to do with our power. We have to learn leadership. The next step is to set goals for what we want to be and do, and figure out where our values lie. We have to centre ourselves around principles and values that we will not waver from. Finally, we have to get our priorities straight so that we can achieve these goals and live our lives around our principles.
The next three are called the Public Victory: Think Win/Win, Seek First to Understand...Then to be Understood, and Synergize. With these we learn interdependence. The underlying theme of these habits is that in order to be truly effective and have meaningful relationships, we have to realize that if we work together to find mutually beneficial solutions by truly understanding each other, we can achieve so much more.
The final habit is Sharpen the Saw. It basically tells us to keep striving to improve ourselves and reinforce the habits.
Say what you will about this book, it's had a huge effect for me. I find myself more organized, things falling into place more often, and being far more optimistic and less frustrated. I found it very hard, but also very liberating, to say to myself, "the only common element in all my experiences-- good and bad-- is me." I highly recommend it for anybody who wants to be more positive or take greater control of their lives.
Until next time,
JW
Posted by JW on September 16, 2007 8:20 PM Permalink
September 17, 2007
Find your purpose
Yesterday, I wrote about the 7 habits of highly effective people. Well, in a marvelous stroke of coincidence, my good friend Chuck over at I Hate Your Job has challenged me and several other blogs to write a personal mission statement, a key component of Covey's second habit, Begin with the End in Mind. So, I'm going to put my money where my mouth is, and take this challenge, then pass it on. I have no affiliate blogs, but I will ask that if you read this, be it now or a year from when this was written, to post your own, whether in the comments here or on your own site.
Memed from Chuck:
If you don’t already have one, take some time to write a personal mission statement whether you participate overall or not. I’m not talking about a one or two sentence blurb like a corporate mission statement but a meaningful declaration of what you hope to be about in life. Stephen Covey’s mission statement builder might help you, or you can just write it free form.
Avoid putting in fluff and buzzwords unless you’re a corporation–try to create a document that really focuses on actions that you can perform each day and that are meaningful to you.
Got a good first draft? Great. Now copy the text of this post and replace my statement with yours and the blogs I’ve tagged with the blogs you’d like to tag. You can view a complete list of who has participated and read their responses in the comments section of Chuck's post. I strongly encourage you to click here to read it. And while you're there, read the rest of his blog, it'll make you feel better about work. Or at least at work.
Those without blogs should participate in the comments section below.
6 Reasons to Participate
1. It is relevant to your subject matter. Regardless of what you write about, your blog is an extension of you, and your readers care about where you intersect with your subject matter. Rather than a meme about your favorite movie, this is a rare chance for your readers to get to know you while you can still stay on topic!
2. Allow readers and fellow bloggers to see why you care about your subject as part of your life’s big picture.
3. Articulating your personal mission is personally rewarding and incredibly beneficial.
4. Your readers will greatly appreciate you helping them to get started on their statements if they’ve never done it before (most haven’t).
5. It is a worthy cause. Few things in the blogosphere can match the impact of helping even one person bring greater focus to their lives, let alone thousands.
6. Get to know the people you decide to tag
My Mission Statement
Every day:
• I will take responsibility: my rewards, my punishments, my actions, and my consequences are my own
• I will be respectful: old or young, rich or poor, strong or weak, influential or unfluential, everyone deserves respect as a human being, and will return that which they are given
• I will be patient: every second I think I could be doing something else is probably a second I’d spend wishing I had something to do
• I will be understanding: every opinion comes from perspective, and I do not have the same perspective as others
• I will be tolerant: if it won’t matter in a year, it won’t matter in a month; if it won’t matter in a month, it won’t matter in a week; if it won’t matter in a week, it won’t matter tomorrow; and if it won’t matter tomorrow, it doesn’t matter; if it doesn’t matter, I will let it go
• I will be honourable: I will be able to look at myself in the mirror every day
• I will learn: I cannot undo my mistakes, but I will learn from them and be better for them
• I will move on: dwelling on the past will not define my future
• I will accept that I am wrong: if I’m wrong, then I’m wrong
• I will be humble: those who have authority have it for a reason
• I will take action: if I dwell on it, it’s a problem; if I work to resolve it, it’s only a setback
• I will not be bogged down in a bad situation: I will make it better as best I can, but I will know when the time has come to walk away
• I will accept advice: even if it’s not what I want to hear, it may turn out to be a good idea down the road
• I will take with me the lessons of Kenn Grainger, an elderly gentleman I once had the extreme honour and pleasure of meeting with once a week:
1. The best argument I ever won was the one I avoided
2. Always introduce yourself with your full name
3. ATTITUDE is everything!
• I will be fair: I will not treat others negatively
• I will not take bullshit: a person who treats me negatively is a person I don’t need around
• I will: nothing will stop me
As a further addition, I included this list of criteria with my mission statement. They are not part of it, but they are important words that I carry with me in my day to day functions:
• When meeting someone, give your full name, shake their hand firmly.
• Always look at whoever’s speaking when in a group
• Your word is your bond; don’t make promises you can’t keep, and keep all the promises you make
• Set limits: say no every once in a while
• Be confident: look at what you’ve accomplished, and think of all you will accomplish
• If something goes wrong, suck it up, admit your mistake, fix it, and move on. Blaming, giving excuses and whining get you nowhere
• Your responses are your own. Nothing can be blamed wholly on outside factors
• Talk less, listen more. You don’t have to spout your autobiography to everyone
• Always show respect and you’ll get it in return
• Don’t let yourself get baited
• Take a stand for things you believe in
• Never panic; time you spend worrying is time better spent thinking of a solution
• Procrastination and being lazy waste your time and make matters worse; you’re going to have to do it eventually, may as well be now rather than later
• Take responsibility and make decisions, don’t shuffle your feet and expect others to get the ball rolling. Nothing will come of nothing. Don’t wait for things to happen
• Know all the angles, and you can control the situation; do your research
• Pay attention to your surroundings
• Don’t mince words, don’t sugar-coat it: just say it, and mean it
• Act according to your values
• The worst that can happen is never as bad as not trying
• Understand the opposite viewpoint before presenting your own
• Slow down; replace “um” with a pause, and gather your thoughts. Don’t fear silence.
Until next time,
JW
Posted by JW on September 17, 2007 5:57 PM Permalink
September 18, 2007
Upcoming news
I must say, I'm ashamed to have neglected this half of the site. I was preparing to review the Blue Rodeo concert I attended, and completely didn't.
I do have some news, though. In the coming months (yes, I need to fill the time with content), I will be reviewing Bruce Springsteen's Magic and Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II, as well as the accompanying Toronto shows for each of them, which I will be attending!
In the meantime, I really ought to get down to posting on here more often.
Until next time,
JW
Posted by JW on September 18, 2007 8:33 PM Permalink
September 21, 2007
Web design made easier
Just a quickie today, folks. This site was passed on to me, and I thought all my fellow web-heads might be interested: 77 Resources to Simplify Your Life as a Web Designer. Some brilliant stuff there if you want to save time, improve your skills, or give your site a better look and feel.
Until next time,
JW
Posted by JW on September 21, 2007 10:02 AM Permalink
September 25, 2007
You're only as young as you reveal
I remember my first internship, when the owner of the company spoke to me about the goals of our marketing initiatives. He said that as a small business, it's hard to gain recognition and credibility when dealing with the big corporations. So we were working hard to make sure that in our marketing documentation and website that they came across as a capable, respectable firm (which they are, of course), without having the issue of size enter the conversation. And in the blogosphere, the same seems to be true of age.
I read an interesting post at I Hate Your Job, where Chuck pontificates on the tendency to discredit the experience of youngsters in the blogging world (which I think can extend very well to the offline world as well).
“Can such a young person appreciate the value of escaping the rat race without having spent many years inside of it?”...Yes and no. I can be thankful for my good health without ever having had caner [sic], but a cancer survivor appreciates the day when they are cancer free more than I ever could. I can be thankful for a warm meal and a place to sleep, but not in the way someone who once was homeless can.
Of course, I’m not going to try to contract cancer or lose my home in order to better appreciate my good circumstances. In the same way, I don’t believe I’ll be missing out by avoiding an extended stay in a job that makes me miserable...I just have to touch the hot stove, I don’t need to lean on it.
Click here to read the whole article.
Regardless of being younger than one would expect (and younger than one would expect could write credibly about his chosen topic), Chuck has built himself quite a blog, and has written some great advice that has many people, both experienced and inexperienced, talking. And really, I think that's what's important. Why should anybody trust a source less once they discover their age? Sure, we tend to prefer advice from the "grizzled veterans", but we can't discount the expertise of the so-called "newbies", because they might not be that new after all.
Rebecca Thorman is one Gen-Y "Princess" who is succeeding despite her age (and despite her detractors for the same reason).
Student Connections, my current employer, is based entirely on the idea that youngsters are capable and intelligent; keep in mind that hundreds of small businesses have staked key parts of their strategy, from business plans to websites, on the advice of 20-somethings still in the midst of their education!
Lest that give a hint to my age, keep in mind the range for employment at SC is 16-30. Personally, I am still young by many standards, and I acknowledge I still have a lot to learn. But I have plenty of valid experience, and a lot to say. What you do with it is your choice.
Trust and encourage us, for we'll be running your companies mere decades from now.
Until next time,
JW
