February is Time Management Month — Stephen Covey, co-author of First Things First, developed a method for creating a to-do list based on how important and urgent tasks are. Here is a daily planning sheet to help you implement Covey’s system.
Creating a positive work environment — Read about successful recognition programs, which include daily recognition, informal recognition, and formal recognition all focused on the goals for the team.
Start the year off right — No matter what your resolutions are for the new year, starting the day off in a positive way can help. Learn about the value of positive affirmations.
Meeting customer expectations — Read an interview with Author Michael Levine who suggests that organizations can often meet customer expectations by fixing small things.
Sail through the holiday season — Kathy Gruver, the author of Conquer Your Stress with Mind/Body Techniques presents a brief video on conquering stress.
Download an “I am at peace” reminder card.
Keep political talk low key — Encourage your team to avoid political talk with Conversation Cards. Available in a variety of formats, Conversation Cards can spark conversation and encourage people to learn more about each other.
Keep political talk low key — To avoid politics at workplace gatherings, try Conversation Cards. Available in many formats, these popular conversation starters include well-worded questions to spark a conversation and encourage people to learn more about each other.
Five small things that make a big impression on customers — Reinforce key points in the article with a colorful glancer that reps can post in their work areas.
Recognize coworkers — During Customer Service Week, readers may recognize coworkers by sending eCards featuring the Customer Service Week theme, “Excellence Happens Here.”
Help your reps to focus on the customer on every call — A lot of companies claim to have a customer focus. But it most often falls to the customer service rep to live up to that claim. Here is some advice from customer service consultant and author, Shep Hyken:
• A blog post on how the employee experience contributes to the customer experience.
• A video presentation on how to use customer service to stand out from the competition.
Eliminate ageism — September is Healthy Aging Month, a time to focus on positive aging and serving customers at all stages of life. The following resources will help:
Create a positive work environment for your team — A positive environment contributes to better service, happier customers, and customer service reps who are more confident about their service skills. The following resources will help:
• Suggestions from JoAnna Brandi on how to “pivot” toward positivity.
• Advice from Brandi and other experts on making a positive impression on customers. Handout.
• Our Frontline Spotlight Award, a low-cost way to recognize and reward reps for maintaining a positive attitude.
