“I’m sorry,” is one of the first things we’re taught to say when we’re children. However, something happens to us as we grow up that makes it harder and harder to apologize for our actions. Whether it’s an unwillingness to admit we’re wrong, or a dislike of taking responsibility for their actions, these people instead […]
Many people have heard that empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. This is a simple way of saying that we should try to see things from the other person’s perspective and try to understand how they feel—simple to say, but not as simple to do. Many of us try to be empathetic, but […]
In my September 3rd post, I discussed how to Improve Your Listening in Six Easy Steps. However, sometimes the first step to improving your listening skills is to eliminate any bad habits you’ve developed. Here are some of the most common poor listening habits. I’ve been guilty of several. What about you? 1. Interrupting […]
When customers are unhappy, they’re generally not on their best behavior. Unfortunately, no matter how much customers “push your buttons” as a professional customer service provider, you have to remain on yours. It’s not easy, but you can keep your cool when customers heat up by using these five techniques: 1. Take responsibility for your […]
Let’s face it, most people love to talk more than they like to listen. The squeaky wheel gets the grease after all, right? In fact, everything we learn from the time we’re young reinforces the value of talk over listening. We wait for baby’s first word, bribing and cajoling them to say something … anything […]
Several times over the last few months I’ve been asked by those new in business whether they should bother to get business cards. “Can’t I just tell people my web address? All my info is there,” asked one person. Another insisted she wasn’t getting business cards because they were old fashioned. So what’s the answer? […]
Would you fly on a plane knowing that the maintenance crew and pilots were “sort of” trained, didn’t use checklists, and were allowed to do things whatever way they wanted? Would you want a surgeon operating on you who was “told” how to operate by someone a few years back, but didn’t have a clear […]
Let’s face it. There are some conversations that nobody really wants to have– from confronting an employee at work to talking to a parent about his or her unsafe driving, and everything in between. Although many of us try to avoid these difficult conversations, doing so can have a negative impact on ourselves, the other person, our teams, […]
Many people can relate to the frustration of receiving a voicemail message that is unclear, incomplete, or so long-winded that even the sender wouldn’t want to hear it again. That’s probably the reason so many of us only listen long enough to find out who called and then delete the message and call the other […]
I was presenting a customer service program last week when a participant asked how to handle customers who continued to talk on their cell phones while she tried to help them. “Isn’t that rude?” she asked. She was obviously a nicer person than I am, since she had to ask. Of course it’s rude, disrespectful, […]
