How to Train Staff in Great Customer Service

In the current economic recession, organizations may be tempted to cut back on training their staff in customer service. But consumers are becoming more demanding, and whilst prices are being slashed to get them in the door to buy, it is customer service that can be the real difference. This article provides valuable tips and advice on how to train your staff in great customer service.

People want more than just a transaction. They want to have a good experience. And no matter how good the product or service or how competitively priced it is, organizations really are missing a trick if they don't provide excellent customer service to close the deal, to win repeat business and to build customer loyalty. We all know how long it can get to get new customers, and the sad truth is that poor service can lose them very quickly indeed. Losing customers in this way is sheer negligence.

So what IS great customer service? We've all experienced it, although it seems to be the exception rather than the norm. It's providing what the customer needs, but more importantly it's about leaving them with a good experience. It's about how they FEEL, not just what they buy. Customers tend to want four things:

How to Train Staff in Great Customer Service

To feel welcome To feel valued To be understood To have their needs met
Where to Start

Actually first things first. People buy people, not just products and services. Every great salesperson will tell you that. And if they are going to serve customers, you need to recruit the right people in the first place. People who can put themselves in the customers' shoes. People who can demonstrate core skills of listening, building rapport and empathy. Positive, energetic and enthusiastic people with a 'can do attitude'. Then the training can begin:

First comes the induction process, where new hires learn all about the company and its values, as well as its products and structure. They learn who their customers are and who does what in the company, so that they know who to go to for help or to resolve a customer complaint. They are introduced to a 'buddy', who can show them the ropes Product knowledge is key. Staff need to understand the features and benefits of a range of products so that they can help customers to buy what's right for their needs. If you have a Training Department, great. If not, then think really carefully about who has the skills to pass their product knowledge on, because not everyone can train others effectively Communication skills development is critical. It isn't enough to have product knowledge; staff need to know the basics such as how to greet the customer (with a smile, even if on the phone, and using their name where possible). First impressions make a huge impact. Be sure to establish and communicate clear and measurable standards for this e.g. answer the phone within three rings; answer correspondence within 48 hours; show the customer to a table within a minute of arrival; take the customer to the supermarket aisle to find the product they're looking for; offer a hot drink as they arrive at the hair salon etc. Effective questioning and active listening skills can be learned, so that staff can find out what it is the customer actually needs, rather than what they think they want. Help them to pay attention to body language as well as the spoken word. And positive language training helps too. Rather than talking about what the company can't do, control the conversation and identify what it CAN do. And don't confuse the customer with jargon; check their level of understanding so that you can pitch your language accordingly. Practice building rapport by mirroring and matching communication styles to build relationships. Train people in the end to end process, not just the bit that they are responsible for. Explain the why and how as well as the what. Show them how to do things right first time. Every time. And supervise them closely until they have demonstrated competence Training in service recovery or complaint handling is vital. When things go wrong, think of it as a golden opportunity to win the customer. Customers realise that mistakes happen, but it's the way that companies deal with them that can really make or break the relationship. Even if the customer is aggressive, don't be defensive, as that will make things worse. The first step is to offer a sincere apology, as that will usually take the heat out of the situation, even if you're not at fault. Apologising for the impact of what has gone wrong is showing real empathy. Then find a way to fix it. See what you can do to offer service beyond the norm. Take ownership and follow through until the issue is resolved to the customer's satisfaction. If you say you will do something, do it, then let the customer know you did it. And go one stage further; follow up later to make sure that everything's OK. Remember that you want them to be singing your praises to everyone they know, and turning a complaining customer into a delighted one really is achievable, with just a little effort Encourage everyone to look for opportunities to go the extra mile each and every time

Beat the recession. Let great customer service be the norm in your organization.

How to Train Staff in Great Customer Service
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Ann Palmer is a Training Consultant at KSL Training, a Berkshire UK based training consultancy who offers a tailored Customer Service Training Course, as well as Complaint Handling and Selection Interview Skills training to companies and organizations across the UK through a team of experienced CIPD member training consultants.

How To Create An iPhone App And Publish It

Today, a majority of the people own smartphones. A huge percentage of those people have iPhones or smartphones that use iOS. The reason why the iPhone market has grown that fast is because of the availability of applications that can do virtually anything you would want them to. Some of these applications include PDF readers, word processors and internet browsers among many others. All these applications make it possible for one to continue doing their work while on the go. They are also convenient since, you do not have to carry many files around with you. Since, there is a high demand of iPhones, it follows that there is also a high demand of applications. You can make a fortune by deciding to tap into this niche and create an iPhone app that is unique and very useful.

However, before you make the millions, you have to know how to create a good app. The first thing you should do is join the developer program. This provides you with the things you need to make the application, test and publish it on the app store.

There are different versions of the developer program. There is the enterprise program that costs 9 and the standard one that goes for . The standard type is for those that build commercial or free applications. The applications are distributed via the iTunes app store.

How To Create An iPhone App And Publish It

The enterprise program is for businesses which have more than 500 workers. The applications that are made using this program, are supposed to be used in the business. They are supported by the iPod touch and iPhone.

To develop the application, you have to use SDK. This is a feature that allows you to make your applications easily. There are many resources available for you to use when building the application. Some of them include video tutorials and illustration codes.

An important tool used in the development process is xCode. It is the environment on which you develop the application. You can manage and remove errors there. The source editor is also used to help you in the process.

There is also the interface builder. It allows you to easily make a user friendly interface and has several features and a simulator that you can use to run tests and fix errors in the application. When you finish creating it, test-run it on your phone and see how it operates. That is how you create an iPhone app.

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Visit create-iphone-apps-now.com and discover how to design iPhone app ideas with no programming experience, and discover the secret to successfully market your iPhone app ideas in the app store.

How to Create a Name for Your Cleaning Business

Before you open the doors of your cleaning business you not only need equipment and supplies, you need a name for your business. The name of your company will be the first thing prospective clients see - whether that is in the phone book, on your company car, in an ad, or on a website. The name symbolizes what your cleaning business represents. So it is important to spend some time on choosing a name that not only fits your cleaning business, but also presents a positive image to customers, suppliers and employees.

The easiest way to name your business it to use your own name or initials, such as Joe Smith's Cleaning. This provides a personal touch, is easy to remember, and if you have a proven track record in the business, it can attract customers. However, if your plan is to one day sell your business, you might want to consider something less personal.

Instead of using your name or initials, you may want to think of descriptive or suggestive wording for your business name. When going this route begin by brainstorming key words or phrases that have something to do with the business: clean, cleaning, squeaky clean, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, janitorial services, etc. Write down as many words as you can think of and use a thesaurus to create more wording possibilities.

How to Create a Name for Your Cleaning Business

You can also use words that describe the benefits your clients will get from using your service: spotless, spic-n-span, dust free, immaculate, etc. Take the words from your two lists and start combining them into various business names: Sparkling Waters Cleaning Company, A1 Janitorial Services, APlus Cleaning, Spic-n-Span Cleaning. As most businesses also use a tag line or motto, look through your list to see if any of your potential names suggest possibilities. For example, "Sparkling Waters Cleaning - Your floors will look like sparkling waters".

Try out different names and combinations and then judge the names by the following:

- Is it easy to pronounce?

- Is it concise?

- Is it easy to remember?

- Is it distinct?

- Does it convey the message you want your customers to see?

- Is it pleasant to hear and repeat over and over again? - Is it something you can stand behind?

Before you can begin using your business name, check to see if the name is already trademarked. Do an Internet search at the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) at http://www.uspto.gov . Then check with your local secretary of state to see if anyone else in your state has already registered that name. Once you have decided if the name is available and can represent your business, run it by family and friends to get their reaction.

The business name is the flag that can wave down potential customers. Once you have decided on a name it will most likely be with you throughout the life of the business. Putting the time into researching a suitable name for your cleaning business is one way to get your business off and running in the right direction.

How to Create a Name for Your Cleaning Business
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Steve Hanson is co-founding member of TheJanitorialStore.com, an online community for owners of cleaning companies who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift. Read cleaning success stories from owners of cleaning companies at http://www.cleaning-success.com/ .

Conference Telephones - Why They Are Better Than Speaker Phones

Don't conference on a speaker phone - use the real thing

You may think that you have a perfectly good speaker phone on your desk to use for conferences but is it really that good? If you ask the other people in the room or those on the end of the phone, they would probably say NO! Speaker phones on your telephone have a limited ability to produce good sound quality at both ends.

Speaker phones just give you part of conversation

Conference Telephones - Why They Are Better Than Speaker Phones

With your normal speakerphone surely you have noticed that you lose some words due to clipping on the telephone line. It momentarily cuts off when the other person starts speaking. Sometimes even entire sentences can go missing during the call. If you end up spending more time trying to figure out what someone has said, you risk misunderstanding them. This isn't very professional. Good communication means that you need to hear each other clearly and speakerphones do not promote clear two-way speech and you end up having to compensate for missed words. Small cost effective conference phones are worth their weight in gold, especially those which connect to your mobile phone with Bluetooth and desk phone. You can use them virtually anywhere. They're pretty competitively priced nowadays and you soon get your money back in better communication and less travel time for meetings. With a conference phone you can hear the other person talking even when you are talking.

Why use a conference phone?

- If someone is out of town you don't have to miss your meeting - just conference them in and keep to your planned timetable
- They help promote group communication in your organisation - more people can receive clearer communication - they'll understand more
- If you are dealing with customers or clients, it's simply more professional
- It is a fast and easy way to bring small or large groups together with little equipment; and preparation for the same cost the phone call
- Sometimes it is better to talk to people rather than do group emails. Your audience will be able to clarify things and ask questions. They may not bother to ask in an email
- The cost of a conference phone far outweighs the cost of travel and amount of time saved
- be conscientious; conferencing is better for the environment than travel

Don't conference on a speaker phone - Conference on a conference phone

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Author: Lisa Wall - Marketing Manager at Cackle Telecommunications Ltd
http://www.cackle.co.nz

Cackle is a supplier and distributor of conference phones, headsets for telephones and computers, voice recording units and analogue telephones within New Zealand. We're the experts at what we do in New Zealand and we have many happy customers. We're also very friendly and helpful. Call us if you have any questions. It's free in New Zealand.

Free Call 0508 222 553

Organizational Change - Four Key Management Strategies For Leaders

Every leader faces the need for change. Determining the need for change is based on numerous internal and external factors. Once a leader has determined that change is necessary, he or she must be diligent in managing the change process. How a team is guided through the change process ultimately determines its success or failure. Thriving organizations have leaders who know how to manage the change process.

The following steps are essential components to successfully manage the change process:

Step 1: Set up an accountability system that clearly outlines who is responsible for each important aspect of the change process.

Organizational Change - Four Key Management Strategies For Leaders

Once a leader has determined that a significant organizational change is necessary, a change leader should be identified. The change leader is responsible for overseeing each aspect of the change cycle including planning, implementing, monitoring, and transitioning into routine business. The change leader must be empowered by senior leadership in order to succeed. A change leader must be able to direct resources and staff from all levels of an organization to effectively drive organizational change. For large initiatives, a change leader will need to assign responsible parties for each major action area. In addition, each individual action item should have a responsible party. Accountability is necessary to ensure that the change process is focused and driven. It is also key to include representatives from a variety of levels and job functions in change planning and implementation. It is impossible for a leader to predict the impact that changes will have on every level and facet of an organization. By including a variety of staff, a leader is able to obtain a clearer picture of how the organization will be affected and will be able to achieve the greatest degree of success while avoiding or minimizing any negative impact.
Step 2: Effectively communicate with the change team and others impacted by the change.

The flow of information in an organization is its life force. To maintain and improve the strength of the organization, information must be shared upward, laterally, and downward. Regular communication is vital to a successful change process. The following must be clearly communicated to staff:

Why the change is necessary for the organization? Ideally this will include an overview of external and internal factors driving the change and the benefits to the organization. Who will be responsible for the change process? This includes identifying the change leader as well as the key team members responsible for major action areas. What mechanisms will be used to implement the change? This involves a description of the work plan and group processes that will be used to design, implement, and monitor the change process. Where staff assistance is needed to facilitate the change process? This includes clearly outlining how job duties will be affected and what is expected of staff during the change process. How the organization is progressing toward the desired change objective(s). This communication should occur at a regular frequency throughout the change process. It is important for the above information to be communicated in a timely and understandable manner to all staff impacted by the change. In addition, it is recommended that multiple forms of communication be used, including verbal (e.g., conference calls, voice mail) and written (e.g., e-mails, memos). Written information, such as phone lists and process flow charts, are more critical for staff that will need to frequently reference the information during the change process.

Step 3: Support the team in the challenges related to the process. Implement a mechanism to quickly problem solve barriers and answer questions related to the change process.

Successful change is dependent on staff understanding, investment, and focus. A team needs to be supported through each aspect of the change process. The following table suggests areas and examples of appropriate staff support:

Tools needed to get the job done: · Providing staff with revised policies and procedures and detailed written instructions regarding the change. Information needed to proceed with change initiative: · Set up daily meetings or an electronic site (via intranet and/or e-mail) where staff can ask questions and obtain assistance with issues. Staff training related to the change: · Providing staff with training on new policies and procedures, changes in their job function, how to communicate the change internally and externally, etc. Timely response for urgent issues:· Set up a quick response system for immediate issues such as a telephone tree with cell phone and pager numbers by area of issue.
Step 4: Acknowledge employee and organizational successes.

It is very important to acknowledge employee and organizational successes during the change process. This allows employees to know that their efforts are making a difference. People want to know that there is a meaningful purpose and a productive outcome resulting from their investment of time and energy.

Leaders can easily make the mistake of focusing on what is left to do and not taking enough time to celebrate the gains that have been made. While understandable, this mistake can lead to a loss of staff investment in the change process. If staff begin to think that an objective is unachievable, or that the organization will never be satisfied, it can lead to a reduced intensity of effort and even loss of employees.

Below are a few examples to acknowledge accomplishments along the road to successful change:

Thank you notes to staff for their investment and hard work related to the change initiative. Celebrations involving food, such as a cake with an applicable message, being brought into a staff meeting. Certificates of achievement for noteworthy staff accomplishments. Small gifts such as pens, candy, or gift certificates for special contributions. Leaders reporting on successes during meetings or in written communication. Staff will appreciate knowing that their contributions are recognized by leadership. They will also know that their time and effort is positively contributing to the organizational achievement of stated change objectives.

Organizational Change - Four Key Management Strategies For Leaders
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Zohreh Piurek is the senior vice president of Piurek & Associates and a specialty consultant. She specializes in strategic planning, project management and leadership development. Piurek & Associates is a values-based firm specializing in the delivery of management consulting services to health and human service organizations. Zohreh can be contacted through Piurek & Associates' website at: http://www.piurek.com

How Skype Works

Skype is a software application that allows you to make free phone calls to more than 75 million people worldwide, and shockingly cheap calls to practically everywhere else on Earth! As a result of that, Skype has become the fastest growing service in the history of the Internet. Recently, the company was acquired by eBay, another step forward towards achieving the final goal of making Skype the world's largest communication company.

Skype is easy to install and use. It allows its users to make crystal clear calls, regardless of their location, send instant messages, switch seamlessly between text and voice communication, make video calls, conference calls, transfer files, call landlines and cell phones for a fraction of the cost of a traditional call. Skype is truly making a revolution in the way we communicate.

But how does it actually work? This article focuses on describing the Skype network and the technology behind it.

How Skype Works

Skype is a type of peer-to-peer Voice-Over-IP client, based on the Kazaa file sharing program. The developers of Skype claim that it provides better voice quality than similar applications like MSN and Yahoo Messenger. It also encrypts calls end-to-end.

There are two types of machines in the Skype network - ordinary host (Skype Client) and Super Node (SN). An ordinary host is the computer of a regular user who has the application installed and connects to the network in order to communicate with other users. The Super Nodes are the end-point of ordinary hosts in the network. In other words, ordinary hosts connect to the Super Nodes. Any computer with a public IP and proper hardware configuration can be a SN. An ordinary host must connect to a super node and must register itself with the Skype login server for a successful login. The Skype login server is the only central unit in the whole network. It stores the usernames and respective passwords of all Skype users. Nslookups have shown that this server is located in Denmark. All Super Nodes connect to the login server in attempt to verify the username password of the client. It stores your Skype Name, your e-mail address, and an encrypted representation of your password.

If you are a regular Skype user, then your computer is considered an 'ordinary host' that connects to a Super Node. The Super Nodes are servers, located in different parts of the world. But your Skype client, must know to which SN it has to connect. Therefore, every Skype client (SC) maintains a local table that contains the IPs and corresponding ports of Super Nodes. This is called a host cache and it stored in the Windows Registry of the given SC. So basically, every time you load up Skype, it reads the date from the host cache, takes the first IP and port from there and tries to connect to this SN. If the connection fails for some reason (the SN is offline; it is no longer part of the network, etc) then it reads the next line from the table. In case it fails to connect to any of the IPs listed, the Skype returns a login error upon start-up. Hence, the host cache must contain at least one valid entry in order for the application to connect to the network and work properly. Valid entry means an IP address and port number of an online Super Node. The path to the table in the Windows Registry is HKEY_CURRENT_USER / SOFTWARE / SKYPE / PHONE / LIB / CONNECTION / HOSTCACHE. You can verify that on your computer by opening the Start menu, then click Run and enter 'regedit', without the dashes. Of course, the exact path could be different in the next versions of the application.

As a concept, Super Nodes were introduced in the third-generation P2P networks. They allow improved search performance, reduced file-transfer latency, network scalability, and the ability to resume interrupted downloads and simultaneously download segments of one file from multiple peers. Basically, they help ordinary hosts connect to each other and guide efficiently the encrypted network traffic.

Super Nodes are also responsible for the 'Global Indexing'. This technology enables you to search for other users in the network. The company guarantees that it will find a user if he has registered and has logged in during the last 72 hours.

A very interesting moment about the Skype network is that it 'self-modifiable'. If you have the application installed, your computer may turn into a Super Node, without you even knowing it, because those capabilities don't have a noticeable impact on a computer's performance. SNs basically store the addresses of up to several hundred Skype users, without carrying any voice, text or file-transfer data. In that manner, the more Skype users come online, the more supernodes become available to expand the capacity of the network.

Skype routes the traffic intelligently by choosing the optimum data transfer path. Since it uses either TCP or UDP protocol, it breaks the whole data stream into separate packets, which can take different paths to the end destination. The final arrangement is done at the receiving end.

As far as safety and privacy are concerned, Skype uses Advanced Encryption Standard, known as Rijndel, used also by the U.S. Government organizations to protect sensitive data. Skype uses 256-bit encryption.

The programmers of Skype have implemented wideband codecs which allows it to maintain a good sound quality at a bandwidth of 32kb/s and allow frequencies between 5-8,000Hz to pass trough.

Your list of contacts, the application stores in the Windows Registry. This is called the Buddy list and once again, it is digitally encrypted. So, the list is local for every machine, or in other words, it's not downloaded from the central server.

Let's briefly describe the tasks of the Skype client. First it connects to the network. It then listens on particular ports for incoming calls, refreshes the host cache table, uses wideband codecs, maintains the buddy list, encrypts messages and determines if there is a firewall or not.

The login process:

The login process is the most important one and it consists of several phases. As mentioned, SC must connect to a valid SN in order to authenticate the username and password with the Central Server.

Skype gets the fist IP from the host cache, sends it a UDP packet and waits for response. If there is no response after 5 seconds, it sends a TCP packet to the same IP. It tries to establish a TCP connection to the HC IP address and port 80 (HTTP port). If still unsuccessful, it tried to connect to IP address and port 443 (HTTPS port). If this does not work either, it reads the next address in the HC. If Skype is unable to connect to a SN, it will report a login failure.

The application comes with several build-in addresses of different nodes, called bootstrap super nodes.

If the connection attempt is successful, the client must authenticate the user name and password with the Skype login server, which holds all user names and passwords and makes sure they are unique across the whole network. When the application connects to an SN, it receives an up-to-date list of other active SNs, so it has the most current information.

The Media Transfer process:

The video/voice communication through Skype is established through UDP. The trick here is that quite often, one of the users is behind a firewall or a router, hence it doesn't have a real IP address. But if both Skype clients are on real IPs, then the media traffic flows directly between them over UDP. The size of the voice packet is 67 bytes, which is actually the size of UDP payload. One second conversation results in roughly 140 voice packets being exchanged both ways, or 3-16 kilobytes/s.

If one of the callee or both of them do not have a public IP, then they send voice traffic to another online Skype node over UDP or TCP. The developers of Skype have preferred to use UDP for voice transmission as much as possible.

An interesting fact is that even if both sides are not speaking, voice packets will still be flowing between them. The purpose of these so called 'silent packages' is to keep the connection alive.

Conclusion:

There are several factors responsible for the success of Skype. First of all, the voice quality is better compared to other applications. It works without a problem on computers with firewall. It is very easy to install and use. Skype's security is also a big advantage. Everything that is being transferred across the network is being encrypted to ensure privacy. As a result of that, even if hackers intercept the data being transferred, they won't be able to decode it.

The Skype application does not include any adware or spyware. But, there are cases when third parties have managed to add such functionalities (not only for Skype), so it's really important that you download it from the right place. Therefore, do it either from the official website, or from respected sites as http://www.freesecuredownloads.com/skype/index.html.

How Skype Works
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