A View into Current Customer Service Trends - 101

One of the first lessons learned would be, the customer is always right! This may sound extreme and not always appropriate, but it goes a long way toward customer service. We all need happy and returning customers to prosper no matter the nature of our business. A good rule to remember is to always put yourself in your customer’s shoes.

A positive first impression is a friendly voice on an answered call or a smile in person. When we are knowledgeable and clients know we enjoy sharing information with them, answering their questions and solving problems, a relationship is built. We enjoy meeting new customers, and being allowed to work with them. 

Being genuine and getting to know our customers will build a relationship. This will assist in remembering names and information that will reassure them that we are truly interested. As everyone tends to be so busy and preoccupied, we find our clients appreciate an employee taking the time to learn their name, discover their needs and let them know we genuinely care. We assure them that our staff is trained and knowledgeable. If they have a question, we have the tools and resources to find it quickly. Our clients are always a priority.

Example:

NEX21 Partners recently had an opportunity to explore storage options when we no longer met the minimum charges with the company currently providing this service to us. We had to look elsewhere and contacted Stacey Elliott, owner at Source One Records Management, Inc. Stacey has called, emailed, and answered question after question. And, Greg, their warehouse manager, has called to introduce himself and to offer assistance. Just this morning, an email with questions was returned with answers within five minutes. Their response was accompanied with a pleasant note as well. Extra effort will go miles and miles with customer service as Source One Records Management's team responded quickly, they are friendly and above all they are consistent when explaining the services they offer. They have truly gone above and beyond.

Our goal is for a customer to be an acting part of our business.  Just as we are courteous to visitors in our home, we welcome clients into our business. We show them in, make them feel right at home, and anxious to return. We remember that a customer is choosing our service or product. Clients will feel so welcome that they will be excited to contact us again, as well as share their experience with others. 

Ethics 101: Organized Ethical Behavior

By: Lynn Tolbert

There are many times you may come across an organization’s mission statement and see the words, ‘Ethical Behavior’.

Just as there are personal ethics, an organization can adopt ethics as well. Ethical behavior can be a reflection of an individual’s beliefs, whether their actions or decision are right or wrong.  

Each year, organizations spend thousands of dollars in an attempt to influence behavior in others. While written policies and codes of conduct may support, encourage and develop the mission statement, they will not deter your decision to act in an ethical manner.

A short read in the book ABC’s of Ethics, written by Michael Buckner, the author defines ethics by using the English alphabet to assist the reader with enhancing his/her understanding of ethics and what it means to an organization.

• (A) Action to build relationships on a strong foundation of trust, honesty and respect.
• (B) Benefit a person’s “failure to increase the good of others when one is knowingly in a position to do so.”
• (C) Character leads individuals to make his or her decision about how to act or behave. He continues through the letter Z. 

Here’s my version of the ABC’s of Ethics; trust me I will not get beyond the letter C....

• (A) Attitude is a response to a person, object, situation or issue. Influences on attitudes are a direct experience and involve social learning.
• (B) Behavior is consistent with one’s personal values and at times, those commonly held by society or the organization.
• (C) Culture is a combination of the individual’s attitudes, beliefs, values and social habits.

The premise that an organization can have ethics is not outside the realm of understanding when you look to the individual dynamics within the organization. Your views and decisions will help define the ethical behavior in any organization.

Taken directly from our ethical business conduct policy is the following quote: “We expect our managers and employees to act in an ethical manner.” We do not attempt to control the private lives of our managers and employees, but we do expect our managers and employees to avoid acting in a way that could damage our reputation.

Bet you didn’t see that coming….

The Aging Population

As much as most people hate to admit it, some more than others, we are all getting older. Unfortunately, it is often our elders who get thought of the least and sometimes even forgotten among our busy schedules.

Image courtesy of Google Images

How often do you visit your parents or grandparents? When you do, is it just because? Would you take time out of your super busy day to sit and talk to an elderly person?

The other day, I went next door to ask my 90 year old neighbor a question and as I headed home (an hour and fifteen minutes later), it dawned on me that one day I would be where she is. And if I’m lucky, I hope I will be as half as sharp.

Think about the elderly neighbor down the street that always waves as you drive by. Do the younger generations even look in your direction as you pass by? They probably don’t. How about the lady next door who will take time out of her day to explain how to grow those tomatoes just right? What about the nice gentleman who, after 40 years of marriage, still pulls the chair out for his wife at dinner?  Ah, manners and chivalry, they’re becoming a lost art.  In reality, there are still so many things we could learn from our elders if we would just put down the Smartphone, laptop, iPad, etc.

We miss out on so much knowledge simply because we have become a generation that does not have the patience to sit and listen to someone who can give us a firsthand account of some the world’s most famous events. This may be someone who was there as the details unfolded or the latest and greatest products were unveiled.

Remember, computers did not always exist; someone had to create the very first one. In today’s society of instant everything, we sometimes forget to slow down and recognize and thank our prior generations for paving the way.

Managing Across a Generational Workforce

Today I had lunch with 4 friends, as we spoke of work it dawned on me, 2 of the 3 current generations in the workforce were sitting at the table.  I've never looked at my friends in this way (I was the only ‘Gen Xer’), so it got me to thinking.

Each generation, the Boomers, Xers and Millennials, brings with it its own unique strengths, as well as, its challenges to today’s workforce. Managers of these groups will be required to guide these diverse generations through misunderstandings, stereotypes and conflicts the generational differences present, in order to meet the organizational goals.

The Generations at a Glance:

Image courtesy of Google Images

Boomers – (born between the years 1946 and 1964)
Typecast: Hardworking, extremely job-focused                                                            
Mindset: Get a job and the company will take care of you for life!  They value security and stability, and appreciate clearly stated goals and tasks. They prefer to communicate through in-person meetings and emails.
                                                           
Challenges: Need for continued growth and increased skill set for the rapidly evolving technology sector, and the requirement to keep working past previous retirement ages.

Gen Xers – (born roughly between 1965 and 1981) Typecast: Self-reliant, value work-life balance
  
Mindset: Get the job and I can do it all! They are expectant of multiple positions during their career. Gen Xers face the concerns of relevance in the workforce, and tend to look for options to solving the problems. They are adaptable and resourceful, and most have learned to use digital technology and communicate with the latest tech tools.

Challenges:  In a special HR edition of Psychology Today (SHRM Conference 2013) an article titled 'Boomers, Xers and Millennials Take You on a Tour of Their Psyches', the author states, “Xers are the middle children of the workforce and are largely ignored. Perhaps as a consequence, they are fiercely independent and often a touch jaded.”  Gen Xers believe they must be connected to peers at all times via cell phone, instant messaging and other forms of contact – even at work. Xers do not like meetings and may avoid meetings and phone calls (i.e. leave a message) because they are busy and don’t see the potential gain. Baby Boomers often see this as not team-oriented.

Millennials (aka Gen Y) – (born roughly between 1982 and 2001) Typecast: In the moment-text me, Gen Xers on steroids!    
                                                                                                                   
Mindset:  Wonder why the need for a cube farm, when I can get it done with my devices. They work from what’s next enthusiasm. Currently, they are the fastest growing demographic in today’s workforce. They value life-work balance and flexibility even more than Gen X. They also seek freedom and want to be treated as equals from their first day on the job. This generation doesn't fear authority, and seeks challenging and meaningful work. And they’re the most tech-savvy of the three groups, preferring to communicate quickly via texting and IM.    

Challenges: They, too, believe they must be connected to peers at all times via cell phone, instant messaging and other forms of contact – even at work. Millennials seek instant gratification and require constant feedback. They often prefer to work in groups with no micro-managing and want to work on several projects at a time.  

So, how will managers effectively and cohesively lead across these generations?

Adapt - Consider generational mentors paring a boomer with a millennial, each can learn something from the other. Provide access to mentors who coach instead of dictate. Continually remind your team of its common goals—winning new business, growing sales or whatever your company is working to achieve. Pulling together will help overcome generational differences and build tighter bonds.

Acknowledge - Align training and career development goals that supports required behavioral traits. Honor each person’s contribution. Especially in a group setting such as a team project or meeting, make sure that you show how much you appreciate what each worker brings to the team.

Consider individual needs- Boomers will probably relish being put in charge of a project; a Gen Xer will appreciate the autonomy to complete a task her way; and a Millennial will enjoy sharing ideas with a creative team working together.

Communication – Simple language carries different meaning cross the generations, so talk often. Fire up meetings or brainstorming sessions by including employees from all age levels.

Embrace the diversity; what once worked, may not work with today’s workforce. The next generation is rapidly approaching!

Image courtesy of Google images.

Social Media's Role in Today's Recruiting

Image courtesy of Google Images

Are you strategically thinking of recruiting tomorrow’s talent for today’s employers? If not, your recruiting goals could possibly come up short….

With the overflow of Social Media the recruiting process for many HR professionals and employers has changed dramatically! Remember a few decades ago when a resume usually reflected only one or two employers over a 10 to 15 year span? Those same resumes often included characteristics such as dedication, loyalty and stability.

Fast forward 20 years….to today. Recruiting trends reflect talent pools of resumes which now commonly list multiple employers and within a short 3 to 5 year span. They also regularly include characteristics of adaptability, diversity in skills and talent. How does this translate in today’s market? Productivity numbers have been on the increase for several months, and output per Hour has increased by 3.5% in the first quarter of 2013 while hourly compensation has been reduced by 6.9%.

Output per Hour  : +3.5 % (r) in 1st Qtr of 2013

Hourly Compensation : -6.9 % (r) in 1st Qtr of 2013

Unit Labor Costs : -10.0 % (r) in 1st Qtr of 2013

Output : +5.3 % (r) in 1st Qtr of 2013

Hours of All Persons : +1.8 % (r) in 1st Qtr of 2013

Do you see a trend here…?  Employers have learned to do more with less. But where do we find that multifaceted, low cost employee?  The answer may surprise you… .employers are now reconsidering how to strategically recruit this socially multifaceted generation.

Taken from an article titled The New ROI for Social Media Recruiting, “emerging among recruiters a recognition that social media is a marketing and promotional tool. The effectiveness of sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, even Pinterest is probably not in the number of hires or even applicants a company can trace directly to one of the social media sites. Instead, as recruiting consultants Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler reported last year, social media is a channel of influence.

You can’t not be there, one of the round-table participants observed, because candidates, potential candidates, and those whom you hope to attract and someday hire will see your absence from the social media landscape as a negative.”

Recruiting poorly is equally negative. You should not only have a presence but an active and attractive one, too. Perhaps the key is a blend of the old and the new. This new social media generation may offer more “bang for your bucks”, a welcomed sight as many employers are faced with driving higher productivity and creativity (fresh and new ideas), as well as, lowering costs.

In an attempt to help employers find candidates and lower their costs, we at NEX21 Partners are happy to introduce our newest division, Best Dealer Jobs. We are taking an active approach and the use of social media to unite employers, specifically those in the equipment sales, parts and service industries, with qualified potential employees. Please see our site at www.bestdealerjobs.com

Staying in your Lane

Image Courtesy of Google Images

As you are driving down a street you may decide to change lanes and do so with ease…. Some things you will likely consider are using a turn signal, checking your mirrors and any blind spots, and then carefully moving into the next lane.  While this blog is not about changing lanes in this context, we are applying this concept to the business world.

Have you ever found yourself repeating the old analogy, “It’s not rocket science, even I can do it”?  Essentially you are implying you can easily ‘change lanes’ and are capable of not only do the job for which you were hired, but can also assume and execute the tasks of another! Perhaps your education, personal skill set or previous work experience has trained you to lean toward this way of thinking, but there are some pitfalls associated with this approach. If you ‘change lanes’ without checking those ‘blind spots’ what hazards are being overlooked?

Respect - Does respect for the person performing the task diminish when you ‘change lanes’ and assume their responsibilities or part of their workload? Are implying ownership of tasks that are not assigned in your wheel house?

Productivity - If you had to perform that task on a daily basis, would you really enjoy it? How would it hamper your current workload and daily duties?

Morale - Would you be able to remain passionate or creative about the task? Would taking on the task improve everyone’s workload or skew it? By taking on the task is the company ‘morale’ improved or weakened?

Commitment - Would you choose and/or be able to dedicate time to the success of that task for the necessary duration?

When you find yourself ‘changing lanes’ it shouldn't be with the attitude 'Anything you can do, I can do better!' Take a moment to step back and evaluate your position. Your goal should be for the overall objectives given to each member to be accomplished efficiently and effectively. Your motives should be for the greater good, company-wide success.

There will inevitably be times when ‘changing lanes’ is necessary, but knowing when to by-pass a task or when to pull over and help should be approached with care and deliberation. ‘Changing lanes’ abruptly and into oncoming traffic can be harmful and perilous to your working relationships and the business culture. Navigate with extreme caution!

Field Service Management (Part II) - GPS Tracking Can Be an Asset

As part of Field Service Management, a company must also develop a method to track and keep up with assets that are used for field work.  These can include various items such as computing devices, tools and even the vehicles that are used by the field service personnel.  Many companies now use GPS devices to track vehicles and larger mobile/remote equipment.  The GPS tracking information can be a valuable asset to the company. In the past, we have had company vehicles that were stolen. Thanks to having GPS trackers on these vehicles, we were able to give law enforcement the actual locations of the vehicles using the GPS tracking systems.  These systems can also be used to track employee driving habits and can provide verification of services performed.  Some of the newer GPS services available are integrated with communications devices to relay information to and from the field service personnel during their work day.  One of the newest trends is to have many of these functions installed on a “Smart” phone provided to field service personnel.  It not only aids the personnel, but allows the company to better manage and account for their assets.

If you would like more information about how GPS tracking could help you or need assistance in implementing or managing your GPS tracking, please feel free to contact us at NEX21 Partners, LLC. We would love to help you make your business more successful.

Million...Billion...Trillion

You have probably seen reports on the news, the internet or perhaps, even in the newspaper.  The US debt is now over $16 Trillion.  That’s T-R-I-L-L-I-O-N….emphasis on TR.  It is a result of the US Budget deficit we have been incurring since 2001.

How large is one trillion, much less sixteen?  It is an amount most of us can’t quite wrap our minds around. So, let’s use an everyday example to visualize how big the number one trillion actually is.

How long do you think a million seconds is? What does your gut tell you…a few hours...a day?

The answer is 12 days.

So, how long do you think a billion seconds is?

It’s about 32 years…more than you guessed, I’ll bet.

And now, how long do you think a trillion seconds is?

Can you believe that it is approximately 31,688 years?  Yes, you read correctly, Y-E-A-R-S.

Shocking, isn't it?

Another way to look at it would be to use the visual of $100 bills in ever increasing amounts.

Look at this image. 

Image courtesy of photobucket

In the last image, one trillion dollars, notice the man is the very tiny figure in the lower left corner and the pallets of money have been stacked two high.

So, now try to imagine that it takes 16 of these images to equal our current deficit.

Scary isn't it?

"A billion trillion here, a billion trillion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money.” - Everett Dirksen

Unfortunately, it is the taxpayers who will be asked to pay for this deficit over time.

The Flaws in Annual Performance Assessments

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It’s inevitable, the New Year, New Performance Goals to set and the disdain for the process of performance assessments from managers and employees alike…. have you ever wondered why there’s such an aversion to performance assessments or improvement plans?

Here are our thoughts:
Performance assessments/plans are typically conducted once a year and, in that time span, many situations can occur. Addressing behaviors, whether they are good or bad, once per year can cause undue stress on the manager, as well as, the employee.  According to author Leslie Allan in his blog: What’s Wrong With Performance Appraisals? “Managers don’t have time for them, they have a tendency to fray employee-manager relationships and they don’t help the organization reach its strategic objectives”.

Often, the behavior exhibited just prior to an assessment is more closely focused upon and performance from earlier in the year is overlooked. Or, an issue from six months ago is just now being brought to the forefront, leaving the employee wondering why management waited until now to discuss it.

However, this process can give struggling employees an opportunity to address performance concerns while allowing managers to hold employees accountable for performance. While it isn’t clear why performance assessments/plans are viewed in a negative way, the organization must allow for open and consistent feedback.

In an article on CareerBuilder -- Building a Performance Improvement Plan the author stated: “It’s a fact that almost every manager will have an under-performer employee at some point in his/her career. Don’t be frustrated, don’t ignore the problem, don’t let the team suffer, and don’t revert to termination as the first resort. Implement a performance plan to work with the employee and measure the result”.

Your regular and consistent feedback should provide the employee with the tools for success.

Let us, here at NEX21 Partners, help you improve your performance goals and managing skills! Contact us at NEX21 Partners.

Field Service Management, Part One of an IT Series

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NEX21 Partners, LLC has several years experience working through challenges to overcome when working with Field Service personnel.

There are many businesses that have personnel that work out of a vehicle.  Some examples of companies, that use personnel this way, are generator service companies, heating and air conditioning companies and home repair services.

One of the biggest challenges is choosing a computing device that will be portable enough for the Field Service personnel to effectively do their job functions, while also being rugged enough to withstand the constant movement and environmental changes.

You must decide if the costs of a fully ruggedized device will provide a good return on investment for your particular personnel, or if a semi-rugged or non-ruggedized device will provide the needed level of service.  Your company needs to judge whether or not you want to keep backup devices on hand for cases of equipment failure.Your company also needs to be able to remotely troubleshoot system problems on these mobile devices.

We will be adding additional blogs on this and related topics of our IT series. Please stay tuned!

Please feel free to contact us at NEX21 Partners, LLC, and let us help you identify your needs.

We are proud members of the Birmingham Business Alliance, Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, and The Better Business Bureau.