Foster Professionalism to Build Your Business
Improve Service through a Culture of Professionalism
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the lack of good customer service in business today. Blogs, websites, even books relate customer service nightmares that make you wonder how some companies survive. Author Glenn Shepard diagnoses it as an “epidemic of incompetence,” and in his book How to Be the Employee Your Company Can’t Live Without, he describes enough bad customer service experiences that occurred in just one week to show that incompetence truly abounds.
But, such offenses don’t only occur on the part of ground-level service workers. A crisis in customer service seems to range from the top to the bottom of many companies. The recently reported story of a CEO who inadvertently replied directly back to a customer complaint e-mail illustrates what can happen when bad customer service starts at the top. His careless mistake was multiplied by the bad attitude and poor customer service the e-mail conveyed, and the story that broke on a blog rose to national levels, with the likes of USA Today covering the incident. Now, hundreds of customers are voicing complaints of virtually nonexistent customer service at all levels of the organization.
When lack of professionalism starts at the top, it trickles down and creates a culture that doesn’t value or require excellent customer service. But at a time when global competition and economic uncertainty are increasing, now is the best time to focus on improving customer service. As Shepard says, “I can’t change people’s incompetence as a consumer, but I can choose to spend my money elsewhere.”
So, how can your create better customer service experiences for clients and customers? First, learn how to create a culture of professionalism, and you’ll be off to a good start. Focusing on these five areas can help you increase professionalism in your organization.
Appearance. Dress code is a sticky issue these days. Many organizations opt for all-out casual dress codes, but a growing number are realizing the importance of requiring professional dress. It may seem like a shallow place to start, but the truth is, the way you dress will set the tone for how you act and conduct yourself. Requiring employees to dress professionally sets the tone for a professional work environment.
Expectations. Expect the best no matter what. Setting expectations to accept nothing but the best work from everyone on your payroll is critical. Having a standard of excellence for work product and work ethic will require professionalism from every member of your team. Enforce these expectations through rewards and recognitions, highlighting only the best. Make sure that leaders at all levels of the organization are held accountable for modeling these expectations, starting from the very top.
Respect. Teach employees to respect other people’s values. This idea should permeate your organization, starting from within and working outwards. It’s important for co-workers to treat one another with respect, because how people are treated every day by those they work for and with will influence how they treat others – including clients, customers and prospects. Respecting people is a hallmark of professionalism that will serve your business well.
Conflict. Despite best efforts to value people and get along, conflict is certain to arise either within an organization or in dealing with clients and customers. That’s why it’s critical to teach conflict-management from the top down. Shepard recommends simply learning how to disagree respectfully.
Relationships. Encouraging employees to foster relationships with one another as well as with clients and customers is important to establishing a professional environment. That’s because it’s easier to respect and avoid conflict with people if you have a relationship to maintain. Instilling employees with an attitude that values people – internal and external to your organization – is the ultimate vestige of professionalism.
Remember, a culture of professionalism starts at the top. Business owners and leaders must first take the mantle of professionalism on themselves before they can pass it on to their employees. But, those that are successful in doing so build truly powerful, indispensable organizations.
‘Tis the Season for Managing Seasonal Workers
Five Tips for a Jolly Holiday Workforce
Recent reports say retailers will add up to 600,000 employees in the next two months to meet the demands of the holiday season. Though most retailers gear up staff by 5% during the holidays, some add up to 50% more workers. But, retail isn’t the only industry increasing staff. Customer service, hospitality, shipping, clerical, manufacturing and e-commerce will all ramp up staffing as the holidays approach.
Whether you’re doubling your workforce in size or adding on a few key hires, it’s important to properly manage seasonal workers to get the best value for your company. Here are five tips to make sure you get the most out of your seasonal staff.
1. Take time to plan. Planning is the first key step to hiring a seasonal workforce. Think about when your peak times will be so you can hire with enough time to train temporary workers. Also, consider when your permanent staff is planning to take holiday or vacation time so you can have temporary workers in place to keep your staff roster full.
2. Hire quality people. When hiring seasonal workers, it’s important to remember that even though they may be temporary, you should still hold them to the quality standards you look for in permanent employees. Seasonal workers who can come into your business, learn the ropes quickly and add value are often great candidates to hire full time later on. You may be able to use quality seasonal workers every high season. Often, the best candidates for permanent hire prove themselves during the sometimes trying times of seasonal work. Start by hiring the best, and you’ll be on your way to forming a great seasonal team
3. Train everyone. Nothing’s more frustrating than for a seasonal worker to join your team and not know what’s going on – both for management and the worker. Offer enough training for each new hire to be equipped to do their job well. Don’t forget to train temporary workers on workplace policies, procedures and safety requirements. Make sure all workers know how to use equipment and are aware of important things such as fire routes.
4. Give opportunities to key staff. When bringing on seasonal workers, tap into the resources you have in your existing staff by making them a key part of your training team. Consider a “buddy” training system that assigns each temporary worker with a permanent staff member to shadow or go to for questions if things get hectic. Not only will this help temporary workers get up to speed easily, the increased responsibility will also show your permanent workforce you value their contribution to the team.
5. Reward performance and attitude. Even though seasonal workers may not become a part of your permanent team, don’t skimp on rewarding excellent performance and good attitudes. Show the holiday spirit by offering performance bonuses and perks to outstanding temporary workers. Consider creating an award such as “Year’s Best Holiday Worker” to recognize outstanding contributions by your temporary staff. This not only motivates your seasonal workers to do their best, but it can also make you a preferred place to apply for seasonal work during the holidays and bring you the top quality candidates time and time again.
Remember, even though your seasonal workers may not be permanent members of your team, their contributions in getting your business though the holiday season are critical to your success. Use these tips to manage seasonal staff, and your holidays will be off to a bright, shining start.
Show Employees Your Appreciation
5 Creative Ways to Thank Your Team
As the holiday season approaches, most everyone begins to reflect on the past year and its accomplishments. The Thanksgiving holiday reminds us all to be grateful for the opportunities and successes we’ve had. At work, this means it’s the perfect time to thank your team for their contributions to your organization this year. Many companies offer year-end cash bonuses, gifts or other incentives to employees, which is a great way to reward individual performance. But the holiday season is also a great time to thank your team in a group setting, allowing members to share in each others’ successes. Here are five ideas for group activities you can use to thank your team as a whole for their efforts.
1. Thank you party.
Set aside a day or a few hours to gather your team for a thank you party. Beforehand, handwrite thank you notes for each team member, and present each with a package of thank you cards for them to use to pass along the thankful words to their fellow team members. Carve out some time in the day so they can express their thanks to one another in writing, enjoy snacks or a light meal, listen to music, and take a break from the normal grind. Then, collect everyone’s cards and distribute them to each team member at random points throughout the next week so they have an ongoing source of encouragement.
2. An afternoon at the movies.
Many workers spend a large majority of time with their co-workers, but most don’t spend much time with each other outside the office. Changing the stage of employee interactions can help team members form more solid relationships. Treat your team to the movies, and while you’re at it, spring for drinks and a snack. This small gesture will mean a lot to your team and is an easy way to say thanks for a job well done.
3. A breath of fresh air.
For workers who spend a lot of time indoors, a little change of
scenery and fresh air is a welcome retreat from the fluorescent lights of the office. Brisk fall weather is a great time for a team-building exercise at a ropes course. Or, consider hosting a picnic at a local park for a lunchtime thank you party if the weather permits.
4.
Dinner with the boss.
Invite every member of your team to your home for dinner or a Saturday afternoon cookout. Your team will appreciate the time and effort you put into the event. And, there’s just something inviting and meaningful about opening up your home to those who work for you.
5. Adopt a cause.
Nothing brings people together like giving to a common cause. If your team loves helping others, adopt a local charity or family in need this holiday season. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or give each team member one day off to help at your adopted charity during normal work hours. Or, raise money as a team and then go shopping together to buy gifts for a family or group in need of a little holiday cheer.
Using some of these ideas or coming up with a few of your own, you can thank your team for their contributions to your organization’s success this year. The extra effort and thought will go a long way in helping you make your workplace a preferred place to work and just might be the motivation your team needs to finish the year strong.
Employment Situation Summary
United States
Non-farm employmentrpse by 110,000 jobs in September, and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.7%. Click here for the most recent employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Major Industry Employment for September 2007
• Construction: - 14,000
• Manufacturing: - 18,000
• Retail Trade: - 5,000
• Professional & Business Services: + 21,000
• Educational & Health Services: + 44,000
• Leisure & Hospitality: + 35,000
• Government: + 37,000
Canada
In September, employment rose by 51,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate dropped to 5.9%, the rate lowest since 1974. Click here for the most recent employment report from the Statistics Canada.
Major Industry Employment for September 2007
• Construction: - 8,400
• Manufacturing: - 3,200
• Trade: - 28,300
• Transportation & Warehousing: + 12,700
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Leasing: + 4,100
• Professional, Scientific & Technical Services: + 17,700
• Business, Building & Support Services: + 3,800
• Educational Services: + 24,800
• Information, Culture & Recreation: + 8,500
•
Accommodation
and Food Services: + 4,600
• Public Administration: + 21,500
e-Xchange is a publication of Express Services, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2007.