tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-517137 2008-01-28T17:21:01-05:00 Growing People, Growing Organizations TypePad tag:typepad.com,2003:post-44791386 2008-01-28T17:21:01-05:00 2008-01-28T17:21:01-05:00

This got me thinking... what if there were Razzie Awards for customer service? I know which company I'd nominate. For sure! It's a major US air carrier, the same one I wrote about before. This time, they have done something even more absurd and un-customer friendly. I am dismayed, disgusted, and out-of-pocket over $400. They dont' seem to care....

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-44791406 2008-01-28T17:20:42-05:00 2008-01-28T17:20:42-05:00

This got me thinking... what if there were Razzie Awards for customer service? I know which company I'd nominate. For sure! It's a major US air carrier, the same one I wrote about before. This time, they have done something even more absurd and un-customer friendly. I am dismayed, disgusted, and out-of-pocket over $400. They dont' seem to care....

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-42315570 2007-12-02T10:28:58-05:00 2007-12-02T10:28:58-05:00

I realize that we humans have a lesson to learn from the oak trees. Their "letting go" of this year's leaves is part of nature's preparation for the trees' growth next spring. So it ought to be for us, too.

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-39939084 2007-10-08T12:45:11-04:00 2007-10-08T12:45:11-04:00

Don't mistake common practices for best practices.... Just because everybody is doing it doesn't mean that it is a best practice. It is only a common practice.

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-37412430 2007-08-07T14:36:23-04:00 2007-08-07T14:36:23-04:00

One of the precepts of systems theory is that outcomes in a complex system are highly dependent upon starting conditions. This means, let's not be too quick to place all the blame on the rep for his rudeness. If, as call center professionals, our goal is to improve quality through call monitoring, then we must pay attention to starting conditions. What do you suppose were the starting conditions for this rep a tthe time of my call? I don't know, but can conjecture.

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-37103410 2007-07-31T12:15:28-04:00 2007-07-31T12:15:28-04:00

I believe this is how we ought to manage... by controlling processes and growing people. In practice, managers too often get this rather backwards... they strive to control people and ignore processes. Where does this strong, and apparently universal, desire by managers to seek to control people come from?

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-34045416 2007-05-14T17:13:43-04:00 2007-05-14T17:13:43-04:00

Ever wonder why employee engagement is so difficult to achieve and to maintain? One of the reasons, I was just vividly reminded, is that managers sure do tend to give mixed messages. Here's an example that just came across my...

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-32779896 2007-04-11T19:05:46-04:00 2007-04-11T19:05:46-04:00

Everywhere I go, I am reminded of the importance to leaders everywhere to figuring out how to give and receive performance feedback.

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-31516474 2007-03-11T20:52:06-04:00 2007-03-11T20:52:06-04:00

The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. I am beginning to grasp, though, some important issues around these subjects.

Dayna & Cliff Hurst tag:typepad.com,2003:post-15491454 2007-01-29T08:52:53-05:00 2007-01-29T08:52:53-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about performance evaluation in general and quality call monitoring in particular. Why do we monitor calls? How well do we do it? Does doing it serve its intended purposes? Do we, in fact, deliver higher quality services as a result? Or, do we just irritate our reps by doing it?

Dayna & Cliff Hurst