Learning and Development Archives - Page 30 of 36

Learning From Your Customers

As my experience today with EE has shown, organisations can learn a lot from their customers if they are prepared to listen. One of the dangers for any organisation that uses Social Media is that if you get it wrong when you are dealing with your customers the story gets told far and wide. You lose control of the story you want to tell and then you let others create the impression that your customers and potential customers have of your organisation.

If you want to get it right then training for your social media staff is essential – including responding to the questions the customer asks and not simply ignoring them when they are clearly unhappy. But equally important is the training and support you give your support/back office staff and that’s where I am going to focus in this post.

Let me share some of the poor experience I had with EE and as the good Learning & Development Professional that I am(!) I will also share my thoughts on where there are learning points for them to improve their customer service:

Placing The Order

I did something last night that I thought would be fairly straightforward. Having been a loyal customer of EE in its’ various incarnations for many years I decided that I would upgrade and recontract with them for my mobile broadband and also my partner’s mobile ‘phone. I have two mobiles with them as well as my mobile broadband service so they earn a not unreasonable sum from me each and every month.

I decided to do the upgrades through their online chat facility as it seemed the easiest and most straightforward approach. Initially it was and the Online Chat Advisor appeared to be helpful. But that’s where it ended!

Having placed an order for both the new mobile ‘phone device and the new mobile broadband device I was advised by the Online Chat Advisor that I would receive a text message to my mobile “that gives you your 1h delivery time slot, if you want to change the delivery day or time you can respond to the text directly, (not the address though, just the day or time).”

Feeling Let Down

This morning I did receive a text message which gave me a link to the couriers website. No mention of a 1 hour delivery slot. I then clicked through to the website only to find that if I wanted a one and a half hour delivery slot I would need to pay £10! So in order to ensure delivery when we would be available I reluctantly paid £10 and assumed that this related to both devices.

Sadly that transpired not to be the case and an hour later I received another text with the delivery information for the second device. Again I was expected to pay £10 to get a guaranteed delivery slot. So two separate parcels from EE, both being delivered by the same couriers no doubt at the same time and a charge of £10 for each. During a tortorous telephone conversation with their Customer Service Centre and having been passed through 5 different individuals I was advised that the message wasn’t correct because it assumed that I was buying during the week and then it would be right!

#LearningPoint for EE – ensure that your systems work, the information your advisors give out is correct and that your advisors are aware of differences in your operating procedures if they are different at various times of the week/day.

Feeling Like A Hot Potato

The telephone call I made this morning was painful in the extreme. As I mentioned in the comments above I was passed through 5 different individuals before I got something even vaguely resembling a resolution – although I have to say I wait to be convinced:

When I spoke to the first individual (having paid their fee to be put to the front of the queue!) I started by explaining calmly and politely that I was an unhappy customer and would like to explain why. I started to do this but he kept interrupting me mid-sentence. I asked him if he would listen to what I had to say and was met with “well when you have done!” #LearningPoint – this is basic customer service stuff – if a customer tells you they are unhappy let them talk – get their story and then summarise back to them what you understand are their issues. Never, respond to them in a way which is bound to aggravate them even further!

I eventually managed to finish advising this individual that I was unhappy, felt I had been misled, had not received any confirmation emails about my order and was being charged twice for the delivery of both parts of my order. Their response was frankly amazing given that they are effectively a technology company. It appears that any dealing via the internet are not updated onto their systems for at least 7 days. So if you place an order online the people who answer the calls to their Contact Centres will have no information about it. Frankly if that is the case then I am staggered. However, if it is the case then there is a very clear #LearningPoint – get your systems joined up so that the people who are dealing with your customers have instant access to the information about those customers.

After this initial discussion I was then passed through 4 further individuals. Each of whom I had to repeat my complaint to because there was no handover of the call from the previous person. Indeed it felt like my call was being treated like the proverbial “hot potato” made all the more obvious by the fact that each time I was placed back in a queue to be dealt with. #LearningPoint equip your staff with the skills to handle calls, give them access to the information they need to ensure a first time fix in the majority of cases and ensure that your staff tell the customer what is happening.

In an ideal world I wouldn’t deal with an organisation that treats their customers in the way I have been dealt with today. But it’s not an ideal world because invariably with an organisation like EE we are tied into contracts which they would make us pay for to get out of. But these organisations need to change their attitudes because treating people badly when you think you have them tied into contracts is just storing up lost business for the future and leads to loss of new business right now from people who hear about how others have been treated.

If there is one overall #LearningPoint it would be treat your customers like you would want to be treated and ensure your systems, processes and procedures enable your staff to do that.

Simple really isn’t it! Are these Learning Points that the Leadership Team at EE are prepared to take on board and action? Only time will tell!

Read All About It!

There are few of us who, including those of us who work in Learning and Development, who can change or move forward in their lives without some kind of help. It might be help in the form of a coach or mentor to help you grow. It could be support from friends and family who keep you motivated. Another form of help and one of my personal favourites is reading about whatever you want to change daily to stay motivated.

How can reading about something keep you motivated?

Reading blogs and books about the very thing you want to change helps you learn the way others have overcome that same challenge and gone on to meet their goals. Reading can give you inspiration to continue striving toward your own goal. It gives you the ideas and steps you need to take to reach a certain goal.

Books and blogs are a great way to do some research on what you want to do. Reading about what you want to change or achieve grounds you so you know what to expect. Books about your subject will give ideas about the difficulties you might face while moving forward.

If you want to gain new skills, read about how others have successfully developed themselves and how they have applied them.
If you want to build a successful business, read about successful business people.

Knowing what others have experienced in similar situations lets you adapt and try their solutions along with your own. Their stories can help lessen the worries and challenges you might face along the way.

The Types of Reading

Quotes. Reading inspirational quotes daily can motivate you to continue to take action on your goal. Put your favorite quote on your screensaver. Post quotes on your wall or your whiteboard. Have motivational quotes on your smartphone or tablet.

Read motivational books. Books that help you change your way of thinking can be a great source of inspiration when your motivation is failing. Build a library of motivational and personal development books. If you don’t have time to read them all, get them on tape to listen to while driving or walking. Here are a few notable authors with insights on motivation:

The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins
Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders by John Baldoni
Leadership Plain and Simple by Steve Radcliffe

Read inspiring stories. Read inspiring stories from others who have already done what you want to achieve, or are in the process of doing it. Read stories on blogs, in magazines and in books. Those who have already achieved what you are attempting can guide you through the pitfalls and give insights on what to expect along the way. You can get inspiration from their struggles and wins.

Reading books about what you want to change daily, or about self-improvement and inspiration, is an excellent way to stay motivated. They can inspire and motivate you to continue.

Why Commit Publicly To Your Goals?

In a post earlier today I touched on the importance of committing publicly to a goal that you are working towards. So why is it so important? Promising yourself you are going to exercise, finish your assignment for your CIPD studies or complete your application to become a member of the Learning and Performance Institute are all great goals.

The problem is you are only holding yourself accountable. If you do the work to reach your goal, that’s wonderful. But if you don’t, then no one is going to know. Committing to your goals publicly helps you hold yourself accountable to reach them.

Three Easy Ways To Commit Publicly:

Sharing your progress with colleagues, family and friends keeps you accountable to a broad group of people who have your best interests in mind. You have to answer to them if you skip a workout or if you increase your debt in some way.
Create a group on social media and form a group of like-minded people all working to help each other succeed. Peer pressure while working towards a goal can be powerful motivation. The support of others can be invaluable in keeping you on track or getting you back on track if you stumble or want to give up. You can report your progress as well as your fails, while supporting others in their progress. One more way to increase your commitment to your goal is to involve others in its achievement. Instead of engaging your competitive spirit, you can create a spirit of collaboration, cooperation and teamwork.
Commit on a blog and through an accountability partner or coach. By announcing your intentions on your blog, can hold you accountable to your actions. People will begin to lose faith in you if you don’t follow through and none of us want that do we? The same can be said of an accountability partner or coach. They are putting their time and trust into you. You don’t want to disappoint them do you?

Committing to your goals publicly is a way to get help and support from others, while returning the same for them. When others know your goals, they act as a support system you can go to when you need encouragement and motivation.

Openness enables others to hold you accountable. They will want to know what you did towards your goal that day or week, or why you didn’t work on it.

Are Motivated People Different?

Is there something different about being a Motivated Person? Are they unique or somehow different? There is nothing really “secret” about motivated people but of you want to be a successful goal achiever there are some approaches and attitudes which will help you stand out from the crowd.

People who are successful in their chosen field are generally speaking motivated to achieve. They approach things in a way which helps them to achieve the success they want. Whether your goal is to be recognised as an expert in your field; to be the best at what you do; to achieve a promotion or find a new role there are certain behaviours and attitudes which will help you. So let’s take a look at what those are:

Start with small mini-goals.

Start with something small and easy, then grow from there. Sometimes a large goal or even a long-term goal is too overwhelming. You can lose motivation quickly when there is a lot of time left before you reach your goal. Let’s say you have a goal of getting more exercise. Don’t think you have to do intense 30-45 minute, 5-day-a week exercise right from the start. Instead start out with something smaller, say a five minute routine or a ten minute walk for one week. Then the next week add a few more minutes until, by the end of the month, you’re doing 30 minutes of exercise.

Work on one goal at a time.

Working on several goals at once saps your energy and can rob you of your motivation quickly. It’s a mistake many of us make. Keeping your focus is out of the question when trying to accomplish two or more goals at the same time.

Really want what is is that you are striving for.

This is essential. You have to be passionate about your reasons why you want something. Write your reasons down. They have to be reasons you are really excited about and you want deeply.

Commit to it publicly.

Nothing holds you more accountable than sharing it with others. No one wants to look bad in front of someone else. Tell your friends and family, write about it in your blog or on social media. Hold yourself accountable over and over by giving progress updates every week or so.

Build anticipation

. This goes along with the accountability. Build anticipation by setting a date in the future as your start date – say a week or two from when you announce your goal. Mark that date on your calendar. Talk about it like it’s the most important date in your life. Write out a plan for reaching the goal so you know the steps to take when you do start.

Print out your goal

. Post it somewhere where you see it every day, like the bathroom mirror or refrigerator and on your desk at work. Make it a big reminder to keep you focused and excited. Keep focused on the end goal.

Be positive about yourself and your success

. With faith in what you believe, you can conquer whatever you desire. Have a win-win attitude. Keep your attitude positive.

Be proactive

. Don’t let negative people or situations take control. Listen to yourself and how you feel.

Set priorities

. Learn what should come first in your life – only you will know this!

Anticipate pitfalls

. When you make a plan, troubleshoot any problems you may encounter.

Have an attitude of expectancy

. Motivated people know that you get what you expect. Expect great results. Expect to achieve your goal but ensure that you don’t come across as big-headed or arrogant. Confidence in yourself and humility do go hand in hand.

If there is a “secret” of motivated people it is to start with small goals, be really excited and passionate about your reasons why you are reaching for a specific goal, and to hold yourself accountable.

Can You Believe This? Myths about Motivation

We’ve been told by motivational speakers and authors what we need to do to become or stay motivated. No doubt they believed they were giving good advice. They genuinely wanted to help others reach their goals.

But were they unintentionally reinforcing false notions about how motivation works?

Let’s look at some of these motivational myths.

1. Write down your goals and you’re guaranteed success.

In all fairness there is some truth in writing down your goals and getting specific about what you want is important. But it’s not as simple as it sounds. You have to do more than write them down. Writing down a goal helps you plan, but action is what actually gets you to the goal.

2. Do your best.

Many people believe this is a great way to motivate someone. They think it encourages someone without putting pressure on them. Actually, it is only giving them permission to be mediocre. Instead, you should set specific and difficult goals. That way you push yourself to work harder and commit to the goal in the long term.

3. Visualize your success.

This is popular positive thinking advice. Visualizing success without putting in any effort isn’t helpful. In fact, it’s a recipe for failure. You can visualize your success, but you have to believe that to make that success happen you’ll need to put forth the effort, planning and persistence.

4. You’re your biggest motivator.

You could have all the gung-ho in the world, but if you are associating with negative people or are trying to do it alone, then you’re doomed to fail. For example, if you want to lose weight, then socializing with those who make unhealthy choices can derail you. In reality, you need the right social support to reach your goal. A good offline and online support structure is necessary for sharing experiences and building confidence.

5. Failure is a sign of weakness.

Don’t beat yourself up if you fail at some point. It could be because you stopped tracking your successes or skipped a few days on your diet. These aren’t a sign of weakness. It’s simply a sign of old, familiar behavior patterns working their way back into your life. Failure is a result of lack of planning or poor behavior patterns.

These motivational myths aren’t your keys to success. In order to succeed, you need to put in the effort and create a plan to achieve your goal. You can find motivation in these myths, but without putting in the work they’ll remain myths.