Women Leadership & Customer Experience

By Stacy Sherman (MBA, CX Certified)

 

 



This article originally appeared on Doing CX Right

There’s an increasing amount of conversations about Women and Leadership, and I love it! I believe that the next generation, including my own daughter, will have more opportunities to share their voice, without judgments, and pursue jobs that had been traditionally filled by men.

I’M WRITING THIS ARTICLE FOR TWO REASONS:

1. TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, TO BUILD THEIR SKILLS AND FOCUS ON A CAREER IN THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FIELD.

CX is not a fad. It’s here to stay and reputable companies are seeking expertise. Voxpro interviewed five women leaders who talk about the need for females in high-level customer-focused roles. I couldn’t agree more. You can read about what the ladies had to say in an informative article: “Why We Need More Women Leaders in CX.”

2. TO INSPIRE WOMEN TO PURSUE THEIR PASSIONS.

I’ve learned a lot over the past 20 years working in large and small companies. I know first hand the challenges in pursuing a career while balancing parenthood. I am elated that more companies are committed to creating a culture where women matter and employee diversity is valued. Below is a recap of a recent interview of me in honor of International Women’s History month. I hope it serves as inspiration for all my readers.

Source: Schindler Elevator Corp
 

INTERVIEW SUMMARY:

Q: EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR ROLE.

A: I’m currently the Director of Customer Experience, leading a team focused on delivering best-in-class Customer Excellence and Employee Engagement that serves as a brand differentiator. My role includes establishing & implementing innovative Voice of Customer (VOC) initiatives that provide a deep understanding of how customers interact & feel across all touch points. I’m also leveraging data, including Voice of Employee (VOE) feedback, to enhance customer journeys, and collaborating with cross-team to “close the loop” resulting in record high customer Net Promoter (NPS)scores.

Q: WHY IS GENDER EQUALITY IMPORTANT?

A: Gender equality is important because all people deserve access to the same resources and opportunities. If two individuals with similar skills &  education apply for the same job or promotion, there should be no difference in the evaluation process. Unfortunately, equality has not been the case over time and I’ve witnessed this. I am very glad there is now a cultural shift so that my kids benefit in positive ways.

Q: WHAT HAVE YOU OVERCOME TO GET WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

A: I have overcome “inclusion” situations in past workplaces. For example, there’s been a multitude of times that I was not invited to all male meetings, even when my level or related positions were in the room and topics pertained to my job. I’ve overcome challenges by communicating tactfully with people and articulating the value I bring, so they’d understand my perspective and need for inclusion. While self-advocacy is not easy, it is essential and a contributing factor for my success.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN ASPIRING TO GET ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS?

A: I encourage everyone, especially women, to communicate openly and honestly, and deal with uncomfortable situations head-on versus an avoidance approach. Be impeccable with your words and choose the right moments to contribute. You have 2 ears and 1 mouth. Use them accordingly. Also, always be learning and advancing your skills through formal and informal education. I obtained my MBA years ago but continue to get certifications from prestigious institutions to sustain my position as a credible thought leader. (Read more about my Rutgers CX Course)

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST PIVOTAL PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED IN YOUR CAREER?

A: There will ALWAYS be obstacles. Know what you can control and focus your time and effort on those things. People often say “No” without even thinking about situations, but there IS a path to “Yes!” Be creative and figure it out!

Q: DO YOU HAVE A FEMALE ROLE MODEL THAT HELPED YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

A: Executive Director Stacey Aaron-Domanico from my former job at Verizon, taught me about leadership and authenticity through her actions and words. We are still connected, and she inspires me to be amazing and genuine in everything I do.

If you like my article, please subscribe to DoingCXRight to continue getting updates. And, join the conversations about customer experience, employee engagement and much more on Twitter & Instagram.

Stacy Sherman is a results-oriented Customer Experience (CX) and Digital Marketing professional with a proven track record increasing brand awareness, sales, and loyalty at B2C & B2B companies of all sizes and budgets.

She’s worked on both the client side and agency environments leading projects for reputable brands (Martha Stewart Crafts, American Girl, Perler Beads) along with well-known Telcom companies (AT&T and Verizon). Stacy is a Founding CX Board Member and Advisor at Rutgers University.



Amazing Service Begins With Engaged Leaders

By Sean Hawkins

Providing excellent service to customers is not as hard as we make it seem. However, it takes commitment, diligence and lots of effort to do it well. In simplest form, excellent service is the result of treating customers with courtesy and respect. Treat them like people first, with an empathetic and sympathetic approach, and you are on the path towards success. Unfortunately, in the business world, we may lose sight of that.

If the process of doing business leads to unsatisfied customers, it is time to reevaluate how business is done. Companies are competing for the same customer, and if all things are equal, service is usually a deciding factor for the consumer. As service leaders, you must evaluate how you're doing business. That begins with your customer facing teams. How can you help your team provide great service?

Review Processes
Exceptional service allows agents to offer immediate solutions without getting bogged down in processes or policy. This leads to happy, loyal customers. In turn, your contact center will see an improvement with CSAT. Removing barriers that prevent exceptional customer service will lead to a more engaged service center. I make it practice of regularly reviewing processes, policies and procedures impacting our customers and agents. As business needs change, policies should be reviewed and updated if necessary.

Employee feedback
I’ve yet to work with anyone, who enjoys denying customer requests. On the contrary, they have a desire to satisfy them. Team members have often requested that they be allowed to offer a good will credit to customers. This request was due to their willingness to go beyond good service to amazing service. They knew that random acts of kindness made customers happy.

This empowered them, and made them feel a part of the decision-making process. They had ownership! Upon implementation, we were able to see how this directly impacted customer and agent satisfaction.

Manager Buy-in
I’ve always treated my team as customers. In my opinion, showing them what great service looks like, is more impactful than telling them. When they see those fundamental service principles in their leaders, they will emulate it amongst one another and customers. Leadership must be committed to improving and should regularly attend training, seminars and conferences.

Front line supervisors, leads and managers are a great source for ideas- one of the best IMO. Allowing them freedom to develop CX initiatives will ensure they are customer focused and invested in organizational goals.

I recommend leadership review customer feedback, customer satisfaction surveys, and other Voice of Customer data, as a team. Doing so ensures everyone is aware of the group's performance, problems can be identified and discussed, and new ideas can be presented to the group.

Next Steps

Below are 4 steps you can implement immediately, to help you get closer to achieving customer service excellence.

• Empower agents- solicit and accept feedback, and include them in the decision-making process when possible.
• Be transparent- provide clear, honest and effective communication. Be prepared to answer the tough questions and explain why decisions are being made.
• Be accessible- make time for your staff, walk the office spaces, and have an open door policy.
• Be attentive- actively listen to your staff, learn more about them, and be mindful of things that are important to them.

These suggestions can be easily implemented, are quick wins, and address some core areas of customer experience. To be honest, you should currently be doing these things! With consistency, effort, and diligence, I’m convinced these steps will set you on the right path, and improve your service department. It's worth mentioning, you can't achieve and sustain a great service culture, without 1st creating a great workplace culture.

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I have over 15 years of progressive customer service leadership experience in the public, private and government sectors. I have led or consulted contact centers of various sizes across numerous industries. Additionally, I’ve implemented new technology and products, while maintaining award-winning contact centers. 

Connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are You Breaking Enough Rules?

I'm reading First, Break All The Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently, by Don Clifton. It's so, so good! There are some really crucial lessons but the one that is on my mind the most right now is - great managers do NOT follow the golden rule.

Because strong personal relationships are crucial for success, that typically means treating others as we want to be treated. But acting as if all employees have the same approach isn't realistic. In fact, the best managers reject the golden rule, and treat each person as they would like to be treated.

This allows people to be themselves, use their strengths (which is way more important than trying to coach weaknesses) and work toward outcomes in ways natural to them.

I also think it speaks more broadly to allowing people to be the fullest expression of themselves at work and that the hard lines between work and "life" are blurring. When we have friends at work and laugh and enjoy what we are doing, it shows in the results.

And as someone who sat through financial meetings dressed as Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development I can attest to the fact that you can have plenty of fun and get the job done.

Kathryn Frankson is a B2B event sales and marketing professional at UBM. A believer that 2018 communication means knowing how to get the markets attention through thumb stopping content, audience development and storytelling, she executes sales and marketing strategies in the catering, special event, cruise shipping and pharmaceutical space.

Connect: LinkedIn

What Makes A Great Leader?

By Kathy Holdaway

Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.
- Warren G. Bennis

Leadership is an art and a science. It is an art because it continually evolves, changes form, and requires creativity. It is a science because there are certain essential principles and techniques required. A good leader knows when it is time to change shape because they are highly attentive to those around them. Coming from a position of strength, a great leader takes risks by freeing up the creative genius in their followers to build their capability and multiply the talents of the organization. This leads to community and greatness. By powerfully communicating a vision that animates, motivates, and inspires followers, a great leader is able to transform his or her organization. A good leader needs to be able to laugh; a great leader needs to be able to laugh at oneself. What kind of leader are you? What makes a great leader?  

What qualities do leaders routinely exhibit? What do your followers want to know in order to believe in you? What are the words that lead them to believe you?

Consider the following as a beginning list of Qualities:

Cooperation Collaboration Consistent Creative Conscious Caring

Capable Courageous Innovation Understanding Integrity Sense of humor

Consider the following questions that relate to those qualities:

• Do you cooperate with the best in your people or do you demand from them?

• Do you routinely work with them to bring innovation and best practices to your organization or do you push your ideas on them?

• Are you consistent in demonstrating the principles of leadership you wish others to emulate, or do you vacillate in your own modeling?

• Do you encourage creativity with brainstorming or are your ideas the only ones that work?

• Are you conscious and present with your employees, or are you in a conversation in your head while with them?

• Do you balance caring in the choices you make that effect your organization or are you only interested in the bottom line?

• Are you the only one capable in your company, or do you unleash capability by empowerment through equality in responsibility and authority?

• How courageous are you? What does risk look like to you? Does your organization go through frequent paradigm shifts continually advancing your corporate vision?

• Do you foster a collaborative working environment or does your leadership style reflect mainly "telling?"

• Do you balance understanding with expectations on deadlines when the circumstances dictate?

• Do you model integrity? What does integrity look like to you?

• Are you able to laugh at yourself and laugh freely and openly with your leadership team?

One of the joys of coaching emerging leaders, is the well-spring of ideas that surfaces in the coaching conversation. I find that both new and the existing leaders understand the dynamics of leadership required for today's complex business environment. Many of them emulate the qualities covered above. Where do you stand?

I facilitate leaders to live into their highest capacities, build high performing teams and develop creative solutions to their challenges. The best leaders of today understand the necessity of being in a state of transformation to accommodate the changing landscape of the teams and companies they lead. It begins with how they represent themselves within and without their organization. If they seek to influence, have impact and create change, then being authentic, having an open mind and an open heart are foundational. LinkedIn | Twitter | Website

"Follow the Leader", Featuring Michael Sherlock

What are some guiding principles you follow, when developing new leaders?

I believe the most important element to the development of a leader is their ability to practice engaged active listening. It is so easy to think that you have (or have to have) all of the answers. And many people rise to a leadership position because of their abilities in this area. But when you operate as if you are the only one with the answers, you do yourself, and especially your team, and incredible disservice.

In order to lead others, you must be committed to their professional development. And that means ensuring that they have the opportunity to solve problems, and make mistakes, without fear. You can guide them, support them and ease their journey, by three simple steps: 

1. LISTEN fully, with your ears and your eyes 
2. Help them to UNPACK the problem or challenge
3.  Facilitate a SOLUTION that makes sense 

Rather than jump quickly towards an answer, use the "Tell Me More" principle of asking enough questions that your employee releases all key pieces of information. This requires patience on your part, and the mindset of an investigator. It takes more time, but is well worth the effort, especially when your employee works through the overall issue. Sometimes this process alone highlights that there really is no problem.

Once all the key pieces of information are brought to light, look at them objectively. Imagine a suitcase that was stuffed so full you couldn’t zip is shut, even if you sat on it. You have to take everything out to see if it can all fit if repacked. And sometimes that means leaving some things behind, like unnecessary emotions.

Finally, when all the facts are seen clearly, you can help guide your employee to a solution that makes sense. But let them see it, come up with it, and agree to their plan. You can still help guide and direct if their solution seems incorrect, but they opportunity to see a path for themselves will build their confidence and experience.

If you’ve always been the one who has the answer and makes the smart moves, how much will your team benefit from being able to show you what they are made of? And what will THEIR success mean to your own?

Michael Sherlock is a business writer, author, speaker and podcast host. As a Vice President of US Sales for two multi-national medical device companies, Michael has managed net revenue exceeding $50 million and managed as many as 500 employees at a time.

Mrs. Sherlock provides corporations and business leaders with engaging presentations and actionable strategies on leadership, employee development, customer experience, and sales transformation. In addition, Michael hosts the Shock Your Potential podcast where she highlights the best in leadership, sales and customer experiences. The Shock Your Potential Podcast is available via iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and your favorite podcast apps, as well as online.

Connect: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

The High Cost of Poor Workplace Culture

By Anonymous

Log into your programs, put your headset on and turn on your phone.  That first call of the day means so little to you because you take hundreds of calls a week that are exactly like the one you are about to take.  The work environment of a call center rep can make this moment worthless or worthwhile and can dictate your overall career with that company.

I work in a fairly large call center that has poor morale and very abysmal culture.  I’m not just saying that to be dramatic – we actually received a letter from the president when we started that their job is not to build morale but to provide service for our customers.  Truthfully, I didn’t know much about contact center culture until recently when a close friend of mine, a manager in a different call center, began dissecting my work complaints and dictating how I, a lowly tier one rep, should advise our management on changes.  Truthfully I haven’t taken much of it to heart because I do not see myself with this company for an extended period of time.  And this, as stated by my friend, is where the problem lies… decent and hardworking employees like me leaving companies because they do not empower or appreciate us. 

Obviously, my center has a huge turnover rate.  Since I was hired, we have taken on somewhere over a hundred new service representatives, Granted, to fill new shifts, but nonetheless people are rolling in almost daily.  Our company boasts strong customer service but honestly, we don’t track it.  We don’t have any programs, surveys or data proving our customers find our service strong.  The way we are tracked is by the number of calls we take, and the amount of time in “not ready” status, which includes break time and time doing any work related item that requires us to be off the phone.  This alone sets the precedent for a lot of my coworkers as to how they spend their days.  Most of them don’t care about call totals or not ready, because it has no impact on us.  You don’t get an award for the most calls taken or even a nod from the manager – we are simply “drones” as my peers say. 

If your center is anything like mine, your employees are miserable and constantly looking for another job.  They become frustrated with customers, management, and their coworkers.  They complain and eventually lose hope.  

 

Creating a positive, employee focused culture, will help shape positive attitudes, and save the company a ton of money in the process. Hiring new people isn’t cheap, nor is training them. Unhappy employees are quite expensive in the long run!

 

Simple things can create a sense of pride in their work and a better representative of your company on the phones.  You will have stronger service if agents enjoy coming to work and have confidence in their leaders. The customer service agent may not make decisions on strategy and execution, but they are the voice of your company. If they aren’t treated with respect and appreciation, they won’t treat customers that way.  

 

Every day, call center staff will decide if the next call is worthless or worthwhile.  Sadly, some in leadership are not aware of their influence in the agent's decision.

 

 

 

This article is provided by an anonymous customer service employee.

Follow the Leader", Featuring Jeff Toister

How do you encourage front line staff to take ownership of the contact center vision?

I recently spoke with a contact center leader who was frustrated that his agents weren’t really excited about the vision. He shared with me that he had come up with the vision on his own and then communicated it to the team. Well, no wonder agents weren’t excited about the vision since they had no part in creating it!

Frontline staff should be included in creating the contact center vision. When I work with organizations to create a customer service vision, I always insist multiple stakeholders take part including frontline staff, middle managers, and executive leadership. This immediately instills a sense of ownership and helps ensure the vision feels authentic to everyone.

It’s then up to contact center leaders to continuously encourage ownership. This means leading by example, discussing the vision with agents on a regular basis, and helping agents find ways to overcome obstacles and live the vision in their daily work. Contact center agents tend to understand something’s importance by how often you talk about it, so leaders need to talk about the vision a lot of they want to see their team taking it to heart.

Jeff Toister is an author, consultant, and trainer who helps customer service teams unlock their hidden potential. He’s the bestselling author of The Service Culture Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service. More than 140,000 people on six continents have taken on of his training courses on LinkedIn Learning (a.k.a. Lynda.com). Jeff has been recognized as a Top 50 Contact Center Thought Leader by ICMI and one of the Top 30 Customer Service Professionals in the World by Global Gurus.

Can Anyone Lead?

By Kathy Holdaway

What does leadership look like when you are not the one in charge? How does your way of being, create a collaborative environment? How do you show up every day?

Leadership starts with who you are on the inside. Being who you are, is the greatest gift we could ever receive from you. I wonder what practices keep you in tune with who you are, so that wherever you go, there you are. The bright shining light that stands in strengths, is a beacon to others. Be the person who demonstrates the best qualities with everyone at every moment. This place it is what people are magnetized by. Something about you stands out, as a result.

Because you are being genuine, and offering the best version of yourself, the person on the receiving end feels your contribution. They want to go where you are going, and become who you are being.

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”— Confucius

I think this is important especially in today’s leader environment! When I talk about practices, I am referring to what keeps you in the arena of integrity. It could be a practice of mindfulness that comes from inner awareness and being attuned to yourself, your environment, and the people around you.  It could be meditation, being at one with nature, or connection to the place within that keeps you calm. You get to choose what works best for you! 

Leaders practice effective listening skills. They are not thinking of the next thing to say; they are present in the conversation listening on multiple levels.  Leaders are committed to their personal and professional development, and are generally life-long learners. They know they can always learn from others no matter their station, position, culture or environment. The best leaders create space for you to grow into your greatness, and stretch your capabilities and capacities.

“Since in order to speak, one must first listen, learn to speak by listening.”— Rumi

Today, leadership is moving toward a more conscientious model, where every stakeholder is considered. This includes those internal and external. Today's leader has a broader outlook on people.  Consider how you might begin to ignite that in your workplace. Some of the qualities of a more conscious leader are compassion, empathy, integrity, transparency, gratitude and commitment to values. Exceptional leaders allow each person to be who they are, while inviting them to grow into their strengths.

And for my contributing quote, I challenge you to “Lead yourself and others to greatness, by simply being yourself”. If someone practices this, would you consider them a leader? 

Kathy Holdaway is a Transformational Coach and Consultant for Leader Development, Leader Transition and business growth with leaders, emerging leaders and founders who desire to lead by being who they are in their authentic power delivering with impact and sustainability. 

Her experience includes: 10+ years successfully coached over 100+ national and international coaching clients to include business owners, and mid-level executives in effectively removing barriers to their success focusing on mindset, leadership skills and strategic engagement. Previously in her corporate career of 19 years, she facilitated the growth of sales team, led them to be winning teams, and promoting many to  management roles.

Connect: Twitter | LinkedIn 

Employee Engagement: Why is it Important?

By Jacqueline Santiago

Every employer should know they are at risk of high employee turnover, which is why employee engagement is so important. Implementing strategies is more than just providing surveys. You have to be fully committed by understanding the principles of employee engagement. Some of which are: 

• Culture
• Leadership
• Purpose
• Action
• Transparency
• Commitment
• Recognition
  

The purpose is to have an engaged culture, which will make people stay, and go above and beyond what is expected. Because of engagement, staff will feel a sense of purpose and belonging. This can be done when leadership incorporates the organizations mission, vison and values in everything that they do. Rather than just talking about it at meetings, or when employee turnover has become a problem, engagement should be a core component of the business.

You must make employee engagement a primary focus, on a daily basis. In addition, be open to feedback that is positive or negative. When talking to employees, I find that it is the little things, that often matter the most. Often, associates simply want their value acknowledged, and their good efforts recognized. Sometimes, leadership can forget about those who are the foundation of the organization. Don't wait until it's too late.

Ambitious and driven professional offering years of expertise in Human Resources, Operations and Recruiting. My desire to exceed expectations combined with strong leadership skills has fostered my ability to be a performance driven team player. I possess the 5A’s: Alignment, Assessment, Accountability, Awareness, and Appreciation. The passion that I have allows me to be a professional with an extensive knowledge of Employee Relations.

Follow: LinkedIn