Becoming An Empowered Consumer
How many times have you said to yourself?"I just wish that company would treat me like they appreciated my business!"? For many years I trained Customer Service Reps at a large corporation. There is no doubt that it was during those years I personally became a consumer with rather high standards and expectations. It was also during that time that I realized my only point of power (as a consumer) was to take my business elsewhere if I didn't get the treatment I deserved. While it may not sound like much, take a minute and add it up! How much do you spend at your grocery store in a year? How much do you spend at your local gas station in a year? How much do you spend at your Dr.'s office in a year (make sure to include what your insurance pays)? Are you surprised? Whether we consciously think about it or not, we are all consumers of companies and businesses who profit because we choose to do business with them. The key word here is "choose", and we'll talk about that later. Some of the smallest businesses do a fabulous job teaching their employees how to treat their customers. Maybe it's the place you stop for coffee on the way to work in the morning. You go in, the coffee is hot and fresh, it's neat and tidy, the cashier has a big smile (even if it's really busy), and they even take the time to thank you for your business. Then there are some of the larger companies (not all). They have mission, vision and values statements on the walls. In the employee lounge area there are posters that say something about their commitment to quality and service. Yet, when you reach the customer service or check out person, they appear lifeless?no enthusiasm, no eye contact, and virtually no acknowledgement?and god help you if you inconvenience them by asking for an explanation or a price check. Decide right now to become an empowered consumer and give your business to those who treat you like they appreciate your business. Here's a strategy to get you there: Create a list of all the places you do business. Don't forget to include subscriptions, financial institutions, and even your handyman.Next, rate your satisfaction with each business on your list (5= Very Satisfied - 1= Not Satisfied).Review your ratings.If there are ratings of 1 or 2, take your business elsewhere?immediately.Businesses you rated 3 should be considered in the danger zone. If you choose to stay with them, at least give them some feedback on what they can do to improve. Review them again in 6 months.Repeat the process annually.My point?you deserve to be treated with respect and appreciation, and you have a CHOICE! If you exercise that choice, you serve us all as consumers. Don't settle for less! About The Author Lora J Adrianse is the owner of Essential Connections. She is a Coach, Consultant and Facilitator who specializes in the development managers and business owners. She recently left a long-term corporate career to focus on her passion for helping others bring out the best in themselves through the use of Emotional Intelligence. She can be reached through her website www.connectionscoach.com; Coach@connectionscoach.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Coaches Find Clients Online
At a recent networking meeting Jana asked for a recommendation for a public speaking coach. She was starting to speak in front of audiences, and wanted to polish her presentation skills a bit. Before anyone else got a chance to reply, Elise jumped in to recommend her coach, Kelly. "I have been working with Kelly for two months, and I have already seen results from working with her. I am much more confident during my presentations, and I see that my audience is more engaged and more responsive. She is great; I will e-mail you her contact information later today."
W Edwards Deming
Immediately post second world war W Edwards Deming went to Japan to create order from the crisis that was the Japanese economy.
Success: Cant Achieve It By Yourself? Pay A Professional!
So many people go through the motions of trying to achieve success. But just going through the motions doesn't work. And while you may fool a few people for a little while, you can't fool yourself. If you truly want to be successful and can't achieve success by yourself, do the smart thing and pay a professional to help you.
THE Step to Working Smarter (Japanese Style)
Remember that Coke contest from the 80s? If you collected bottle tops that had the letters to spell T-H-E R-E-A-L T-H-I-N-G, then youd win a zillion dollars.
Build Your People Skills
How would you like to get along even better with others in your personal relationships and in the workplace? Getting along well with people sounds kind of general and is difficult to do much about, so let's break it down into some manageable and specific skills. By building the following skills, you will get along well with others:
Addiction to Blame
Allen consulted with me because his wife of 18 years had threatened to leave him if he didn't stop blaming her all the time. He admitted to frequently blaming her in a variety of situations. He blamed her if he thought she made a mistake, if he thought she was wrong about something, if he was feeling alone, or even if he had a bad day at work. He blamed her for asking him questions when he didn't know the answer. He would sometimes even blame her if his golf game was off. He always blamed her when he felt judged by her, or when he didn't get her approval. While he freely admitted that he blamed her, he couldn't seem to stop, and he had no idea why he blamed her.
The Joy of Learning!
"Part of what motivates me to write this book is a concern that we've lost touch in education with the sheer joy of what it means to learn something new." -Thomas Armstrong, Author, Awakening Genius in the Classroom
Learning To Recognize Your Ego
What is an ego?
Business Career, Executive Coaching Article - Leadership: Understanding the Human Condition
"Nothing is more practical than for people to deepen themselves. The more you understand the human condition the more effective you are as a businessperson. Human depth makes business sense."
12 Reasons to Develop Exceptional People Skills
Why should you bother to spend your valuable time learning how to develop exceptional people skills?
What Do You Have To Give?
"Happiness is not a matter of good fortune or worldly possessions. It's a mental attitude. It comes from appreciating what we have, instead of being miserable about what we don't have. It's so simple-yet so hard for the human mind to comprehend." ~ Bits & Pieces
Live Healthy - Six Steps To A Healthy Life
Six steps we can take to reduce our risks for heart disease
Overcoming Work Addiction
Why are you so busy? Do you really have too much work? Is work so important to you that you'll sacrifice just about anything in your life to get the job done? Even if it's at the expense of your health and your relationships?
Coaching is Asking the Right Questions
Have you ever known anyone who asked themselves "Why me?" over and over every time something happened they didn't like? Or how about, "What did I do to deserve this?" And my favorite, "Whose fault was that?" Perhaps, these questions have popped into your head once or twice before.
We Are Exactly Where We Choose to Be
The idea for this month's newsletter came from an unlikely encounter: I recently had lunch with a new friend named Rick Rockwell. You may remember him as the bachelor from the first-ever reality TV show, "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?"
Coaching: The Art of Putting Yourself In Somone Elses Shoes
COACHING STEPS: The following are five (5) steps a coach can take to change behavior and performance. The goal of this process is to create the context for the person being coached towards one in which excellence becomes the norm. 1. Observe the action/behavior you want to change. 2. Describe the situation/action you saw. 3. Ask the employees what they saw, their perspective/point of view. 4. Tell the person how you saw the behavior, then 5. Describe what needs to happen instead and why - if appropriate.
Coaching Can Help Teachers At A Crossroads In Their Careers
Teachers enter the profession with the desire to help others, but after years in the field it can lose its luster. If it's no longer offering satisfaction the way it once did find out how you can get the joy back.
Enhancing Life for a Lifetime
Do you often feel lonely, anxious, or even depressed? Is a mid-life or quarter-life crisis threatening your confidence, self-esteem and well-being? Do you yearn for practical advice on enhancing, balancing and bringing new joy to your personal and professional life?
Two Pillows and One Dead Husband
That's what I needed when I delved deeply into my first acting class. I was 60 years old and had a lifetime of experiences behind me but anger or rather the act of reacting to it was not in my skill set.
Do you know WHAT MAKES ME MAD?? It makes me SO MAD I just want to...
Sound familiar? If you want to manage anger, the only way of doing so is to listen to your self-talk. This doesn't mean listening to yourself talk. It means listening to your SELF-TALK.
|
