Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Changes

How do you handle changes?

It is what will determine or you succeed and how you lead.

Do you panic ? Get angry? Look to point blame?
Or
Do you quietly access the situation ? Look over options? Take control?

When situations arise that is when people look at you and see how YOU handle yourself and the moment.

The one thing that you can be certain of is that things will happen, situations will happe.

How will you handle it?

Monday, September 29, 2014

Customer Satisfaction

You provide value when you deliver the four components that reliably create customer satisfaction:
  • A perfect product or service
  • Delivered in a caring, friendly manner
  • On time (as defined by the customer)
  • With the backing of an effective problem-resolution process

Sunday, September 28, 2014

5 complaints from customers


Top 5 Customer Service Complaints that Hurt Revenues

1.     Slow Response Times – with phone being the preferred method to contact customer service*, it’s important to provide access to the proper representatives as quickly as possible. As the clock ticks away customers become more focused on the frustrations with the delay than on getting the answers they seek.

2.     Unresolved Issues – customer lose trust and their loyalty erodes when they feel as though their issues are being left without a remedy. When this happens they are more likely to look for alternatives.

3.     Incorrect Resource Assigned – Being sent to the wrong location or department will only cause more distrust and contribute to complaints about issue resolution and response times.

4.     Lack of Empathy from CSA – Many customers are more forgiving and come away with a more positive view of companies when the customer service representative shows they actually care about the specific issue and getting it resolved. When you have no empathy, the poor experience lingers in the customer’s memory making it more difficult to retain their business.

5.     Being Sold to – Nobody enjoys receiving a scripted sales pitch, especially when they are wrapping up a customer service issue. With exceptional customer service you won’t need to shill. Your prompt reply, attention to their issue and hassle-free resolution will earn you more of their business, unlike a poorly times sales pitch.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Training

I went to a Resturant recently while on vacation ans was thoughaly impressed.
Not only on the food but the service blew me away.

Everybody was polite and everyone knew their role.
They all worked as a team.

No matter who was close to our table asked if we were all set or if they could help.
It did not matter who was assigned my table.
They worked as a team and were trained that way.
Even the suits stopped and helped.

Good service just does not happen.

It happens when someone cares, when someone trains to what they expect .
It needs to happen from the top down.

Good service is what people remember.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Success

Success happens when preperation meets opportunity.

Be ready..prepare, practice, organize.

Successful people earn it, especially those that sustain success.

Take my good friend Mat Franco, actually he is my son's best friend but I certainly grew close to him.
Mat just won America's got talent! He won a million dollars and is headlining a show in Vegas.
And he is 26!

Some people may think he is lucky but Mat was always dedicated to his craft.
Mat is a magician.
He has been practicing his art since he was six years old.

He went to college with my son and was very active and very well liked but he never loss site of what he wanted.
When other kids were doing video games for hours on end he was practicing magic.

Mat is so well dedicated that he taught himself to lay the guitar.
He thought it would be cool to play Sultans of Swing by Dire Straights.
If anyone knows that song you know that it is a very hard piece of guitar work to learn.
But he did it.
He just made up his mind, shut his door and listened to the song thousands of time and taught himself how to play it.
Amazing....that is dedication.

So when Mat entered to try America's got talent at age 26 he was ready.

Opportunity had arrived and he was ready.

Will you be ready?

CYA

Unfortunately we all live in a business world that is all about CYA.
People mainly wanting, and needing, to cover their all behind.

You can like it or dislike it or hate it but it remains a part of the working world that you must come to terms with.

I would like to someday follow the thread onto how and when this culture became so prevelant.
I am sure that with the birth of big buisness and huge corporations had a lot to do with it.
Let's face it back a hundred years ago most businesses were family owned or perhaps your neighbor or friend owned a store you helped or traded your goods there.

In any case their were more relationships, again we can like it, dislike or hate it but big buisness is here to stay.

So the CYA mentality will only grow from here.

Deal with it.

Get used to be copied in with a dozen of so people and having to explain more.
That is what bothers most of us 50 plus people, having yo explain what and why.
We grew up in a culture that allowed you to do what you do and not have to answer to a dozen people every time you made a decision. After all that is why you were getting paid- to do your job.

What is even more frustrating is having to explain your job or decision to a dozen people who probably do not know what you actually do and probably have never done it.

Again...deal with it.

I do not care what you do for a living the CYA will be there.

Just continue to do your job, do the best you can....and explain it the best you can to those that ask.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Prep

Do you prepare before you start your day?

Do you take inventory ?

Do you prep the house?

If you want to succeed you need to be organized, you need to prepare, ask questions way before you start your job or your day.

Do not ASSUME anything ! Do not look for others or somebody else to tell you something.
Be ahead of it....be in control.

The more out in front of it you are the more you will catch a problem before it becomes a problem.
Learn from mistakes and try not to make the same mistake twice.

Prepare...prep

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Blind Spots

4 ways to see blind spots:

  1. Validate the perception of others. Their perceptions are real perceptions.
  2. Believe troubling feedback. When someone says you seem angry, believe it. Say, “Thanks for letting me know.”
  3. Explore awkward feedback. Ask, “What am I doing that makes me seem angry?”
  4. Invite feedback from trusted friends and colleagues.
Enhance success by seeing yourself the way others see you.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Friends

Being a friend, a true friend, means that you may need to say things that your friend does not want to hear but they NEED to know.

Rather it's to do with drinking too much or bad eating habits or even the way they may interact with others sometimes they need to hear it.

In the end if you have a strong relationship it will grow even stronger.
I am not saying it will be easy but at least you will know that you tried your best and your heart was in the right place.
That said how and when you approach them is very important.

It should be one on one and at a quiet place.

Speak from the heart and let it out.
If you don't you may never forgive yourself and it may start to erode your relationship anyway.

You are always better confronting them then talking ABOUT them.

Be a friend...a true friend.

Good People

I often hear people in management or crew chief or drivers complain about the people that they have working for them.
They are all looking for great employees or great laborers.
The secret is to find "good" people that perform at their best.

How does that happen?

That comes back to you.
It is up to you to train properly and to observe what their positives are and play on that.
YOU need to take that semi good worker and make them a "good" worker and a worker who cares.

If you respect and treat people properly and appreciate them they will WANT to work for you.
If they know that you actually care about THEM, they will care about YOU.

The key is to find " good people" and help them be the best that they can be.

From Driver of the Year..Skip

Here are some comments from Skip on past blog postings....


"1. Do the hard stuff now"....
HELL YEAH! The old guy who got me into this "LIFE" was a real pain in the a**.If I had any boxes in the first three tiers, he would make me pull it back out and start over....His attitude was, your fresh(mind as well as body)get rid of the weird stuff NOW! While you have other stuff to work in...ANY moron can stack cartons(although I've seen guys even last week who could not even stack cartons)DANG! How hard is it....God knows, I've built some really great Shi* tiers for the first few...


Here's another one..Thanks!

How hard is that? God know's with handicaps, having young legs? YUP,I always have to remember to say THANKS to my help...Without them I'd not be out here...One thing that does bother me about labor...I have a "Labor ready" account, I use it for small jobs...Their base charge is $17.17 per hour per man..
What makes anyone think I'd pay $15 per hour for help that has more knowledge, than "labor Ready" guys?
I have to WONDER!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Reasons to see your blind spots

  4 reasons seeing blind spots makes a difference:
  1. Blind spots create barriers in relationships that limit influence.
  2. You can’t engage in real relationships when you don’t see the real you.
  3. Blind spots undermine potential. The same issues keep coming up and you won’t take responsibility.
  4. The more authentic you become the stronger people connect with you. Connections are counterfeit when you present a counterfeit self.
Authentic relationships are built between authentic people.

The Four Agreements


Sunday, September 14, 2014

How much do you make?

How much do you make?

Do people ask you that?
Do you worry about what the guy next to you makes?

I have worked at Arpin for close to 30 years now and I never knew what other people made, nor did I care. It was not until I was promoted to a management position did I know what the people around me made.
I t just didn't matter to me.
All I knew is if I did my best I would get paid properly.
If I wanted to discuss my value I would do so but on my merits not because others made a certain amount.

Another thing, I know a lot of drivers and their friends always ask them how much they make or they ask what a certain load pays them. All it does is call friction and what friend ask that to their friend?
Most times , for whatever reason, the truth is not told anyway.

Mind your own store.
Worry about your house.

That is plenty for you to concentrate on.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Trust

Trust means letting go of control – Most people assume that distrust is the opposite of trust. Not true. Control is the opposite of trust. When you don’t trust someone, you try to retain control of the person or situation. In a leadership capacity, the desire to control often leads to micromanagement, an employee’s worst nightmare and one of the greatest eroders of trust in relationships. Control, of course, is closely related to your level of risk tolerance. The lower your tolerance for risk, the higher degree of control you try to exert.

The truth is we really don’t have as much control as we think we do. I’m defining control as that which you have direct and complete power over. In many situations you may be able to exert some level of influence or control, but when you consider that definition, you really only have control over yourself—your actions, attitudes, values, emotions, opinions, and the degree of trust you extend to others.

Friday, September 12, 2014

What does National Driver Appreciation Week Mean?


Next week, September 14-20, is National Driver Appreciation Week.


What does that mean to the average consumer?

We hope that people take the time to realize how important our drivers are and just what they sacrifice to do their job.


Look around your home or your office.  Most everything that you have was trucked in across this great country for you to have the ability to purchase it.

Whether it is your groceries, the lumber at a Home Depot, your clothes, shoes, or food at your favorite restaurant, it was trucked in by a professional driver.


In our business of household goods movers, a driver is so much more. A driver needs to be the main point of contact to move your most prized possessions across this country.


A driver needs to not only know all of the federal regulations and adhere to all safety rules, but they need to know how to move and  wrap, load and protect furniture so that it arrives safely.


Drivers are often away from home for weeks at a time, sometimes months. They are away from family and friends and live most of their life on the road.

They mostly drive while we are sleeping, when the highways are less congested, for greater safety.


When you are moving your home, there are always plenty of emotions and it can be a lot for a person to coordinate, so a driver needs to have the ability to work with people.

Moving is listed as one of the most stressful events in a person’s life and the driver finds himself right in the middle of it.


We hope that that Driver Appreciation Week people take the time to just look up and say thank you to all of the drivers across this country.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

September 11th 2001

September 11th 2001... A date that changed the was Americans view their world around them forever.

We all remember where we were the day those planes hit.
We remember how we felt and the empty feeling.
We immediately thought about our own families and needed to hear their voice to be sure they were safe.
We remember the next day and the eerie feeling of no planes in the sky anywhere in the United States.

That day changed us forever.

We realize even more how fragile life is and how important family is.

Do not take today for granted or any day for that matter.

Call someone you love today and tell them so.
Hug your kids and your grand kids.
Look up and look around you and appreciate all you have.

You are Empowered NOT Entitled

Communicate You Are Empowered Not Entitled
  1. Give more than you request.
  2. Correct your mistakes and help others to mend theirs.
  3. Offer sincere apologies when you impact others badly.
  4. Focus on everyone succeeding not getting what others have.
  5. Create your rewards by contributing your talents and effort vs. demanding rewards now.

Investment

Trust requires a personal investment

 Trust doesn’t come free; it costs you dearly.

Whether it’s your acceptance of risk, loss of control, emotional attachment, time, energy, or money, trust requires a personal investment. Trust works best in a reciprocal environment. I trust you with something and in exchange you reciprocate by trusting me. It’s the very foundation of cooperative society and our global economy. Trust without reciprocation is exploitation.

Whether or not you receive anything in return, trust requires a down payment in some form or fashion.

 From the perspective of earning trust from someone else, trust requires your investment in demonstrating your competence, integrity, care for the relationship, and dependability –

Monday, September 8, 2014

Ties

There is a quote-  " The Lord's work is not done by men who wear ties ".

Some of the best men that I know and have known never finished high school, do not go to work in the morning with a tie or have a sheepskin hanging on their wall.

You are not measured by how many degrees that you have, you are measured by how many life's you touch.

Everybody has the opportunity every day to make a difference in someone's life. A smile, a helpful hand, an opportunity to train or teach.
Stop looking around to others or feeling like you are not good enough or feeling inferior.
You do not need anybody's approval , you only need your own approval.

Are you happy with who you are? How you act or speak to others?
Do you feel disrespected? Maybe that means you need to start respecting others more.

The men that I have respected most had good old common sense on their side.
They cared about others and treated everybody the way they wanted to be treated.
Title's meant nothing to them, they saw the person in front of them as a equal and acted accordingly.

You do not need a tie or a sheepskin to make a difference.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

9 Habits to get stuff done

1. Do the hard stuff now

Do you have a long laundry list of things you have to accomplish? Prioritize your list and do the hardest thing to accomplish on your list first and put it to bed. Once you complete your hardest assignment, the rest of your list will be a cakewalk.

2. Or do the easy stuff now

Sometimes, taking the opposite approach works best: Take on all the easy and smaller things on your list and save that huge project for last. Taking care of the little things first can actually help you muster the willpower to tackle that last biggie. A side note here: Set up a time frame for getting your smaller jobs completed so you have plenty of time for the big stuff.

3. Be nice to yourself

When we constantly bash ourselves for not living up to our own high expectations, we make ourselves feel even more defeated and less likely to produce anything at all. Be nice to yourself and encourage yourself to go on. Positive thoughts will lead you to better results.

4. Grow your willpower

Did you know that if you practice pushing yourself every day--even a little--your willpower strengthens? It's true. Try it. Push yourself each day to do something you keep putting off, even if you work at it for only a short time. Over time, your willpower muscles will strengthen, making you even more effective at getting things done.

5. One thing at a time

Do you have a huge report that needs to go out and you're feeling completely overwhelmed by the research, interviewing, and writing involved? Break it down into small, edible portions. Write your deadline on a piece of paper, and then break down your contract into half-hour or hourlong portions with numerous 15-minute to half-hour breaks or rewards sandwiched in. Before you know it, you will be taking that project off your to-do list.

6. Go for a walk

It's true: People who exercise regularly have greater willpower and are more effective. The extra oxygen to the brain that the activity brings along with it can do wonders for your productivity. You don't have to hit the gym for an hour every day or really run a marathon. Go out for a walk to grab a coffee with a co-worker, or take a jog, or go for a bike ride during lunch.

7. Reward and then pounce

Tell yourself that after one more episode of The Big Bang Theory, or making one more phone call to a friend, that you will begin that long-overdue project. Yes! Reward yourself with something fun, but tell yourself that as soon as that reward is over or finished, you will dive into your project. Try it--it really works!

8. Expect the unexpected

Remember, not everything goes as planned. Sometimes, we begin our project in earnest, and then, bam, we get an urgent phone call from a client and the project gets put on the side burner. Prepare yourself for these interruptions and expect them. Scribble a few quick notes so you don't forget where you were--your thoughts at that moment--and then focus on the emergency. Once the interruption has passed, start by reviewing where you were; look at your notes, refresh your brain, and then get back to it.

9. Just do something

Even if you just type the first sentence or the first paragraph, just get started--small steps lead to big things. Once you get some momentum going, you'll find yourself moving toward your goal. And if you don't? Then put it aside for a little while and get back to it later.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Don't forget to say thank you..

Don't forget to say thank you...every day.

Take the time to thank those around you, appreciation can go a long way.
Along the way point out some helpful tips if you want but timing is everything.

A well deserved thank you at the right time can go a long way.

We all work hard and we want to be sure that someone notices, that someone cares.

Better yet surprise them with something occasionally, it does not have to be something big.
Maybe a coffee or movie passes or a sandwich.

It will come to you ten fold...trust me.

Oh yea, while I am at it...thank you all - for being a part of my journey.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Selfish

I heard a story on the news last night that showed how selfish we can be.

It was about emergency vehicles having a problem on our highways and roads.
Growing up one of the first things that you learned when driving is that when you hear sirens- PULL OVER.
Rather it is a police office or fire truck or ambulance get out of the way.

Minutes and seconds could be the difference between life and death.

On this news cast they were showing how cars just do not get out of the way and our emergency vehicles get caught in traffic.
They interviewed a few people that work as firemen and paramedics and they say it is happening more often. They taped this one car that refused to pull over and stayed in front of them for miles.

My heart always jump when I see one of these vehicles in my rear view mirror, I always pray that wherever they are going that people are ok and I pray that my family is safe.

What if they knew that the vehicle was trying to get to one of their loved ones, would they move faster?
What difference should it make? It is somebody's house or family member.

That to me is the example of selfishness.

If it does not directly effect them they do not care.
If it is going to delay them , even for a few minutes they will not help.

Where are we going people?

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Prepare

Does this look familiar ?



The more you prepare the less chance you have to look like this.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

The Foundation

I have always said that I look for one basic ingredient in an employee, the foundation from which I can help train and grow.... and that is that a person cares about other people.
Truly cares and respects others.

Because you can teach the rest but I can not rewrite somebody's foundation or soul.

If you care about others you will take the time to listen and follow up and you will want to help them.
If you have that ingredient , that foundation, people will feel it and help you along and give you the time to learn. And even help you along the way.

If you are selfish, that will come through too.
Those are the people that no one wants to help so you are left trying to fend for yourself.
And I do not care what business you are in , you need alliances.

Especially in the moving business.

The moving business is nothing but people helping people.
People trusting others.
From the person who gives an estimate to a customer, to the packers that show up and the labor that you have help you. To the employees at the home office as well as the agents across the country.

It is people helping people.

When one of those spokes in the wheel are missing or did not do their job, others have to pick up the slack and that makes the job more difficult.

You need to care.

Care about those that you are doing business with and all those that you have contact with every day.

If you try to fake it, it will come out sooner or later.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Last notes on Bosses...

6. They lead by permission, not authority.
Every boss has a title. That title gives them the right to direct others, to make decisions, to organize and instruct and discipline.
Memorable bosses lead because their employees want them to lead. Their employees are motivated and inspired by the person, not the title.
Through their words and actions they cause employees feel they work with, not for, a boss. Many bosses don’t even recognize there’s a difference... but memorable bosses do.

7. They embrace a larger purpose.
A good boss works to achieve company goals.
A memorable boss also works to achieve company goals -- and achieves more than other bosses -- but also works to serve a larger purpose: to advance the careers of employees, to rescue struggling employees, to instill a sense of pride and self-worth in others. They aren’t just remembered for nuts and bolts achievements but for helping others on a personal and individual level.
Memorable bosses embrace a larger purpose, because they know business is always personal.

8. They take real, not fake risks.
Many bosses, like many people, try to stand out in some superficial way. Maybe through their clothes, their interests, or a public display of support for a popular initiative. They do stand out but they stand out for reasons of sizzle, not steak.
Memorable bosses stand out because they are willing to take an unpopular stand, take an unpopular step, accept the discomfort of ignoring the status quo, and risk sailing uncharted waters.
They take real risks not for the sake of risk but for the sake of the reward they believe possible. And by their example they inspire others to take risks in order to achieve what they believe is possible.