That potential quickly faded when the new employee marched into my friend’s office and demanded a raise after only two weeks! He said the job was harder than he’d expected, and he felt he had proven himself - so he not only deserved a raise, but more paid vacation time as well! The look of utter shock and amazement on my friend’s face as he related this conversation isn’t one I’ll soon forget. He asked me, “Who does this kid think he is?” The answer is he’s a member of what is known as “Generation Y” and there are many more just like him entering the workforce!

Just who are these “Generation Y” people? They were born between the late 1970’s and late 1990’s and there are over 70 million of them in the U.S. alone. Highly educated as well as racially and ethnically diverse, they were pampered and nurtured by their parents, and were constantly stimulated with activities since they were toddlers. They tend to be perceived as being spoiled, self-centered, high maintenance and having a short attention span. How’s that for a winning combination?

On the other hand, they have the ability to multi-task and accomplish more, better and faster. So if you want a job well done, give them the direction and the training to do it - that’s the key. They crave knowledge and love challenges - especially if it will get them further up the corporate ladder. The other key to success with this group is coaching. Providing feedback on things they are doing well in addition to things that need improvement will provide them both recognition for their accomplishments as well as the challenge to improve.

Their parents taught them that they can accomplish whatever they set out to do, and in many cases, they were rewarded for participating in life’s normal activities (think caps and gowns for graduating pre-school), while also being protected from experiencing failure. As a result, they display a strong sense of entitlement. While this is shocking to many, it’s important to recognize that this generation views work simply as a means to enjoy life. In other words, there is more to life than work. WHAT??? But this viewpoint shouldn’t be confused with laziness or a poor work ethic. While it’s true they tend to shy away from the normal 8-5 schedule, the reality is that they are some of the most dedicated workers ever and they bring with them motivation, fresh ideas and enthusiasm. By offering them flexible schedules for social and personal time, a casual dress environment and recognition for good work, you will help keep this generation motivated, dedicated and productive.

“Generation Y” can also be perceived as having a lack of respect for authority. The main reason is they were raised to question everything they don’t understand and now they want the same kind of relationship with their employers that they had with their parents - they want to have the permission to question - to understand the “why”. Managers tend to interpret this as a lack of respect for their authority and not a search for deeper understanding. But as an employer, it is important not to view their questioning as insubordination, but to understand that they are continually thinking and learning. They are always looking for new and better ways of doing things, and everything that they learn gives them information that may lead to a new process that could make the employer’s life and work easier!

Obviously, this generation is very different than others in the past. They have specific needs, that if not met, will make for a poor relationship between employer and employee. Understanding, accepting, and being sensitive to the needs of the Generation Y staff member is the key to success in managing them. With this insight, you will be able to build strong relationships that will allow your company to reap the benefits of their knowledge, skills, ideas and enthusiasm.

My friend told his young employee that it was a bit too early to be asking for a raise and offered some other suggestions instead. He started by giving him some specific goals to accomplish in order to move up within the organization, and he gave him the training and tools to achieve them. The good news is he is still there and doing great! He will probably even get that raise he wanted at his next review. The vacation time is still under negotiation…

In today’s world, business is a lot like a race - having a good offensive strategy is critical, especially with the current economy. There is much debate right now about whether or not we’re headed into a recession. Some say yes, some say no, others aren’t sure. but if we are, wouldn’t it make sense for your team to have a strategy to keep you in the lead position out there in the race for more business?

So if the goal is to have the checkered flag when the tough economic times are over, what is the best proactive strategy to achieve that? In other words, how do you ensure that your business not only SURVIVES, but THRIVES? The answers may very well surprise you.

The biggest mistake most companies make is to immediately tighten the purse strings and slash budgets. And often the two areas that are hit first are advertising and training. The irony is that these are the most important areas of business during a down economy. Advertising is needed to let people know that you are still out there even though others may not be. And training is necessary to retain your staff and continue to refine their customer service or sales skills so that you can keep your current customers happy and also garner some new ones.

After 9/11, the airlines hit a really tough time. When all was said and done, Southwest Airlines not only landed on its feet while other airlines were filing bankruptcy, but they landed on top! What was their winning strategy? A great offense! Southwest Airlines actually increased their training budget. Yes, I said INCREASED their training budget. Ed Stewart, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines stated “Any (airline) can fly 737’s to different cities. Our secret weapon is people, so we still had to invest in them.”

He’s right! People make the difference - especially in the bad times! There is so much value in engaging your employees and enhancing their skills through effective training. Southwest Airlines avoided the most common recession mistakes and took a proactive stance, invested in their team and came out on top.

Customers today have many choices. So if your company has competition (and who doesn’t?), what can make you stand out above the rest? Your people! Giving your team the skills to provide exceptional service is a great way to stay ahead in the race. And when that checkered flag waves, your company will be the one to bring it home, while others might be struggling to make it across the finish line at all.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled up to my neighborhood Starbucks only to discover that they had closed down for the evening! For training! Who ever heard of such a thing? It turns out that Starbucks actually closed most of their U.S. locations all at once to provide training to energize and motivate over 135,000 employees!

Instead of being miffed about not getting my coffee, I was actually quite impressed! After all, it’s tough to make the decision to literally shut your doors to provide employee training. It reminded me of the challenge many Phone Pro clients face when they provide onsite training for their staff. While their goal is to constantly improve their relationships with customers by providing excellent service, achieving that includes a balance of employee training as well as being there to answer the phones quickly and efficiently.

Have you been considering customer service training but don’t think you can take your staff off the phones? Here are a few tips to make it happen at your company:

1. All Hands on Deck! When you want to have staff off the phones for a classroom training session, it’s time to pull together. In many organizations, the phones are where a majority of employees started their careers. This is a great time for the employees that have moved on to other positions within the company to pitch in and man the phones. With their help, the call center staff can have the chance to be in training to learn and develop new skills. We recently had a client who had their company President answering calls so the staff could go through training - it took him a little longer to handle the calls, but rather than getting upset or impatient, the customers were impressed with his commitment to providing excellent training for his staff so they could ultimately serve them better. And as a side note, they said they were really looking forward to speaking with the regular reps again!

2. “Your Call is Important to Us…” A couple of weeks prior to training, place an announcement on your IVR (or Hold function) letting your customers know that you will be short staffed on certain days to allow for employee training. Place the information on your website as well to remind them to plan accordingly - they will appreciate the heads up, as well as your efforts to serve them better!

3. Short Term Sacrifice for Long Term Gain! Remember, timing is everything! Be sure to conduct the training sessions on slower days of the week, during the off season or even after hours if necessary. Obviously, pulling a significant number of staff off the phones is going to cause service delays. However, considering the improvement in customer service and employee morale, that’s small price to pay. Besides, can you imagine a customer actually yelling “WHAT? You’re teaching them to do their jobs better? What an outrage!” Hardly. In the event that service delays due to training are a major concern, many Phone Pro clients will choose to conduct sessions during the weekend. If you provide food and make it fun, it can be a great opportunity for team building and networking as well!

When I returned to Starbucks this morning, I was greeted by a sign that read, “Your drink should be perfect, every time. If not, let us know and we’ll make it right.” It might have been my imagination, but I swear my coffee tasted a little better than usual. We all know how important employee training and development is and that it requires effort and commitment to do it right. Is it worth it? We think so! And if you’re not sure, just ask your customers. We’re sure they’ll say “Absolutely!”.

In a world where technology is king and fast paced lifestyles are the norm, studies about the world of multitasking and its effects abound. In one study, Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft research scientist, found that it takes workers that are interrupted by emails, phone calls, or instant messages about 15 minutes to get back to the task that they were working on. “I was surprised by how easily people were distracted and how long it took them to get back to the task,” Horvitz said. The reality is that multitasking may actually be hampering productivity rather than enhancing it.

“When people try to perform two or more related tasks either at the same time or alternating rapidly between them, errors go way up, and it takes far longer - often double the time or more - to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially,” says David E. Meyer, director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan. Research also shows that multitasking increases stress, diminishes perceived control, and may cause physical discomfort such as stomach aches or headaches. In the end, this madness of multitasking diminishes productivity and makes us work harder just to feel like we are barely keeping up with all of our work!

So what can we do to survive and thrive in a multitasking world? Here are some suggestions that can make you more productive, efficient and get the job done with fewer errors!

1. Admit that Multitasking is not the best way to get things done - It’s time to admit that multitasking decreases everyone’s productivity no matter how good they think they are at it.

2. Create a “To-Do List” everyday - You can use the old fashioned way and write it down or you can use software that can help you organize your day. Either way, creating a list will help keep you focused and on track with your tasks.

3. Do the most important things on the list first - Beginning your day by working on the most important thing on your list will kick start your day with a sense of accomplishment. Even if you just spend an hour on that item, at least you will have a good start. With that good start, the more likely you are to go back to that project later to wrap it up.

4. Check your email on a set schedule - Hint: Turn off the alerts that tell you when you get an email. Because of the time it takes our brain to switch from task to task, it is not efficient to answer every email as it comes in. The best thing to do is to schedule three times a day to routinely check and respond to emails. Just because someone can contact you immediately, doesn’t mean that you have to respond to them immediately. Simply respond to them in a timely manner; that will generally meet their expectations.

Remember - work doesn’t control you, you control your work! Studies clearly show that by trying to accomplish too many different tasks all at once, people are less efficient and more stressed. By following these four steps, you can make each day less stressful and more productive. Before you know it, that pile on your desk will start to shrink and you will find yourself much happier at the end of the day with a greater sense of accomplishment!

Today, approximately 90% of the workforce has at least one ‘casual day’ a week and many companies have gone to ‘business casual’ 5 days a week. The problem is that unless the term ‘casual’ is defined, you might have employees showing up in garb that would have been better left on the hanger or in the bottom drawer. In many instances, ‘casual’ became interchangeable with ’sloppy’, and ‘Casual Friday” turned into ‘Dumpy Frumpy Friday’. This is in part due to the fact that ‘business casual’ seems to have become synonymous with ‘weekend casual’ and while your jogging suit or tattered jeans and collarless t-shirt might be suitable for the casual backyard barbeque, they aren’t appropriate choices to make for casual day attire at the office.

Here are some suggestions that I’ve compiled from my visits to dozens of companies each year:

• If jeans are an option in the workplace, then a darker denim or black jean looks much dressier than the faded stone washed pair with threadbare knees and tattered bottoms.
• Sporty watches or funky-chunky jewelry can dress up a simple collared blouse with 3/4 length sleeves.
• A pressed, collared golf shirt or tee looks much better than the wrinkled one pulled from the bottom drawer. Combine a simple pressed tee with a jacket, a pair of jeans and leather belt and you have a polished presence in the workplace whether you are male or female.
• Dressy sandals on manicured/groomed feet (for either gender) give you a much dressier look than the old standby of socks and tennis shoes.
• If shorts are an option, keep them pressed and just slightly above or below the knee. Save those short-shorts for the pool and backyard barbeque where they are more appropriate.
• Micro mini’s, very low cut blouses, sequined tops, see-through shirts, fishnet stockings, halters, camisoles or crop tops that expose bellies or midriffs, stiletto heels and the exposure of undergarments is NEVER EVER appropriate attire for the office! All of those items might come to mind for a fun costume for the office Halloween party, but even on that festive occasion, you might find that to be a regretful choice that haunts you in the long run.

While it would be nice to think that we live in a world free of judgment, the simple fact is that we don’t! And what a shame it would be to be passed over for a promotion, special project or other opportunity simply because of poor choices that were made while standing in front of the closet. So much of how others view us professionally depends on how we carry ourselves - which includes the clothes we wear. Obviously, there are many people that either don’t know this or don’t believe it. Don’t let yourself be one of them! You don’t have to spend a million bucks to look like a million bucks. And remember…when in doubt - don’t wear it out!

How many of you have a standard greeting that staff is expect to use when they answer the phone? And how many of your staff is using it? Here is a way to add some fun into your workplace AND to ensure everyone is using the standard greeting.

Tell everyone on your team that you are going to start randomly calling to see if they are using the standard greeting. You might want to include the standard greeting in your communication for those who have forgotten what it is.

1. Then start randomly calling. When you call, make it quick. Simply listen to the greeting and if the staff member answers the phone correctly, make a big deal of it. You might have a bell you ring or you can say “ding, ding, ding, ding, ding” then say something like “You Are A Winner! Your name goes into pot for the drawing!!” and hang up. That’s all there is to it.
2. Then put their name in the hat for a prize drawing later.
3. If the greeting isn’t correct you might blow on a whistle or have a gong sound, something that isn’t too loud, of course – this isn’t a punishment, it’s supposed to be fun! Or you can say “Sorry, try again next time!” and hang up.
4. Be sure to call everyone at least a couple of times to make it fair and to give everyone a chance to get comfortable with the greeting.

You can see how this doesn’t have to take a lot of time yet it can really be fun for your staff.

So be creative! Make learning fun and you will help staff incorporate the company and department standards.

In a recent “Customer Rage Study”* (actual title), it was found that “70 percent of us experienced rage” when dealing with a Customer Service Rep, and that 33 percent of us will actually YELL at the person who was supposedly trying to be helpful. And overall, only 13 percent said that the customer service they received was “excellent”.

One of our own trainers recounted a recent multi-day series of interactions she had with a particular drive-thru restaurant “helper”. She was so astounded by their lack of basic customer service skills and courtesy that she finally called the manager of the restaurant and complained. She told the manager that the window person had the personality of an angry bull! The manager said they had received other complaints, and that the employee had already been written up several times! And yet they were still out front, dealing with the customers - and no doubt, losing business for the company!

Are we sometimes too reluctant to confront? Are we sometimes afraid of making a mistake and being found ‘guilty’ of management error? Are we sometimes saddling ourselves, and our associates, and our organization, and our customers/clients/patients/visitors with the problem we are too timid to address?

No business, large or small, can afford to lose customers because of a lack of good, basic customer service skills. Don’t let the face of your company - and your bottom line - be diminished by something that is so simple to fix!

*Customer Care Alliance & Arizona State University 2005

So, how important is fun, laughter and humor in the workplace? Research has found that fun in the workplace can build teamwork, increase productivity, improve voice tone, enhance training, promote creativity, and fight boredom. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s have some fun!

But now the challenge rears its ugly head….How can we incorporate humor and fun in our everyday life at work? How can we encourage fun and laughter without minimizing the importance and seriousness of what we are trying to accomplish?

Consider these ideas for increasing the fun factor in your department:

• What would your staff do if you walked into a staff meeting in your pj’s?
• What if you wore a funny hat to a coaching session?
• How many laughs would you get with a contest to see who has had the funniest customer call?
• Put up a bulletin board in the break room for the staff to fill with funny call center or work environment cartoons and jokes.
• Have weekly contests that include the funniest caption to a photo taken at the office.

You will find that the members of management who aren’t afraid to have fun, smile, and act silly sometimes, are the managers who get the most from their staff. So, go on, have some fun, and see how a fun work environment can work for you and your staff!!!

“Seeking call center professional that is tired, bored, unenthusiastic, apathetic and conveys an overall disinterest during the greater part of the day.”

It is unlikely that you would open the classifieds and see this type of want ad, yet you will often experience this type of person in a professional setting. Whether it’s in a customer service situation, with a fellow co-worker or perhaps you have even caught yourself with these characteristics on occasion.

We have all heard the old adage ‘You are what you eat’; well let’s take it one step further and consider this…You are what you think! Travel to any bookstore or library and you will discover a plethora of books on the power of positive thinking and how our thoughts, be they negative or positive, contribute to our behavior. Part of that behavior is Voice Tone. It goes without saying that using a negative voice tone with a customer is a major no-no. There aren’t many managers that are going to tolerate or excuse an employee that consistently yells, attacks or demonstrates an aggressive or frustrated voice tone with a customer. Yet there does seem to be a level of tolerance and acceptance when it comes to a neutral voice tone. That is not to say that management encourages a neutral voice tone; certainly a positive voice tone is the preferred and desirable choice just like the negative voice tone is the wrong and unacceptable choice. Besides, maintaining a positive voice tone, call after call, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year is asking an awful lot of someone - isn’t it?

Anyway, what’s so bad about a Neutral voice tone? It just means they aren’t positive..…right? When neutral is used as an adjective to describe a color, as in one that is able to blend with many; or as a means to describe one’s position as it relates to refraining from interference in a contest by not taking part in either side, then the word neutral poses no problem. But when it comes to describing a tone of voice, then NEUTRAL actually becomes a NEGATIVE.

According to a recent study conducted by AMDOCS (see amdocs.com for additional information) 80% of today’s consumers would rather go to the dentist, sit in a traffic jam or pay their taxes rather than deal with an UNhelpful customer service rep. The “unhelpful” rep might be one that is:

· Bored—you are the 51st caller they have had today and they have heard your issue before.

· Tired—it has been a long day and their shift ends in 55 minutes.

· Indifferent—you think you have got problems, this is nothing compared to the last guy they just talked to.

· Detached—yeah, yeah, whatever…you are the 17th person today alone that has called in with this concern.

· Unenthusiastic—they only have 2 more months on the phones and then they can ‘post out’ and get promoted to another department within the company.

The above are all characteristics of the unhelpful rep and obviously the list could go on and on and even though in these instances the voice tone could borderline on negative, the reality and the danger is that when one of these characteristics dominates the moment, the likely voice tone for the moment is going to be neutral. So in today’s competitive market place is that an acceptable and tolerable tone for the moment? I guess it depends on who you ask; according to recent surveys, the customer considers it neither tolerable nor acceptable.

Thus, when these moments/characteristics present themselves, it is time for the rep to change the thought cycle. Going back to the principles centered around the power of positive thinking and if we really are what we think; then changing our behavior is really as simple as our changing thoughts. We can choose to remain in a negative and/or destructive thought pattern or we can choose to change and begin to introduce positive thoughts. Therein lies the positive behavior which opens the door to positive voice tone. Is it an easy choice to make? Not always…but in today’s competitive market place it is the only acceptable choice to make.

“Seeking call center professional who is energetic, creative, enthusiastic, and is consistently able to convey a desire and willingness to help our customers.”

Recognition! It’s one of the most powerful motivators we have.

Your employees may have certificates, trophies, and plaques all over their desks and walls. But why does it seem that it is typically the same group who win all the awards?

What about employees who aren’t top performers? Why are there are people with no ‘goodies’ hanging on their walls? Is it because they don’t like clutter? Not likely! Or is it because they rarely - if ever - win recognition? Some employees may want to be successful but are struggling, and others may have struggled so long they have simply ‘given up’. Still others may be so discouraged and unhappy that they’ve turned into troublemakers - with these employees, recognition programs may even have backfired and are de-motivating.

You say, “But wait a minute, the reason they have no awards is because they aren’t doing well. I’m not going to recognize someone for that! Plus, that wouldn’t be fair to the top performers.” Of course it’s important to recognize the top 10%, but isn’t it the other 90% who really need the most motivating? Finding a recognition program that will motivate everyone can unlock huge potential in employees, and make a difference not only in your organization, but also in the lives of the employees.

I learned a lot about the power of recognition from my High School English teacher. One day she was passing back our graded essays when she held up one student’s paper. She told the class that if we wanted to read an excellent essay, we should read this paper. The teacher went on to tell this student that she should seriously consider a career in writing. Now that is powerful! An authority figure like a teacher can move mountains in a person’s life by recognizing them in front of their peers. I know - that student was a friend of mine and that experience was a pivotal moment, starting her toward a successful writing career. (Perhaps you’ve read “Harry Potter”…just kidding!)

There are people in your organization that rarely get positive feedback regarding their work – they never get to enjoy the spotlight! If you’re in management, you are in a position, just like my English Teacher, to motivate people by finding something – anything - that they do well and publicly recognizing them for it. For some of your staff, this may be challenging and it may take a while, but if you look hard and long enough, even the weakest performer or biggest troublemaker has something they did well.

No matter that it may have been something fairly small. It was a call well-handled, an intra-department thing that got smoothed over, a small task they took on voluntarily and with a good attitude of team work. Lift it up! Be sincere in your recognition and thanks! Let your lips form those golden words of praise and gratitude and recognition! Be a generous boss!

This type of recognition doesn’t cost a thing. There are no planning meetings, big budgets, executive presentations, or record keeping. This is simply you and your own creativity at work! Give yourself a timeline and a goal to recognize everyone on your team within that timeline. If your words and actions are sincere and believable then your public recognition of their good efforts will be a powerful motivator and can move mountains in your employee’s lives and in your organization. (Pssst! Want a good deal on Gold Stars?)