Category Archives: Customer Service

When Managing Millennials, Don’t Lower Your Expectations; Change Them

RotaryPhone Latino Teen

A customer service manager of a regional banking chain recently told me about a challenge her managers were having in getting young tellers to handle incoming calls when they were assigned phone duty. “It’s astounding how many will answer our business line by just saying ‘Hello’ or ‘Yo. Wat up? This is Monique.’ It’s almost…

If Ya Can’t Beat ‘Em – Encourage Employees to Use their Smart Phones at Work!

textingteen

There is an epic war being fought along the front lines of every business in the world. Business owners and managers across all industries are engaged in heavy conflict with employees who aren’t able to get through a shift without checking the screen on their smart phones, many of whom check it every couple of…

Good Work Ethic Cannot Atone for Bad Management

Help

Kyle (age 21) handles the scheduling, appointments, estimates, and all payment transactions for the auto service center near my office.  On a weekday morning at 8:16, I call to inquire about getting my vehicle in for shocks and an alignment.  Kyle politely tells me that if I can bring it in within the next 30…

Coffee is for Closers: An Old Rule that Won’t Change in the New Year

The phrase “Coffee is for Closers” resonates with anyone who’s seen the classic film, Glengarry Glen Ross. This 1992 movie stars six Hollywood A-list leading men as salesman who work for an unethical real estate outfit. The actors portray fast-talking hucksters who lie, exaggerate, and use a series of con games to goad unwitting prospects…

Forget Shortcuts: Coach the Longcut Approach to Problem Solving

Problem Solved

In this new economy, time is the commodity that is the most prized.  Seldom do you run into a colleague or associate who has a wide-open schedule or is looking for a way to fill some empty or idle time in their day. Forced to do more with less, time-crunched leaders push their people to…

How Employee Initiative Makes One High Rise Hotel Rise a Little Higher

HH Sweetner

It’s 7:14 a.m. The breakfast is scheduled for 7:30 and, so far, I don’t see any of the meeting attendees milling around. Before heading into the ballroom to meet with the AV technician who’s there to help me set up for my 8:30 keynote, I decide to grab a cup of coffee and a light…