Sprint Nextel Corp. Fires Customers – Do They Need Customer Service 101?

In an unsual move, Sprint Nextel send 1,000 of its customers letters saying they were dropping their services to them.  Reason for the “firing” – it was determined they were using customer service too often.  They said their records showed they had made frequent calls for help with questions about billing and other account information.  The letters sent out said:

“While we have worked to resolve your issues and questions to the best of our ability, the number of inquiries you have made to us during this time had led us to determine that we are unable to meet your current wireless needs,”

The customers were told their service agreements were being terminated, they wouldn’t owe anything on their final bill, and the company would waive early termination fees. They also were told to switch to another wireless provider by July 30 if they want to keep their phone number.

This morning, Sprint Nextel is defending its actions by Sprint spokeswoman Roni Singleton who said the action was not taken lightly and that the targeted subscribers each made an average of 40 to 50 calls a month to customer service. She wouldn’t say how that compared with the overall number of calls logged by the customer service department in a given month. 

Singleton said the review also found that the subscribers often were calling about the same problems over and over after Sprint officials felt they had resolved the issue. She said some callers were repeatedly asking for information from other customers’ accounts, which customer service workers aren’t allowed to divulge.

This is indeed a strange situation, and one which bears closer watching.  I know it caught my attention because I have several friends who are just waiting out until their plans end with Sprint so they can switch service.  They haven’t been pleased along the way with the service they are getting. 

When service is an issue, great strides need to be taken to keep your customers satisfied.  Looks like Sprint Nextel should go back to a Customer Service 101 class and get it right this time.

Communication Styles and Technology Gaps are Challenging the Generations at Work

There was a good story on Good Morning America today.  It addressed an issue that is becoming more and more common: older workers who report to a younger boss.

According to the article on http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TakeControlOfYourLife/story?id=3357958&page=1

Americans are staying in the work force longer than ever before— postponing retirement or doing away with it altogether. At the same time, Generation Y— those workers born between 1977 and 1991— now make up the largest segment of the work force at 80 million strong. So at some point all of us will work for or with people who aren’t our age and who, through nature and nurture, bring different work styles and work ethics to their jobs. 

Tory Johnson, the workplace contributor from GMA, suggests strategies to handle this including talking about the differences that might be occuring and not allowing the issue of age and generations to become an issue.

Boomers in the workplace were raised to believe seniority was a major reason for promotion.  However, Johnson contends that technology is also a factor here.  She says that there is a perception that:

older workers aren’t comfortable with technology. A prospective employer shouldn’t assume; instead ask. Tell me about your comfort level with technology? How would you define your skill level and daily use of technology?

Similarly, if your younger boss is a tech whiz, don’t allow it to intimidate you. Instead, be proactive about it. Try saying, “You’ve no doubt grown up with all things technology and I can see you’re strong in this area. I’d welcome the chance to work with you to improve my skills and I hope I can count on your support.”

The other issue involves communication styles:

Younger workers have grown up communicating personally via text messages, instant messaging and e-mail, so they bring those methods to work. Older people, on the other hand, have long favored face-to-face communication, so when they’re delivered orders or news via e-mail it’s often seen as rude or inconsiderate.

The solution:  A compromise – younger workers should make some efforts to get up from their desks and meet with people face to face sometimes.

Likewise, older workers should realize e-mail is preferrable at times, fast and efficient.  Don’t assume you must always see the boss directly when communicating.

How Employees See Training

Ever wonder what some of the less measurable affects of training are?  SkillSoft recently did a study from an employees’ viewpoint by asking them the following question:

If you were given more training, how would it affect you?

Note: Participants could select more than one answer.

Most popular answers:

I would feel more confident – 58%

I would be more competent - 45%

I would be a bigger asset to the company – 41%

Interesting how important the increase of confidence was as well as the need to be more competent.

How about advancement?

I would have a better chance of promotion – 28%

Not as high up as I would have figured it to be.

Two answers related to job performance:

I would be able to use my time more effectively – 34%

I would be more productive – 32%

The final two answers related to work/life issues:

I would be less stressed because I would be more effective – 26%

I would be able to enjoy a better work-life balance – 23%

Source: “The Future of Learning,” SkillSoft Benchmark Study 2007

Happy 60th T+D

T+D magazine is celebrating a milestone this year.  It turns 60 years old!  Its nice to see a familiar friend who’s willing to admit their age to the entire world. 

T+D is the publication that ASTD puts out monthly and sends to its members.  I have always found it to be a source of valuable information on trends, reports, and articles about training and performance improvement programs that have been implemented by organizations.  Additionally, it is a tremendous reference source for the latest and greatest books, products and services that vendors provide to the industry.

Be on the lookout for the September issue when T+D will feature a look at the origins of the magazine, the different designs it has had over the years, and input from its readers about the value it provides to them. 

If you aren’t currently a member of ASTD, now is a great time to join and start receiving this publication.

Happy Birthday T+D!

Technology is a Tough Subject These Days

Yesterday, I had a wonderful day celebrating Mother's Day with people who are very special to me.  I love when several generations of people get together to share an event.  It always provides the opportunity for an interesting flow of conversation to take place.

After dinner, we got into a discussion about how people are adapting to some of the newer technologies such as blogging, using mp3 players, podcasting, and general useage of software.  Overall, the feelings of the group were that so much is going on with technology, that people cannot keep up.  We agreed that the onslaught of new products is so fierce, that most people are not even familiar with what is available on the market.

So it raise questions in my mind:

What are people inside the workplace learning and performance field doing to keep up with the new trends and products? 

Are they keeping up?

How changeable are the presentations and programs that are being created out there?

My own opinion on this topic is that a professional has an obligation to keep current with what is taking place in the field.  Being a consultant, I take that obligation seriously because I feel that obligation to be able to offer my clients the newest and the best available. 

In the next few weeks, I'll address some of the new technologies that will have meaning for the field and try to present some resources that will help in gaining more understanding.

Executive Coaching – A Performance Enhancer Extraordinaire!

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend an excellent presentation at an NNJ-ASTD meeting entitled "Increasing Your Stategic Influence Through High ROI Executive Coaching" presented by Janet Steinwedel, PhD, of Leader's Insight and Katherine Handin of Global Coaching Alliance, LLC.  It provided a case study method of looking at how coaching was brought into an organization and some of the issues involved with that process.

The coaching field is growing and gaining popularity in business.  Consider this information from the presentation about the business demand for coaching:

• $2B dollars are spent annually – doubling every year.
• 25% – 50% of Fortune 500 companies use executive coaches.
• Estimated 7-figure expenditure by larger Fortune 500 companies.
• Growing body of research studies indicate ROI averages 500% to 600% of coaching fee (source: Fortune, 2001 & Metrix Global).

With coaching making this type of impact, it was interesting to listen to these major points that Steinwedel and Handin made:

1. The sponsoring organization needs to have a specifics understanding of coaching including involvement from the top.
2. A systematic approach to selecting and assigning coaches is important for success.
3. The ROI aspect needs to be carefully preassessed and designed in a consistent manner as well.

For an interesting overview of executive coaching, go to Katherine Handin's website:  www.GlobalCoachingAlliance.com

Mistakes to Avoid When using E-Mail to Manage People

With e-mail use growing by leaps and bounds, its worth it to look at how managers can best utilize this tool.  When used well, it can be a tremendous way to stay in touch with staff members for a variety of purposes.

On the other side of the issue, the Wall Street Journal ran an article by Alex Markels that was adapted from "Managers Aren't Always Able to Get the Right Message Across with E-Mail."  Here are a few hints that can be considered as food for thought based on that article.

1. Hiding behind the terminal – Don't use e-mail for performance reviews, disciplinary actions, or other touchy matters.
2. Forgetting it's in writing – Remember that once its written and sent, it can also be easily retrieved.  So take care in what is included in the e-mail.
3. Flaming – Spontaneity is a benefit of e-mail, but you should watch the tone used.  E-mails typed in anger can come back to haunt you.  Sarcasm can be misinterpreted if not correctly understood.

Password Tip

I have so many passwords for the many sites I visit online that I finally had to start a list of them. What I do is keep a sheet of paper next to my PC with the name of the website, my ID, and my password for that site. The paper is handwritten right now so it can be easily edited as needed. I may eventually start a file in Word for this task, but I wonder if it will keep my secrets safe if I get hacked???? Yes, old beliefs and computer phobias die hard.

Truth of the matter is, I was sitting away from my PC one night and decided to do this, so it ended up being handwritten. I keep the paper in a plastic coated covering so it doesn't fall prey to one of my frequent desk purges. This has saved me countless precious minutes searching for id's and passwords. Besides, I'm at the point in my life where I have to write things down, otherwise, its MIA.

E-Mail – the new way to go

If I were to select a topic that has taken the business world with the greatest amount of storm in the last five years, I believe e-mail or the internet would be tie for first place.  The far reaching effects of both of these communication vehicles are only now starting to be understood.

When looking at skills that an employee needs to master, I'd place writing good, results oriented e-mail very high on the list.  After receiving a number of requests, I recently added an e-mail workshop to my consulting firm's offerings. 

The core of the program concentrates on this: Who is your audience to whom you are writing?

Once you have identified that audience, the tone and structure of the message will fall into place.  This will best assist you in getting your true message across to the reader(s).

Reinforcing Learning

Albert Mehrabian, currently Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA, is credited with establishing that there are basically three elements in any face-to-face communication: words, tone of voice, and body language.

Obviously, he is a man of notoriety.  So when I read that he had said this, I took notice:

"Within 30 days, people forget 90 percent of what they have learned unless it is repeatedly reinforced."

One of the questions I receive most frequently in my consulting work relates directly to this point:

How do you make the training effective so that the learner will actively use the new skills or knowledge and not forget what they learned after the class is over?

There are several solutions.

1. Make sure the skills and/or knowledge has relevance to the work done on the job. 
2. If a new system or process is being taught, be sure to provide the training as close as possible to the time the employee will begin using those new skills.  
3. If you don't use it, you loose it!  So plans must be put into place to make sure that reinforcement is part of the training process. 

A good training program also includes performance retention and enhancement.