Might I remind you, it was you who called me. You inquired about my services. I met with you and/or talked with you at length regarding your needs. I followed up wtih a formal proposal like you requested – and a creative one I might add. You then blew me off. Did not return phone calls, emails or handwritten notes.

On most days my self-esteem is high. If you chose someone else who suited your needs better, had a lower price or whatever I am fine with that. If you cancelled your event or changed your mind I am cool with that too. And if you weren’t really the decision maker all you had to do was tell me that.

Why aren’t you fine with doing the right thing and responding to me?

Now Mr. Prospect, ironically I am currently in the market to use the products and services of a company just like yours. And while you personally are not my local realtor I am leaning towards competitors. My concern is your lack of professionalism and courtesy represents your nationwide network and will not MAXimize my real estate goals. My concern is that the customer service provided will be lacking as well.

And a simple response could have changed my entire outlook about your organization – especially in an industry that is flooded with good people. When I work with customer service people and teams of employees we always talk about coming up with ways to separate themselves from the pack. You my prospect, have definitely done that. But not in a good way.

Sincerely,

Someone who still believes in courtesy and respect

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Click here for a link to the video. I’m warning you now that there might be some language that might offend some of you.

After you’ve watched the video why not use it as a meeting ice breaker discussion. Ask yourself/your team:

• Who started the problems?
• How could it have been diffused?
• How would you, if you were the boss, have handled this?
• How would you have handled the customer?
• If you were the customer, why were you such a jerk and how could you have handled it differently.
• Come up with some great discussion questions of your own

Now of course it’s a movie and was meant to be funny, but I’m sure this stuff has happened to people, perhaps even you.

And I bet it is safe to say that Mahoney is not the author of Diary of the Happiest Employee on Earth!

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Our most valuable resource sits 63′ ahead

As I passed by the truck turning onto the entrance ramp of the highway I noticed “sits 10′ ahead” on the side of the trailer near the front, approaching the cab. How cool I thought. Someone actually took the “thank you to employee messages” that I talk about in Diary of the Happiest Employee on Earth and went a step beyond – or 63′ beyond - for all to see.

I should have turned back. I should have gotten a picture. I should have waved down the driver and done an interview right on the side of the highway. How cool is that, in big bold letters telling an employee doing their job that they are the most valuable resource…and each day thousands of people get to see that! That’s right customer, you’re not #1; our employee is.

But Mr. Customer, I’ll bet this employee is proud and happy and you’ll reap those benefits. And on doing some research I find that Crete Carrier is one of the highest paying carriers with high marks from employees and a high customer experience.

It’s just another example of why I came up with R+EE+CE=$$ and why we are hearing more and more about companies realizing it is time to put the employee first if they want satisfied customers. And by putting them first I mean doing things not talking about it! If this ain’t an example of putting your words to action I don’t know what is.

Now I have contacted people from the company to see if I could get a picture. I’ve even done a Google Search to find one. None around. The company rep did say he would send me one when the truck is back in the yard. Personally I hope that truck never ends up back in the yard long enough for pictures.

Brilliant employee experience idea. Brilliant marketing idea. Brilliant recruitment idea. Brilliant customer experience ideas. Congratulations Crete Carrier…..you’re brilliant!

UPDATE Janaury 26, 2012: Well it seems that the folks at Crete Carrier were watching Social Media feeds. And I made some new friends in the trucking world.

My new friend Jodi sent me this. This is the truck Jodi drives. Now it’s not the truck  I saw (company reps promise me that one is coming), but it delivers the same message. Way to go Jodi!

Crete Carrier Driver Jodi Judson drives this!

And my new friend John Lawrence sent me a link to a very similar one. You can check that out by clicking here.

John and Jodi, if you’re ever resting at the Southington CT TA make sure I know you’re in town. Coffee is on me.

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The waiting area is comfortable. It is clean. There’s plenty to read. There’s free coffee. There’s a giant flat screen TV. But something is missing.

My salesperson.

I know he’s here. I heard them call his name. Wouldn’t it be cool if the service department let the guy who sold me the car know I was here? Imagine if the service department employees provided a report with appointments made for his customers. I’m sure his name is somewhere in my records. Imagine if he came over to say hi or Happy New Year. And if he’s not here, imagine if someone from the sales team just came over to say hi? How would that make me feel? What would that do for customer loyalty or the customer experience?

I have seen two other people get up and walk over to the sales area to say hello to people. I presume the person who sold them the car. But why does it have to be that way?

Too bad there is a line between sales and service in so many businesses; especially when it is referred to as Sales AND Service.
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Want to get more out of your employees? Are you ready to develop Happy Employees and create an amazing customer experience. Rich DiGirolamo can show you how to implement the ideas presented in his book Diary of the Happiest Employee on Earth: 52 Provoking Thoughts for Creating a Great Workplace into your business and start reaping the rewards of higher productivity and more engaged employees. Get in touch today.

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I’ve never been excited by an airline, a bank, a big box retailer, etc. They all will always have a deal or special that entices. But I will go back to the place where one employee made me smile or makes me feel like a rock star when I walk in the door.

The challenge is allowing your employees to bring their true self to work. The first place to start looking how to make this happen is your policy manual.

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The comic strip Blondie gave me a good chuckle. It was a spoof on New Year’s Resolutions. All the characters were running around declaring their resolutions to one another. The last panel of the strip has Dagwood commenting how these are the same resolutions people made in previous years.

How true!

How many times have you told others:

• “I’m gonna save more money this year”
• “I’m going to be nicer this year”
• “I’m going to get healthier this year”
• “I’m going to quit smoking this year”
• “I’m going to be more charitable this year”
• “I’m gonna lose that weight this year”

I could add to the list but you get it.

So here’s one action you can take that might accomplish many of your resolutions (pay attention multitaskers and overachievers!):

Make one less stop each week to buy that overpriced uber-calorie coffee drink or deadly pack of cigarettes. Now take half that money and put it in a jar. The other half donate to a charity. Yes, there are charities who appreciate a $2 donation; such as The Double D Diner: The World’s Only Virtual Diner Fighting Hunger.

Think about it. You won’t have to get up at 4:30AM every day to get to the gym. You won’t have to live on salad. You won’t experience complete nicotine withdrawal which causes you to become so cranky you are barking at everyone.

Take this one small step and you’re done. Saved money. You’re nicer. You’re on the road to being healthier, quitting smoking, losing weight and being more charitable. All by making one less purchase each week.

Now how’s that for achieving your New Year’s Resolution?

And think how many people will look forward to seeing you December 31, 2012 and seeing the transformed you; versus having to listen to you tell us that 2013 is going to be the year.

Happy New Year. Now get to work.

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RICH DIGIROLAMO, founder Recess At Work, works with organizations to create happier work environments, strengthen work teams, design new programs, and create better relationships with customers and peers. In his new book Diary of the Happiest Employee on Earth: 52 Provoking Thoughts for Creating a Great Workplace he talks about why it is important to create a great employee experience throughout the year.

Are you ready to take a Recess with Rich, inject some new energy into your organization and create an even better employee and customer experience?

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• Like you really don’t know much about the person whom you’re giving that gift card. Maybe this year you should give yourself a gift instead; the pleasure of getting to know that recipient. Learn their likes and dislikes; their hobbies and interests. Hmmm….She takes a Zumba class at the local Park & Rec. Maybe pay for her next series of classes? Heck while you’re there sign yourself up as well. You know you need to exercise a bit more.
• Or maybe you, the recipient, are such a pain in the you know what and don’t know how to appreciate a gift when it is given to you. Perhaps this year take the time to find use for that gift that put a fake smile on you last Christmas. Yes, it was obvious as you looked around for the gift receipt. If I can find use for a pencil cup made from a bull’s scrotum you can find use for something just as odd.
• Maybe it’s indicative of your life in general; you are always looking for an easy way out or a quick fix to accomplish tasks? No attention to detail. Not willing to put extra effort into your work.
• Maybe it’s time to spend less time updating your Facebook status with every move you make or tweeting about nothing of relevance and go spend some time buying something meaningful for the people who really matter. Or maybe go shopping with that person. Trust me, during your time together he or she will be eyeing something. But will your eyes be listening?

Gift cards are here to stay. I’m not knocking them. Nor do I intend to stop buying them. But at the same time this is my favorite time of year….to find that perfect odd gift that will cause my friend Sherry to go WTF when we get on the phone Christmas morning and open our gifts to each other from over 1,000 miles away.

Now get your butt to the mall.

And next year, make a vow not to do all your holiday shopping at the gift card rack at your local pharmacy. Don’t worry, there will be plenty left on Christmas Eve if you can’t find that perfect gift.

Happy Holidays.

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If employees are not trained properly should the customer be honest?

Incident #1: Friend walks into Walmart to buy 5 Poinsettias. He puts all five on the belt. Cashier rings up four. He pays, leaves, and makes a comment to me about if they don’t know how to count it’s their problem.

Incident #2: Having some work done on my house my contractor needs a piece of oak trim. I drive him down to Home Depot so he doesn’t need to take his truck. He buys a four foot piece of oak. Oak is priced by the foot. Cashier scans the item. Machine doesn’t ask how many feet are being purchased. It rings up as a one foot piece. He told me the piece of oak was my Christmas present from him since she didn’t charge him the right amount. When he left my house he was going back to see if she was still working so he could build up his inventory.

I worked my way through college. One of my jobs was the “Cashier Trainer” for a large supermarket chain. Yes, the store had a 12 hour training program before any cashier went live on their own. I got to teach people how to scan a UPC code. Which when you think about it is quite humorous since today we can check out on our own at the supermarket with no training.

Now I know honesty is the best policy, but is it your job to make up for companies who are not investing in proper regular training of their people?

On another note, maybe the Walmart Employment Application needs to include this question: Do you know how many fingers and toes you have?

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Oh c’mon, you know you’ve experienced this; the conversation with the person who just doesn’t seem to come up for air. Maybe it wasn’t three hours but it did seem so. I’ll bet it was at minimum a 20-minute run-on sentence. (Where is Mrs. Soff when I need her and her grammar rules?) It happens with family members. It happens with friends. It is particularly common in the workplace with managers and leaders who just have this incessant need to hear themselves talk; stifling creativity and rarely allowing for free exchange of ideas.

Is it intentional? Do they not want you to be part of the conversation? Are they just so excited about things going on in their life they don’t even realize they are doing this? Do they even know they’re doing this to people? Or are they just so totally in love with their own self?

Now I guess a good thing is if anyone ever did try to drown this person they should be able to hold their breath for a very long time. And if it was a Roman Empire-like water fight to the death he or she would become the new King/Queen.

So while you were doing other things during that call (rolling your eyes, updating your Facebook status, or attempting to make your computer ring as if “that call you were waiting for” was coming  through) I was doing something more productive. It’s time to take a permanent Recess from unhealthy conversations…….

Stop Talking ”TO” Me: The 3 simple rules for Talking “WITH” me.:

1. When you call someone please clarify (or ask if you are the receiver) if this will be a talking “to” or talking “with” conversation. If you are on the receiving end of a talking to conversation, tell that person you have a very important meeting you are about to attend or go get large bottles of alcohol.
2. Your “Talking With” conversation should occur in rounds with each person given no more than 90 seconds at a time to speak. Please purchase a time piece of some sort if you have no clue that even 90 seconds of listening to some people is enough to make others want to jump off a bridge. (Note: I don’t even like bridges. So me walking onto the bridge in the 1st place is evidence of the severity of this issue.)
3. Learn how to ask questions that might allow the other person to contribute to your thoughts or ideas. First, this will force you to take a breath (see I am interested in your health). Next, it will actually force the other person to listen and avoid awkward silence at the end of what seems like a keynote address when you ask “So what do you think?”

And in those famous shampoo bottle words…..Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Meaning, practicing this technique regularly might result in people taking your calls a bit more often rather than letting your call go to voice mail.

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RICH DIGIROLAMO, founder Recess At Work, works with organizations to create happier work environments, strengthen work teams, design new programs, and create better relationships with customers and peers. Sometimes even to save a customer.

Are you ready to take a Recess from lousy communication and stifled creativity? Are you ready to inject more fun and engagement between employees and customers? Invite Rich to work with your team.

Of course, then there are the ones who ask you what is new with you and the minute you start speaking you screw up; you pause and take a breath. Sorry, you had your chance.

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So forget about asking Jeeves! Let’s Ask Jeetesh! Below I bring to you a writing from my new friend. (Of course I couldn’t help add a few of my own comments.)

Charles’ customised keyboard did  little to disguise his intentions.

I ran into a neighbour of mine the other day and asked him why he was  selling his house. He genuinely looked surprised and asked me how I knew.

Mmm… lucky guess, but the large For Sale sign was a bit of a clue. The same  sort of thinking can also be found in our offices and our teams – people  scurrying about applying for new jobs, thinking that the rest of us are
blissfully unaware of their intentions. Like the For Sale sign, the clues are  staring right at you! Here are my Top Ten Signs That Your Employees Are  Looking For New Jobs:

Well that was fun! And thanks to my new friend Jeetesh who when he is not keepinmg an eye on his employees, he’s available as a keynote, conference and after-dinner speaker. You can reach him at diary@jeetesh.net Or visit  him at his web site at www.jeetesh.net

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