May 2006

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=120 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000" background="099b85a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Visiontheme</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Visiontheme"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="_customer_care____myth_and_reality.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2003">November 2003</A>   |   <A HREF="growth_is_the_key_to_survival.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2003">December 2003</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2004">January 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2004">February 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2004">March 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2004">April 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2004">May 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2004">June 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2004">July 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2004">August 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September 2004">September 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2004">October 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2004">November 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2004">December 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2005.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2005">January 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2005">February 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2005">March 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2005">April 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2005">May 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2005">June 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2005">July 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2005">August 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id70.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September 2005">September 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2005">October 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2005">November 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2005">December 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2006">January 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="february_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2006">February 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="march_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2006">March 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="april_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2006">April 2006</A>   |   <B>May 2006</B>   |   <A HREF="june_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2006">June 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="july_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2006">July 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="august_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2006">August 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="september_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September 2006">September 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="october_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2006">October 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="november_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2006">November 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="december_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2006">December 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2007">January 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="february_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2007">February 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="march_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2007">March 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="april_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2007">April 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="may_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2007">May 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="june_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2007">June 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="july_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2007">July 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="august_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2007">August 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="september_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September 2007">September 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="october_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2007">October 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="november_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2007">November 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="december_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2007">December 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2008">January 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="february_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2008">February 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="march_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2008">March 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="april_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2008">April 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="may_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2008">May 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="june_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2008">June 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="july_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2008">July 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="august_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2008">August 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="september_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September 2008">September 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="october_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2008">October 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="november_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2008">November 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="december_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2008">December 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2009">January 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="february_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2009">February 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="march_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2009">March 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="april_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2009">April 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="may_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2009">May 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="june_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2009">June 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="july_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2009">July 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="august_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2009">August 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="september_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September 2009">September 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="october_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2009">October 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="november_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2009">November 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="december_2009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2009">December 2009</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2010.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2010">February 2010</A>   |   <A HREF="march_2010.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2010">March 2010</A>   |   <A HREF="april_2010.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2010">April 2010</A>   |   <A HREF="may_2010.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2010">May 2010</A>   |   <A HREF="june_2010.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2010">June 2010</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000" background="09a0c0e3.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=360 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>May 2006</I></div> <div> <I>The following article was first published in the Eastern Daily Press' 'The Business'  on 3 May 2006</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>The British don't complain enough</B></div> <bR> <div> Yesterday, I found myself sharing experiences of good and bad customer service with a client.  One of his stories appalled me. With his wife and two friends, he visited what today would be called a `gastro-pub' which charged fairly high prices for fancy food. Two of the four diners, however, were served meals that were simply not acceptable - an expensive steak, incorrectly cooked and merely plonked on a pile of chips and duck that was bloodily under-done.  When my client expressed his dissatisfaction, the proprietor of the restaurant actually entered into an argument with him, contending, at the end, that `the chef said everything was perfectly alright'.  Needless to say, my client has not and will not return to the establishment and has repeated this story to a number of people.  </div> <bR> <div> In my experience, however, he is not particularly representative of many Britons, because he actually made his displeasure known to the person that could do something about it.  Some readers will know that I am a transplanted American who has lived in Britain for the past 34 years.  Although Norfolk is now very much my home, I return to North America regularly and am always interested in observing the differences between here and there.</div> <div>   </div> <div> It seems to me that too many people in this country, displeased with a product or service they've paid good money for, will mutter to themselves, will express their displeasure to their friends and family, and will probably not use that supplier again.  But they remain reticent about telling the person who actually gave them the poor service in the first place.  In the US and Canada, where customer service is taken rather more seriously, businesses are used to hearing complaints at the time the offence is committed and are better equipped and motivated, therefore, to do something to fix the problem.  More importantly, they have a good reason to ensure it doesn't happen again.  The simple laws of competition make it more likely that those that do the best job of looking after their customers will win in the long run.  Conclusion:  by not complaining directly to the business that gives them poor service, customers are not really helping it or themselves, but are merely increasing the likelihood of more poor service in the future.</div> <bR> <div> So, in your business, try to make it as easy as you can for your customers to let you know what they think about your service - good and bad.  Don't wait for comments to come to you, but ask your customers regularly about how you are doing.  The customer may not always be right, but they should normally be treated as if they are and every effort made to keep them happy and wanting to return to your business regularly.  Just remember how powerful critical remarks made to others can be and try to minimise the number of people moaning about you anonymously in some office corridor.</div> <bR> <div> I know that it's now three months in a row that I've written about customer service, and I'll try to focus on something different in June, but I make no apologies for returning to the topic again this time, because I really do believe passionately that good customer service is usually the single most important difference between a mediocre business and a great one.  Be different:  seek complaints in order to improve and become great. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>The following article was first published in the Eastern Daily Press' 'The Business'  on 31 May 2006</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>To improve, listen to your people</B></div> <bR> <div> Being a business owner or manager can be tough - you have to concentrate on so many different things.  It can also be lonely at times - you may feel you don't have anyone you can share your thoughts with about some of the issues that are important to you. But it doesn't have to be like that.  Seek others' help - outside the business certainly, when it's appropriate but, more importantly, look inside the business.  Your own people have lots of good ideas about how things can be done better.  All you have to do is give them the chance to tell you.</div> <bR> <div> How easy do you make it for your employees to suggest improvements in the way your business operates?  How many recent changes in the way you run your business are the result of an idea that came from a member of your staff?  How did you reward these ideas?</div> <bR> <div> I've mentioned Julian Richer before in this column.  His business, Richer Sounds, is noted for its excellence in customer service.  A very happy, committed and highly motivated workforce is key to this performance.  One of the things that most impressed me when I met him some years ago was the way he runs his company's suggestion scheme.  Richer Sounds have the highest number of suggestions per employee of any organisation in the UK - over 20 per employee per year.  Richer reckons that 90% of the ideas for improving the business come from employees, and that at least one in five ideas submitted are worthy of further consideration. Impressively, <U>every</U> suggestion is personally acknowledged by Julian or a senior director of the company in a handwritten note, and nearly every suggestion earns its author at least £5.  Many more slightly larger financial rewards are made, and every quarter, two of the best ideas are singled out for something extra - perhaps a weekend at a luxury health spa, or a journey on the Orient Express.</div> <bR> <div> What makes the Richer Sounds scheme different?</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">It is championed by the most senior person in the company;</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">It is easy for employees to submit their ideas:  everyone is kept supplied with a small pad of suggestion slips which ask for a simple description of the idea and the person's name and branch.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Every suggestion is answered and answered quickly;</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Rewards are generally not large, but they are numerous;</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Results of the scheme are measured and published regularly;</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The ideas are used:  the system works and is seen to work by everyone.</div> <bR> <div> Julian Richer recalls a meeting with a group of staff, where he asked how many of them had put in a suggestion that was used and 40 out of 50 people put up their hands.  Eighty percent of that group had made a difference to the business, and had contributed to its development and improvement.  The motivational impact of this is immense.  People feel good when their ideas are acknowledged and even better when some of them are implemented.  There is a lot of rhetoric about empowerment in the business world today.  Seeking your people's ideas, and then using those ideas to make things better is real empowerment in action, not just words….and it also means that you don't have to do everything yourself.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width=180 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>