Kay Stout

Long term employment - Not Likely

I recently had the unique opportunity to conduct workshops at a manufacturing facility recognized by the communities surrounding it as a "destination employer"  ie - a great place to go to work, stay there and retire.  Some of the perks of employment amazed me - - and I stressed over and over again they would not find those perks in a new job - - ever (ie a dedicated smoking room, extended breaks, 3 weeks vacation the first year of employment).

As each participant introduced themselves and said how long they had worked at the plant, I was amazed.  There were a few with less than 10 years, but the majority said 30 to 35 years.  Now the company name had changed and the manufacturing process had kept up with technology - but the location - - same place.  The employees had been driving down the same road and parking in the same parking lot for more than 30 years.  Few, if any, people  today who are just starting their careers will ever experience that longevity with one company at one location.

Some of the pluses included:  Children grew up in the same community; the towns/communities had a steady tax-payer base and stores/shops knew their clientele and could stock shelves accordingly; small communities were able to survive.

Minuses:  Now that the plant is closing, the emotional toll on the employees (and their families) will be intense - at least initially.  Local shops will see a change in the buying habits of their customers and, if statistics are correct, fragile marriages may not survive.

For many of the workshop participants, once they learned there are opportunities outside the plant where they work, they could imagine that the light at the end of the tunnel was not a frieght-train, but an actual job possibility.  The transition to that new job will be painful for many.  And the greatest challenge for each of them is to not compare their new job with their old one.  The example I used (because at least 90% of the participants were men) was:  If you compared your wife's cooking to your Mom's - - how did that work for you?  The answers (and laughter) gave them insight in how to approach a new job.

I balanced that experience with a recent Cloud Computing article and the new jobs that will be created.  We are truly living in an amazing time where the speed of technology is rapidly changing our workplace.  Long term employment, even long-term job description, is now 3 to 5 years....not 35 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Customer Service - Harvey Mackay's Column

Sometimes you just know you couldn't say it any better.  This is one of those times:

Harvey Mackay's Column This Week

 

Customer service in the Internet age

By Harvey Mackay
   
For years, we believed that if customers received bad service, they would pass the word along to 20 or so people.  Conversely, if they were on the receiving end of great service, they might tell a few folks, but not in numbers anywhere near the bad-news story.

Enter the Internet.  Bad reports can span the globe instantly.  Good reports can too, but they are not shared as frequently.

One company that learned this lesson the hard way is United Airlines.  In March 2008, Dave Carroll and his band, Sons of Maxwell, were flying on United Airlines from Halifax to Omaha with a stopover in Chicago.  At that first stop, a woman seated near the band looked out the window and exclaimed, "They're throwing guitars out there!"

Band members witnessed their expensive instruments being handled roughly.  Carroll's guitar alone was a $3,500 Taylor model.  Concerned, he approached the flight attendant and was sent to another agent outside the plane.  But that person claimed to have no authority and walked away.  A third employee at the gate dismissed his complaint, explaining "that's why we make you sign the waiver."  Problem:  Carroll and the band members had neither been offered nor signed such a waiver.

When he finally got to check out his guitar in Omaha, he discovered the base of the guitar had been smashed.  Even a $1,200 repair didn't restore it to its original condition.   And Carroll's experience with United as he sought restitution is a horror story that spanned nine months of phone calls, emails, faxes, buck-passing, and a final "Sorry, but we're not paying."

Most of us would have given up at that point, but then most of us aren't as creative as Dave Carroll.   He turned it into a career opportunity.

"At that moment it occurred to me that I had been fighting a losing battle ..." Carroll wrote.  "The system is designed to frustrate affected customers into giving up their claims, and United is very good at it.  But I realized then that as a songwriter and traveling musician I wasn't without options.

"In my final reply to (the United rep) I told her that I would be writing three songs about United and my experience in the whole matter.  I would then make videos for these songs and offer them for free download on YouTube . . . My goal:  to get one million hits in one year."

Dave Carroll got his one million hits -- and nine million more.  Two years later, he passed the ten million mark, and the videos are still enormously popular.

United did take notice, and it was reported on CNN that after 50,000 views, they admitted that it was a "unique learning opportunity" and made the experience part of their training program.  At that point, they finally offered Carroll restitution, which he refused and encouraged them to give it to another deserving passenger.

Can any company afford this kind of publicity?  United has survived, albeit with a tarnished reputation.

Customer service has taken on a whole new meaning with the rise of websites like Angie's List and Yelp, which provide unfiltered reviews of services and products.  Some require subscriptions, others are free.  Google your company and see if you appear in the blogosphere.  And never underestimate the power of YouTube and Facebook groups.

Undertake a top-to-bottom evaluation of your company.  Examine the return policies, the authority given to representatives who deal with the public, the follow-up after a sale, and even more importantly, after an issue has been resolved to make sure the customer is satisfied with the outcome.

Then take a brutally honest look at your top management and reinforce the attitude that the customer may not always be right, but they are always the customer.  Message:  Excellent customer service is paramount to your success.

Survey your customers and give them the opportunity to rate your service.  It's a chance to improve your company without having to hire a consultant.  Then, incorporate the changes that you can.

How you serve your customers should never be debatable.  When there are unrealistic expectations from a customer, honesty is the only acceptable answer.  If you can't make a customer happy, at least help them understand your limitations.  Help them find the company that can satisfy them, if necessary.  Even if you must absorb the cost, it's probably going to be cheaper than fighting 10,000,000 hits on YouTube.

Mackay's Moral:  If you don't serve your customer, they'll serve notice.

Harvard Business Review - Hire for Attitude - Train for Skill

It would be fun to have had a dollar for every client who insisted they were hired because of their skill set and downplayed the importance of attitude.  In fact, over the years, I've had clients become hostile when I've suggested their less-than-positive attitude was interfering with their job search success. 

When I read Bill Taylor's blog in the Harvard Business Review - it was as good as getting the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.  He's right - successful companies lilke Southwest Airlines have long recognized their success has been, in part, because they hired for attitude - then trained for the skill.

Here's a link to Bill's Blog - - judge for yourself: 

http://blogs.hbr.org/taylor/2011/02/hire_for_attitude_train_for_sk.html

5 Common Cover Letter Mistakes

Couldn't improve - -

Here's the link:  http://employmentdigest.net/?p=4913

Thanks to Bill Vick