"Our Take" - Advice for Your Teenager

(Past Editions by: Date, Title, Topic)

 
About "Our Take" 
"Our Take" is a collection of daily vignettes covering a wide range of CRM topics. It's an attempt to add our own spin to the world of CRM. We will use the column to share our perspectives, opinions, epiphanies, web nuggets, or quite frankly anything that moves us. Get ready to expect the unexpected. And, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts.
 
 
5/29/07 - School's Out
Now for something completely different. This time of year holds great anticipation for parents and children alike as school ends and summer vacation starts. At least for those of us in the northern hemisphere.
 
So let me ask you to share your thoughts on the following question: "As your children start their summer jobs, what customer service advice would you share with them?" Summer jobs mean extra cash but the work may also be a great opportunity to learn how to better serve the customer. Skills like that can be used by young minds throughout their careers.
 
Sharing your wisdom with your teenager assumes they will actually listen to you. Those with teenagers know what I'm talking about. Tell me, what customer service advice do you have for your child?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/31/07 - Advice for the Kids
On Tuesday, I asked readers to share their wisdom concerning what they would tell their teenagers about customer service that could help them be better at their summer jobs and throughout their lives. As always, many of you shared some great advice that I will pass along today.
 
One person wrote, "Your job is to treat every customer the way you'd want to be treated and mean it." Perhaps this lesson was lost on many of our current CEOs as evidenced by the grand disconnect discussed yesterday. It seems so many forget what it is like to be on the other side of the customer experience.
 
Another piece of advice is to make customer decisions as if you are the boss. Of course, advice like this should come with all sorts of warning labels and be embraced within the realities of the job description but the essence is spot on. A young person that embraces their hourly job with enthusiasm is one that knows they can and should make a difference regardless of the job description. It's easy to spot the person simply waiting for the shift end because that is the person that takes away from rather than adds to the customer experience. Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/1/07 - More Advice for Teenagers
Today, let's continue with some more thoughts on advice for teenagers on how to approach their summer jobs. One reader wrote:
 
"My two sons are 15 and 17 years old so I have been sprinkling some of dad's old 'wisdom' on them hoping some of it sticks. What I have told them is this: you will work with people who are smarter than you, older than you, and better educated than you. The one thing that will help you to be better than them is a strong work ethic. This has a direct impact on customer service. How many times have we been served by a lazy clerk or a lazy contact center agent who makes us feel like we are imposing on their time?"
 
Do you feel there is a direct link between a strong work ethic and good customer service? Or is it something more than that?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/4/07 - Even More Advice for Teenagers
Today, let's continue with some more thoughts on advice for teenagers on how to approach their summer jobs. Consider sharing this with junior:
 
You will learn more about how the business really works by listening to your customers with more attention than you listen to your boss. Anyway, isn't the customer the boss? Customers are not interested in why something is or is not possible. They only know what they want and what they value.
 
If your teenager looks past the paycheck for a bigger dividend, they have the opportunity to hone skills that will carry them through life. So if you combine the work ethic advice offered last week with a yearning to learn from customers, you have a youth with a bright future on their hands. Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)