Thursday, April 14, 2011

Difficult People

I know of few jobs more difficult than those that are considered “Customer Service”. If you are like me and have a strong work ethic with a desire to please, you may find when the workload piles up and people are waiting on you that you feel a good deal of stress. You have to satisfy the customer while also keeping your boss happy. It’s a “rock and a hard place” sandwich sometimes.

In this day and age, most companies are running “mean and lean”, and if your job is customer support, this means trying to satisfy customers with a minimum, or below minimum staff and resources. And that puts all or most of the pressure on you. To make matters worse, people are accustomed to hearing phrases like “The Customer is King” or “The Customer is Always Right” and some will use this to their advantage, putting you “under the gun” to satisfy them. Don’t get me wrong, many customers are a joy to serve, but there’s always that one or a few that can make your day really tough. Some people might only be difficult because they are having a bad day. But some seem to have a bad day every single day.

There was a time I was faced with a very difficult person in a very difficult situation and I may not have handled the situation as well as I should have. I allowed my stress to get the better of me. My boss discussed it with me and I was required to attend a seminar on “How to Deal with Difficult People”. I attended the seminar and learned a few things. But I couldn’t help but ask my boss, in private of course, why I was being sent to a seminar on “How to Deal with Difficult People” rather than sending the difficult people to seminars on how not to be difficult!

Honestly, I think I had a valid point, but as you could probably guess, I didn’t win that argument. So when it comes to dealing with difficult people, especially when you are in a customer service role, it becomes necessary to be better than the person who is being difficult. It’s good to have a number of tools in your toolbox to help deal with difficult people. And it’s good to know about the do’s and don’ts.

What you want to do is to try to resolve the problem in a win-win-win way. In other words, find a way that satisfies the customer, relieves you of the face-to-face stress with an upset customer, and keeps your boss happy. What you don’t want to do is make matters worse for you or the customer. So what are the do’s and dont's of dealing with difficult people? Stay tuned for my next blog and I will dive more deeply into this perplexing dilemma!

We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Mistakes

Nobody starts their day saying, “I’m going to make seven mistakes at work today”. We don’t like it when someone makes a mistake that affects us in a negative way. And I believe most people especially don’t like it when they themselves have made a mistake. We generally feel bad, guilty and embarrassed.

For starters, let’s face it. “To err is human” as the expression goes. We all make mistakes, although some more than others it seems. But there are two sides to this. One side is about how one deals with one’s own mistakes. The other part of the human equation is how one deals with the mistakes of others.

Mistakes come in different shapes and sizes. Little ones obviously don’t matter so much, but what should you do when you make a big mistake? If it’s something that can be fixed easily without any harm, then perhaps that is your best and only necessary course of action. But you should always ask yourself, “Who might be affected by this” and you should then consider informing them of any potential problems before matters get worse. If the mistake requires others be informed, waste no time! Report it as soon as possible. You’ll be looked upon with far less disdain if you immediately call attention to it rather than hoping it will just go away. If you fail to report a big mistake, you’ll then have made two mistakes, which makes things worse! Do not blame someone else. Take responsibility. Apologize! Offer to fix it or to pay for damages. Again – take responsibility! This will invite far more respect than cowardice and you may find that it will help you and others to feel better about it.

What should you do when someone else is the guilty party for having made a mistake?
In our busy and often stress-filled days, it can be easy to vent. Be careful! I mean, if you are dealing with someone who is mistake prone and doesn’t seem to care as much as they perhaps should, then it’s probably time to have a discussion with them. But don’t “fly off the handle”. If you do, you’ll be making a mistake. When you speak to them, don’t do it in front of their peers, otherwise YOU will be making a mistake. Talk to them in private. Point out that they are making too many mistakes and ask them why. And then coach them and mentor them. Make it clear that they will be expected to reduce their mistakes, but be sure to also offer to help them to improve. And if they do in fact improve, be sure to thank them and maybe even offer some kind of reward – otherwise you may be making a mistake. If they continue making too many mistakes, then you may have to take a more drastic action, but try to salvage the situation first!

We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!

Mistakes

Nobody starts their day saying, “I’m going to make seven mistakes at work today”. We don’t like it when someone makes a mistake that affects us in a negative way. And I believe most people especially don’t like it when they themselves have made a mistake. We generally feel bad, guilty and embarrassed.

For starters, let’s face it. “To err is human” as the expression goes. We all make mistakes, although some more than others it seems. But there are two sides to this. One side is about how one deals with one’s own mistakes. The other part of the human equation is how one deals with the mistakes of others.

Mistakes come in different shapes and sizes. Little ones obviously don’t matter so much, but what should you do when you make a big mistake? If it’s something that can be fixed easily without any harm, then perhaps that is your best and only necessary course of action. But you should always ask yourself, “Who might be affected by this” and you should then consider informing them of any potential problems before matters get worse. If the mistake requires others be informed, waste no time! Report it as soon as possible. You’ll be looked upon with far less disdain if you immediately call attention to it rather than hoping it will just go away. If you fail to report a big mistake, you’ll then have made two mistakes, which makes things worse! Do not blame someone else. Take responsibility. Apologize! Offer to fix it or to pay for damages. Again – take responsibility! This will invite far more respect than cowardice and you may find that it will help you and others to feel better about it.

What should you do when someone else is the guilty party for having made a mistake?
In our busy and often stress-filled days, it can be easy to vent. Be careful! I mean, if you are dealing with someone who is mistake prone and doesn’t seem to care as much as they perhaps should, then it’s probably time to have a discussion with them. But don’t “fly off the handle”. If you do, you’ll be making a mistake. When you speak to them, don’t do it in front of their peers, otherwise YOU will be making a mistake. Talk to them in private. Point out that they are making too many mistakes and ask them why. And then coach them and mentor them. Make it clear that they will be expected to reduce their mistakes, but be sure to also offer to help them to improve. And if they do in fact improve, be sure to thank them and maybe even offer some kind of reward – otherwise you may be making a mistake. If they continue making too many mistakes, then you may have to take a more drastic action, but try to salvage the situation first!

We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!

Mistakes

Nobody starts their day saying, “I’m going to make seven mistakes at work today”. We don’t like it when someone makes a mistake that affects us in a negative way. And I believe most people especially don’t like it when they themselves have made a mistake. We generally feel bad, guilty and embarrassed.

For starters, let’s face it. “To err is human” as the expression goes. We all make mistakes, although some more than others it seems. But there are two sides to this. One side is about how one deals with one’s own mistakes. The other part of the human equation is how one deals with the mistakes of others.

Mistakes come in different shapes and sizes. Little ones obviously don’t matter so much, but what should you do when you make a big mistake? If it’s something that can be fixed easily without any harm, then perhaps that is your best and only necessary course of action. But you should always ask yourself, “Who might be affected by this” and you should then consider informing them of any potential problems before matters get worse. If the mistake requires others be informed, waste no time! Report it as soon as possible. You’ll be looked upon with far less disdain if you immediately call attention to it rather than hoping it will just go away. If you fail to report a big mistake, you’ll then have made two mistakes, which makes things worse! Do not blame someone else. Take responsibility. Apologize! Offer to fix it or to pay for damages. Again – take responsibility! This will invite far more respect than cowardice and you may find that it will help you and others to feel better about it.

What should you do when someone else is the guilty party for having made a mistake?
In our busy and often stress-filled days, it can be easy to vent. Be careful! I mean, if you are dealing with someone who is mistake prone and doesn’t seem to care as much as they perhaps should, then it’s probably time to have a discussion with them. But don’t “fly off the handle”. If you do, you’ll be making a mistake. When you speak to them, don’t do it in front of their peers, otherwise YOU will be making a mistake. Talk to them in private. Point out that they are making too many mistakes and ask them why. And then coach them and mentor them. Make it clear that they will be expected to reduce their mistakes, but be sure to also offer to help them to improve. And if they do in fact improve, be sure to thank them and maybe even offer some kind of reward – otherwise you may be making a mistake. If they continue making too many mistakes, then you may have to take a more drastic action, but try to salvage the situation first!

We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

About the Accounting & Business School of the Rockies

During the last couple of months, I have interwoven a somewhat common theme of self-improvement throughout my blogs. I have written about keeping up with technology and math. I wrote of having passion, writing down your goals and making constant improvements. I have blogged about overcoming road blocks to employment, job interviews, changing careers and networking with people. And I have written of education being freedom and how making decisions today can better your future tomorrow.

Where do I get the ideas to blog about all this? Sometimes my own thoughts lead to ideas to blog about, but often my blog topics are inspired and influenced by the people I encounter on a daily basis, some being my co-workers, others being students.

I work with some of the best people I have ever experienced. The staff at the Accounting and Business School, myself included, really do care about the success of our students. We go the “extra mile” to provide our students with an excellent educational experience to help them on their way.

I witness many students enrolling in and progressing through any of our certificate programs. I enjoy watching them gain a new sense of confidence. Many successfully parlay their experience with our school into a new career. It gives me immense satisfaction to know I have played a role in helping other people to achieve success.

There are a number of exciting events happening at ABSR. We have improved our courseware and are expanding it to include self-paced on-line or take-home courses for those who struggle to find time in their schedule to go to school.

Starting near the end of April this year, we will be offering a PAID INTERNSHIP program for students who pay in full, either out-of-pocket or through a grant or funding agency, to enroll in our Professional Bookkeeping Certificate program (2-5 months long) or our Office Skills Training (1 month long). Upon completion of the educational program, those who have met the school criteria (such as a good attendance record and a grade of 75% or better), will be placed in a one-month 20hrs/week job.

If you are interested, we can help! Please call us so we can help get you started on your track to success.

We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Write Down Your Goals!!!

In 1953, Yale University conducted a study where a group of fresh graduates was asked if they had their goals written down. The survey revealed that only 3% of the students wrote down their goals.

The other 97% percent did not have clearly defined goals written down and apparently adopted the attitude of living one day at a time without having a destination and goals to focus on.

Twenty years later, those students were re-surveyed. Are you ready for this? It was revealed through the follow up survey that the 3% of students who had written down their goals earned a combined income three times greater than the combined income of the other 97% who did not bother to write down their goals.

So if you are really motivated to achieve your life’s goals, I would suggest that if you have not written down your goals, now would be the best time to start. Obviously, just writing your goals is not enough to achieve wealth and clout beyond your wildest dreams! One has to take action as well. But it would appear from the results of this survey, that having focus can make a really big difference.

Personally, whenever I set goals, I write them down and I make a point of reviewing them and re-evaluating them from time to time. In addition to stating what you want, be sure to also include a deadline or timeframe as to when you intend to get it. It’s also helpful to spell out the actions needed to accomplish your goals. In other words, set your goals with a time table and then begin to take action toward your aspirations and endeavors.

We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Job Interviews

When you are interviewing for a job, it is important to remember that this is your one and perhaps only opportunity to represent yourself in the hopes of landing the job. Therefore, treat such opportunities with due respect.

Do not be late! If from the very beginning you are unable to make an appointment on time, imagine what the employer will think. Be 15 minutes early. Often the employer will have you fill out a job application during this time so that you are ready when the interviewer is ready to see you.

Do not be unprepared! I take a folder with me that contains all of the information regarding my employment history, such as references and their contact information, former employers, addresses phone numbers, responsibilities, salary history, etc. If you have not interviewed for a while, I highly recommend finding someone willing to do a mock job interview with you. If you know someone who is a hiring manager, they could really help you when it comes to knowing what to say and do verses what not to say or do. Also, make sure your resume is perfect, without any errors of any kind.

If during the interview you are asked an open question such as, “Tell me about yourself”, do not answer by talking about your personal life, hobbies or interests. Use the question as an opportunity to explain why you are right for the job rather than talking about your hobbies and personal interests.

A good interviewer will open up the interview at some point to allow you to ask questions. It’s best to wait until then to ask your questions. Until then, allow the interview to set the direction. Don’t ask about salary or hourly wage or benefits until it is appropriate. Generally questions of this nature should be asked later, rather than sooner during the interview. Ask if there will be a second or third interview. If so, it’s best to wait until the later interviews to ask about benefits and compensation.

And finally, make sure to follow up quickly with a phone call or a brief written thank you letter or note.

We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!