Your Answering Machine Said What?

Most answering machines play a polite greeting from the owner and take a message.  Nothing fancy, just good old-fashioned automated communication.   There are exceptions, though, to all of this bland harmlessness.  I was talking recently with David Wachtel of Hauticam Consulting about business etiquette mistakes we can’t believe happen.  High on David’s list is answering machine greetings that include the phrase, “…and I will return your call at my earliest convenience.” 

 I have experienced this too, and am not sure why it happens.  What appears to be colossal self-centered rudeness might be simple cluelessness.  I always want to reply, “What do you mean “at your earliest convenience?  What kind of thing is that to say?  I would hate to think my call caused you to do anything that was actually “inconvenient.” 

If this phrase is on your answering machine don’t blush, don’t stammer, just erase the message right now and start over.  Say what we all hope you meant to say like, “I will call you back as soon as I can.”  Call several friends or colleagues when you know they are not available and listen to their messages.  Borrow some of their nice wording for your own message. 

If you really do resent having to interrupt your workflow to respond to inquiries there are better ways to express that.  One simple one is to say your current workload means you cannot check voicemail more than once a day and will not be able to return calls until a certain day and time in the future.  Such a statement is honest, is not derogatory, and doesn’t make you sound like a jerk.  A much better solution all around.

Round Up Your Prospect/Client Data

Okay small business owner, be honest.  Are prospect business cards stashed all over your office?  And handwritten notes about prospects or clients?  Are your people getting frustrated because it takes so long to figure out who talked to a prospect or client last and about what?

You need a home for all of this information.  One that is accessible to everyone 24/7.  You could assemble a set of business card files and some sturdy boxes but it’s probably time to look at digital options.  The search tools alone are worth the cost.  There is a wide range of software options available from Contact Managers to Client Relationship Managers. 

First, a note to those of you who have put all of your contacts in an Excel file.  Excel is a kind of database but it is not intended to be a contact manager and has none of the labor-saving tools almost every CM or CRM has.  I know you are working around that fact but you are working entirely too hard. 

Shop carefully and weigh what you really need.  Contact Management software tends to include the contact database and a few other tools like calendars and email.  Client Relationship Management software tends to include the contact database and several other tools like email, calendars, multimedia publication, web form generation, sales force management, automated marketing and others.  Prices vary widely.  Expect that a low price means you spend your own time doing the integration built into a more expensive product. 

Every choice is a trade-off, but your reward is the time reclaimed and the security of knowing you haven’t lost track of precious prospect or client information.  Peace of mind and free time.  Wonder what you could do with that?

Structure is Not a Straightjacket

So you went out on your own because you just felt stifled in that big organization.  Now you are having some success, you’ve hired some people, and you’re busy all the time.  Problem is the sales resulting from all that “busy” aren’t what they should be.  Your people are starting to get frustrated and short-tempered. They ask questions all the time that they should know the answer to.  Some days you feel like all you do is repeat yourself.  This is not what you had in mind when you started your own business.

The problem is your business doesn’t have as much structure as it needs to be productive.  I know you are afraid of turning into the over-bearing rule-bound place you fled, but that’s not likely to happen.  You only need enough structure to create predictability. Too much predictability is boring, but the right amount allows a sense of security to develop, lowers stress levels, and brings all kinds of positive results. 

Job descriptions are a good example.  Legal requirements aside, a job description tells employees what they are supposed to do, what standards are being used to judge their performance.  Without a job description employees can get the feeling that what is expected of them changes every day.  Often what is expected of them seems to depend on the boss’s mood so they have to ask what they should be doing, every day.

Maybe you just need to standardize your sales process.  If the way prospects are approached depends on the personal preference of each sales person, managing the sales force will be like herding cats.  Everybody will experiment, and re-invent the wheel, every day with every prospect.  There is no way to judge what works and what doesn’t.  Establishing a sales process, with specific actions in a sequence, helps everybody be as efficient and as successful as possible.  And helps you run the business you had in mind.

Tattoos and Piercings at Work

Much of what is appropriate dress for work depends on the type of work and the type of business in question.  It isn’t always just clothing that creates problems. The popularity of tattoos and piercings has brought many new issues into the workplace.  Business owners may have strong feelings about what their clients expect or will tolerate.  Managers and supervisors can be the ones on the front lines trying to communicate standards without giving offense.  There can be legal considerations as well.  CNN’s Jennifer Westhoven (”Small Business Success”) has some sound advice for supervisors, managers, and business owners about “Managing Employees With Tattoos and Piercings.”

Some Good Advice on Dressing for Business

People coming out of school and into their first professional job have to adjust to the whole concept of appropriate business dress.  Young women especially have confusing options to consider.  I recently came across some genuinely helpful advice to pass on. 

How To Close A Business Email

Do you sail through composing a business email only to come to a standstill trying to decide how to sign off?  Are your business emails closed or do they just stop? 

Kristin Edelhauser has written a very interesting article, “What Your Sign-off Is Really Saying” that was published on Entrepreneur.com back in June, 2007.  Besides great advice there are specific examples included in this article.  Read the article…

Email, Text Messaging, and Job Interviews

Technological innovations impact business etiquette just as they impact everything else in our lives.  I recently ran across a couple of articles discussing the role of new digital technologies in business etiquette.  The first article, by Steve Bruce, was posted on HR Daily Advisor.blr.com back on September 3, 2008.  The article provides details of a survey of Human Resources interviewers and applicants regarding interviewing etiquette and behavior.  The information about the importance of writing thank you notes is especially interesting.  A very large percentage of interviewers surveyed said email thank you notes are now the norm.  Evidently things really aren’t the way they used to be in some respects.

This article references another article from the Wall Street Journal that is also well worth checking out. 

Unintended Effects on Customer Service

  by Bob Hettel, Owner, Searchlight Solutions:

Short term planning almost always has long term implications. Take the cuts that many companies are currently making.  Companies are looking to cut staff and improve the bottom line.  Many of these cuts are being made in so called “administrative” positions.  While this may look good to a company’s bottom line today what impact will this have on your customers?  What impact will it have on the remaining staff?  Often this impact will take months to become evident. It can show up in decreased morale, increased turnover and ultimately in decreased business.

Take Circuit City as an example, in order to cut costs they decided to let go 3,400 of their highest paid staff.  This looked great on paper – these people were doing the same job as their lower paid counterparts. In reality they let go some of their most experience and best trained staff.  As a result, customers did not receive the service they need.  Customers began defecting to the competition who had better trained staff who could better serve their customers needs.   As a result sales dropped and the financial picture got worse, not better, not to mention the PR nightmare this created.

As Circuit City has shown, the long term implications of short term planning can dramatically affect your business in many ways but none is more critical then how your customers are affected. 

 by Danny O’Malia, Chief Customer Service Officer, Trustpointe 

Short term planning is almost always disastrous when it comes to Customer Service.  Giving good service requires CONSTANT attention and emphasis to the topic of customer service. When companies think in the short term, customer service gets short shrift. It’s not part of the company’s culture—it’s a mere afterthought or platitude.

Want a specific? Let’s talk about product availability in the grocery business. Short term thinking (prevalent in larger, publicly traded companies) demands strict attention to keeping inventory levels at the lowest possible level—especially when that dreaded quarterly inventory comes around. So pressure is brought to bear on Store Managers and Department Heads to lower inventory to levels that will cause excessive (and maddening) out of stock conditions.

The short term result FOR THE COMPANY? Because inventory levels are temporarily low, profits look good. Shareholders are happy (for now).

The short term result FOR THE CUSTOMER? He/she must go to another store to find the product(s). He/ she is probably angry. He/ she is likely to buy more than that one product at the new store. And, since the new store HAD the product, he/ she is more likely to switch his/ her shopping pattern.

The long term result for the company? Likely a loss of a CURRENT customer. Since, to quote Dick Shcaaf, “The best customer is the one you already have,” short term thinking and planning and policy are anathema to Customer Service. And very damaging to the long term BOTTOM LINE as well! And that will lead, in the long term, do dissatisfied shareholders.

A Simple Handshake Isn’t Simple

An interview with Mary Starvaggi, The Etiquette Advantage

Mary Starvaggi (The Etiquette Advantage) has been an etiquette consultant for 17 years. BizCustoms sought her advice on the subject of handshake etiquette.

BC: Mary, why are handshakes such a concern in business situations?

MS: For a simple gesture, handshakes can be very confusing. I get a great many questions from both men and women about when handshakes are appropriate. In fact, handshake etiquette has changed over time as more women have entered the professional workforce. In business, a handshake is always appropriate and necessary for both men and women.

We are equally at fault in creating this confusion through differences in our behavior in business and social situations. Men do not make a distinction between business and social situations when shaking hands. They are more apt to extend their hand and give a firm handshake in every situation than women are. Socially, however, men rarely extend their hand to a woman first. They wait for her to make the first move and respond accordingly.

Women do make a distinction between business and social situations when shaking hands, but they shouldn’t. In their personal lives, women usually don’t shake hands automatically, if at all. When a woman is introduced to another woman in a social situation there is often no handshake. When I am with my husband and we are introduced to another couple it often happens that both the men will shake his hands, but not the women. However, I always shake both of their hands. This carries over into business situations where women sometimes shake hands and sometimes don’t.

BC: What sorts of questions do you get on this subject in your workshops?

MS: In one of my recent programs, a young professional woman said she had experienced a situation in which a male corporate manager shook the hands of male colleagues but not hers. She wasn’t sure how to interpret this or what to do. It is always appropriate for a young professional woman (or man for that matter) to shake hands. Often men, especially those of an older generation, are confused by the changes in the corporate culture that they have witnessed during their careers. This man may not be sure he still knows what is appropriate. He may wish to avoid giving offense or he may have concerns about sexual harassment.

“The essence of etiquette is to put others at ease” so I advised her, “You make the first move. Extend your hand because you are a professional and you know it is the right thing to do. He will probably shake your hand graciously in response.”

As soon as I finished this response a senior executive in his mid 50s spoke up to say he appreciated having all of this clarified. He said he was just not sure what the appropriate protocol was because so many things including laws have changed. In his position he wants and needs to make the right choices regarding professionalism.

BC: How do you recommend handshakes be done?

MS: Handshake must be firm; if the hand you are offered is not firm push your hand in further and lock thumbs to create a firm grip. Avoid “vice” grips or overly firm handshakes. These as well as a handshake that covers the top of the hand may be an attempt to dominate. Gentlemen, do not grab fingertips, grasp the entire hand. Ladies, return a handshake firmly rather than offering a limp one.

Handshakes have other uses as well. For instance, someone is walking toward you. You have no clue about the name but remember the face. Just extend your hand, say your own name, and wait expectantly, basically reintroducing yourself. (“Hello, Mary Starvaggi…” with outstretched hand.) Yes, they might think you can’t recall their name but it is a graceful way out of an awkward situation and usually they state their name in return.

Talking about handshakes always brings up the subject of hugs. Handshakes work better than hugs in professional situations, even with close friends. A hug is for personal relationships or strong connections. If you see a hug approaching and want to deflect it extend your hand for a handshake. A warm greeting is still possible without hugging.

BC: Any closing words of advice?

MS: A firm handshake does nothing but say “Confidence!” A weak or limp handshake says “I am not professionally confident” or “I have a weak self-image.” A good firm handshake is appropriate for both men and women in every business and social situation. It is also one of the three main parts of an introduction as well as vital in creating a positive first impression.

BC: Thank you for this excellent advice. Where can people reach you with questions?

MS: Questions are always welcome. Write to me at mlstarvaggi@fuse.net.

Training Helps Businesses Focus on Customer Service

Training should reinforce all of the things your business does right and reduce the number of things that drive customers away.  In tough economic times that can make a big difference.  Business owners can be tempted in tough times to reduce staff and try to do everything themselves.  No one has time to do everything, of course, and training often gets neglected.  Employees lack direction and their work begins to show it.

Training does not have to cost a fortune or be elaborate and time-consuming to be effective.  Here are some ways a business owner can manage training to reduce costs and help your employees focus on customer service.

Use slow times.  If business is slow take advantage of the time to do additional training.  There are fewer interruptions and more time available to practice desired skills.  Use the available time to build a stronger, more motivated organization.

Work with inexperienced staff:     New staff members require frequent interaction and feedback about their performance from management.  Be sure someone is there to give it or staff may not realize they are off track.  Interaction with management makes employees feel like part of a team and more likely to support your cost-saving goals.

Support real priorities.  Take those elements of your business customers most like and communicate about them to employees.  Make sure your employee handbook, job descriptions, and performance goals are consistent with each other in emphasizing these elements.  Inconsistency wastes time and staff resources on non-priorities and poor choices. 

Teach customer recognition.  Train everyone to recognize your best customers and find others like them.  Frequent, consistent communication between management and workers is essential to excellent customer service.

Empower Employees.  Teach your staff to listen and talk to customers in a way that produces feedback.  Make sure the feedback goes up the chain.  Empower employees to deal with less than perfect experiences.  Empowering employees can be scary so go in small steps.  Try something simple, see how they do, then try another step.

Reduce Staff Carefully:  Make sure there is someone left to deal with customers.  Make sure you do not eliminate the staff responsible for the elements of your business most popular with customers.  Don’t put yourself in the position of no longer being able to do what appeals to your customer.