Organisations do NOT care about you. Organisations are incapable.
Governments do NOT care about you. Bureaucracies are incapable.
Banks and insurance companies do NOT care about you.
Airlines do NOT care about you.
Enterprises of any type are incapable of caring about you.
People, however, are capable of caring about you. People with the willingness and authority in their roles are able to care about you. It’s the organisational policies, procedures, demands and regulations that impede these genuine people caring about you.
If you want to build an organisation known for its care of customers, you need to employ people with the right attitude, provide them with the necessary resources and support, and then get out of their way!
When you empower your people with the freedom to act like “people” (rather than acting like machines striving to achieve KPIs) then the caring almost certainly will occur and your organisation’s reputation will benefit.
No matter how old you are, you can still take an active part in influencing brain plasticity. Intelligence is a dynamic process that can be favourably influenced by choices you make.
Imagine how much work you could get done in a day if you told yourself you only had a half-day in which to do it. We sabotage our own performance by—as Parkinson noted—allowing work to fill the available void.
We are intelligent, powerful, resilient life forms and yet we manage to constantly self-talk ourselves into under-performance. Every day attempt to beat your own personal best (PB). Time is something we will never control, but we can control what we do in the time available to us.
"Good afternoon. My name is Ric Willmot and I'm calling you from Brisbane. I'm about to ask you a question to which I'm sure the answer will be, No."
The gentleman on the other end of the telephone gives what sounds like an all-too-knowing chuckle.
"I've had the most terrible experience, and I won't bother you with the details, but I will be in Bundaberg tomorrow to work as the Master of Ceremonies at the Bundaberg Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards Dinner, and now I don't have a dinner suit to wear. Might you have one in my size that I could pick up tomorrow?"
"Mr Willmot, what size are you?"
I gave him the scant details I know: suit size, outer sleeve length, waist, and outer leg length.
"Mr Willmot, I have something here that should fit you. Come here tomorrow morning straight from the airport. I'll measure you up, and then I can make any alterations and have it ready for you by midday."
"Thank you. Would you like my credit card details now?"
"No, just fix it all tomorrow when you get here." Now, that's customer service!
Do NOT use Spurling Bridal and Formal Hire, Camp Hill.
Here's my experience this afternoon:
I arrived at the Camp Hill store at 4pm this afternoon to collect the suit I hired as told to me by the lovely and helpful lady who served me on the 23rd October.
The store was locked. I looked at my watch and at my iPhone the time was exactly 4pm. I could not see in through the tinted glass and was about to telephone the store when a gentleman opened the door. He looks at me annoyingly: "Yes?" he said."I'm here to collect my suit as I was told to."
It's 4pm," he said.
"Yes, that's what I was told to do, collect the suit at 4pm."
"BEFORE 4pm," he exclaims.
"I was told 4pm, it is exactly 4pm."
"Well, come in, then, but with that sort of attitude I shouldn't do anything for you at all."
I was shocked, stunned! What way is that to speak to a customer?
I retorted, "No, it's you that has the attitude."
With that he slams the door in my face and locks it.
I have left a message on the answering machine to ask the owner to contact me. This suit was required for an event in Bundaberg Saturday night and I have to be at the airport at 7:45am to check-in. So, I will not have a suit at this event, for which I am to be paid $2,000 for my professional services.
I have paid for the suit in full, in advance!
You can be assured that this is not a minor matter for me. I will be seeking compensation for the suit hire, for the loss of professional fees, and my reputation, as this client may never wish to use my services again, given that they will be let down by this happening. And, they may well tell others how I have let them down. My business is built upon my reputation. As I would imagine is Spurling's.
I look forward to speaking with the owner of this store. No doubt the owner will not enjoy the fact that this is on my blog already, and that I have over 3,000 followers on Twitter.
"Your behaviour speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say." — Ralph Waldo Emmerson
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Best system for Agent/Affiliation Agreements? — Strategy
Here's my special value-add for members: Media leads that I think are marketing opportunities for members are published in the Media Leads and Press Releases & Publications section. There have been 8 new leads shared in the last fortnight!
We are visual creatures. The more vivid, dramatic, and provocative the image, the more likely we are to remember it. Hence, if you can paint pictures with your words people will remember the image you created in their mind long after they’ve forgotten what you actually said.
Powerful Techniques for Successful Managers & Practitioners
June 2013 Release — Order Your Pre-Publication Copy Now and Save up to 60% on Retail Book Price
As an Human Resource Professional, your job is to provide expertise in the form of knowledge, experience, processes, models, technologies, or other assets. Both external and internal HR professionals perform these duties. This book provides HR practitioners with the insights, knowledge and tools to be a valued resource in the executive suite of any organisation.
What Constitutes an Effective HR Practitioner?
Becoming a Credible Partner and a Peer
Mandatory Skills & Intellectual Armament
Turning Strategy into Action
Your Value Proposition: Leadership & Change
How to Reconcile Tough Issues and Remain Respected
Managing for Peak Performance
Communicate Effectively with Influence & Persuasion
Effectively Coaching Senior Executives
The Future of HR Expertise in Global Companies
How to Follow-Up and Leverage Your Success
Purchasing the book pre-publication guarantees you receive your book first; even before Amazon and other bookstores (both online and physical). And, you can save up to 60% on retail bookstore prices. Starting at $29.95 — there are deep discounts for multiple copy purchases. A few months before release we will be obliged to reset the price to retail bookstore pricing of $39.95.
If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.
If you want self-managed teams, leave them alone and let them self-manage.
If you want adaptive, flexible people in your employ, be adaptive and flexible in how you identify, recruit, induct, retain and manage.
If you want proactive, self-disciplined staff, stop micro-managing.
If you want good people, exemplify the behaviours you’re expecting of them.
Here's a few of the latest discussions, questions, opinions, etc. You'll need your username and password to log in, view, and reply to these discussions. We look forward to your contributions:
Here's my special value-add for members: Media leads that I think are marketing opportunities for members are published in the Media Leads and Press Releases & Publications section. There's been 28 leads provided to date! Another reason to recommend Ric's Forum.
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Here's a few of the latest discussions, questions, opinions, etc. You'll need your username and password to log in, view, and reply to these discussions. We look forward to your contributions:
Here's my special value-add for members: Media leads that I think are marketing opportunities for members are published in the 
