Career Coaching, Business Coaching and Consulting for individuals and organizations committed to excellence and discovering infinite possibilities.
My web site has recently been revised by our marketing department. Please take a minute to check it out. I especially like the resources section. I have some really great links there. And, if you have a link request, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Labels: coaching, executive coaching, new web site, revised web site
These days, for a business to thrive and become truly successful, I believe that the way the company serves their customers is what will make or break their business. CEO's are learning this lesson the hard way. But many of them are taking it to heart and working on changing their company and their relationship to both their customers and employees. One CEO I know, gets grounded by serving food in the company cafeteria every once in awhile. He says that making sure his employees eat well and are nourished properly is extremely important, but knowing that he actually had a profound effect on each employee's health by putting their food on their plates made him feel like he was taking care of them in a way he couldn't otherwise do. Not only that, but the interactions he has with employees are so totally different on the food line, than at any other opportunity the CEO has to meet them.
Recently, I had a very bad customer experience with a major telecommunications company - Vonage. Here is a copy of a note I wrote to their forum/customer service blog.
Back in the beginning of April, I needed to cancel my Vonage account. Now, let me preface by saying I have been a Vonage customer for several years (and so is most of my family) and very happy with the service. But, I have changed residences and I no longer need the service. So, I followed procedure and went to the vonage web site and filled out the customer service form indicating my request to cancel. It then brought me to a page that says to contact us (in hypertext) and I clicked on that and was taken right back to the original email form. Thereby creating an endless loop that I couldn't get out of except by calling the customer service line - which I did. I spoke with a rep named Stephen (rep ID #25156 - he wouldn't tell me his last name). He handled the call well in the beginning. And tried to salvage the account with special offers - as I am sure he was trained to do. However, I asked for a one month credit on my account as I was not only frustrated by the endless loop, but I had cancelled no less than 4 times on the vonage site back in April. And, they hit my credit card even though I had cancelled. But, I was willing to let the charge go, but then my account never got cancelled. So, the rep tells me (with a profound Indian accent) in order to get the credit, I have to call back in to the toll free and wait and talk to billing. I asked him to transfer me to billing and he said he couldn't. To wit I said "you mean to tell me that Vonage - the leading VOIP technology company cannot execute a simple call transfer from one department to another?" And, he said no he couldn't do that. Then I asked to speak to a supervisor. And his response was "why do you want to talk to a supervisor - they will tell you the same thing as I did". Now, this set me off. I asked to speak to a supervisor no less than 10 times and each time the rep said that the supervisor couldn't help me and I had to call the toll free. But, he could let me speak to someone else - not his supervisor. In call center land (in which I have lived for over 20 years) this is a big no no. If a customer asks to speak to a supervisor (especially more than once), the rep should comply. But, this rep not only did not comply, but he proceeded to ask me what I wanted to speak to the supervisor about (as if he was afraid of the consequences of my speaking to the supervisor).
Well, now I have to go and call in again to billing and see what happens. See you in a couple of hours.
Now, this is why Vonage is in trouble. More to come.
Labels: CEO, customer service, service, success, vonage
The ability to see things from different perspectives is a skill that can be developed. Looking at the figures below for five minutes a day helps to develop that skill and releases stress. Most surprisingly, after a while you will find that you are able to think about situations and problems and came up with creative solutions. You may also find yourself giggling and feeling light hearted.
People who work with the paradigm shift figures report that they can relieve stress and feel refreshed after intensive work periods.
Coaching, produces Paradigm Shifts by helping you to see the possibilities of your business, your career, your personal relationships and your life from different perspectives. Coaching is all about increasing your effectiveness, finding your purpose, setting and realizing your goals. It is all about how to design and live the life you always dreamed of but dont think possible.
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Today, have a phone conversation with Success Mentor Coach Ruth Zanes about how you can tap into your unique unlimited resources, so that you can start producing astonishing results. Visit the web site for more information.
For a Life Changing Experience Try Coaching - Contact Ruth Zanes
Mid-Week Mini-Motivator
Mid-Week Mini-Motivators - a 30-second infusion of motivational energy from Coach Ruth Zanes - for people committed to excellence in their lives, businesses and careers. Pass it on to your colleagues, friends and families so they can subscribe too.
Perfection vs. Excellence
"(Howard) Hughes never learned how to convert his knowledge to practical application. Instead he sought a perfection that assured failure."
- From Empire: The Life, Legend and Madness of Howard Hughes
by Donald L. Bartlett & James B. Steel
How many times have you heard someone (it may have been you) proclaim or complain that he/she is a perfectionist? You may have noticed that going for perfection is a fool's game. You simply cannot win when you set perfection as your standard.
There may be rare and unusual situations where perfection is assumed to be an appropriate standard. Frankly, I can't think of one - no, not even life and death situations such as heart surgery demand perfection in the process. Each stitch does not have to be sewn perfectly in order to affect the outcome. Perfection is present in the ultimate result, as evident in the patient's survival or death, not in the process.
When "perfection" is the goal it is usually out of an exaggerated desire to be right, to avoid criticism or risk. The focus is on "how am I doing?" rather than on producing a specific outcome. Excellence, on the other hand, is a way of life. It is the context in which high achievers and peak performers produce and contribute to the quality of life. High achievers and peak performers get things done by taking action looking for appropriate outcomes and measuring their success based on the quantity and quality of their results.
The bad news is that being a human being means we have the abilities and the failings of human beings. We make mistakes. We get tired. We get distracted. We fail to communicate clearly and accurately. When we set perfection as our goal, all of our actions are based on attempts to conquer our natural human limits with little or no intention on the ultimate outcome. The search for perfection limits our ability to act meaningfully.
Acting in accordance with standards of excellence allows us to produce superb results and opens the door to experimentation and creativity.
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Today, have a phone conversation with Success Mentor Coach Ruth Zanes about how you can tap into your unique unlimited resources, so that you can start producing astonishing results. Visit the web site for more information.
For a Life Changing Experience Try Coaching - Contact Ruth Zanes
Mid-Week Mini-Motivator
Mid-Week Mini-Motivators - a 30-second infusion of motivational energy from Coach Ruth Zanes - for people committed to excellence in their lives, businesses and careers. Pass it on to your colleagues, friends and families so they can subscribe too.
Discipline and Desire
"There is a certain combination of desire and discipline in the way I work. Discipline by itself simply is not enough in the creative process."
- Robert De Niro
Many of us think of discipline as a highly positive characteristic. When we fail to keep our resolve to take the actions that lead to success, we point to our lack of discipline with regret and disappointment.
Human beings really like the focus and structure of imposing discipline on themselves to achieve specific outcomes. But discipline implies that you have to push through something unpleasant to achieve the outcome you are after. Pain, suffering and struggle seem to be present when we invoke discipline. Most of all it takes mental self-control to be disciplined.
Desire is also a powerful force. When you are clear about what you desire and what the payoff is for accomplishing it, then you will be drawn to it and will take the required actions without the pain involved in discipline. With desire you experience the outcome even before you achieve the result. Desire is stronger than wishing or wanting. It is the ingredient that kick-starts discipline.
This week take at least one resolution you made for the New Year and clarify what it is you really desire by making that resolution. Imagine the joy of having that desire fulfilled and focus on that. The discipline to keep that resolution will fall naturally into place without effort.
Subscribe to the Coaching Mini-Motivator -Click Here!
Check Out the Coaching Resource Index -Click Here!
Today, have a phone conversation with Success Mentor Coach Ruth Zanes about how you can tap into your unique unlimited resources, so that you can start producing astonishing results. Visit the web site for more information.
For a Life Changing Experience Try Coaching - Contact Ruth Zanes
For a Life Changing Experience Try Coaching - Contact Ruth Zanes
As you look at your future plans do you have any that will require you to put yourself at risk? What goal are you avoiding because the risk is too great? What way of being are you putting off because of fear of what the reaction might be? What are you afraid of losing? How and where will you stretch yourself beyond imagination?
If risk is not in your plans for this year, you may want to re-think your goals and objectives. Being comfortable with risk is like exercising a muscle. Once you get into the swing of things you build strength and are capable of taking more risks. People hire coaches to help them build muscles in their bodies. More and more individuals and companies are hiring coaches to accelerate their personal development and growth. What are you willing to risk this year to go where you have never been before.
Author Helen Keller said, “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men, as a whole, experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."
Helen Keller was blind and deaf at birth and you're afraid of what...?
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Our Previous Post was Part 1 of this article - Mechanisms of the Mind (Achieving Success Through Coaching) - Click Here!
