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Category: Customer Service

  • What happens to information gained from the obsession with feedback questionnaires and surveys?

    Can someone tell me what happens to the feedback that customers provide companies via electronic surveys, brief telephone surveys at the end of a call as well as the odd hard copy feedback questionnaire?  I have completed many in the last three years, both positive and not so positive and to date have not received any follow up, comment, notification to say certain action is being put into place or indeed an apology, if due!

    The feedback survey as a tool to gaining insight into how your customers feel about their experience/s they have with your business and therefore how you are doing, When put together to gain insight and achieve defined goals, administered effectively and analyzed against those goals to understand “how are we doing” is a wonderful tool for management decision making as well as for building and motivating individuals and teams.

    Have you ever been asked (post experience) by a customer help centre, an insurance company, car company, broadband/internet provider to please “complete a short survey to provide feedback”?  This is not a rare thing in my world.  The number of surveys I have completed are certainly in the 50’s over a three year period.  Of course each survey uses the word “short” which means more often than not you evaluate this in your own terms and decide then and there whether to complete a particular survey or not.   I am not discussing is this a good or bad thing, my point is about surveys and how the results are used/or not and whether you as a customer ever get any feedback from the company to ask for further information to clarify any point, apologize or simply to thank you for the input?

    As a training professional and coming from many years of working in the 5* hotel industry, as well as running my own company for many years, I am no stranger to customer feedback questionnaires.  What did we do with questionnaires?  Every morning in the management meeting along with other regular agenda items, we discussed any negative feedback to understand the situation in more detail and decide on any relevant actions.  As for positive customer feedback this was shared by the relevant department head with his or her team to give them an understanding of how they are doing, whilst reinforcing positive behavior as well as motivating the team.

    Using the negative experience of the customer our goal was always to build customer loyalty and create a positive experience giving the customer a foundation to at least try us once again.  Actions might have included:

    • Apologizing to the customer
    • Gaining additional information if needed, to understand more clearly
    • Putting actions in place to avoid this situation happening again.  For example, training of relevant personnel, communication of information, updating or changing a system etc)

    Why is it that you can complete a survey with the rating of “fair” or “poor” in some categories, but no one ever calls you to find out “why”?

    What should I conclude from this?  Do companies not care? Is this simply an organization requirement and therefore a tick box exercise, or is it that organisations are so large now that loosing the odd customer here and there is not important?

  • Seven Actions in Working with Customers during a Crisis

    Having lived successfully through two previous crises as the founder and director of a business in Russia, the 1998 financial crisis and the 2008 economic crisis, it stands me in good stead to work through this current economic, business and health crisis caused by actions and directives taken by governments globally, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The tendency, rather than embracing the situation and the opportunities that a crisis presents, boards and senior management very often go into “shutdown” mode by cutting as many costs as quickly as possible in order to protect share value and shareholder dividends.

    WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?  

    It means that the 80:20 rule kicks in and the 20% of costs that impact 80% of the results will be addressed first as they have most impact on the bottom line.  Invariably, this equals redundancies.  The labour laws in this country, due to the obligatory notice period and other requirements, do not help organisations in this matter, as they encourage a decision to be made very often before all the facts are known.  In the current crisis an interim option has been made available through furloughing of employees. This helps organisations in reducing the financial burden whilst keeping the most valuable asset – it’s employees.

    Effective leadership and the benefits that this brings has to be “emotionally intelligent”.  In other words, how can we use the current situation to the advantage of the organisation and the advantage of the employees?   This requires using both head and heart when making any decisions in relation to both company and employee wellbeing in the short and medium term.

    Employees especially, in such times, when subjected to decisions that are explained and that show both head and heart involvement will likely respond in extraordinary ways to help both their employers and themselves weather the storm.  Once the storm has passed because of the trust, respect, care and empathy shown them, they in turn are likely to show greater loyalty and willingness to do what it takes to deliver what is necessary to get “the show on the road”, as well as to generate ideas in the pursuit of new opportunities.  Those who have been made redundant when understanding why and how the organisation proposes to assist them in moving on to their next job will also likely show loyalty whilst speaking positively about their employer.

    The CEO of Airbnb, Brian Cesky is a superb example of balancing head and heart.  He clearly explained in his email to all employees, copying clients, why redundancies were being made, how employees leaving and staying would be cared for and above all thanking those leaving, genuinely from his heart, sharing both inspiration and his own sadness.

    “As I have learned these past eight weeks, a crisis brings you clarity about what is truly important. Though we have been through a whirlwind, some things are more clear to me than ever before.

    First, I am thankful for everyone here at Airbnb. Throughout this harrowing experience, I have been inspired by all of you. Even in the worst of circumstances, I’ve seen the very best of us. The world needs human connection now more than ever, and I know that Airbnb will rise to the occasion. I believe this because I believe in you.”

    The approach I adopted both in 1998 and 2008, with my teams at the time came from my heart, with the back-up of logical thinking.   Of course, when the money in the bank account was de-valuing faster than you could think, the immediate response was to cut staff numbers.  However, I knew that every multinational and local organisation was making redundancies. I also knew that these unfortunate people who were then without jobs had no way of feeding their families.  Why would an organisation deliberately choose to lose their well-trained and valuable assets?  Why would I lose my well-trained, effective employees if I could find another way?

    WAS I WILLING TO DO THE SAME TO MY TEAM?

    After much soul searching, I brought the team together and explained a situation that I myself did not fully understand.  At the end of this explanation, I made an offer to keep them employed for as long as I could on a vastly reduced salary, but one I knew they could survive and feed their families on.  In return I asked for commitment in certain ways.  Each person was given 24 hours to think about the offer and decide if it was acceptable or not.  The only other option was unfortunately to lose their job.  A harsh choice, but a humane one.  All, but one opted in.

    HOW DID WE ADAPT TO A SITUATION THAT WENT ON FOR OVER 12 MONTHS?

    Guidelines and expectations were clearly laid out for each person, and within this framework due the challenge ahead our teamwork grew stronger.  To keep the atmosphere conducive to the goal of staying in business, we shared many ideas, developed new product as well as helping each other with the stress of what we were all going through by having some fun. The lack of knowing when this would all end led to feelings of inadequacy, dissatisfaction, fear and anger. Each one of us experienced some or all of these emotions at different times as we went on our own journey, but together, through the Kubler-Ross change curve.

    Time was used wisely in clearing out, streamlining and improving systems and most importantly building a close-knit team of people who supported each other, laughed together and relieved each other of stress that we all suffered in our day-to-day life.

    WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR A LEADER TO SUCCEED THROUGH THESE TIMES? 

    In my own personal experience, it takes a level head, a strong sense of intuition, the ability to listen to your team and listen to your heart.  Keeping the goal in mind is important.  Listening, guiding and directing, encouraging, supporting, trusting, nurturing and empathising both yourself and individual team members.

    It is important to be grounded and realistic with yourself through self-nurturing, avoiding the frustration and perhaps anger that surrounds a decrease in your own productivity, roller-coaster emotions and the new balancing act required to live up to all responsibilities in new and very different working conditions.

    Seven actions in working with customers during a crisisWHAT ABOUT THE CUSTOMER?

    In all economic crises there will be companies on both ends of the continuum, those that do extremely well as demand for their products increases overnight and those companies that go bankrupt.  Perhaps they were unable to make changes fast enough?  Perhaps they already had market or cash flow What actions should you take when working with customers during a crisis? Having lived successfully through two previous crises, I’m sharing the actions which are valuable and, more often than not, well-received.issues or other internal difficulties, that made them more vulnerable to the harshness of the situation.  Additionally, in the same scenario, there are new opportunities and those that see them, take the risk, and grab the opportunity will leap into action to make the most of the situation either during the crisis or once everything has resumed.

    Under the current lockdown circumstances, the promotion of training as a service is now is out of the question, only falling on anxious or deaf ears whilst everything is so unclear.  Of course, this will change at some point and the point is to be ready.   Customer support at this time is still important, but it is more moral support than providing a service. In my experience the following actions are valuable and more often than not well-received:

    1. Provide moral support by calling to genuinely enquire how your clients are doing with no intention of promoting anything.  Simply to understand and lend a sympathetic ear, should it be necessary.
    2. Benefit clients and potential clients through developing new products and services that can be of value when circumstances change, anticipating that many budgets will be slashed.
    3. Provide grounding and a safe place to act as a sounding board for your clients who need someone neutral to talk to in order to share thoughts, challenges and emotions.
    4. Join in virtual networking events to meet new people and share knowledge of what some of your clients are doing that might be useful for those people in their current situation, observing GDPR.
    5. Introduce your clients to other people, who you think might be a useful contact.
    6. Share with clients, when the opportunity arises to inform about what you are working on, thus increasing awareness for when the situation changes.
    7. Remain positive by avoiding exposure to negative news and people who drain valuable energy, thus being able to show the light ahead to those that might be struggling to see it.

     

    To book Rachel to speak at your event, please contact Rachel directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton, Founder of Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health is a leadership trainer, medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in corporate health through face-to-face, on-line and e-learning development solutions.

    For more information contact Rachel on rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

  • Is Your Office Ready to Accept Clients and Team Members?

    I recently went into the City of London for a business meeting. The meeting was held on the client’s premises, the same premises I have visited on numerous occasions prior to the onset of SARS-Cov2 and the implications of lockdown.

    On entering the office building I was taken aback when I was greeted by an x-ray machine just on the inside of the main entrance glass doors. Walking on auto pilot, I didn’t realise it was there until faced by several masked gentlemen who requested to know where I was going. For a very short moment, I honestly thought I had auto-piloted myself into the wrong building. Infact it was the right building, just that a highly sensitive company had moved into the same office block hence the x-ray machine for their visitors. With a sigh of relief, I took the lift to where I was going and exited on the appropriate floor. Going through the doors I was greeted by a dark reception, the absence of a happy, smiling receptionist, no smell of coffee being brewed and no fresh flowers. There were boxes stacked up on the floor that were clearly visible to visitors. Strange, is this company moving office or closing down, I thought to myself?

    While waiting, through further observation, it seemed that the place hadn’t been dusted for some time, the TV was not on and the newspaper on the table was dated 8th  December 2021. Is that the last time anyone was here? After what seemed an age of sitting in the dark, the person I was meeting appeared. He didn’t seem to notice the absence of light, absence of the receptionist or the absent usual pleasant smell of fresh coffee. I guess we were both lucky that the heating was on!

    Our meeting proceeded with my almost immediate question – “Are you moving office?” The quizzical response said it all “Why do you ask?” With the invitation I shared my observations. He explained that most people were not back yet to working in the office, but that planning was underway to make the transition for those that want to return. Our meeting continued and afterwards as it was close to the end of the working day, we left together.

    Why do I raise this as a point of interest and importance?

    As this company is one of my clients, I felt it would be remiss of me not to highlight the impression of the lack of “warmth” when entering the reception and how it impacted my perception, and what effect that might have on any future relations, especially if I was a client. Probably in all fairness it started with the x-ray machine heightening my awareness from that point on.

    All the factors described when combined gave me the impression that the company is either closing down or moving office. If I had been a potential client, I might have decided then and there that this company is not stable and therefore would not engage with the services on offer. Worst case scenario that I would actually leave before arrival of the person I am meeting with.

    Most of us are still experiencing nervousness about meeting others and for many, going back to the office is a big step. Consequently, the main focus appears to be on the workforce where and how they would like to work, contracts that support the chosen approach and in doing this keeping the morale high to ensure good continuous service to clients, maintain productivity and ensure consistent flow of revenue.

    According to the conversation with my client this was exactly what was happening in their company and because of this focus, the thought that clients might come to the office had not entered into the discussion, therefore planning to meet and greet appropriately. Sounds strange, but easy to make this mistake, when your trusted receptionist does not want to come back to working in the office combined with the fact that most of us have not seen a client or colleague in person for approximately two years!

    This reminds me of pre-opening processes for the many hotels I was privileged to plan and conduct pre-opening training to support the overall complex process of building, fitting out, stocking and opening a new or newly renovated hotel. Remembering all the things that are taken for granted and that are easily overlooked if no one has it in their sights or Peter thinks that Paul is responsible and Paul thinks that Sara will take care of it when in the end, no one does.

    Perhaps broader internal communication amongst colleagues and external communication with customers is needed at this time? This would be further supported by a simple checklist of actions (at the risk of sounding old!) to ensure the image you want to present not only to external, but internal customers with nominated responsible persons, is agreed.

    Reducing anxiety and creating that feeling of being welcome is as important for team members at this time as it is for customers and clients. Taking a few moments to switch the lights on, start the coffee machine, strategically place some fresh flowers and being there to greet returning colleagues and customers goes a long way to creating a pleasant, calm atmosphere and lasting positive impression.

     

     

  • Leaders are Like Gardeners

    We think about and refer to leaders in many ways – good, bad, poor indifferent, charismatic, dynamic, legendary, but have you ever thought that leaders are like gardeners? Let me explain.

    What or who is a gardener – someone who prepares the earth, plants seeds, nurtures those seeds as they grow to become young tender seedlings and later fully grown plants that bear fruit, whether berries, kale, courgettes, apples, pears or flowers. The goal is always to create the right environment to help the plant, whatever it is, grow and flourish. Plants like people are individual and some will bear fruit, some will have an off year, because the environment is not right, while others will simply keep on growing and producing so long as the environment is right and they have plenty of food. You can probably now see where I am going with this and why we can refer to leaders as gardeners.

    As with gardeners there are good ones and not so good ones. Leaders are no different.

    An effective leader will create the right environment for each person to grow and flourish being mindful that the overall environment is the same for everyone whether experienced or inexperienced. Into that environment they plant the seeds, nurture them, again being mindful that some need more nurturing in order to help them establish themselves within the environment and to grow. Nurturing with compassion, care and attention, support and direction that is just right for each person. As a gardener you would not put fresh horse manure on your roses, why? It is too strong and would kill the plant. On the contrary, put on to a more hardy plant such as an apple tree that manure would probably be perfect. I’m not suggesting for one minute that horse manure is a good way of helping employees grow, but what I am suggesting is that people are different and need an approach that is suitable and brings out the best in them. Leaders need to understand that each employee requires an individual approach to become established and then with the correct nurturing are able to flourish and grow.

    When flowers start to open and blossom, the gardener probably stands back and admires his or her work, remaining attentive to any changes in the plant or the environment and reacting appropriately to that. When winter comes, protecting the plant is a priority to help it survive? Is this not the same for people? Sometimes winter appears in the form of curve balls that life throws at us causing us to temporally lose our way. An effective leader, because they care, will notice the change and provide the support and guidance to that employee helping them weather the cold, a time when they are at their most vulnerable.

    Gardeners know that the roots, make the fruits and if not spending enough time and appropriate effort into establishing those roots, the plant will not survive. It is the same with leadership. Expecting a new member of the team to thrive from the first day, without appropriate “planting”, even if an experienced person is farcical. Just think back to your first day in a different organisation. How comfortable were you? Did you end the first day feeling nervous, but positive that you had made the right choice of company, or did your heart sink with dread because you realised that you had made a grave mistake and that this was not what you expected. Had you known you would not have taken the job?

    The first three months of any new job is difficult for most of us as we try to find our way around the building, the people and who does what, the job itself and the challenges that this creates as well as finding someone who could be a “good” person to get to know. At this time the role of any leader is to ensure this seed, the employee is planted in fertile soil and that he/she will grow to be strong and healthy.

    It is estimated that loss of new recruits within the first three months of employment in UK companies is approximately 5%. Can you imagine as a gardener losing 5% of your crop, garden or allotment during the planting and establishing period? Losing people is much more costly in recruitment costs, training costs (if there was any), hours spent on administration to onboard each person etc.

    Is it time that your leaders become gardeners and put all their focus into creating the right environment, a fertile ground, tending each seed carefully while they establish and grow stronger and then providing the right nourishment to watch each seed grow into a strong plant that flourishes and bears fruit. That “fruit” being consistency, productivity, achievement of goals and ultimately profitability.

    According to a CIPD report, “A good retention rate range is 90 percent or higher. Industries with the highest retention rates include government, finance, insurance, and education, while the lowest rates can be seen in the hotel, retail, and food industries.” This would include the first three months of employment. In reality the churn rate according to a CIPD report is approximately 35%. This cannot solely be blamed on poor leadership, nevertheless leaders and managers have a huge influence on how long someone stays in their job. Below is the breakdown from a recent study conducted by the CIPD on churn rates in 2022. As seen here the first three months is critical, even extending up to six months with the potential of losing 10.5% of newly recruited talent within the first six months.

    https://community.cipd.co.uk/cipd-blogs/b/cipd_voice_on/posts/why-staff-turnover-data-matters

    What gardener would be happy with the loss of 10.5% of the potential crop at the 3-6 month point? Probably no gardener, not only because of losing the crop, but because unless you are planting and growing in a greenhouse, in the UK you have to wait another six months before being able to plant again, losing the crop for that year. A question springs to mind – How long does it take to recruit a new person into the now vacant position?

    The answer lies in the position you are recruiting for, the level of skill needed and how abundant these skills and talents are in the marketplace. Surely it is common sense to encourage your leaders to be gardeners so that the loss of new talent joining your organisation is minimal.

    For more information on Leadership training with Green Key Personal Development, book a call here.

     

  • How compatible is your company motto with decisions that affect customer loyalty?

    Continuing the airline theme by taking a look at our own national airline in terms of the company motto and how poor decisions within the organisation affect customer loyalty.  As seen on the Ba.com website:

    “At British Airways our promise of ‘To Fly. To Serve’ embodies who we are and what we do. We want to ensure our promise extends beyond our everyday operation and that our commitment is one that lasts. To do that we have one overarching goal: Responsible Flying.”

    Taking this “promise” of “We fly to serve”, further, I have been flying one route for the last 20 years with BA at least 5-6 times per year, not to mention other flights to other destinations. I believe I have been a fairly loyal customer and I am qualified to comment on how this motto of “Fly to Serve” has changed in service delivery on this particular route, and how that has affected my loyalty.

    Today, on this flight, which is approximately 3.5 hours there have been several changes, all of which have occurred in the last 12-18 months:

    • From being served a hot meal, offered hot and cold drinks there is now no food, no drink or snack unless you want to buy it from the M&S menu.
    • The ticket price has gone up considerably and for the last two flights on this same route, I took another airline. All be it not a direct flight, but the price was more than 50% less!  And I got a meal on one and a sandwich on the other together with a hot or cold drink of my choice.
    • Interest of the cabin crew has decreased considerably.  The last flight I was on the crew served the M&S food to those who wanted it and then sat at the back of the plane and talked loudly to each other for the rest of the flight.  I don’t want to hear what stewardesses do in their spare time with their children, husbands and dogs, or any other thing they want to discuss!
    • If I fly hand luggage only, I either have to pay extra to choose my seat when checking in 24-hours before or sit where my seat is allocated, hence having to listen to the cabin crew discussion!

    Further reflecting on “Fly to Serve”, I am encouraged to earn Avios points thus the more I earn, the more loyalty I am giving to the airline.  Fair enough, and a winner for both parties.   Using my earned points was, I believe, to be a reward to be able to use them on a future flight.  As this is a loyalty programme, why then am I penalized for being loyal?  I recently redeemed some of my Avios points for a long weekend in a European city.  Being only a long weekend, I don’t require much luggage, and therefore flying hand luggage is reasonable.  As usual I check in on line 24-hours before to do just that – check in and print my boarding pass making the whole experience easier for BA and myself as I self-organise for the flight.  To my surprise, using my points, I am again penalised as my option to choose my own seat, unless paying more has been removed.  Thus having to sit in the seat allocated.

    How does an organisation with the motto “We fly to serve” make such decisions that lead to giving with the right hand, which helps earn the airline revenue and loyalty, and then taking it away with the left?  Clearly these two policies are in conflict.  Where are the managers who are supposed to ensure a company provides consistent messages to its customers?  Messages that give the impression that customers are valued and we do care which is reasonable with such a company motto?

    What is the affect of these decisions?    As I have free will and the possibility to choose who I fly with, it is clear that most of us would prefer to fly with an airline that actually values its customers and serves them in the fullest sense of the word.  Where the experience on board is safe, friendly and efficient and the rules for one passenger in the same class are the same as for all passengers, whether travelling hand luggage or with hold baggage.   Most importantly, I am welcomed and rewarded for my loyalty.

    It is a shame that the motto is no longer delivering its promise due to poor managerial decision-making, but I guess we can be thankful that at least the “flying” part is still being delivered!

  • How to Take Responsibility of Your Life

    Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.”

    How does this phrase reflect what is meant by ‘taking responsibility’?

    As defined by the English Oxford dictionary, responsibility is:

    • The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. Example: “a true leader takes responsibility for their team and helps them achieve goals”.
    • The state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something. Example “the group has claimed responsibility for the vandalism of …..”

    RESPONSIBILITY IMPACTS RELATIONSHIPS

    By definition there is an understanding that responsibility lies with an individual or a group/team.  Responsibility whether you take it or not has a direct impact on relationships – can you be relied on to do what you say you will do, and therefore, is there trust in that relationship?

    Responsibility in one’s personal life is the same as in a business world, whoever you might be – husband, wife, mother, friend, subordinate, manager or leader.  Each one of these roles, and many others, encompasses the need to take responsibility for what you are doing, or what you have done. Firstly being answerable to yourself and secondly to others involved in the commitment to do something.

    HOW IS TAKING AND SHOWING RESPONSIBILITY MANIFESTED?

    We show our ability to take responsibility:

    • By doing what we say we will do.  Not only that, but by doing it by the agreed time.
    • By admitting we have made a mistake, if indeed that is the case, and not blaming someone or something for the mistake.  Being honest with yourself and admitting a mistake, means you can learn from it and move on. 

    Just because no one takes responsibility for the mistake does not mean the mistake did not happen.   Spending time and energy blaming someone else for the problem is counter-productive to empowering others as well as the end result.

    How to take responsibility of your life4 TIPS TO TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

    TIP 1.  DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO AND BY WHEN YOU SAY YOU WILL DO IT.

    What happens if you committed to doing something and unforeseen circumstances occur, meaning you will not be able to deliver as agreed?

    Of course, life throws curve balls at us on occasions, which lead to circumstances that we firstly did not seek, and secondly do not want.  Such circumstances are seldom the norm, and if you are a reliable, responsible person, this can be handled by explaining the situation and agreeing a “Plan B” once you know that you cannot deliver.  Do not delay, thus limiting the opportunity for the other party in finding an alternative solution in a timely manner.

    TIP 2.  TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR MISTAKES, RATHER THAN CASTING BLAME

    Considering responsibility from a leader’s perspective is no different to responsibility in our personal lives, with the exception that we are part of and therefore committed to a team, thus having responsibility to each and every team member.

    Responsible leaders develop trust through doing what they say they will do and taking the blame; by admitting your performance is the reason why the team has not succeeded, rather than looking for someone to blame.  An effective leader will take responsibility for the mistake and admit he or she did not prepare enough, give enough guidance, or support, etc…

    Leaders are the ones who have ultimate responsibility for decisions taken, whether right or wrong.  President Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk in the Oval Office with  “The Buck Stops Here”.  This phrase refers to the fact that the President had to accept the ultimate responsibility for decisions taken in his team.

    TIP 3. EMPOWER YOUR TEAM TO SHARE THE RISKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

    Empowerment of people goes a little further by expanding on the notion of taking responsibility.  A leader who is able to create an empowerment culture within the team and the organisation, gives out responsibility and power.  “Empowerment is the creation of an organisational climate that releases the knowledge, experience and motivation that reside in people.” (Ken Blanchard, Leading at a Higher Level)

    Empowering subordinates is easier said than done for many reasons, including subordinates themselves misinterpreting the term “empowerment”, often mistaking it for freedom to work as they please whilst making decisions around their own job.  Empowerment requires direct reports to embrace the freedom and in doing so participate fully in sharing risks and responsibilities.  This commitment to increased responsibility to achieve full empowerment engages direct reports and gives them a sense of fulfillment, ultimately leading to greater organisation performance.

    Does empowering others to take responsibility really work?

    There are numerous organisation studies that demonstrate the benefits of empowerment including an increase in return on sales between companies that empower and companies that do not empower.  Edward E. Lawler III, Professor of Business at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, found the difference to be 10.3% versus 6.3% increase on return of sales.

    TIP 4. AS A DIRECT REPORT, COMMIT TO TAKING A FULL SHARE OF THE RISKS AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES.

    “In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape our ourselves.  The process never ends until we die.  And the choices we make are our own responsibility.”  ~ Eleanor Roosevelt 

     

    References:

    Oxford English Dictionary

    Leading at a Higher Level, Ken Blanchard

    Edward E. Lawler III, Professor of Business at the University of Southern California

    Originally published on Up Journey May 29 2019  https://upjourney.com/ways-to-take-responsibility-for-your-life 

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • Is Your Customer Service Roadworthy? Fixing the ‘System’ That Leaves Drivers Stranded

    Imagine you're driving to an early morning networking event. You're navigating a familiar stretch of road, only to find it partially flooded. Your wheels are cautiously floating in the water until a massive clunk vibrates through your vehicle. A pothole strikes your front tyre. Fifteen minutes later, the tyre pressure light flashes on the dash—it’s the exact tyre that hit the hole.

    Your journey turns into a test of your insurance provider's customer service. Four calls later, you’re emotionally drained, late for your meeting, and grappling with a system that feels anything but helpful.

    Here’s what went wrong—and what any service-focused company should fix.

    1. Stress and the Human Touch Matter

    When you're stranded roadside, you're not just inconvenienced—you’re anxious and vulnerable. A chatbot or digital form may be efficient, but it cannot soothe emotions. Empathy from a trained person does. Empower your customer-facing team to accelerate the conversation, not deflect it. Listening and reassurance under stress aren’t just niceties—they build trust.

    2. Inclusivity Isn’t Optional

    What if your stranded customer is elderly, dyslexic, or managing a crying child? Digital-first policies may exclude and exacerbate stress—no one wants to complete a fiddly form in that scenario. Customer support systems must be designed for all customers, not just the digitally savvy.

    3. Digital Claims Must Be Trustworthy

    I was told booking online would speed up recovery—but had to be pushed repeatedly. How can you enforce digital-first when your system doesn't work reliably? If you're encouraging online use, it must deliver—or risk destroying trust. Transparency and reliability are everything.

    4. One Task Shouldn’t Mean Four Harrowing Calls

    My experience required four calls and an hour of stress to accomplish what should’ve been simple. That’s not efficiency—it’s friction. Test your processes under real-world conditions. Use approaches like “Appreciative Inquiry” to identify pain points by engaging both customers and frontline staff.

    5. Systems vs. Human Connection

    These issues disproportionately expose two core truths:

    • Your service system must be built for diverse customers under pressure.
    • At times, customers need human connection over automation.

    Your team should know when to streamline via digital tools—and when a human voice is the shortest path to relief.

    6. Empower Your Team—and Your Business Wins

    Training, empathy, and autonomy aren’t just inside baseball—they’re strategic levers. According to Forrester, customer-obsessed companies enjoy:

    • 28% faster revenue growth
    • 33% higher profit growth
    • 43% better customer retention
    • Digital Commerce 360
    • Kate Smiley-Rodgers

    Embedding customer obsession into operations is not a buzzword—it’s a powerhouse growth engine. .Forrester https://www.forrester.com/bold/customer-obsession/ Kate Smiley-Rodgers https://www.krosecreative.com/blog/the-b2b-flight-to-customer-obsession-is-taking-o

    Final Thoughts

    Being stranded on the side of the road shouldn’t expose flaws in your customer service DNA. A system should adapt to your customer—not force them into frustration.

    Empathy, flexibility, and empowerment aren’t just ideals—they’re the backbone of loyalty and business momentum. As a result of this experience, I'm unlikely to renew with this insurer—and I’ve already shared my frustration with friends.

    Call to Action: This isn’t about slapping a chatbot on your website. It's about embedding empathy into every system, every channel, every interaction. Fix the process. Train the people. Empower your frontline—and watch commitment, trust, and profit follow.

  • Building Loyal Customers from Dissatisfied Customers

    One of the biggest areas that I address with my customers through training and development of personnel is building and maintaining customer rapport and loyalty, whether that be from the very first contact with the customer or at any other stage in the customer journey, including when the customer is not happy with your services.

    Assuming that everyone is in agreement with maintaining customers and building loyalty, rather than looking for new customers to replace them, what needs to take place when a customer complains? Here are two scenarios:

    Scenario 1

    Customer: “Good afternoon, Mr X, I am calling about the recent holiday my wife and I went on which was organized and reserved through Sun Travel.”

    Agent: “Good afternoon Mr X, how may I help you?”

    Customer: “We have returned from our holiday and can only say that it was a complete and utter disaster from start to finish.  The flight out was delayed, not your fault, but still not a good start!  The hotel was overbooked so we were re-booked into a hotel down the road, at best was 2*.  Our tour guide spoke little English and appeared to only be interested in going home.  From here it does not get any better!”

    Agent: “Oh why didn’t you tell us before coming back and we would have sorted this out?  Now there is very little that we can do! I will put you through to my manager.”

    Scenario 2

    Customer: “Good afternoon, Mr X, I am calling about the recent holiday my wife and I went on which was organized and reserved through Sun Travel.”

    Agent: “Good afternoon Mr X, how may I help you?”

    Customer: “We have returned from our holiday and can only say that it was a complete and utter disaster from start to finish.  The flight out was delayed, not your fault, but still not a good start!  The hotel was overbooked so we were re-booked into a hotel down the road, at best was 2*.  Our tour guide spoke little English and appeared to only be interested in going home.  From here it does not get any better!”

    Agent: “Mr X, this is extremely disturbing to hear.  I am so sorry for everything you have been through, and to be quite honest, very surprised!  Certainly we would have liked the opportunity to solve these issues whilst you were still on holiday, however that is not possible now as I understand you have already returned?

    What I am going to do is firstly call the hotel to find out what happened and then to discuss this with my manager to find a solution, which sadly will not be as good as if you were still on location in Spain.  Mr X, please give me until tomorrow morning latest to come back to you?

    What are the main differences between these scenarios?

    Level of listening – in scenario 1, we see selective listening which means we are listening for what we want to hear.  In scenario 2 – empathetic listening, which shows the relevant concern, interest and empathy to the customer.

    Empathetic listening gives the customer the understanding that you firstly have heard, secondly that you care and thirdly that you want to solve the issue and that you care about your customers.  Selective listening means you only want to hear the information that you can use to support your own argument and in this case almost blames the customer for not informing Sun Travel whilst still on holiday.

    Authority level – In the first scenario the agent is very quick to hand over the problem to the manager and abdicate any responsibility.  In the second scenario we see that the agent is confident, assertive and keen to sort out the situation, and has decided to discuss everything further with his/her manager once all information has been gathered. The situation was not simply escalated to the manager, showing an understanding of how to solve customer problems as well as some authority for the decision.  These two points help to put the customer at ease, giving time to do this thoroughly.

    Giving out authority to handle customer complaints confidently and competently is vital to building customer loyalty, giving the customer a feeling that they are in the right hands and will be looked after. To give out authority means training team members on what is expected of them when a customer complains and what is their jurisdiction in terms of financial compensation they can give before having to escalate the decision to the next level.

  • 5 Ways to Create a Great Customer Experience

    Great customer service and a great customer experience is the foundation to any business.  It does not matter whether you are in the frontline serving customers or not.  Any member of a team is always either serving the customer directly or serving someone who is serving the customer.  The Ritz-Carlton company motto perfectly sums this up “We are ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen.”  In other words, there is no difference between the real guest coming from outside and buying products and services and an internal guest – a fellow team member.  Offering a level of service that wow’s the customer has to come from every corner and every level of the company.  It is like an orchestra, everyone has to play their part, in time, to the correct standard to present a well-orchestrated piece of music that creates maximum enjoyment for each and every audience member.  When the orchestra is playing well customers want more of the same and will bring friends along with them, thus organically growing your business.

    It is normal and natural that customers will be annoyed when a product or service does not meet their expectations. However, the way it is handled will either build loyalty to the brand and company, or completely destroy that relationship, losing that customer and potentially several more depending on who they tell.  In today’s world in most situations the customer has a choice, if they do not get what they are seeking in the holistic sense with you, they will go elsewhere.

    5 ways to create a great customer experienceCustomers who love your company, not because necessarily the product is the very best, but because your personnel know the customer and make them feel individual and welcome in each and every interaction, irrelevant of who serves them.  Customers who receive this level of service will always be loyal, giving you whatever business they can within their remit.  Not only that, if something slips in the product, when the service is consistently exceptional, and the mistake addressed in the same manner, they will in most cases overlook the product issues and give a second chance to allow you to get it right. This is the foundation to a strong and loyal customer base.

    Just as important, personnel who enjoy working with customers get so much more with each interaction, which increases their level of job satisfaction ultimately leading to an inspired happy and joyful workforce who want to be at work and who in turn share this joy with everyone else in their lives, including your customers.

    We have all had times either in a store, or online, when we’ve had a very poor customer experience. Since the onset of Corona virus, sadly these experiences are increasing, individual staff members very often hiding behind the phrase “Because of Covid we cannot do……….” it is incredible what the onset of Covid has enabled companies to get away with?  I have heard the excuses of “I can’t send a rescue truck, (to collect a car that has broken down), because of Covid”, “Because of Covid chicken is off the menu.” In my local supermarket when asking for the customary coffee, the response was “We have not been serving coffee since Covid.” Interesting that I can buy a coffee in Costa, Starbucks, and the many other coffee shops and wagons, but coffee in the supermarket, which by the way, I serve myself by putting a cup under the machine and pressing the button, cannot be supplied because of Covid?  Previously a member of the team would clean the machine, therefore there is no extra manning requirement here!

    Do these companies, honestly think that their customers are so misinformed as to accept these and many other excuses used to hide behind and cover up the real issue of either staff shortages, poor training, lack of leadership or using Covid as an excuse to reduce manning levels?  Surely now, more than ever is the time to make customer service a priority?

    WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN PUT IN PLACE TO GIVE THE CUSTOMER A GREAT EXPERIENCE?

    The following 5 things are for me the foundation to creating a great customer experience over and over for each and every customer that builds a loyal customer base which in turn results in a happier, healthier workforce who share a willingness to do a good job for you, all of which translates into decreased absenteeism and increased profitability:

    BE GENUINE WITH ALL YOUR CUSTOMERS

    Of course, we all want to front our company in a positive and successful light.  However, that does not stop every employee being genuine and showing the unique person that they are and using those qualities to serve customers, intuitively linking with customer feelings and emotions and responding in an appropriate manner.  Having service standards is of course important, but only to the point that they do not create robots. As far as I am aware, no one wants to be served by a robot?  Admit mistakes, accept them, apologise genuinely and find the best solution to correct the situation.

    WORK WITH AND THROUGH YOUR PERSONNEL

    Train all team members about the importance of the customer, both internal and external, and give them the autonomy to be individual and shine in each and every customer interaction, going that extra mile not because they were told to, but because they want to.  Provide the parameters to empower them to take things into their own hands to support their customers.  When they do go that extra mile, support them and give praise and recognition. Share each example as an inspiration and form of encouragement for other team members. 

    My logistics manager, without any direction from me, used to call the customers randomly simply to say “Hello, and ask how they are.”  I had no idea about this until one day one of my customers told me how much they enjoy the calls from Andre.  On enquiring what the calls were about I was informed “Oh, just about saying hello!”  I grew several inches from the pride that I felt at that moment.

    LIVE AND SHARE THE COMPANY VALUES

    Ensure that each and every team member understands how to apply company values in their day-to-day life so that the values live, and there is no disconnect between what the company publishes and what is actually adopted in practice.  Ask employees to share what these values mean for them as well as giving examples of how they might apply them through their work. Encourage them to do just that to make the words come to life and have meaning and consistency for internal and external customers alike. 

     Employees who feel a part of and are able to align their own values with the company are more self-confident, feel connected to the overall team, and more comfortable in taking steps that perhaps before they would not have done without this knowledge.

    FIND YOUR TEAM MEMBERS DOING SOMETHING WELL

    It is human nature to be quick to see the negative, what has not been done, what was done poorly, being late, missing deadlines, shoddy work and so on.  Noticing the small things as well as the large things done well and giving the recognition each and every person in your team deserves, goes a very long way to building a positive, loyal team and strong company culture.  In my book, there is no such thing as a bad employee, only bad management!

    LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND “WALK YOUR TALK”

    Get out there on the front line and be with your personnel. Get feedback from your them on what is working well, what is not and how they think it can be improved.  Where suggestions are reasonable, act on them and make it known to other team members whose idea it was and why it is being implemented. For suggestions not implemented give an explanation so that the person does not think you are simply paying “lip-service” or doing a tick-box exercise in simply asking the question, with no intention of doing anything about the response. Talk to your customers, showing every employee that the customer is important and that you are not afraid to communicate with them and to hear what they have to say, whether good or bad.

    In 30 odd years of working with customers in restaurants, hotels, my own companies and as a trainer of customer service, of course there are many other things that I can add to this list, but starting here will create a very strong foundation.  In the words of Tony Hsieh now retired CEO of Zappos, “Customer service shouldn’t just be a department, it should be the entire company.”

     

    NEED HELP WITH YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS? TRY OUR CUSTOMER FOCUSSED COMMUNICATION E-LEARNING COURSE!

  • 6 Reasons Why it is Important to Include Game-Based Learning in Your Content

    A Guest Post by Shaheen Sajan

    Can gamification make learning more meaningful or should we brace ourselves for a new wave of e-Learning courses diluted of any substance?  Here are 6 reasons why Gamification is not just a passing fad or trend and why it is here to stay. 

    1. A CARROT INSTEAD OF A STICK

    When it all comes down to it, gamification is really about motivation.  You can always motivate someone with the stick approach and the threat of failing.  Or you can take the Swedish National Society for Road Safety’s carrot approach that applied gamification principles to road safety.  Remarkably, they found a way to make it fun to drive below the speed limit by awarding safe drivers with lottery tickets. 

    2. NOT JUST FUN AND GAMES

    When a new concept is introduced to e-Learning, it’s only natural for people to try to make sense of what it means and to want to understand how it works.  One misconception with gamification is that it means we are adding games to our e-Learning modules that detract from the main topic to be learnt. 

    Gamification does not have to involve games.  In fact, some of the best uses of it so far have had no games whatsoever.  It is interactive learning with a goal.  Now you’re probably thinking; ‘well quizzes do that already.’ What is different between traditional e-Learning quizzes and a gamified quiz is the competitive element. 

    The principles of gamification are widely linked to Game Theory.  Any non-mathematician who watched Russel Crowe’s a Beautiful mind knows Game Theory explains why we make the choices we do based on our perceived probability of success. 

    As you will recall, there were no games in that movie but the principles of gaming and game theory are somewhat linked by the desire to succeed.  Gamification simply takes the best elements of games and applies them to learning to make it more engaging.

    3. COMPETITION IS HEALTHY

    Quizzes are an essential building block of e-Learning courses. For the competitive animal, quizzes can be boring when you are only competing against yourself.  Sure, you can earn bragging rights but who else will   really care that you answered 95% of the questions correctly other than someone who is taking the same class?  Here’s a lesson you don’t have to learn the hard way; bragging to people not taking the same course just doesn’t work and in fact it is a recipe for social disaster and dateless Saturdays! 

    This is why leader-boards make sense.  Depending on the LMS you choose, you can set up leader-boards where all course participants can compete against each other.  You get to see who is on the top percentile and where you fall in comparison.  It is this type of healthy competition that motivates a participant to do better and achieve great results. Studies show that 89% of participants would be more engaged in an e-Learning application if it had a point-system. 

    Being mindful not to ostracize underperformers, there should always be a button that asks participants if they would like their results to be published or not.

    Why it is important to include game-based learning in your content4. CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS

    Can gamification make learning more meaningful or should we brace ourselves for a new wave of e-learning courses diluted of any substance? here are 6 reasons why gamification is not just a passing fad or trend, and why it is here to stay.

    It’s always good practice to recognize anyone who is working hard and achieving good results.  When e-Learning is gamified and a user performs well, they can be awarded with a badge or an endorsement that is linked with their profile. 

    Collecting badges motivates users to learn more and earn more.  Let’s say you are teaching a communications course.  You can use gamification to award badges along the way such as: good situational judgement, empathetic listener or communicator extraordinaire.  These endorsements can then be used by the user to market themselves and their skills, creating a win-win situation. 

    5. MAKE LEARNING ADDICTIVE

    When it’s gamified, the goal is to learn but the methods used are designed to motivate the user.  One simple example of this that works incredibly well is vocabularly.com.  I’m sure I’m not the only person who tried to read the dictionary when they were a kid thinking we would have a great vocabulary at the end.  I don’t know about you, but I gave up just after aardvark (ˈärd-ˌvärk) when I realized how boring the dictionary was. 

    Along comes vocabularly.com and suddenly reading the dictionary becomes fun and highly addictive.  Vocabulary.com often has amusing definitions, not as amusing as those of the dirty minded urban dictionary, but they are certainly funny enough to be memorable.  Now here comes the gamified part.  You get to build a vocabulary list and the site generates a quiz or you can take one of their generic quizzes such as the top 1000 words and compete against users worldwide.  The last I checked, the top of the leader-board was some guy in India who had an English vocabulary of 1,341,365 words.  Thanks to gamification, the user is learning and for the first time ever, reading the dictionary is fun. 

    6. BOOST RETENTION

    When done right, gamification makes learning fun rather than an onerous chore. Frank Farral, leader partner at Deliotte said: “If you can gamify the process, you are rewarding the behaviour and it’s like a dopamine release in the brain. Humans like a game.” 

    Gamification encourages the user to experiment and discover what they think they need to learn. It puts them in the driver’s seat of learning.  The science behind it is when they are having fun while learning, those ‘feel-good’ endorphins are released which make the user excited because they are achieving something.  It is this excitement that makes them more motivated and makes learning more memorable. 

    It is the precise point when they stop becoming passive observers and become active participants that the knowledge you need them to retain gets stored in their long-term memory, right where you want it.

    TO SUM IT UP

    Gamification is not a buzzword but a useful technique to engage your learners, motivate them, and boost retention of your content whether individual e-Learning, virtual training or face-to-face training in groups. 

     

    To find out more about how Green Key can design interactive e-Learning courses, contact Rachel directly.