As the crucial interface between the non-management employees and the senior management of the organization, supervisors have the ultimate influence over many employees and have powerful effect - good or bad - on their productivity.   In fact, they have the power to turn on or turn off the productivity of their many direct reports and in turn, to a large extent, that of the organization.   However, despite the fact that supervisors hold the key to...

Reports provide critical analyses of how the business is tracking in all areas of the organization.   Thus, they serve as important tools to guide decision-making, and help organizations investigate and solve any identified issues.   However, as important as reports are in business organizations, many employees do not know how to write effective reports, and this results in two major problems:   1. Bad decisions 2. Unidentified is...

No matter how good your organization’s service to customers is, every organization has the potential to do a little better. Or, in some cases, a lot better. The thing is, we set up a way to serve our customers to keep them satisfied, but, most times, inertia makes us continue our service the same way even when the needs of the customers, the economy, and other factors in the business environment have changed. Our service transformation practicum is about sign...

The need to lead, model, and promote the organizational values within a customer service environment is essential for business success.   Hence, every day, a customer service manager must lead their team to success while modeling the customer service standards that are set out by the company.   And there are two components to successfully leading a customer service team: understanding what customer service is all about and understanding what leade...

If managers are trustworthy, adapt leadership styles, inspire their subordinates, and effectively work 'through' them, organizations would be having better business results.   But not all managers exhibit these qualities.   A Gallup poll found that only 18% of managers demonstrate a high level of talent for managing others – meaning a shocking 82% of managers are not very good at leading people.   One of the major reason...

Discipline is not something any manager wants to do but it is a skill that is important to be able to perform consistently and fairly.   While the traditional discipline is punitive and ineffective in improving employee behavior, progressive discipline is not based on punishment. Rather it features increasingly strict steps that supply feedback that can help employees correct their work behaviors.   This course is designed to help managers underst...

Nothing happens in an organization until a sale takes place and in comes the money that everybody can live off. And sales are preceded by marketing.   Hence marketing and sales are essential in every organization. And they are most effective when they work together in a collaborative approach.  But there are not many positives about marketing and sales in a challenging economy. Business is tough, cash-flow is tight, and consumers rein in spending. ...

If customers highlight an overpriced, poor, or unreliable service, they are not condemning your organization to redundancy, but offering you a great opportunity to see your organization from another’s point of view.   This feedback, termed customer complaint, can prove to be invaluable. And how your organization handles it is not only crucial in ensuring that the customer does not leave but also essential in increasing their loyalty and in gainin...

When your customer does not return, what your organization loses is not just the money for the next transaction but the total revenue the customer would have brought to your organization across their entire relationship with you. This is a huge loss, which is even more when you imagine this scenario for multiple customers.   All this starts when the services provided do not meet the customer’s expectations. And it’s primarily because many employees...

| Why Customers Leave |   8% because of cheaper products/services; 12% because of more convenient/better location; 16% because of better products/services; 30% because employees “did not go out of their way”; 34% because Employees were unhelpful, rude, unknowledgeable. Customers leave for a variety of reasons. And understanding these reasons is an important first step to improving customer service.   From the st...

How much valuable work an employee is able to get done in a given period is important because it has direct impact on an organization’s bottom line. The more work employees can get done, the more profit their organization can make.   Hence, for sustained success in any organization, the employees must be able to get work done. That is, they must be productive – they must produce value for the business that exceeds the cost of their wages.  ...

Technical professionals build, deliver, and support technology solutions. Hence, they possess technical, analytical, and logical skills required for solving finite problems.   These skills are essential. However, in today’s workplace, they are inadequate.   This is because, today, teams rather than individuals are doing more work. And to succeed in this type of environment, technical professionals need effective communication skills to accom...

When it comes to your staff, salary is not the only thing that can guarantee their engagement and retention. Employees tend to stick around when they believe the organization they are working for is taking care of their personal and professional development.   And coaching and mentoring are the two crucial components of employee development.   While coaching is based on a partnership that involves giving both support and challenging opportunities ...

Whether we choose to embrace them or cannot stand being interrupted by their calls, call centers are a business element that is here to stay.   This training focuses on the education of call center agents to help prepare them to handle any situation in a professional, efficient manner.    It will help call center agents learn to make the most of their telephone-based work, including understanding the best ways to listen and be heard. &nbs...

For employees in leadership role, one of the most difficult transitions to make is the shift from doing to leading.   In doing, we are in a constant state of overextension, which fuels an instinctive reaction to hold on to work. This survival instinct ultimately decreases our impact through an ongoing, limited effect on our team members. And, the impact continues to decrease with every initiative we unnecessarily hold on to.   In leading, we make ...