The River of Negativity

Recently, I was asked if I could share my views and feelings on how to counter workplace negativity.  It is a topic that hits home for me.  I have had the fortune of working in environments where there have been very strict rules with very prescriptive consequences, as well as environments where there have been very fluid rules.

As I pondered this, it was apparent that I did not have a magic formula that has led to a lack of negativity in my current environment. I did realize the following though:

• Change breeds negative thoughts
• Negativity without a proper outlet festers and becomes a culture
• Culture determines employee engagement and ultimate satisfaction
• Employee engagement and satisfaction contributes to customer satisfaction
• Customer satisfaction is synonymous with the customer experience
• Customers typically will not speak highly of products and services that they have a negative experience with
• Organizations lose customers as a result of negative customer experiences

How can negativity in the workplace be combated?   Taking a look at the above simplistic negativity flow, it is easiest to combat negativity before it even is allowed to manifest itself.  As a leader, you have to take negativity out at its knees.  Here are some strategies that have worked.

• Ensure that change is communicated in a timely manner.
• Encourage staff to ask questions and follow-up on their concerns.
• Engage staff where they are, not where you think they are
• Inspect what you expect, but don't micro-manage
• Allow for midstream adjustments as not all changes or decisions deploy as envisioned
• Don't hide from decisions.  Be visible and approachable
• Provide status updates as to how change is progressing, even acknowledging learning opportunities
• Recognize staff whenever possible
• Celebrate milestones and accomplishments, no matter how small

Much of what is mentioned above are things you see talked about in books, articles, training classes, etc.  I can attest from experience that the first list can become your reality, if you don't adopt items from the second list.

What changes do you have planned?  Hopefully this post provides some nuggets to assist you successfully avoid workplace negativity by eliminating it before it has a chance to take hold. If it exists in your environment today, know that the course of negativity can be reversed through focusing on items in the second list, primarily through being visible, approachable, communicating, and taking the time to recognize positive outcomes, no matter how small.  Most importantly, have fun!

Have a great week!

Be An Informed Consumer

Life is full of curve balls.

No, this is not a baseball metaphor for once, just a statement of truth.  All good intentions, at times have a way of not working out the way we plan for them to.  Does that mean we are making bad choices, or that we lack the experience to make the most informed choice?

I have been in the call center industry 22 years.  During that time, I and my teams have spoken with thousands of people who have run into to tough times.  When a person gets into this situation, are they asking the right questions of the company they are speaking with?  Even a better question, is the company asking the consumer the right questions for the best solution for the consumer?

At the end of the day, all of us run into bad situations.  Situations that we didn't plan on.  Situations that may or may not be of our own making.  When consumers turn to creditors or service providers for assistance, it is imperative that communication be a two way street.  Consumers must be open and honest about their situation, and creditors/servicers must be fair and honest with the consumer.  Often times, this two way communication does not occur, and as a result, the consumer is the one left frustrated and in a deeper situation than they were before.

I have spent much of my career in the debt collection arena, and what I have found is that regardless of the specific industry, auto finance, medical, mortgage, student loans, credit cards, there are always alternatives to defaulting.  The importance of consumers communicating with their creditors, will almost always result in arrangements being made.  As a consumer, remember the following.

• Don't dodge creditor calls. 
• Be specific about your situation.
• Let the creditor know what you can do, versus what you can not do.
• Understand any payment postponement options that are discussed and what you can do to mitigate standard monthly payment increases.
• Be open to a two way conversation, and if the representative is not able to assist you, it is OK to ask for a supervisor or manager.
• Don't expect that the creditor is going to do everything you ask.  Most industries are heavily regulated and must be consistent in the application of the rules.
• Don't become upset at the messenger.  Often times the person representing the creditor is staying consistent with their policies.
• At the end of the day, creditors and service providers WANT to assist their customers.

In my career, I have seen many situations where good people are going through a rough period.  As a creditor, I knew that if I was able to customer satisfaction one interaction at a time, I was creating a fan of the organization for life.

Creditors can not assist consumers who don't want to help themselves.  Communicate.  Communicate.  Communicate.  It is the best way to make improve a seemingly helpless situation.

Have a great week!!

K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple Stupid!  K.I.S.S.

Those who know me, know that I always have a sports analogy.  I will refer to the movie Bull Durham, again....

"Baseball is a simple game.  You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."  Those are the basics of the game.

As leaders we are always looking to increase productivity, heighten performance, and get the most with limited resources.  As a result, we tend to move away from the basics that have earned successes.  By using the KISS methodology, we typically will improve performance and productivity that is usually a sustained, not a band-aid improvement.

In my contact center, we have basic rules for the center that cover minimum expectations of employee conduct.  Aside from that, the expectations are simple, we answer the phone, or launch a call, we assist the customer to the best of our ability, and we provide resources for the customer.  It is simple.  The staff understands what the expectations are, as well as what the expectations are of our external customers.  K.I.S.S.

The focus of K.I.S.S. is not just on keeping things basic, but also focuses on culture.  In order for K.I.S.S to be successful, the culture of the organization needs to be focused on making things simpler, not more complex.  This starts from the initial interview and making sure that people that are hired into the organization, division, department, etc., share the same cultural beliefs. 

The culture of the organization needs to be customer focused.  At the end of the day, it is the customer experience that leads to organizational success, not if the organization is always adding bells and whistles that are not need.  If the organization loses touch with what the customer values, then the organization will lose customers.  Invest in keeping things simple for the front line staff, and everyone wins.  K.I.S.S.

Over the next month, take a look at the process and procedures within your organization.  Do they meet the K.I.S.S test?  If not, invest project time in simplifying them.  Your staff will be happier which will lead to improved customer satisfaction.

Remember - Keep It Simple Stupid!

Customer Experience, not Customer Service

Don't focus on customer service!

What would happen if your supervisor told you to not worry about providing customer service?  Would you feel that your supervisor was diving into an illegal stash of something?  I would argue that your supervisor was correct.

Fast food restaurants are great examples of customer service, but few provide the customer experience.  I can go into a local McDonalds for example and I know that the people at the counter will generally be smiling, they will say please and thank you, and they will do their best to make sure your order is correct.  Go down the street to Chick-Fil-A, and customer service is taken to the next level.  It becomes an experience that patrons expect at all of their restaurants.  An example of this is what happens during the lunch hour when the counter comes to the drive thru line.  It could be raining, it could be 115 degrees, it could be freezing cold, and you still get the same level of friendliness, including the customary, "It's my pleasure".

A few years ago, I attended a contact center conference where a Disney trainer was doing a presentation.  One part of the presentation that I remember very vividly was his explanation of the "Tipping the Lamp" philosophy of the Disney Experience.  Essentially what this entailed was every employee, top to bottom, was responsible for the customer experience down to the most basic detail.  For those of us who have had the privilege to spend time in a Disney Park, know that every Disney employee is paying attention to every patron to make sure that their experience meets Disney standards.

Is your organization focused on the customer service, or are you focused on the experience.  How can you tell if you are providing customer service, or are creating an experience for your customers?  Social media can provide you the information you are looking for, if you are looking for it.  Other clues that you are providing a customer experience, you are busy, when others are slow.  Patrons will provide your front line staff with reasons why they are coming in, if you ask them.

Lastly, as leaders, we can impact the customer experience regardless of line of business you are in.  Who are your customers as a leader?  First and foremost, make sure your employees are engaged in meeting the needs of the customer, not just telling the customer what you think they want to hear.

As a leader, I am more concerned about the experience of my customers, not the service.  If we are creating a positive experience and surpassing the customers expectations, then the service aspect takes care of itself.

Have a great rest of the week!