Delivering Great Service

Many companies are rightly proud of the service that they offer to their clients, but from time to time things do go wrong.  Very often it’s the same sort of little niggly things and often things noticed by clients more than by the company owner or manager.

So what causes these things to happen time and time again with no-one doing anything about it?  Let’s look at an example: Complex Metal Shapes Ltd, who make really clever casting for the aerospace industry. It’s not a big place, fifteen people in total, but major recent investment in five-axis machines.

Castings leave the factory time and time again with damaged packaging.  What is frequently the manager’s response, “we’ve got a motivation problem in here, the staff just don’t care”. In a bigger company it’s often, the “management structure does not deliver great customer service, we’ve got to sort out the structure”.

Damaged packaging is not a grand issue like staff motivation or management structure, but it is vital that we zoom in on the issue and work out what happens when this comes to light after many months, but it has been giving a picture of sloppiness to our customers for all that time.  Jane, the Sales Administrator was told but did not know what to do about it.  She sees her job as keeping the customers happy and being pleasant when they complain.

Key Message1:

Be obsessed about the customer. Talk to them often with open questions about how they feel about your products and service. Mix face to face with phone calls and electronic communication.  Make resolving customer issues everyone’s job.

First person to talk to is Dave, who loads the pallets onto the lorry. Dave can’t see the problem, the goods are never returned, generally go out on time and everyone seems happy.  Dave’s a decent sort of bloke, three kids, gets the job done in a cheerful way, worked for the company for fourteen years.In any case, it is Steve the mechanical fitter who should be looking after the forklifts. Steve is based in the main factory where most of the machines are.  Dave was waiting to bump into Steve to tell him, but it has never happened.

Talking to Dave it seems that one of the forks on the fork lift has a twist in it from an accident a few months ago. It just catches the wooden crate sometimes when you load it, but it’s OK and in any case, the boss has said that we’re on a cost cutting drive and can’t afford to hire in a fork lift too often.

Key Message 2:

Get the Processes right. Specify the standards to be met at all stages of production and delivery especially the way that the product or service will look to the customer.  Measure them, with simple systems. Measurement of the production process gives earlier warning than measuring finance. It is often too late when the customer has left you and it shows in the revenue.

The company just spent £550,000 on the new German five-axis machine and that’s where the main effort is, to get the best out of it.

Key Message 3:

Work as One Team. Make sure that everyone has the chance to talk to each other formally and informally.  Give the chance to talk about the apparent conflicts between costs and good service.  Make it clear, by personal example, that great service is everyone’s job.

All of these messages must work together. If you do a heavyweight system like ISO 9000 and not the other two, you end up delivering consistent rubbish; only working as one team gives a warm glow for a while, then angry customers; whilst only looking outward to the customers, delivers rubbish and eventually customers fed up of hearing apologies.

So it’s rarely the people. Most people come to work to do a good job. It’s rarely the management structure, the comfort zone of big management consultancies. Start with the detail and drill down.

See what must be done to improve the Processes, working as One Team and get everyone connected and Obsessed with Customer Requirements.

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – Delivering Great Service.

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Creating A Positive Work Environment

Creating a positive work environment is crucial to the success of any organization. In the current challenging times, less people need to do more or the same amount of work for the organization to stay ahead. What are the strategies that an organization can apply to create a positive work environment?

1. Plan Effectively

While it is important to do a lot of research and study reports for planning purposes, effective planning should include the people involved in implementing the plan.

There are things that these people are aware of that can make a difference to the plan. Aside from that, there will be a better understanding of the plan and a sense of ownership when it is time to act on the plan.

2. Change Where Change Is Needed

Change is something that cannot be avoided. Either you change with the times or you get left behind.

It is necessary to be aware of customer needs, changes in the economy and trends in the industry to be aware of the changes. However, make changes where it is needed and not just for the sake of changing.

3. Groom Your People

Your people are crucial to the success of your business.

Groom your people to develop skills as well as attitudes and behavior required to take your business from where it is to where you want it to be.

4. Encourage Dissent

Do not be afraid of dissent. If all your employees agreed with everything, you may not become aware of changes that are happening to your customer base or in the industry. Focus will be narrow and based on conventional ideas.

Allow dissent that will generate new ideas and actions that will enhance your business.

5. Foster Leadership

You need more than management personnel to run the business. Thinking like a leader is a mindset that needs to be developed in every employee.

Every single person be it from sales, support or administration can also contribute creativity and responsibility to the roles they play.

6. Move Quickly

Change is happening so fast that it is necessary to make your move quickly. While it is important to think through your decisions, there are changes to which response has to be fast to stay ahead of competition.

7. Be Customer Oriented

Ultimately, it is your customers who keep you in business.

Be aware of your customers’ needs and wants. When they provide feedback on your products and services or require support, listen and take appropriate action.

If there are complaints, handle them. Be glad that they remain your customers despite the complaint. A complaint well-handled will get you a happier customer.

8. Take Action

While having ideas and strategies are great, a difference is made only when action is taken.

It is necessary to study and research whatever decisions you make. However, remember that often you may not get all the information you would like to have to make the decision.

Make your best judgment call and take the required action to make the decisions work out well.

Creating a positive work environment may be about environment and comfort. More importantly, it is the passion that you create within the organization by bringing people together to deliver a vision.

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – Creating A Positive Work Environment.

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Achieving Results Through Processes

Everybody in an organization follows processes.  Unfortunately, many of these processes are not designed from the outset and are almost invariably not documented.

Q: So what is meant by a process?

A: Processes can be defined in many ways, such as the following:

•    ‘Directives to communicate established methods for performing and administering work’

•    ‘Mode of Conducting Business’

•    A specific way to perform an activity

•    The flow of work that links people together to produce a defined output

•    Implementation of Policies

•    A document describing a specified sequence of actions within a process (WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHY)

Q: So, how does a process differ from a procedure or a work instruction?

A process involves more than 1 person and can be understood at different levels of complexity, so a “High Level” process might be “Operate the business”, one of its sub-processes might be the “Procurement process ” and a sub-sub-process (often called a procedure) might be “Purchase Stationary”.

Work instructions are essentially procedures that:

•    Are specific in nature.

•    Detail a task (HOW to).

•    Are directed to one job function.

•    Support one part of a procedure.

•    Reference standards.

•    Invariably have a specific output.

•    Are necessary where the method is critical to the result.

•    May be combined into Manuals (e.g. for an operational activity).

Q: Why will documenting your processes help your company?

A: If process are not documented, there is a lack of clarity about “WHO does WHAT, WHERE, WHY, WHEN and HOW”.

Q: So what are the benefits of documenting your processes?

A: The following are some of the key benefits:

•    You define Who does WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW and WHY.

•    You can identify where processes are breaking down.

•    You can assess the value of each activity in the process.

•    Accountability, Authority and Responsibilities are defined for the people involved.

•    The boundaries between processes are defined.

•    Critical process flows are defined.

•    The process can be measured.

•    Dependencies between processes are identified.

•    Processes can be changed in a controlled way.

•    Resource requirements can be identified.

•    Processes can be replicated.

•    It becomes easier to establish whether processes are capable of doing what they were designed for.

•    Cycle times are reduced

•    Process costs are known

•    Quality of the deliverables improves

Q: So how should you go about documenting your processes?

The best way to go document your processes is to use the following 6 step process:

•    Step 1: Define the high level Business Process map (Contains the level 1 Processes)

•    Step 2: Decompose each Process into Sub-Processes (NB: Some sub-processes will be based on Life-Cycles, such as Development, Maintenance etc and will need further breakdown to lower Level sub-sub-processes)

•    Step 3: Select a Sub-Process to document

•    Step 4: Map the Sub-process (Capture the information needed to draft the initial Process Definition).

•    Step 5: Review the draft and update as required until approved

•    Step 6: Implement the process, train the users and support while in the early stages

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – Achieving Results Through Processes.

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Handling Confrontation

Confrontation gives us a picture of two people with their foreheads pressed against each other.  In fact, the word confrontation comes from the Latin com (together) and frons (forehead).  However, not all confrontation is bad and as business managers we need to know how to handle confrontation.  The following addresses how to collapse the barriers that prevent confrontation and then use some techniques on how to confront positively.

Confrontation is perceived as a threat, so we need to start by recognising the internal tensions arising from the threat.  We overcome the avoidance of confrontation by looking at the consequences arising from the threat.  By doing this we have taken control and are now in a position to build confidence in confronting.

6 Step Process – NO FEAR

Now – Don’t wait, DO IT NOW (Unless anger is at boiling point, in which case wait until you have cooled down).

Open – Be open about why you are confronting and be clear about what outcome you want.  Be honest.  Listen to the other party and use “I” statements, such as “I would like to know why you told my manager about this problem”.  Don’t use phrases like “What did you go and do that for?”

Feelings – Express your feelings in a way that is not aggressive.

Effect – Describe the effect on you or on others, but don’t quote what others have said.  This will only create further problems.

Alignment – Stay in alignment with the other party.  Respond with respect to what they say and do it honestly.  Use “and” instead of “but”.

Return to common ground to show commonality rather than differences.

Request – make a request, clearly stating what you want.  Use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time bounded).

Using NO FEAR will enable you to confront more effectively.

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – Handling Confrontation.

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5 Tips to Improve Customer Service

Good customer service is one of the most important part of your business. It’s essential to get repeat customers, the backbone of most businesses. And unsatisfied customers are always fast to spread their unhappiness. So here are a few tips about customer service:

Be polite and use appropriate style.

This is a must. Your clients will respect you a lot more if you act and sound professional. And many people will take offense at being addressed too familiarly.

The customer is always right.

That is an old saying, but always true. The problem or blame may be on the customer’s side, but you should never tell this outright. If it’s a problem on his side, just tell him the steps to fix it and be understanding. And, if the problem is on your side, do not be afraid to say sorry and explain the problem if the situation warrants it.

Be willing to go the extra mile.

It’s the little things that count. When you can do more than asked do not be afraid to, your customers will love you for it. For example, you can use pictures, screenshots or samples to answer a question instead of simply describing with words, or send a handwritten thank younote with your physical products.

Make your customer feel comfortable asking questions.

Answer all questions you receive promptly and politely. The fact that they may not be taking part in your latest promotion or buying your latest product doesn’t make their question is less important. It may be less profitable for you, but your customer could not care less about these things. Who know, they could be planning a big purchase, or would have if they had been treated well.

Always follow-up if you expect a problem.

You do not need to follow your customers every step of the way. But if you notice a problem, or just answered a particularly complicated request, it’s best to make sure everything is resolved before you move on. Make it easy to contact you if there is still something wrong

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – 5 Tips to Improve Customer Service.

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Outsourcing: Identifying Reliable Sources

As a business owner, outsourcing is an important component that you may want to add to your business so that it may continue to grow and not become stagnate. To develop a good outsourcing process, you need to determine who you will use as a resource to fulfill your outsourcing needs. There are different resource pools that you can use to find your outsourcing personnel. Examples of the resource pools are online business resources or local vendors. Whichever way you choose, keep in mind that you want to outsource to someone who is like-minded and have the same business ethics as you.

A case study in a bad outsourcing experience

As a business owner, it is important to trust and know who you are outsourcing your business projects to. If you do not manage the outsource process correctly, you could end up with a bad outsourcing experience. Case in point, you win a bid for a large project that has sections that you want to outsource. You choose to outsource to someone you find online. However, you did not take the time to check their reference and you end up with someone who does not meet with your expectations. Unfortunately, before the project was completed, you realized that the person’s words in writing about their expertise does not equal with the skill set shown on the project. Now you are stuck with a project that has gone bad and a situation where you may have to fire someone from the project.

How to find good outsourcing personnel

To find good outsourcing personnel, you much start with the basics. Make a list of what you need this person to do and then make sure the to do list lines up with the overall project goals. Once you have the list, determine the experience that your outsourcing candidate must have in order for you to consider them for the project. Use a reputable service as a middle-man for your outsourcing personnel search. When the list of outsourcing candidates have been narrowed down to your final list, interview them and check their references.

Sources for finding outsourcing personnel

When searching for outsource personnel, keep in mind that you can use temporary agencies (you want to use one that has a well documented track record of success matching of businesses to candidate). Some local vendors which are temporary agencies may have an online presence and would also be considered online resources for your outsourcing needs.

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – Outsourcing: Identifying Reliable Sources.

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Dealing With Communication Overload

They come via e-mail…voice mail…fax…instant messages…pager…Blackberry…cell phone…Skype. You receive even more during meetings, be they teleconference, video conference, Web conference, or the good old fashioned face to face kind. Even before we get to the office in the morning and, for many of us, well into the evening, we are inundated with incoming communications from these sources and more. It seems as though during every moment someone is trying to inform, teach, solicit to, solicit from, question, update, delegate to, warn, disagree with and sometimes even entertain us.

This tidal wave of incoming communication can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling fatigued, irritable and/or distracted. It can negatively impact everything from our work performance to how we interact with our families and friends. It can result in something as minor as forgetting to buy milk on the way home to as major as being involved in an automobile accident. In other words, communication overload can be harmful to our health.

While for the most part we are unable to control or lessen the amount of incoming messages we receive each day, we can develop strategies for dealing with them more effectively rather than letting them engulf us. Incorporating the following tips can enable you to nip communications overload in the bud:

1. Schedule your time better in advance. Are you checking your e-mail between every other task you perform? Break that habit by trying to limit your trips to the inbox to specific time periods during the day, such as an hour at the beginning and end of the day, or 10 minutes at the top or bottom of each hour. You’ll be amazed by how much more time you’ll have to accomplish things that matter more to you.

2. Cloak your instant messaging screen name or, if that’s not possible, put up the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your instant messenger once in a while to carve out some uninterrupted time. During this span, also let your phone calls go to voice mail and text messages go temporarily unanswered. These actions are particularly important during times when you’re interacting with people face to face; except in rare circumstances, live interaction should always take precedence over technological devices. Watch how your interpersonal relationships both at work and and home soar when you begin to give people more undivided attention.

3. Learn to determine and rank the urgency of each message you receive, regardless of means. Delete, file or ignore unimportant ones, and devote as much time as possible to only those that pertain to pressing or essential issues. When you look back on your day, you’ll discover that you’ll experience a greater sense of accomplishment when you do this.

Taking a few proactive measures to confront communication overload is so much healthier than multitasking your way into a state of exhaustion or allowing incoming communications to control your life. Not only that, but you’ll also see immediate improvements in your work, home life and overall sense of satisfaction as well.

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – Dealing With Communication Overload.

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Time Management: Keep It Simple

When it comes to time management, many people often over complicate what should be a simple process. By using fancy electronic organizers and the latest software programs, they are actually making the process more complicated, and in the end most people don’t use the electronic organizers and software programs at all.

Many people don’t realize that just using a simple piece of paper as their to do list is far more convenient and easier to use than any electronic organizer. What could be more natural than putting pen to paper?

There is no way an electronic organizer is faster than writing on your to do list manually. Also with your to do list you have access instantly, instead of waiting for your organizer to turn on and then for you to find the right file.

Also, with electronic organizers, you have to worry about recharging it all the time. Another thing is trying to set it up so it is compatible with your computer.

The same goes for using the latest time management software programs. Again, most people won’t even use the program the way it is intended, and then go about stop using it.

The best and the easiest way is to keep your to do list on a simple piece of paper that fits easily in your pocket so you can carry it at all times. This way you have instant access and can update it as thoughts come into your head.

The learning curve on using the latest electronic organizer or software program makes many of them a waste of time. In the end most people spend a lot of money just to keep an electronic to do list.

Lastly, the cost is by far cheaper. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on time management organizers and software you can simply get a piece of paper. Don’t spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy to do list.

Also with a piece of paper you can organize your thoughts on it anyway you want. You don’t have to lock yourself into having to organize your thoughts the way some computer programmer thought you should.

Time management should be about making your time easier to manage, not making it more complicated. By sticking with a simple sheet of paper you can accomplish all your time management goals. Electronic organizers and time management software often just complicate and add frustration to the situation.

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – Time Management: Keep It Simple.

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Ten Top Business Time Management Tips

In today’s fast-paced world, time management is more important than ever.

Here are ten tips to improve your management of your time.

1) Plan goals a week in advance. The key tasks you need to accomplish each week should be worked out in advance so that you know where you need to focus your energies in the coming week.

2) Make sure you have a clean and tidy desk. It has been proven that one of the biggest business time wasters is a desk that has less than 80% of its surface area free from clutter. If you maintain a clear and clutter free desk, you will maintain your productivity at its maximum.

3) Learn to use your email program’s filter system. Set up a priority email folder and have all of the emails from your most important clients and contacts routed to it automatically so you don’t have to wade through a mountain of email manually to get to them.

4) Program in some ‘me’ time into every day. No matter how busy you are you should always make time for yourself to do something entirely non-business related. Recharging your batteries in this way will help you to deal with your work commitments at maximum efficiency.

5) Tackle the task you dislike the most first. Putting this task to the bottom of your to-do list will lead to a lot of wasted time fretting about it. If you get this task out of the way as quickly as possible you will feel such relief that the other tasks on your list will be a breeze.

6) Don’t think you have to be totally accessible all of the time. When you have important tasks to complete try to make sure you switch off your cell phone and stop checking your emails for the duration. This will allow you to make optimal use of your time by focussing entirely on the single task at hand without time-wasting distractions.

7) Allow time in your day for the unexpected. If you give yourself a task list that takes up every second of your day, an unexpected event will throw a complete spanner in the works. But if you allow time for the unexpected, when it occurs you’ll be able to cope.
Have an agenda for each meeting. Make sure that you have a clear list of everything to be discussed at every meeting and that every attendee gets that agenda ahead of time. During the meeting make sure that you keep from becoming sidetracked so that you waste the minimum amount of time.

9) Get used to saying ‘no’. If you get asked to do something that doesn’t fit into your schedule then learn how to refuse to do it. This can be hard to do at first but will get easier when the benefits become apparent.

10) Try to reduce the number of meetings you attend to the absolute minimum. Excessive meetings can be the biggest business time wasters. Try to only attend essential meetings to avoid this drain on your time and energy.

Of course, there are many more time management techniques you can use but the above will be a good starting point to help you manage your time more effectively.

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – Ten Top Business Time Management Tips.

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How to Succeed at Public Speaking

If you are afraid to speak in public, don’t feel bad you are not alone. Over 40% of the adult population is. In fact, fear of speaking in public is the highest ranked fear that all people have. Mostly this is due to a feeling that you won’t succeed but rather fail and be ridiculed or laughed at and no one wants that. Some people avoid it at all cost, including the potential to succeed or excel in their field. It doesn’t have to be this way for you. We’ve got some tips for you here which, if implemented should help you tremendously.

For most people, the most common place where they need to speak in public is in the workplace. Usually, you either need to inform your coworkers of the project you are working on or you need to sell an idea across to people higher up in the company. Don’t panic yet. If you take some time to plan it out you’ll do ok. Preparation is key.

One of the most important things before speaking in front of others is to know your material thoroughly. Make sure you’ve covered all areas of what you will be discussing. If you know what you are talking about, you won’t feel as nervous or flustered. Try to anticipate what questions others may have and be ready with an answer. If it’s at all complicated, try to think of different ways to say it, so everyone will understand. Diagrams may help you here to illustrate your point. Once you’ve done this, practice out loud somewhere by yourself if possible at first then in front of a friend or coworker later if it’s important.

If it’s appropriate you may want to hand out either an outline or a few illustrations. It may help to have some eyes looking at these occasionally and not all of them looking at you all the time.

As much as it’s humanly possible, try to relax. Breathe deeply. Since most people fear public speaking, others know it’s not easy and will be rooting for you not against you. If you are the type that can make small jokes, you can try one if appropriate. It helps your audience to relax as well.

If someone asks you a questions you don’t know or aren’t sure about, you can say something like “that’s a good question” and think for a few seconds, then if you know the answer great, answer it, and if you don’t you can say something like “I’m not sure about that, I think Bill might be able to answer that for you”. Make sure you name someone who you think would definitely know the answer. Other wise, you can tell them you will check into it and get back to them.

Arrive early to your meeting or presentation to make sure everything is there that you need and working properly.

Don’t say anything about being nervous to your audience, some people may not notice and you don’t want to bring it to their attention if they don’t. You may do better than you expect.

Try not to speak to fast, semi slow and clear is the way to go. Try not to speak in a monotone voice either. Add some inflection to your speech.

Keep things simple and to the point. Try not to drag on if at all possible. You don’t want to bore your audience.

A lot of people in sports use visualization to imagine themselves accomplishing their goal. This can work for you too. Visualize yourself succeeding with your public speaking.

Public speaking is a valuable tool you can learn and use throughout your life. The more you practice it and gain confidence the better you will get.

via UK Business Advisors Ltd | UKBA – How to Succeed at Public Speaking.

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