Development Events London @ AyPeeCo http://bit.ly/rS6uQS

Development Events London @ AyPeeCo http://bit.ly/rS6uQS

Wise observations for a Monday

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level
   and beat you with experience
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list 
3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak 
4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.   
5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.   
6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.  
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.   
8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.   
9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.   
10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station
11. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'   
12. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you. 
13. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory. 
14. I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness..   
15. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.   
16. You're never too old to learn something stupid.
17. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.  
18. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.  
19. A diplomat is someone who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.  
20. Hospitality is making your guests feel at home even when you wish they were.

 

Courtesy of Peter Thomson

Development Events London @ AyPeeCo http://bit.ly/rS6uQS

Happy Focus

"Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention."

~ Greg Anderson
Author and founder of the American Wellness Project

 

via @ShareAQuote
shareaquote.com

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Systems before service

I keep toying with the idea of getting a web site where people can vote for (against) companies who put systems ahead of service.
Some have integrated  systems and service very well, but in most instances the two are considered to be the same thing.
In my experience Hostgator provide great service using a single chat window.
First Direct, the first telephone bank in the UK if not the world, provide an excellent response and there is are two fundamental reasons
…. they talk with their customers …. they don’t impose their systems on the customer
They listen to their customers and physically use their systems themselves.
I am afraid, Personal tweaks don’t do it either.
As I waited to talk to one company, I was offered  a choice of music while I waited  -  I didn’t want to listen to music and I certainly did not want to wait!!!
There was no option to not listen to the music and because I didn’t choose, they chose one for me anyway  - I didn’t want to listen to music and I DIDN’T WANT TO WAIT.
The fact I was offered music means that I was expected to wait. Otherwise there would be no need for it.
Again, I have to say in my experience, having to plough through my mobile phone service provider’s menu system takes between 2 and 3 minutes every time I have a new enquiry!

That 2-3 minutes is my time and I do not have an agreement for them to use my time.

I might buy their minutes but I don’t see any cash coming back for mine.

AND, of course, the immortal words:

”Your call is important to us”

If my call is important why don’t you answer it, then?

“we are experiencing heavy call volumes”.

The call volumes are not high, the staffing level is too low!

The proof is the amount of times that you hear that.

The words lack integrity.  If they were congruent, I should be recompensed for my time each time I have to wait. 

Again, if I am paying for the call, I might buy their minutes and I don’t see any cash coming back for mine

Having taught ‘Selling Through Service’ for one big retailer, I learnt that the younger generations have not experienced what I would call service.
I would ask “ Tell me of a time when you received great service. What was so great about it?”
Here are two memorable answers, I received:

“ I bought a pair of Jeans and they were the wrong sixe and they changed them”
“We bought a sofa. When it arrived there was a split in the material and they changed it”

We are now in a society that receive ‘Customer Service’ packaged as ‘Customer Processing’ but more importantly Service is disappearing from peoples’ experience and expectations are disappearing with it.
Companies like Hostgator and First Direct will thrive, others which are not like them, will likely be sold or traded or even fail.
For Customers, you could substitute the word People, whatever the relationship. Whether  is it a commercial or personal transaction, the lessons should remain the same. Talk with people and don’t impose your systems (beliefs or values) on them

Customer Personal Experience is everything!

Talk with people and  don’t impose your  systems on them

Development Events London @ AyPeeCo http://bit.ly/rS6uQS

Lady in Red – Iver, Buckinghamshire, UK – Jacky Parker

Lady in Red – Iver, Buckinghamshire, UK – Jacky Parker

If, for no other reason

 

*Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate!*

~ Samuel D. Naples