“The Extra Mile” is the theme for this year’s international customer service week, celebrated annually during the first week of October. This theme is not new to businesses. We’ve heard its sister statement of, “We go the extra mile for our customers,” repeated countless times by businesses eager to convince customers of their commitment to …
One of the most telling signs of a business that is disconnected from its purpose, is the prevalence of multiple cultures, instead of a single culture that unifies the business. At the heart of this fragmentation, is the reality that departments pursue their own micro missions and therefore, operate in silos. Ultimately, the business becomes …
“Why do you work?” is one of my favourite questions to ask employees whenever I conduct professional enrichment sessions. The typical answer is, “I work to pay bills.” My response is always, “Then you’re working for your bills, aren’t you?” What unfolds next, is a lively, sometimes life-altering discussion, on if “working to pay bills” …
Shhhh…if you listen closely, you’ll hear the cries of some leaders who are extremely exhausted. In the face of keen competition, leaders are stretched to their limits. They are expected to imagine new strategies, overhaul business models and maximize operational rigour. Workplaces have become battlefields. There’s a spiralling tug-of-war between the drive for profits, the …
All across the Caribbean, there are businesses knocking customer delight out of the ball park and racking up success story after success story. Great stories are being told by customers every day. Do you know where the bulk of those stories are being experienced? At the frontline. Right here in T&T, it’s refreshing to see …
So, is it just me, or has everyone else noticed an unmistakable rise in crosstalk at frontline counters these days? I don’t think that it’s a figment of my imagination. It seems as if everywhere I go, there are endless conversations happening behind the counters that have nothing to do with my transaction. Honestly, it’s …
Leadership development training is an integral part of my work as a service transformation consultant. I get a close-up view of the leaders of a business. I come face to face with their highs, lows and in-betweens. While the low functioning leaders respond to a straightforward improvement plan, the high functioning leaders are an entirely …
Leaders are people too. They face personal challenges, dodge curveballs that circumstances throw at them and navigate the ebb and flow of this pilgrimage called life. In essence, they travel through seasons just like everyone else. With leaders though, the effect of their responses is amplified over a larger orbit, as it ripples across the …
Every ounce of reasonable thinking says that mediocrity and excellence cannot co-exist. Yet many businesses in T&T continue to test this principle. The verdict is clear. Far too many businesses oscillate between mediocrity and excellence. Some days they function superbly and on other days, even the simplest task seems impossible. Anchoring firmly on the excellence …
Lately, I’ve been writing so much about leadership experience in business, that it has overshadowed my customer experience voice. So, this week, let’s have a check in on the latter. Shall we? One of the most critical missions for any business, is to understand inside, out, its customers’ moments of truth. Those moments when the …