Total quality is now the goal that most go-getting companies are striving to achieve. We now realize that in all aspects of business, if we are to get ahead of the competition; time, energy, and finances must be devoted to attaining all round perfection.
A company's quality ranking can easily be determined by the degree of customer service given by those in client liaison roles. This pinpoints departments such as Sales, Marketing, Administration and Accounts. The best way of accurately gauging the service they offer, is to conduct a customer service survey covering a range of questions such as how quickly is the phone answered when customers call, or how efficiently are complaints dealt with. The respondents should be a good cross section of customers; new and established as this will give you more accurate results.
Once you have the results, you have the starting point for setting up a total quality training program within your company. Any negative areas which have cropped up in the results of the survey should be the first to be addressed. It is important to assess why these areas or problems have developed and then take new measures or revise procedures to ensure they are eliminated in future.
Those with a responsibility for any amount of training whatsoever, (as well as the personnel department); such as department managers, or supervisors should all have copies of the survey results, and should all be present at a meeting to develop the findings of the survey into a total quality training manual for the company.
The manual should clearly and concisely spell out the correct procedures to be used when working in all the departments of the company. Each section should end with a practical exercise to assess the employee's comprehension of what he/she has read, and a questionnaire which can be used to get ideas and input from them.
In order for your company to truly shine, it is essential that while making sure that all your staff is up to date, you do not forget to train the trainers themselves! All department heads, managers and directors should be fully versed in their respective areas of expertise. Make sure that they:-
1) Attend courses relevant to their subject.
2) Subscribe to at least one trade journal.
3) Meet regularly with you for an informal 'brainstorming session'.
This means that they, and yourself too, should be sufficiently enthusiastic to motivate the rest of the team, and uphold the new total quality standards.
Complaints can lead to loyalty
Complaints from your customers can become golden opportunities to:
n strengthen your reputation for being customer-oriented.
n retain loyal customers.
n spot trends that need to be addressed to avoid future problems.
n Clear up misunderstandings, instead of allowing customers to remain confused or angry.
n Hear about problems customers are experiencing that might generate ideas for new products or services.
How to make decisions with precision - and confidence
Companies and organizations that truly embrace employee empowerment give their staff freedom and the tools to make day-to-day decisions and carry them out. While this can make our jobs easier and more fulfilling, it can also make them more challenging - particularly if we lack faith in our decision-making capabilities. Here are some confidence-building suggestions:
Know the company you work for. This one deserves first mention, because without understanding the core values, goals, priorities and challenges of your organization, you won’t have the foundation needed to make decisions in your company’s best interest.
Gather as much information as needed. Depending on the circumstances, you may need to take time to do some research. Alternatively, you may need to make an on-the-spot decision, based on answers to a few key questions. Either way, gather pertinent information, but not to the extent that your analysis turns into paralysis.
Ask yourself: What if? Explore the consequences of each of your options. Most companies are trying to see their policies and operations through their customers’ eyes - and you should do likewise. This applies to internal customers as well.
Pretend you’re an outsider. To gain perspectives try to look at the situation from an outsider’s point of view. What would you tell a friend to do if s/he were in the same situation?
Be creative. Beware against automatically patterning your responses after what’s been done in the past. While history can be a reliable guide, change is occurring so rapidly today that better ways of doing things are always taking shape.
Know when to seek help. When there’s a lot at stake, whether it’s the cost, the customer or company reputation involved, get top level input.
Follow up. Ensure that your response has led to a positive outcome. If so, let it be a confidence builder. If not, learn from it to help you handle similar situations in the future… if this is not too late.
“No” can be a positive statement
You know the feeling: the word “yes” springs to your lips before you can stop it. Of course, these are occasions when “yes” is the answer, but what about those times when you find yourself agreeing, even though the sinking feeling in your stomach really should be “No”.
Some of us have great difficulty with this word. We think agreement is the path of least resistance, bur while we might avoid disappointing others, we create both internal and external conflicts for ourselves. When in doubt about how to respond to a request, a “Can I get back to you”, may be your best bet, allowing you time to consider:
n Is the request harmonious with my goals, priorities and values?
n Realistically, do I have the time and resources to accomplish what is being asked of me? Does the request require a sacrifice on my part to the extent that it jeopardizes my well-being?
n Can the person find help from a more appropriate source?
If you’ve made the decision that the answer is “no”, the next challenge is to convey the message:
n Take a deep breath, mentally review the answers to the questions above and calmly give your answer.
n While you may want to express regret and explain your reasoning, avoid long, involved apologies and explanations. Remember, “No” can be a complete sentence.
n Hold your ground. Remain open to reason, but don’t allow yourself to be manipulated into altering your position. If the request subsequently changes, again ask for time to consider your position.
n Don’t look back. Focus on feeling good about taking a positive step on your own behalf.
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