I hate cold calling. Nothing worse. I’d rather shoot myself in the eye, eat poop, or torch myself with gasoline. But more importantly I hate people who love cold calling.
I remember my first cold call sales job at 18 years of age. They described it as fun marketing. I lasted one week. Getting on the phone and saying, “Hi this is Rich calling from MCI, the Nation’s Long Distance Phone Service” got me sick. I would pray that no one answered; or an answering machine picked up. Yes, answering machines – the ones that had to wind and rewind before you got to leave a message. Remember those? And when someone did pick up………….
PUKE!
Okay hate is the wrong word. I don’t really hate those people. I’m jealous. Envious. Fascinated. Anyone who can get on the phone and try to sell something to someone they do not know, someone who they have no relationship with – and enjoy it – is a godlike person in my book.
I like those warm calls. Or the hot leads. But cold calls………..Can you see me running past you now?
The Score film So this guy Ulysses keeps calling me and leaving messages that he wants to talk with me about working together. That’s all he says and leaves a return phone number. No last name. No company name. Just Ulysses. He called Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of last week as well as yesterday. He called about the same time and left the same cryptic message. UNKNOWN came up on my caller ID. I don’t answer those calls.
So today the phone rang about the same time. I decided to pick up the phone. I am certain it was Ulysses. It said unknown. I said hello. The person hung up.
And then I started thinking about people who make cold calls. I really do believe the ones who do it as a job and not as a livelihood are secretly glad we’re not available. I know I was.
Hey Kids!
My client is allowing me to invite some friends to this Fun & Funny Leadership program this coming Wednesday. If you and or anyone in your organization is looking to escape the office for a bit, learn something and have a heck of a lot of fun doing it Get In Touch
Are You The Weakest Leader?- 1 Hour Workshop
With Rich DiGirolamo
A fun interactive session in game show format.
Come find out what people REALLY know about leadership, their peers, and their organization.
This interactive, entertaining, competitive, and at times humbling session ultimately lays the foundation for turning non-managers into managers; non-leaders into leaders.
It also gives current leaders an opportunity to become even better in their roles.
Key outcomes will be:
· Identifying the Celebrity Leader in Everyone
· Designing the Perfect Leader
· Whitesnake: Live… in the Still of the Night release How Creativity sparks leadership
Wednesday, July 29th from 11am to Noon
Valley Chamber of Commerce, 900 Bridgeport Avenue, #2, Shelton
CBS Sunday Morning News will be on-site filming this workshop!
CONTACT Rich to register:
203.879.5970
Website: http://richdigirolamo.com
I walked into Pier 1 the other day. Three employees were seen near the door. Not a hello. Not a smile. Nothing. I’m pretty sure I was the only one in the store. For crying out loud folks, we’re in a recession. Money and credit cards just walked in your door. You should be offering me cocktails; be willing to wash my car while I shop. But it makes you wonder if employee morale is so low and fear of losing jobs is so high that people cannot focus on their work.
Rosemary’s Baby movie download Now if you’ve ever been inside a Pier 1 you know that there is crap (in a good way) all over the place and unless you have time to browse it is just better to ask. So I asked for help. The response was “I don’t know.” That was it. No, let me see or let me ask someone else. I didn’t think it was my job to tell her how to do her job; although if the folks at Pier 1 Corporate want to talk with me about a Customer Service/Employee Morale presentation click here. I walked out.
Yesterday I received a statement from my disabled uncle’s landlord (Westchester Property Mgmt, Hartsdale NY) . All it says was his June rent was not received (July was). There was no contact information on the ledger record printout. No business card in the envelope. Nothing. First I checked to see if the check cleared. It did. Then I searched the Internet for a phone number. I called and spoke to Adele. During our conversation I offered Adele a suggestion…….Perhaps putting some contact information on documents they send out would be helpful. Her response to me was that I was lucky (yes lucky!) that she even sent out the form. Nice!
Well the witch said she would do some research and get back to me. I shot off the following email to the CFO; who I had to deal with in the past when their office screwed up.
Hi Paul,
Once again your office gives me a poor example of customer service which I can’t wait to use in my next customer service presentation. I’ve already Tweeted about it.
I offer a suggestion, like putting some contact information on documents that you send to a tenant (to make it a bit easier to follow-up), and Adele gives me a response that I am lucky she did me a favor by even sending the information. NICE!
How about “good idea.” Or “thank you.” Or “we’ll look into it.” Did you folks ever hear of just making the customer feel better and agreeing; even when you do nothing.
Quite the organization you have there; I’m glad my only dealings with the staff have usually been with them fixing their own internal errors/bookkeeping. Keep up the great work. Superman II: Director’s cut release
Assuming she needs a copy of the lost/misapplied check for Mr. Singer’s Account, XXX River Road, maybe you can let me know, instead of her contacting me. I have no time or patience for arrogance. You have been quite helpful in the past which is why I am sending this to you.
Of course it was their error. Again – by the way. Not that I’m counting. But this time I put the phone number in my contact database. Paul laughed off the witch’s comment when he called me.
We can argue whether employee morale and customer service are getting better or worse in these tough economic times. I’ve seen surveys that show both are true. And we all know how surveys can be skewed or falsely interpreted. But here is what I do know………If your employees are unhappy it clearly is going to impact your level of customer service; and usually not in a good way. Keep your eyes and ears open and most importantly keep communication, team meetings and training opportunities in your plan now more than ever. You have the resources for this. You do.
The property management company has me by the you-know-whats. I’m not about to move my uncle; but in most cases, especially retail, people have options. And for those reading this in a business where there are options, what can you do today to make sure morale and service are improving?
Just received the following email from a client:
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Hi Rich - Please find your speaker contract and fax a signed copy back to me at your earliest convenience. Thanks Houseboat
Nothing was attached to the email. So I sent her this:
So was something supposed to be attached or do I really have to FIND it?
I hope she has a sense of humor.
This is a very serious and real inquiry.
I have been asked by a major news network to be part of a story on Play, the importance of it; and how it is used as a learning tool. The client I thought was going to allow the filming has changed their mind.
So I am offering a Pro Bono (free) program (I do request your organization pays my travel expenses to show commitment).
This is the key piece. The audience should be a group/organization who is governed/dictated by bylaws/policies. Audience size should be at least 50.
This will need to be done within the next 30 – 40 days; which is why I am offering this Pro Bono – my current bookings are not the right fit for this story.
Email me at rich@richdigirolamo.com
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Some free National Exposure TV is about to go to some lucky organization.
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I’m Worcationing this week. It’s a working vacation; the weather is cooperating by being crappy.
But the sun did come out yesterday afternoon; so I decided to attended the concert in the park; at the Windmill. It was a 4th of July tribute – a show tunes extravaganza; music from the 70′s.
That would be the 1770′s.
Now being on the tail end of the baby boom I noticed something. Other than the children who were dragged there by mom, dad, or grams and gramps, I think I was the youngest in attendance. I’m in my 40′s. I saw no teens, tweens, twenty or thirty-somethings. None to be found. Being young at heart I instantly got depressed.
I might officially be old; attending the concert in the park with the……..with the……………..with the…………….OLD PEOPLE!!!!!!!
But wait, I rode my bicycle there. That makes me young. I didn’t show up with my aluminum webbed lawn chair. That makes me young. I was taking pictures with my Blackberry. That makes me young. I wasn’t getting crotchety when people next to me were talking to each other. That makes me young. I started feeling better.
Well they say “When in Rome”……………………
So I sang along to the songs I knew. Okay, I knew a lot of them. I laughed at the 70 year old couple who brought enough wine along with them for a week. God, I hope they weren’t driving home. I got a kick out of the male lead singer/dancer’s awkwardly flambuoyant moves. The crowd loved him. I laughed at the people laughing at the not-so-comedic comic bits. I even ran into someone from my old hood in CT; boy, did she get old?
The concert ended with the crowd singing When The Saints Go Marching In About Last Night… the movie and Let There Be Peace on Earth Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs download . And a standing ovation!
I sped off on my bike; old drunk people were about to get behind the wheel. I raced down to the beach instead and got to see this………….
Not a bad way to end an evening I thought.
But I was thinking about this old thing. And then last night on the news they did a story on what old is…………
There’s another concert tomorrow night. I’m going! Maybe I can convince some tween, teen, twenty or thirty-something to come along. I’ll tell them they can text or Twitter about it. Just doing my part to bridge the generation gaps.
And Speaking of Twitter……..
Follow me at: http://twitter.com/richdigirolamo and http://twitter.com/EmployeeMorale
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Yesterday’s news. A phrase most of us are familiar with it. A company comes up with a great product. Someone does a great deed. Someone else accomplishes a great feat.
Oh that was yesterday’s news. Oh, that was so 2008, 1996 or 1983.
Yesterday I got reminded how fast the world is moving and how one big event got lost in the shadow of another big event. Yes, my mother’s birthday got lost in the news of the death of two great stars - Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.
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But what about my mother? She brought me into the world! Me; the founder of Recess At Work Day. Me; the designer/creator of the Meeting Playce Mat. What about mom’s great feat? Doesn’t my mother deserve a front page link on CNN, Yahoo, or Google? Good thing I called her early in the morning.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs film But by last night Farrah’s death wasn’t even a big item any longer; it was all Michael; all the time. The King of Pop; the controversial King of Pop pushed Farrah aside; the woman who not only publicized her battle with cancer, but took us right into her home to live it. And the news? Very little was being said of Farrah last night; except by Barbara Walters. Thank you Barbara for that great story.
Shaft trailer So as we all sit in our offices today and act all smug over our great products and services, take this as a warning; if you’re not innovating and creating all of the time, if you’re not providing your customers with new products, offerings, and experiences all the time, you’re this morning’s news – and that’s how fast people will forget you.
I’m about to do the same thing; putting the finishing touches on my You Are the Weakest Board Member presentation in July. What will I do to make it even more memorable for my client?
So I don’t know whether to call it a Cellvolution or Textvolution or a Textbellion or Cellbellion, but I think it is time for the world to rebel against service employees who are too busy texting rather than servicing.
Driving home from Boston yesterday I stopped at a rest area to get a cup of coffee. (I’m still trying to make believe that decaf will make me feel better.) I walked up to the Lavazza counter and the woman standing at the register is looking down texting away.
I started counting: One one thousand – Two one thousand – Three one thousand – four one thousand – Five one.
She looked up, ditched her phone under the counter and asked me what I would like.
I told her to go ahead and finish her text; I would go over to the McDonald’s counter to get my coffee. I stood there for one one thousand and walked away.
Now I know four and one-half seconds is not a long time; at other times it is an eternity; but as I mentioned in my newsletter yesterday I’m in somewhat of a foul mood as I go through caffeine withdrawal. I see it in airlines, retail stores and restaurants; the staff is so busy texting and not download Best Boy doing what they’re supposed to be doing – paying attention to me and my needs.
Anyone else tired of it? Anyone guilty of it?
Here’s a great tip for Customer Service Leaders, Managers and Supervisors; especially those of Service Oriented Businesses:
Tell your staff to leave their phones in their cars, lockers or at home and start paying attention to their customers. You may even see your bottom line increase! Darkman III: Die Darkman Die psp
So I challenge you to join me in walking away and saying no; you’re not putting up with it any longer. Do so by clicking the Read More Box and then visit the comment box and add your name. We do have choices. People need to start realizing this.
You had to see her face as I walked away. Guilt ridden beyond anything I have seen in a long time.
1. Rich DiGirolamo
Well Recess At Work Day plans here in the Northeast have been postponed by Mother Nature. We are in day 40 of rain. So here I am sitting in my office deciding what to do for Recess now that my visits to clients have been derailed.
And then I came up with an idea…………………….
I organized a last minute Recess with a couple of other entrepreneurs and decided to include you. So here’s the deal…………………
Join Michelle, Theresa and Rich for Recess today. And there’s a Free “Is It Recess Yet?” beanie cap & T-shirt to 1st person to find me Starbucks Watertown CT 2:15PM
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But if you happen to be in CT today………………… this could be your lucky afternoon.
I’ve got a Free “Is It Recess Yet?” beanie cap & T-shirt to 1st person to find me at Barnes & Noble Waterbury CT 3:00PM. http://tinyurl.com/mllpc5
In the meantime don’t forget to check out the Recess At Work Day website and the Recess At Work Day Blog.
Whether it be employee morale, employee engagement, or health and wellness, Recess At Work Day is a great addition to all your other ideas.
