What Is Your Main Job At Work?

JJ's (July '07) Tips in this issue:

1. What is Your Main Job at Work?
2. Favorite Quotes
3. Tele-Coaching & Tele-Mentoring

Use the following tips as training tools.

Present this situation to your group and brainstorm solutions together, or submit your own situation question to be answered in an upcoming newsletter.

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SITUATION QUESTION:
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In conference seminars I have asked management people sitting in my audiences if they have ever gone around their department or company and asked people (at random) this question. "What is your main job here?"

Everyone said they had not asked that specific question, so I suggested they go back to their companies and ask, without saying anything else until they heard the answer.

What would you say if I asked YOU the question? What is your MAIN job at your company? Reply.

If your answer, or the answers coming back to you, stated the job title or the specifics of how the job is done, and not CUSTOMER SATISFACTION or something about service to customers, you don't have a customer-focused group.

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SOLUTIONS:
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If management has stressed customer satisfaction on a regular basis, they will know that is their main job and they must do whatever it takes to accomplish it.

Several of those managers took my suggestion and asked that question of their employees. They emailed or called to say how surprised they were that no one talked about customer satisfaction, except those in
customer service. And even some of those people didn't respond with the customer satisfaction or service answer. They are probably going through the motions of service without too much thought to genuinely caring about the outcome in the customer's mind.

Every employee should have the end result in mind before they start each day. They must realize that they are ALL in customer service even when they don't deal directly with outside customers. Their customers are the people who work above, beside and below them (internal customers).

They should treat internal and external customers the same - with respect and immediate concern.

Make all customers feel safe and in good hands when they interact with you. Think out those crucial conversations ahead of time and be prepared to make the end result a win-win instead of a win-lose for you and your customers.

Help your co-workers (associates) feel good about the customer experience, and reinforce that they made a good choice choosing to work for you and your company. Give them accolades for meeting and exceeding expectations, and they will give even more. Everyone needs to feel appreciated.

This builds their self esteem and they see themselves as winners. This feeling of positive success will also spill over into their personal lives which helps them be "happy campers" all the way around.

Your personal and professional lives are not really separated. Each feeds the other or depletes the other.

Help them find balance through your coaching, mentoring and even counseling when it's needed. Give them training on how to handle the stress that problem solving irate customer situations can create. They must take care of themselves first so they are grounded enough to confidently take care of the many types of internal and external customers they will encounter.

True customer service is taking the focus off of you and your company needs and focusing on the customer's needs.

You should also stay current with today's standards in management and business, and be open to suggestions from anyone working around you. Are you admired because you are resilient, collaborative and a team player? Are you a good listener who learns from others or are you a know-it-all-already person?

Work on your own personal and professional growth as a manager, supervisor or lead so you are a good role model. That means getting enough rest, eating right and showing positive thoughts and actions that are open to growth.

Are you working on your own hang ups that you developed in childhood, and are they still causing negative reactions in some of your interactions with people? The big events in your life, especially the negative ones from childhood, may have caused you to see and react to the world a certain way
that could be different than the way others see it.

An example would be remembering a father who yelled, bullied and intimidated you. If your reaction then was to become quiet, but resentful, or yell back and fight, you will react that same way when a boss or authority figure uses that same style of management or communication with you. It will also happen
when customers act that same way. The trigger in you is the same. Your reaction to their behavior could be counter productive to your goal of giving exceptional customer service to your customers.

Recognize where these triggers came from and reprogram yourself to react differently -- more professional.

When you recognize that one of your triggers has been hit, freeze the moment and decide to react in a way that will make the situation a win-win. Changing your mindset for a better outcome and role playing these situations can give you valuable insights in how to do this.

It takes effort and sometimes additional training on how to reprogram the old tapes running in your head. Getting rid of the triggers takes time, but the more you practice, the better you will become. It is a freeing process that is well worth the effort, AND eventually, ALL your customers will benefit.

Work on yourself first and then help the people who work under you do the same as it is needed.

What you dwell on is what you get, so dwell on everyone around you giving excellent customer service to ALL their customers, and the results will follow! You can be instrumental in helping to eliminate the negative triggers in yourself and your staff so everyone knows that their MAIN JOB is customer satisfaction for internal and external customers alike.

If you would like some additional free tips and techniques on how to get started, email or call so we can talk further. It is my gift to you.

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JJ's FAVORITE QUOTES:
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"Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful."
- Norman Vincent Peale

"Your attitude determines your altitude!"
- Denis Waitley

"A great attitude does much more than turn on the light in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before we changed."
- Earl Nightingale

"If you envy successful people, you create a negative force field of attraction that repels you from ever doing the things that you need to do to be successful. If you admire successful people, you create a positive force field of attraction that draws you toward becoming more and more like the kinds of people that you want to be."
- Brian Tracy

Tele-COACHING & Tele-MENTORING

DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE in an area? Service? Sales?

* Motivation and growth of your people?
* Dealing with irate internal or external customers?
* Leading and Coaching your staff?

TRY our one-on-one Tele-Mentoring (phone coaching service) that is available to business owners, executives, managers, supervisors and staff members.

Call for your FREE CONSULTATION now!

800 500-9656
or
408 445-1590

EVALUATION OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT:

Have you had an Evaluation of Your Environment lately so you could receive suggestions on improving it? (It's like the doctor's check up, you often don't know you need it, until after you've had it.)

http://www.jjlauderbaugh.com/about.html

ABOUT JJ:

JJ Lauderbaugh, CMC
408 445-1590 or 800 500-9656, 1716 Husted Ave., San Jose, CA 95124.

JJ works with companies that want to give exceptional customer service to increase sales, and with Directors and Call Center/Help Desk Managers who want to improve human performance.

She's an international speaker, trainer, facilitator and certified management consultant (CMC) on customer service management, specializing in performance improvement, call centers, up/cross selling and outbound calling.

For training resources, free articles, tips and streaming video, go to our web site at:

http://www.JJLauderbaugh.com

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© JJ Lauderbaugh, CMC, JJ Lauderbaugh & Associates, 2007. Reprinted with permission from JJ's Tips, a monthly internet newsletter. For your own personal subscription E-mail:

jj@jjlauderbaugh.com

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You can make a difference! Send your questions and comments as they are always welcome.

Thanks,

JJ