Timeless Love

Doesn't it seem rather special to meet a couple nowadays where the individuals have chosen to stay together longer than a few years?   Do you ever notice older couples holding hands walking in a shop or going to an event who "seem" to still be in love?  I do, and it makes me feel all fluffy and happy inside.  

It reminds me of how I thought love was supposed to and would last forever.

I watched the emotional and acrimonious "relationship" my parents rumbled around in and always hoped for better.  Something more "Father Knows Best" or "Donna Reed" or even "Leave It To Beaver".  But we do not get what we wish for ... we get what we need as we are growing up, so we are better and stronger than we would have been if we had only gotten what we wished for.

 I was surprised, though, when I discovered that there was a huge love there between my parents.  It had drawn them together (well probably more like lust and convenience at first) and held them there supporting each other...even if sometimes reluctantly and resentfully.  

I know they both had unfulfilled dreams and unsatisfied desires, yet they managed the "to death do you part" bit for nearly 45 years when my Daddy passed away into Glory...the last day of the year in 1979.

Anyway, I thought this was rather poignant and thought-provoking for all of us to consider and maybe inspire us to turn to our spouses (and even sweet and special friends) and thank them for their faithfulness and loyalty.  It is a rare quality today. 

Four Things to Know About World Mental Health Day

October 10th is World Mental Health Day - a time to focus your attention on the growing problem of mental illness and its major effects in people's lives-- and the growing stresses facing employees serving customers in non-face-to-face roles.  

Did you realize it's estimated that one in every four adults will experience mental health difficulties at one time or another.  

Snapshotz Online's research with 1,700 organisations worldwide, points to one critical factor that could improve mental health within every customer contact centre.  Over three-quarters (78%) of senior executives and contact centre leaders are not fully aware of the physical and emotional impact of dealing with customers regularly.

Increase in self-service channels has amplified pressures for customer service employees.  Many customer, who can't or don't want to manage self-service channels call for help.  By the time they reach one of your customer service representatives their frustration level (and anger) may have reached a tipping point.

This compounds stress for those measured on quickly meeting customer satisfaction targets.  Over time, these difficult exchanges can affect employee self-esteem, decrease  productivity, increase lateness, illness and absenteeism.  Employees who do show up to work every day carry a heavier load of responsibilities and thus even more stress.  In the end, stress is a major factor in many mental health situations.

In the best centres we've audited, the way to break the cycle is involvement of senior staff. 

1.          They must be aware of the challenges.  In The Customer Response Management Handbook , the author recommends senior staff set aside a few hours regularly (if possible once a week) to listen in (ideally double jacking) to customer calls with some of the employees.  We have seen that this one change alone can make a huge difference with decision making throughout the organisation.

2.          There must be adequate budget set aside for a good wellness program.  One highly regarded group is Wellness First, in Australia/ NZ.  They have a great track record setting up practical and cost effective programs.  They specialise in customer service centres and cover basics such as resilience, eating well, drinking enough water, exercising, having a healthy social network, as a start. 

3.          Ensure team leaders and managers are taught to recognise the signs of physical and mental stress with customer service employees.

4.          Finally, encourage staff to feel comfortable and safe to ask for help when things seem overwhelming.

Work Health and Safety (WH&S) goes beyond ergonomics and lunch breaks.  Healthy employees are the greatest resource a business has.  The benefits of good physical and mental health include:

·         High levels of staff engagement (being on time and ready to work)

·         Increased energy and enthusiasm to resolve customer queries

·         Customers sense the positive attitude and customer satisfaction soars

·         Service levels increase

·         Products and services are delivered more accurately and timely

·         Better harmony with other internal departments

·         More frequently meeting performance, revenue and cost-cutting targets

Reach out to us if you would like to know more about this topic or if you would like to become part of the Snapshotz Online assessment, Snapshotz Remotability and Professional Certification Programs.  We are here to help you improve your work-life balance and the results from your customer service efforts.

Loss of Focus in the Shallows

Is the Internet another way our value of responsibility is slipping away?

More to come...

CDOs Ignore Customer Service at Their Own Peril

What is the value of marrying the customer service imperative with the mandate of the Chief Digital Officer?

Definition: 

Chief Digital Officer (CDO) is tasked with growing their organisation by converting traditional "analogue" business to digital using the anticipated potential of online technologies and data, including mobile applications, social media and related applications, virtual goods and "wild" web-based information management and marketing.

Customer Service Manager is tasked with providing customers (and potential customers) with the right information or product when they want it, at a price they are happy to pay, through the most convenient delivery channel or process and for THEM so they are willing to go through the experience again and will, without being incented or prodded, spread the good news about the quality and personal service they received.[1]

In a world where businesses are grasping for the next best gadget, fad or trend, it is important to keep grounded in the reality of what is, because as exciting as tomorrow sounds, it is today we must contend with.

More Channels Do Not Guarantee Satisfaction or Success

With the CDO has come more channels to sell and service the customer.  What has been sacrificed is customer stickiness, loyalty and advocacy. 

Today, as the customer wrestles with being forced to deal with digital channels, many of which are quickly built and ill conceived and typically without the customers' needs in mind, this is silently driving traffic into an organisation's customer service centres.

For any organisation who has customers, their support before, during and after an interchange is critical.  Nearly 59% of all customers are said to be "always ready to switch to a competitor for better customer service".  We've made it so easy too.  Almost 90% of customers have quit doing business with a company simply due to poor service.[2] 

Customer Service is Already Engaged

International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) research reported that nearly 86% of today's customer service centres are multi-channel and that around 74% of customers are having to use three or more channels to complete a customer service related issue. 

By the way, most (84%) prefer using the phone and 72%  want to speak with a person, not a machine.[3]  Here are some statistics from an infographic by Forrester Research regarding traffic into a multi-channel contact centres.  Phone support remains the most popular offering[4]:

Why the CDO Needs CS

Today, more than a billion consumers around the world have smartphones[5] and are increasingly turning to them to place and check orders, to schedule or change appointments, confirm reservations, find store locations, etc.[6] 

Four years ago, at a Gartner symposium, they reported technology spending outside of IT was 20 percent of total technology spending.  They estimated it would grow to almost 90 percent by the end of this decade.[7]  Much of the change is being driven by the digitization of companies’ revenue and their services, which is the purview of the Chief Digital Officer.

Willing but Frustrated

Although most customers are willing to try using alternate delivery channels when they don't work customers turn to the phone.  The result is that the Customer Service Manager and those who provide support to customers face increasingly frustrated callers. 

Many (perhaps most) Customer Service Centres have become default and unrecognised help desks.  The wise CDO makes every effort to keep communication channels open between their two teams.  When they do they will increase the success of their initiatives and the mission of the organisation by:

·        Keeping Customer Service in the loop when new technology is to be released

·        Being open to feedback from the Customer Service group

·        Giving customer-facing employees training about new channels and tools before they are rolled out

·        Customer Service can be a "sand box" for trying out or testing new channels before they are rolled out (as they KNOW the customers so well)

Mutually-Beneficial Payback

The pay back to the CDO comes from the wealth of customer feedback about products, services, channels, etc. and the word-of-mouth "research" that flows into customer service and sales centres and the ongoing support of their efforts. 

The payback for the Customer Service Manager comes when they and their teams are better prepared and aware of new customer channels before the fact and the satisfaction that comes from being included in the new channel strategy. 

Although the CDO may have to compete with IT, marketing and the supply chain for budget and cooperation.  The greatest success for the CDO can be realised by joining forces with Customer Service Manager. 

---

[1] Customer Response Management Handbook, McGraw Hill, Darlene Richard, 2002

[2] Forrester, Enhancing the Retail Omnichannel Customer Experience, 2015

[3] Forrester, "Mobile is the New Face of Engagement, 2012

[4] Forrester, Infographic:  "Why Call Centres Won't Go Away", September 2015

[5] Fonolo, Top 10 Contact Centre Trends for 2015

[6] Harris Interactive, The High Demand for Customer Service via Text Messages, 2014

[7] Gartner Research:  Gartner Says Every Budget is Becoming an IT Budget, 22 October 2012, http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2208015 

Elephant Love Story - Introduction

It was said I was the greatest elephant who ever lived, well at least my little girl thought so.  In 1940 New Your City she and I were unexpected stars in a nation-building circus in a land just crawling out of the Great Depression and the accompanying darkness.

From the moment we met I knew our friendship would be different than any friend I had ever imagined.  We had come through so much since leaving home in Europe when she was a newborn in her mother's arms and I was doing little insignificant tricks to help pay the family's way in the world.  Then I got an opportunity to travel to India and take training from one of the legendary Mahouts. 

Now as we both seemed to be aging, it was our memories we kept dear as we walked down the laneway, her hand on my side so familiar and comforting.  Like the day, when she was just about six human years old.  We sat side-by-side.  She had a tall stool and I my sturdy metal one.  I was in awe of her.  Truth be told I still am so in awe of her. 

That day she seemed so little.  Her eyes loved me! 

She reached over and patted my side.  I know had I not been so enormous compared to her, she would surely have hugged me round.  Tears formed in my eyes and I had to work hard to not let her see my sentimental side. 

Our friendship had lasted over half a century and still I could sense her every wish and thought.  I wondered often if our relationship, if I dare call it that, meant she abandoned hope of love in her own world.  Yet she always seemed happiest when we were together.  I do wish I was able to read her thoughts. 

Just a Smile

I awoke remembering tomorrow would be my last day at this project and that it would also be the anniversary of my father's birth -- the 17th of October.  He's been gone a long time now, but not so long that the surprising pain of sudden grief has left me.

I readied for the day and rushed out into the world heading for the bus stop three stops away so I would walk a bit.  When the bus arrived I greeted the always silent driver.  Surly faces were in each row as I searched for a good place to sit, which for me meant somewhere near a door.

Trying to avoid eye contact with all as I wended my way further into the vehicle until a pair of eyes seemed to call to mine.  A little smile. 

I chose to set next to "just a little smile."  

As I settled into my seat, "just a little smile" greeted me with a hello in a tongue that seemed not as confident in English.  I tried to imagine his native land and language, but gave up almost immediately and mimicked his hello before going silent.

The fear of strangers now so ingrained took my imagination away briefly to consider, that as wrong as it was to racial profile, his olive skin, dark hair and features seemed Middle Eastern.  I wondered for a split second how it would be if I saw that he had a bomb strapped to his body or a gun in his pocket.  A little shake to my head dispelled the momentary silliness, as the music from my iPod pulled me back to reality.

I smiled that "you're a stranger to me" smile and searched for my Kindle, as he rifled through his worn, olive-drab gym bag.  He fished out a newspaper and began to read.  I smiled as I sneaked a peek at him, noticing the childlike halting way he read the headlines, using his index finger to slowly point to each word as he read.

The bus rocked rhythmically and the passengers now seemed to have entered that warm drone-like state, hunched over their cell phones as we moved onto the highway that would lead us to the Harbour Bridge. 

I politely continued reading.  Still I wanted somehow to reach out to this "smiling stranger" who had risked so much with that smile and his hello.  But there was so little time left of the journey and tomorrow he would just be a fading memory.

As I watched him out of the corner of my eye, it happened.

It was clear, as we had the first sight of the famous Coat-hanger Bridge, that he had never been across it before!  He gasped and nearly pressed his face to the window, like a child at Christmas wanting to see the sled fly!

It was just the opening I needed.

"It is such an amazing Bridge, isn't it?  Have you been in Australia long?"  Both questions completely safe.

And that was all he needed. 

His smile intensified and there was the fresh breeze of relief flowing over his face.

"I've just arrived from Italy.  Well actually on the fifth of October."

Then he spoke as if he longed to hear his voice practicing new and unfamiliar words.  He spoke of the day, the Bridge, the weather, even the bus.  His English was basic, but delightful for the joy on his face as he "connected" each word in an actual conversation.

I asked what brought him to Sydney.

Again eagerness and delight flooded his face.  He announced he was a bartender (as if he was sharing that he was a prince in disguise).  He had come to Sydney for a job.  I wondered if he was some master of mixology,  I had never considered it a visa-granting type of profession.  But I wouldn't know how to mix a drink, so perhaps it is a special skill.

It was while he spoke I took time to look at him for the first time.  Thin, he was far too thin, yet it was his face that captivated me.  I had politely averted my eyes from his face in some perfectly natural way of self-defense that I had chosen not to see it. 

This face told me a sad, almost pitiful story that was beyond explanation or reason.  Pock-marked and with horrible scars, as if someone had reached across some far away bar, late one night; and with a broken glass, dripping of some antiseptic liquor, they had ground it deeply into the middle of his face, then twisted it to disfigure him as much as possible.

My heart hurt as I tried not to imagine the blood and the pain, the fear and resulting rehabilitation...the deep loneliness from the isolation that brutality brings with it.  And then the sheer realisation of his abject ugliness.

Yet, here he was, smiling his crooked smile, that he knew was crooked and still smiled.  I reached out my hand and touched his forearm, not in pity but in respect or awe as he continued to regale me on the beauty of the day, his grand adventure, the magnificence of the Bridge and his forthcoming resettling into Sydney.

It dawned on me through the fog of my admiration for this heroic man that the bus was nearing the city.  I looked to him with a love not mine and wished him all the best.  I handed him my business card and urged him to send me an email or to call.

The bus lurched to a halt and as I gathered my things and moved through to the door, I looked back returning his kindness with my best smile.

I sincerely hoped he would contact me.  I stepped off the bus and couldn't resist looking back one more time to see which direction his journey would take him, but he had blended into the pushy crowd and already disappeared.

I crossed the street as always and just stopped.  I was deeply affected by the optimism of this man.  And there he stood, on the opposite corner of the street.  He looked profoundly lost.  I wondered if I should offer more help, when he crossed over when the light changed and asked to buy me breakfast.  A Starbucks loomed right behind me.  It was so tempting, had an early meeting.

I thanked him, wished him well, encouraged him again to contact me.  He said good bye and that today he was to start his English as a second language course and hoped to see me again. 

I never saw him again, but will never be able to forget him and his smile.

story of Dad's chair

Pop was buried over six years ago. I found myself in his woods one more time. The house where we had all grown up was now just rubble and the overgrown remnants of the basement. I searched for the chair and smiled as I saw it in the clearing.

I remember the day my brother and I took possession of the green Naugahyde recliner. It had been his throne for three quarters of his last years.

We were so miserable on that day. We cried a lot - I suppose it was a kind of catharsis -- as we struggled to drag it out of the living room where it had stood for all our shared memories.

We pulled the heavy, awkward thing out the back door trying to keep our fingers from being pinched by all the folding parts of the recliner.

We pulled it down the four rickety steps of the back porch.

We pulled it slowly, as if to the dirge playing within our hearts through the back yard until we located his favourite spot in the woods behind our house.

When he could breathe enough to walk this was where he would come. We installed the chair beside the huge, old hickory nut tree where he had taught us the names of the brightly coloured birds who sang so mysteriously, hidden in the trees above.

Then my brother and I took turns ceremoniously sitting in and christening this quiet, bittersweet spot in his memory. We stood together, holding hands and called out to the birds and trees to cover it with their everlasting love....