Labor Day – ahhhhh! The last gasp of summer before we ready ourselves for falling leaves and chillier temperatures. It’s a day of rest in honor of all of us working folks. And, when you take a moment to think about it, Labor Day is such a lovely concept. It recognizes that we all need
Why Intent Matters in Customer Service
My neighbor’s little boy has a hilarious habit of doing silly things on video or in photos and then proclaiming, “I did it for the lolz!” I’ve thought of him many times over the past week when I’ve been on Twitter and read tweets that say things like: Give good customer service so that you’ll
Unsung Heroes in the Workplace. It’s time to start singing!
There are unsung heroes in the workplace and it’s time to start singing their praises. I once heard my friend and fellow speaker, Barbara Glanz, CSP, CPAE tell a story about showing appreciation for the person who was cleaning a public restroom. She talked about how the woman just lit up with pride. Barbara inspires
Employee Appreciation: A Thanksgiving Challenge
Whenever I ask an audience “what do you do for employee appreciation?” the first things I often hear relate to Pins, Pizza, Plaques and Parking Spaces. Awesome! Formal recognition and employee appreciation parties are a great start. However, your recognition becomes more meaningful when it’s specific and personalized. Your team members each want to know
Internal Customer Service: 7 Simple Thank You’s for Staff
At Red-Carpet Learning Systems, we are often asked if our concepts apply to internal customer service. The immediate answer is YES!! You’ve probably heard me say this, and I’ll say it again. The way to get an hourly employee who has never received red carpet customer service to give it is to, well, give it
Word-of-Mouth Marketing: What’s the Story of Your Business?
When it comes to word-of-mouth marketing, it’s imperative that you pay attention to the stories being told about your business. Last week I attended a storytelling camp run by Speaker, Storyteller and television personality Kelly Swanson.* My purpose for attending was to hone my skills and master the craft of professionally speaking. However, Kelly also got
Customer Delight Begins with Engaged Employees
In today’s marketplace, customers have more choices and louder voices than ever before. Hence, customer satisfaction may not be enough. Instead companies are striving to create customer delight. However, before you can delight your customers, you may need to take a look at your internal customers. Want Customer Delight? Involve your staff. Today’s employees want to
The Good Job Challenge: Peer-to-Peer Recognition
When was the last time you told your co-worker they were doing a good job? Often when we think about employee appreciation, we talk about it in terms of manager to direct report. However, peer-to-peer recognition can also help people stay motivated and focused on common goals. The good news is…. Peer-to-Peer recognition isn’t difficult.
Internal Customer Service: Part Two
In my last post about internal customer service the focus was on managers. In this post we’ll focus on delivering better customer service, co-worker to co-worker. The best workplaces are filled with people who support each other towards the achievement of common goals. “If you’re not serving the customer, your job is to serve someone
Internal Customer Service: Part One
We all know it’s important to roll out the red carpet for our customers, but what about our employees and co-workers? Delivering great internal customer service is critical if you want to ensure the long term success of your efforts to improve the client experience. Remember… Your customer service is only as good as your