Solicit Honest Feedback and Improve Customer Satisfaction

Solicit Honest Feedback and Improve Customer SatisfactionSolicit Honest Feedback and Improve Customer SatisfactionSolicit Honest Feedback and Improve Customer Satisfaction.D. Dave Power III, founder of J.D. Power and Associates, and subject of POWER How J.D. Power III Became the Auto Industrys Adviser, Confessor, and Eyewitness to History(2013 Fenwick Publishing Group)Since founding J.D. Power and Associates in 1968, Ive had the opportunity to work with scores of businesses across all industries. Regardless of the product or tafelgeschirr they offer, I could see that their success was inextricably tied to their ability to listen to customers and then make improvements to achieve customer satisfaction.How Customer Feedback Raised the BarIt was sometimes hard to convince managers that an independent survey of their customers was beneficial. Especially in large, entrenched organizations, some individuals were just too invested in the status quo to be interested in change - even if it m eant an improved bottom line.Often, I would need to go to the top leadership in bestellung to find the will and courage to shine a light on what the customer was thinking. We would employ a range of strategies to obtain an unvarnished understanding of what our clients customers were thinking.As a result of our findings - and the hard work of the companies who took that feedback and made significant improvements - service and product quality across all industries has taken off over the decades.These improvements have, however, raised the bar of customer expectations, making it necessary to continue to keep close tabs on customer opinions in order to stay competitive.Gather Customer Feedback on a BudgetFor small businesses on a budget, it is leid necessary to engage a market research services company like J.D. Power to conduct customer surveys. You can take the principles behind the work weve done and apply them to your own operation in a way tailored to your needs.Here are my top f ive pieces of advice for achieving customer satisfaction through listening to the voice of the customer1.Something is better than nothingAs long as you are taking steps to engage customer opinion, you can start small and keep it simple. Just asking every customer about his or her experience with genuine interest and concern is important.Consider calling customers for feedback, or sending a short email survey a few days after service was provided. There are now low- and no-cost on-line survey services like Survey Monkey and Zoomerang that are ideal for small businesses.Whatever your means of communication, make sure that the request for participation comes from you as the owner or manager with a sincere appeal for honest opinions it will likely elicit more thoughtful responses and it will demonstrate how important customer satisfaction is to you.2.Set a processMake it a point to collect feedback from your customers at regular intervals rather than sporadically or without clear intent . We found that systematically and directly asking customers for feedback provided the most reliable, actionable responses.Make it a process to carefully look at the information when you get it back. What sort of trends do you see? Do any new ideas to make things better for your customers pop up? Any apparent problems? By making this a sincere routine process you are more likely to give focus to what you need to do to improve your customer satisfaction.3.Dont be afraid to hear the rantsOf course, no one likes to face criticism As a small business owner you pour your time, energy, heart, and money into your business and finding out that customers dont like everything you do can be difficult to hear.Its important, though, to disengage from taking critical feedback personally and instead take an attitude of curiosity and openness. Positioning customer feedback for yourself and your employees as an opportunity to learn whats working well as well as whats not is often helpful.Encourage a spirit of problem-solving by eliminating the fear of being reprimanded solutions and willingness to improve are what youre after.4.Listen to employeesEmployees are not only your best teammates for identifying strategies for addressing customer concerns theyre also often another resource for learning what the customer is thinking.Ask customer-facing employees to report any feedback they receive in passing. Be receptive to hearing their solicited and spontaneous feedback for how the business is run - but keep it from becoming a gripe session by focusing on solutions and finding ways for them to take ownership of that solution.5.Focus on qualityAdopt the principle of continuous improvement and never lull yourself into the notion that youve addressed all concerns. Look at customer feedback with an eye for targeting where you can continue to make tweaks to improve the quality of your product or service.That is the only way to stay competitive as well-informed, discerning customers exer cise their choices. You know its a competitive world and you need to be figuring out what must be done every day to keep getting better.Author BioDave Power is the subject of POWER How J.D. Power III Became the Auto Industrys Adviser, Confessor, and Eyewitness to History (2013 Fenwick Publishing Group), in bookstores now.

How to decline a job offer with grace 6 tips for success

How to decline a job offer with grace 6 tips for successHow to decline a job offer with grace 6 tips for successHeres the good news Youve just been offered a job.But, heres the bad newsYou dont want it. Youre going to decline the job offer.Maybe youve already been offered a different opportunity that youre more excited about. Perhaps you just dont feel like a good fit with that company and want to wait to find something more suitable. Or, maybe you were disappointed with their initial offer and know youll never be able to compromise.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreRegardless of your specific circumstances, theres one thing that hold true declining a job offer can be difficult for both parties. You know you need to be upfront and honest, but you also dont want to burn bridges or tarnish your name and credibility.Believe it or not, even if you dont accept a job offer with this com pany right now, you may wind up vying for another of its jobs down the line, says briekse Weiler Reynolds, a senior career specialist andcareer coach at FlexJobs. Being tactful with your rejection will help these folks remember you positively, which might help in your future career moves.Fortunately, theres a way you can decline a job offer with your relationships and your reputation intact.Here are six tips on how to decline a job offer with grace.1. Choose the medium that makes you most comfortable.The first thing you need to figure out ishow youll break the news. Should you show up at the office? Give them a call? Send an email?Different communication methods have their benefits and drawbacks. So, I think this is the best golden rule to follow when turning down a job offeruse the same method they used to extend it.If they called or left you a voicemail, then it shows the most professionalism to return their call. But, if they sent the offer via email, then its perfectly copacetic (and oftentimes less nerve-racking) to type out a thoughtful message for your rejection.Ultimately, when declining a job offer, its up to you to consider your unique circumstances and find the method that suits you best. If youre convinced youll become too panicked on the phone, for example, then a polished email is probably better than stammering through a painful phone conversation.its worth noting that if you decide to turn down a job offer through a call, sending an email may be requested so the company has something written on file. Even if thats the case, youll know that the email is just a formality and that youve done your best to handle the rejection politely and rolleally with a call.2. Start with a thank you.When declining a job offer, it can seem a little counterintuitive to begin your message with a sincere thank you, especially since you arent accepting the opportunity. However, its important to remember that theyve invested a lot of time, energy, and resources into t he hiring process- there was the initial review of your application materials, phone screenings, and likely numerous rounds of interviews.Once an employer has determined that you are the right candidate for a spot, its likely they assume youll feel the same way, so keep that in mind when turning down a position andbe as appreciative and thankful of their time and effort as you can.That investment is worthy of your gratitude, somake sure you preface your rejection with appreciation.What This Looks LikeThank you so much for this offer, and for the opportunity to get to know more about you and Company XYZ.3. Clearly state your rejection.Believe it or not, this is a part thats easy to skip when youre focused on being so complimentary and diplomatic. Too much sugar coating confuses your message, and the hiring manager is left wondering exactly what your intention is.When it comes toturning down a job, you need to beexplicit about the fact that youre passing on the opportunity. That doesn t mean you need to be harsh or brutal- but, you do need to be clear that you arent accepting the offer.What This Looks LikeHowever, I have to decline the opportunity to fill this role on your team.4. Give a brief (honest) reason.You might be tempted to gloss over any sort of reasoning in favor of getting your rejection over as soon as possible. But, the employer deserves some sort of explanation aboutwhy youre unable to accept the position. And, providing an honest reason is usually better than leaving them to make assumptions. That said, be honest, be brief, and be specific, and the people who interviewed you will probably appreciate it.You dont need to dive into all of the details of declining the job offer, but you should be prepared tohighlight key points- whether youve already accepted a different opportunity, decided that the role wasnt quite the right fit, or have decided to stay in your current position.It also helps to mention some of the things that you liked about the com pany to help soften the blow.What This Looks LikeI just accepted a marketing role with a different organization.5. Provide a recommendation.You wont always be able to provide a referral after turning down a job. But, if you know someone else whos currently job searching and could be a qualified fit for that open role, offer to provide their name and contact information.Maybe that employer wont even need it and will instead go with their second-choice candidate. However, making the offer demonstrates acertain level of care and consideration- rather than leaving them in a lurch. If you do go this route, be sure that the person you suggest is right for the position, as well as interested. The last thing you want to do is suggest someone else for the job who will then turn it down, as well. Reach out to any potential referrals before making the recommendation and be sure to discuss details with them.What This Looks LikeIf youre still actively searching to fill this open position, I do k now someone who could be a great fit. I would be happy to pass along their contact information.6. Express your desire to keep in touch.Finally, cap off your rejection by letting them know how much you enjoyed the process and that youdlove to stay connected - assuming you developed some kind of a rapport with your interviewer. Consider contacting the people you met with after a month or so to check in and potentially grab a coffee.The important next step? Actually do so.Send aninvitation on LinkedInso that you can keep in touch in a casual, low-pressure environment. In fact, its smart to do that for anyone you came into contact with during the hiring process- you never know where those connections might lead in the futureWhat This Looks LikeAgain, it was a pleasure to meet you and everyone else at Company XYZ, and I look forward to staying in touch. I just sent a connection request on LinkedIn, so definitely dont be a strangerDeclining a job offer will never be something that you loo k forward to. But, fortunately, there is a way that you canhandle it politely and professionally- and make it a little less cringeworthy in the process. Put these six tips to work, and youll avoid damaging your relationships and reputation, and create a favorable image of yourself that leaves the door open for future opportunities.This article originally appeared on FlexJobs.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

The One Word That Could Lead You Down the Path to Success

The One Word That Could Lead You Down the Path to SuccessThe One Word That Could Lead You Down the Path to SuccessWouldnt it be great to have the answer to success? One word or even one sentence that could immediately propel you straight to the top? Sadly, we all know that this belief is just that- a belief. But when asked what the single most important factor in their success through life was, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett both had the same single-word reply Focus.But that doesnt mean exactly what you think it does.As New York Times bestselling author Greg McKeown explains in his recent LinkedIn article When people speak of focus they usually mean having a single goal. It is a static thing, a thing you have. Focus, in his words, becomes viewed as a noun. On one hand, this works great because it gives you a clear, obvious objective to pursue, be it getting a raise, starting a company, or curing cancer. But if youre putting all of your attentions on that one thing, you may not landsee other opportunities that come your way.Thats why the ability to focus- as a verb- is just as important as having a focus. Using a fantastic example, McKeown explains Imagine if the moment you woke up this morning your eyes focused one time and then never adjusted again. You would be out of focus all day. Our eyes produce clarity through a perpetual process of adjustment. In other words, to use focus as a path to success, you have to be constantly adjusting to whats in front of you.The solution? Bring the two together and concentrate on developing them simultaneously.The author offers a few main ways to do this by asking the right questions, by finding time to escape, and by really treating your time as valuable. Heres a recap of his advice- plus some questions to ask yourself about how you can focus better. 1. Ask the Right QuestionsFocusing means viewing your career on a larger landscape than just your to-do list or your current position and company. To do this, it helps to set as ide time to regularly think ahead- to focus not just on where you are now, but on where youd like to be in the future. Ask YourselfDo I see myself at the same company two years from now?What professional goals do I still have from before I applied for this job?What makes me stand out as an invaluable employee?Why did my co-worker get that promotion over me?2. Find Time to EscapeBefore you dismiss this step and say, but Im too busy, consider this Even Bill Gates makes time in his schedule to step away from the noise and clutter of day-to-day life and focus on the bigger picture. Twice a year, during the busiest and most frenetic time in the companys history, he still created time and space to seclude himself for a week and do nothing but read articles (his record is 112) and books, study technology, and think about the bigger picture, McKeown writes. Whether you can invest two hours a day, two weeks a year, or even just five minutes every morning, it is important to make space to esc ape in your busy life.Ask YourselfIs it more beneficial to sit in on this meeting or spend an hour concentrating on personal writing?What article can I read that will spark my excitement about something new and interesting going on in my industry?When was the last time I took a moment out of the day to think about my goals?3. Treat Your Time as ValuablePerhaps the largest parte of focusing is making sure that your schedule allows you to do so. Remind yourself that your time is extremely valuable and that you only have a certain amount of hours in each day to get things done- then find ways to step away from nonessential time-sucks that hold you back from your bigger goals.Ask YourselfShould I be giving my personal number out to everyone?How often am I checking my email, and is that distracting me from real tasks?How much time out of every day should I commit to spending in meetings?Am I generally happy with how Im spending my time?These steps can help make sure your career is going exactly where you want it to go. If you find youve been running low on inspiration or commitment, take some time to really find your focus. Success is bound to follow.Photo of glasses focusing courtesy of Shutterstock.

Training Management Resources

Training Management ResourcesTraining Management ResourcesEmployee training is a process focused on communicating with and teaching an employee information and/or instructions. The purpose of employee training is to improve the employees performance or to help the employee gain a necessary level of knowledge and skill to productively, effectively, and profitably perform his or zu sich job.A commitment to employee training and development by an employer is one of the significant factors in an employees choice of employers and jobs. It is important in predicting whether your organization is likely to retain an employee after hire. Employee training is also a key factor in employee motivation as well as in employee retention.The opportunity for your employees to continue to grow and develop job and career-enhancing skills is integral to an employees happiness and satisfaction with their job. In fact, this opportunity for employees to grow and develop through training is one of the most important factors in employee motivation, engagement, and positive morale. And employee training and development or opportunities to train others are integral components in half of the 18 factors that contribute to reducing employee turnover. Your best employees, the employees you most want to keep, thrive when they have the opportunity to grow through employee training and development options.Employee Training and Development SecretsThere are a couple of secrets about what employees want from training opportunities, however. These need to guide you as you consider your options for providing employee training. These two factors are key if you want to multiply the value of the employee training and development you provide. You need toAllow employees to pursue training and development in directions they choose, not just in company-assigned and needed directions. Both are needed and recommended.Have your company support learning, in general, and not just in support of the knowledge nee ded for the employees current or next anticipated job. Recognize that the key factor is keeping the employee interested, attending, and engaged in a learning organization environment.Employee Training OptionsEmployee training opportunities are not just found in external training classes and seminars. They are also found in the content of the employees job and responsibilities, in internal training opportunities, and finally, through external training opportunities whose impact you can magnify by the activities, you pursue before during and after the employee training.These ideas emphasize what people want in employee training and development. They also articulate your opportunity to create devoted, growing employees who will benefit both your business and themselves by the employee training opportunities you provide.Employee Training Options Job Content and ResponsibilitiesYou can have a significant impact on an employees training and development through the responsibilities in an e mployees current job. The content of the job, what the employee does regularly on the job, is also an important factor in employee training and professional development.These are ideas about how you can provide employee training through the job the employee performs.Expand the job to include new, higher level responsibilities that help the employee stretch his skills.Reassign responsibilities that the employee does not like, that are routine and that the employee may have been doing for a long time. (They may help another employee stretch and grow while alleviating boredom for the employee in question.)Provide more authority for the employee to self-manage and make decisions. These chances to self-manage will help the employee spread her wings and fly.Invite the employee to contribute to more important, department or company-wide decisions and planning.Provide more access to attend the more important and desirable meetings.Provide more high-level information by including the employe e on specific email lists, in company briefings, and in your confidence.Provide more opportunity for the employee to participate in the process of establishing goals, priorities, and measurements.Assign reporting staff members to his or her leadership or management position. You can make the employee grow professionally through managing coworkers as a boss.Assign the employee to head up projects or teams to further develop leadership skills.Enable the employee to spend more time with his or her boss. The time spent in mentoring, sponsoring and coaching with the boss will expand the employees skills.Provide the opportunity for the employee to cross-train in other roles and responsibilities.Employee Training Options Internal Training and DevelopmentEmployees appreciate the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills without ever leaving work or the workplace. Internal training and development bring a special plus. The examples used, the terminology and the opportunities for disc ussion reflect the culture, environment, and needs, of your workplace in a way that external training does not offer.Enable the employee to attend an internally offered training session. This session can be offered by a coworker in an area of their expertise or by an outside presenter or trainer. With the external provider employee training is improved if the person has the opportunity to know your organization and culture.Ask the employee to train other employees with the information learned at a seminar or training session. Offer the time at a department meeting or lunch to discuss the information or present the information learned to others. (Make this an expectation in your organization when employees attend external training and conferences.)Perform all of the activities listed before, during, and after a training session to ensure that the learning is transferred to the employees job.Purchase business books for the employee. Sponsor an employee book club during which employees discuss a current book and apply its concepts to your company.Offer commonly-needed training and information on an intranet, an internal company website so employees can pursue the information as needed and wanted, conveniently and from their laptop.Provide employee training by either knowledgeable employees or an outside expert in a brown bag lunch format. Employees eat lunch and gain knowledge about a valuable topic. Some ideas include investing in a 401(k), how to vary and balance investments, tips for public speaking, how to get along with the boss, how to get along with a difficult coworker, how to increase productivity and provide updates on new products that make work easier. These opportunities for employee training are unlimited youll want to survey employees to pinpoint their interests.The developers and other interested employees at a medium sized company put on a day long conference with lunch and all of the trappings of an external conference at a local conference cent er. Attended by interested employees, the conference sessions were almost all taught by internal staff on topics of interest to their internal audience. Picture an external day long conference and youll see the opportunity. Employees were pumped up beyond belief they learned and enjoyed the day and gained a new respect for the knowledge and skills of their co-workers.Employee Training Options External Training and DevelopmentTo help employees develop new skills and bring new ideas into your organization, employee attendance at external training is a must. Attaining degrees and university attendance also enhance the knowledge and capabilities of your staff while broadening their experience with diverse people and ideas.Pay for memberships in external professional associations with the understanding that employees will attend meetings, read the journals, and so forth and regularly update coworkers.Enable the employee to attend an external seminar, conference, speaker, or training even t. (Remember to ask him to share the new knowledge with coworkers to help you develop a learning organization.)Perform all of the activities listed before, during, and after a training session to ensure that the learning is transferred to the performance of the employees job.Pay for the employee to take online classes and identify low or no cost online (and offline) training opportunities.Provide a flexible schedule so the employee can take the time to attend university, college, or other formal educational sessions.Provide tuition assistance to encourage the employees pursuit of additional employee training and education.As you can see from the breadth and depth of employee training opportunities, the ways in which you can provide your employees the chance to grow and develop are limited only by your imagination. By your commitment to enabling your employees to continue to develop, you partner with employees to build their strengths and increase their ability to contribute to your organization. A win for all - for sure.The development of a life-long engaged learner is a positive factor for your organization no matter how long the employee chooses to stay in your employ. Use ansicht employee training options to ensure that you optimize the employees motivation and potential retention.New Employee Onboarding and OrientationEmployee training that is crucial in bringing a new employee up-to-speed as quickly as possible is known as employee onboarding or new employee orientation.It starts when you welcome the new employee to your organization and continues until the employee is proficiently performing the new job. These resources will help you announce the arrival of new employees and formulate and implement a successful onboarding process.More About Training and DevelopmentTips for Weekly Training14 Ways to Develop EmployeesPowerful Management Training

The Undeniable Reality About How to Create Resume for Job That Nobody Is Sharing With You

The Undeniable Reality About How to Create Resume for Job That Nobody Is Sharing With You If you underline an organization name, be certain the others are underlined also. Choosing which to use depends upon the sort of job that you are applying for and your degree of experience. Indeeds resume editor makes it effortless to get into your work experience, education, and abilities. Since everybodys experience differs, its no surprise which their resumes will be too. Creating your resume is the very first step to getting work. Along with helping your resume get selected, its also going to help the hiring manager see how your abilities and experiences make you a perfect candidate for the particular job. Just remember to take care of everyone respectfully even if its the case that you dont get the job. Then start looking for skills you might translate from 1 job to another. Youve worked really challenging for your fantasy job so make certain everything is ideal. Top Choices of H ow to Create Resume for Job A simple resume template is going to be your very best bet. You also only have one page to capture every one of the attributes you wish to share. Now, you will see all the different resume styles Word has to offer you. Lets look at a favorite work-from-home job advertisement from U-Haul. Save the work description and take a look at the lingo the employer is using. Tailor the wording the same manner you optimized the work description. If you would like your job title to be noticed, you can alter the color or allow it to be italic, but attempt to keep it simple. Hiring agencies will search for particular terms in your resume to make koranvers to have the experience theyre seeking. Resumes arent one-size-fits-all. Actually, you should be aware that plenty of companies nowadays are using Applicant Tracking Systems to help them screen resumes and get the best candidates. Anything not directly having to do with the job should be taken off. You should t ailor your resume to each work application so that it responds to the particular demands of the job which youre applying for. If you are now seeking employment, you should sell yourself be a resume that shows the company your specific qualifications. Because you might have multiple certifications for a dental career, you might prefer to create a different section for your certifications. After you click the Resume Profile tab at the peak of the webpage, and after that Create a New Profile, you are going to be on your way. It is possible to use our professionally created resume templates and one-of-a-kind resume builder to rapidly and easily establish a standout resume. You need your resume to reveal youre a great investment. In the event the job posting does not offer sufficient detail to set the relevant keywords the ATS might use, analyze listings for the very same job title on various job search websites. There are a lot of websites out there which will provide you with resume writing tips and pointers about how to draft a resume. The further skills section may be the difference maker in whether you get called in for an interview. The skills section of your resume is a fantastic place to include keywords from the work description.

The Secrets of Resume Writing Services Knoxville Tn Revealed

The Secrets of Resume Writing Services Knoxville Tn Revealed What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Resume Writing Services Knoxville Tn Furthermore, the very best and professional writers understand the demands of government depspeciesments very well. Test Out or Cement Career Options Whether youre seeking to acquire your very first job in the area you aspire to work in, or youre simply searching for your very first field, taking on a temp job can help you reach your objective. Being a real temp worker can appear to take you down a path to nowhere. Resume Writing Services Knoxville Tn Features LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are the vital sites due to the fact that they enable you to contact millions of different professionals in various ways. Its crucial to select the ideal career profile that is appropriate for you. If a content writer develops its LinkedIn resume and attempt to use some weird keyword for its profession like Content Artist, he then will not receive the expec ted reaction. After getting the info about optimization and parts of LinkedIn profile, it will become obvious to employ the expert services of pro writers to increase your LinkedIn profile. Expressing what youve accomplished says a great deal about what it is possible to get done with the present employer. There are a few simple tips which will aid in improving your resume significantly. Writing a resume is an art and should be learnt. Writing a resume may be an exciting process if you remember your hard work can lead to an important job. Also, it is a very good concept to speak about how many clients you could sell to. A lot of people dont realize exactly how important it is to produce a positive web presence when in the middle of a work search. Luckily, there are means to create amazing resumes capable of catching the eyes of prospective recruiters regardless of what venue youre working with. You also ought to check the search bar of LinkedIn to look at the frequently usi ng keywords that the majority of the folks use to locate the relevant people at LinkedIn.