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Welcome What to Say to a Porcupine: Strategies for Dealing with Difficult Customers October 29, 2008 -- 11:00am PT/ 2:00pm ET If you work in customer service and support, you know that some of the angriest - and craziest - requests come into your support team. In this webinar, we join nationally-known communications skills author, and former help desk manager, Rich Gallagher to learn how to tame even your worst customer support situations. Using some of the latest techniques in communications skills and behavioral psychology, this hands-on event will break down the mechanics of difficult customer transactions, and teach you skills that will help both you and your customers feel at ease in any situation. Register today!Bonus: The first 100 attendees will receive a free copy of Rich Gallagher's latest book What to Say to a Porcupine: 20 Humorous Tales that Get to the Heart of Great Customer Service (AMACOM, 2008).
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October 20, 2008  |
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| Cornerstone OnDemand Introduces Talent Management 2.0 with New Social Networking Platform
However, more than half of the companies Diamond examined actually increased gross margins during the recession year of 2001, and by the end of the recession had improved margins by an average of 20 percent. Staying the course in times of uncertainty may seem like a safe option, says Diamond. But in fact, honestly assessing your company’s performance during the last recession and building a roadmap to realize value from cost-cutting and investments during this downturn are the keys to emerging from a recession as a winner. The company’s research reveals that at the very time when leaders are tempted to shorten their time horizon and make arbitrary across-the-board cuts, superior performers dig into the data about their company performance and outsmart the competition. Everyone cuts costs, but doing so in a way that improves the design and performance of the business separates the winners from losers. Diamond found that companies fall into one of four categories, based on how they enter and how they emerge from an economic downturn. “Stalwarts” are consistently high performers, ranked within the top quartile among their industry peers before and after a recession. “Low idlers” did not show any significant difference in performance regardless of economic conditions. Two other categories of companies experience significant swings of 10 percent or more when comparing their financial performance relative to their industry peers. “Disappointed Stars” suffer worse performance when a recession turns. However, companies identified as “Opportunists” rebound from a recession and improve their relative competitive position. The financial performance of four in ten of the companies analyzed moved up or down in the period from 1998 through the post-recession period of 2003. In that time Stalwarts and Opportunists created more than $350 billion in market value. Low Idlers and Disappointed Stars destroyed over $200 billion.
Nearly half of the employees surveyed said they are worried that their jobs are at risk, and over half are cutting back on their spending because of that fear. Forty percent of respondents said that their employer has not done enough to explain how the financial crisis could affect their workplace. In addition, nearly a third of respondents said they are working more hours and taking less time off, and 25 percent said they are actively looking for a new job or updating their resume that because of the growing unease. With the instability of stock market other financial indicators, workers may find themselves more distracted and struggle with personal and financial worries. Because of the current economic pressures, employers are recognizing the value of work-life services to maintain morale among employees and protect their bottom line. Work-life services can help reduce worker anxiety over the competing daily demands of work, finances and family by saving time and facilitating proactive solutions.
A survey conducted by Buck Consultants, an ACS company and human resource and benefits consulting firm, finds that although there is strong global growth for wellness programs, they are still most prevalent in North America, with 82 percent of responding employers offering them. Business objectives for wellness programs also vary by international location. In the U.S., health care cost reduction continues to be the top goal. Canadian employers cite improving productivity as the primary objective, while in Europe the top goal is improving workforce morale. Respondents in both Asia and Africa cite reducing employee absence as their main objective for wellness programs. The survey assessed how effectively today’s wellness initiatives meet employers’ business objectives. Among U.S. respondents, only 16 percent report a reduction in health care cost trend rate attributable to their wellness initiatives, with an average reduction of two to five trend percentage points per year. Incentive rewards have increased 45 percent since Buck’s prior survey in 2007. U.S. respondents spend an average of $145 per employee per year on wellness incentive rewards, up from an average of $100 last year. Twelve percent of U.S. respondents spend more than $500 per employee per year. Such incentives, designed to improve employee participation and engagement in wellness program activities, are more prevalent in the U.S., but are offered by employers in all parts of the world. Only 19 percent of respondents rated their incentive rewards “extremely effective” or “significantly effective” at changing employees’ behaviors, although this is up from 16 percent last year. However, employers’ continued expansion of incentive rewards indicates a strong belief in their effectiveness at changing behaviors.
It’s common knowledge that public offerings (IPOs) and acquisitions are at an all time low. There is no longer that quick path to liquidity. In addition, the performance bar for private companies has increased significantly. The financial backers of private companies are holding the line on executive pay and employee stock option grants because they have to. Board of Directors are prudent when defining CEO pay and employee stock option pools. Their most promising path towards liquidity is not an IPO but being acquired by a larger company. Boards want to make certain that excessive pay is not seen as a deal-breaker. The 2008 key findings include:
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The 2008 version of our Service & Support Technology Showcase is now available! This valuable, in-depth buyer's guide features the latest tools and technologies in the support services industry that enable your support operation to deliver superior customer service. |
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Enjoy!: 101 Ways to Add Fun to Your Work
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| 2008 Service & Support Metrics Survey Results Get your free copy of the survey results today! http://www.supportindustry.com/2008supportmetrics.htm
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