CUSTOMER SERVICE: Internal And External

This week’s top story seems to center on a certain airline employee – It made me think of some past customers & clients I have dealt with in the past. I have used my best diplomacy and negotiating skills in more instances than I could count (and held my frustration in check many times).

The reasons are far too varied to list them all here, but the thing most had in common was something was out of my hands and in a lot of cases out of the hands of subordinates. Coming to mind: -Service from 2 layers down—Wrong SHADE of a color in an ad—an Unasked request not filled (“they SHOULD have know”)—and on. The two most extreme I think would be a request—um demand—that my boss NOT visit him anymore (AWKWARD!!) and the call accusing my company of FRAUD (that case resulted in A~ the firing of an employee and B~ UPselling of the customer by me).

But the other thing I thought of was INTERNAL customers. Interesting term. Sometimes it is very apt- $ traveled form one department to another, but most times it is different parts of a company that rely on each other to accomplish the end goal= producing a product, satisfying a customer, ETC. In this arena I only had one-for lack of another word- conflict. Another dept was crucial to ME providing the client’s needs, and the manager was – resistant- to taking responsibility for his team’s errors. Well, we had an internal survey, and I spoke my mind. He called my boss and complained- it hurt his bonus. The problems his dept caused cost me bonus money. My boss said that while true “we don’t put it in the survey."
Well- the result was the other manager and myself meeting and going over standards, memos and types of communication available. Longer story shorter (you’re welcome)- We got to the point where he still protected his people, but when it was on his end- he admitted it, fixed it and we moved on. I cemented this by spending an entire day with his team. Them seeing I cared and wanted to understand only added to the improvements seen. My Boss? He publicly gave me credit for building a level of communication between departments the company had not seen before.
Now while it may SEEM I got off track from my opening statement, let me tie it all together. In certain position you have to develop a thicker skin. How many of us have vented once we left the building or hung up the phone? How many have wanted to start singing Johnny Paycheck’s “take this job and shove it?” Now I’m not condemning this guy, Heck- its good escapism and venting by proxy. The thing is, it’s not me

You pick the best title: “Timing is everything" -OR-“The right tool for the right job”

There have been many notable (famous) people who have faltered in one industry or another, - maybe a start up business even- only to move on to a different area in order to find success.

For instance before entering politics, Harry Truman had opened a haberdashery but it went bankrupt during the recession of 1921. In addition, Truman didn’t even earn a college degree.

I think the best example in Ulysses S. Grant. Having been in the army, he left to support his family in civilian endeavors. He labored on a family farm near St. Louis, Missouri, but it did not prosper. He was a bill collector in St. Louis. In 1860, after many failed business pursuits, he was given a job as an assistant in his father's tannery in Illinois. Ultimately, He returned to the military, where his legacy of leadership is best known. Even more than his actions as president, Grant is recognized for being the right man to lead the Union Army in the Civil War.

Some I have talked to say there are conflicting lessons, but I disagree. While figures such as Edison and Disney kept battling in the same “industry” (for lack of another term), others may not be as lucky to hit the right target for them.

So, while the obvious lesson is perseverance, the second is the one debated. I say it is about judgment, discretion, and even self honesty. The examples I noted above certainly did NOT give up. They DID however realize what was NOT working from them, and looked to where they COULD succeed.

Edison said “I have not failed. I've just found 10000 ways that won't work.” The thing is, Edison was where he should be. He knew WHAT he was working toward was for him. Even Walt Disney knew HE was on the right path already when he said “All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

Looking at people like Disney & Edison – When my employer closed, I looked at my lay-off as the chance to be my own boss. I took a semi-hobby and worked to create a business. I took talent and experience to put into it: relationship building skills, promotions, time management, an entrepreneurial spirit Etc, Etc. Whether it’s the economy or the market itself, I now look to Truman and Grant as I look to move on from ‘self-employed’ to re-employed. To not recognize this would be a challenge to Einstein’s definition of insanity: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

I will admit that my timing may have been off TWICE: Once in my start up, once in my seeking a new full time position given the economy and some hiring managers’ view of those who are unemployed. So be it.

Looking back at successes I have had, I know I can, like Grant, return and prosper. With an open mind that Truman inspires, I even look to a new industry that matches my skills. In that thinking, I do not have the arrogance of stepping in at the same level of my previous industry, but rather would expect and welcome a step back to prove myself, and my worth.
With all that in mind, I refer to a quote from Abraham Lincoln, for employers to consider: “If there is anything that a man can do well, I say let him do it. Give him a chance.”
That’s all I need.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/b/264/545

Customer Service - Building Relationships and Business

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." -Dwight Eisenhower
There is a phrase in business - "internal & external customers (clients)". I have been building these internal relationships before I had even heard the phrase. To me it just made sense. These folks (sometimes department managers) Have their part in the company's overall operation as much as mine. I treat them like I want them to treat me. I don't bark at them- I have always tried to make them understand MY side, and the impact of the situation. In many cases, I became the 'go-to' even if I had a senior manager overseeing a project. This was simply because I could get things done. I earned the respect of these 'internal customers' because I respected them and worked with them. I have worked along side their people quiet often to learn THEIR side, and procedures. This has shown me how they interpret what WE do, and likewise how we can communicate better.

Now that is not to say I don't hold them accountable. In one specific situation, I would push when need be. But it was done with KNOWLEDGE. The other Dept head was defending his employee (as a good manager will), but when I pointed out some facts from what I learned, he had to concede that I was more right than wrong. A fix would be put in place and we would move forward.

Call it leadership or call it teamwork- I call it good business and just plain common sense.
Looking forward to putting that back to work.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/thomas-drake/b/264/545

Ethics and Responsibility: Don't Leave Home Without Them

I was always taught that “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything” - meaning know what matters to you, what you stand for (what you know as right or wrong. ) I (we) were told to take those values- those beliefs, and speak them proudly. MORE than that – LIVE THEM in your life; DEMONSTRATE what you believe through your actions. In doing all those things, you also needed to have some defense of your position. Sometimes it may be based on religion (Thou shall not steal). Other times there may be based on experience (I manage & lead people as I would want my ‘boss’ to treat me). Maybe it’s more historical (‘…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”). But NEVER was I told it was good to take a stand purely because ‘it was all about me’ and forget how it affects the rest.
To me the basis of my values- philosophies, was really about not doing harm to others, but rather how this position could help more than just you.
Sadly in my life, I have seen too many times where others either have ignored these teachings or were taught very differently. Too many people look at ‘what’s in it for me?’ Too many times have I seen those that care only about their outcome regardless even when others are harmed. Still worse is that with my own ears I have heard them justify rather than defend why they acted that way. The sounds of the two are most definitely different. Despite being confronted with this repeatedly in life- in school, at work, from celebrities or politicians; (are you nodding in agreement?); I still hold onto what makes me- well, me. So even when the odds are against me, I know I only have one choice.
Stand up.