Improve your complaints handling performance

This article is one of a series about how to improve your
complaints handling.  It will be especially useful to call handlers and
customer service personnel.  It is written by an expert trainer in the
field who runs a specialist complaints handling training business as well as a
leading corporate training company in the UK.

If you do some reading on complaints handling
you must be thinking of improving your complaints handling skills or those of
your team.  Most writers on the subject
focus on the need to approach the customer who is complaining with
empathy. 

What is empathy?

Empathy
is a word often used but I wonder how well understood it is.  At a recent course we were running on
complaints handling we posed this question. 
Asking delegates to define empathy proved interesting.  It was clear to me that the word sympathy and
empathy were being confused.

So
before I can establish empathy with you, I need to know what empathy is.  The dictionary definitions vary but touch
upon:   understanding of another’s situation and feelings.  This is different to sympathy which is more about
feelings of pity or sorrow for the distress of another.  Definitions also mention compassion.

So
when dealing with complaints I am aiming to be empathetic to understand and
anticipate the behaviour of the customer. It is in effect standing in the shows
of the customer.  So much for the
conceptual discussion. How does that work in practice?

How does empathy work?

Take
a complaint about some flowers not being delivered by a florist.  The customer plucks up courage to complain.  He is stressed by the simple process of
calling. He does not know how the call will be received and naturally expects
the worst. He has complained before to other shops and been fobbed off. The customer swallows hard
and calls the shop to say the bouquet has not arrived. 

The
untrained inexperienced call handler might say: Thank you for telling me about
this.  What can I do to put this right?

The
call handler is trying to be helpful and resolve the situation.  However, the result from the customer is to
raise their voice, their heart beats faster, they are getting angry.  This call is off to a bad start.  The problem cannot be made right. The flowers were not delivered and a anniversary celebration diminished by it. 

Picture
this as an alternative this response:

I’m
sorry that we haven’t delivered the bouquet as we expected.  I understand that must be difficult for you, embarrassing
and annoying, let me try and do something about that right now.  To do that may I have your name and the
delivery address please?

This
is more likely to strike a chord with the customer.  Did you spot the:

·       
empathy?

·       
identification with the distress of the
customer?

·       
apology too?

What about the control of the call?  I mean that in the sense that the call
handler was leading the conversation towards resolution.  This was helped by asking a closed question
to gain control.  All this was done in a
helpful, assertive but friendly way. Clearly there is more to do, but this positive approach will send the message to the customer that the call handler wants to try and resolve the complaint and understands their emotions.

So
you can see a dose of empathy is good news for complaints handlingFind Article, but there
is more to it.  I’ll be tackling another
aspect of complaints handling soon.

At
Reduce Complaints training people to handle complaints well is our business so
we are not short of material to help the complaint handler.

Happy
complaints handling

Alison Miles-Jenkins

Fire Risk Assessment Lowers Risk of Fire Damage

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It is cost-effective, smart and overall a good plan to safely maintain your house against calamities that might hit. So the best thing to do is to get all the bases covered.So how do you go about doing a fire risk assessment?1.    First and foremost, you need an expert who can make a smart assessment.  This person should have the necessary training with which he can make a thorough check and point out the five main points.2.    The first point your assessor should do is identify the potential areas of risk. This he can do by surveying the house, taking an assessment of the materials used to make it, the components, and potential areas that can cause fire, like electrical outlets, and open fire areas like hearths and gas ovens, which are causes.3.    The second important thing that your assessor should do is locate the people at risk. He should understand the position of the people in the house/building, and understand who stands to be in the higher risk zone and for how long. This is important to note so that the next stage can be brought in.4.    The risks are to be then carefully evaluated and excavated to the minute details, and the little propensities are to be fished out and elaborated upon. This way, your assessor has a clear view of the threats and the dangers, and the major areas that can suffer damage. That way, they can easily dissect and analyze. For example, if you are a smoker, you would be considered to be more risky in the evaluation sector.5.    After evaluation, the findings are then recorded and noted down, so that the major areas of concern are found out and assessed properly.6.    After the recording, the assessor would carefully note and review his findings, making sure he is absolutely right in collecting and preserving the data.After this procedure, your house would be assessed correctly, and that would prevent confusion and make way for a fire safety plan, following which would ensure your house being completely secure and free of any sort of fire-related issues in the future.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

RBs provides fire marshal, fire extinguisher training and >fire risk assessment.

Know About Pine Tree Stump Removal

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While the general process regarding of a pine tree stump removal is somewhat similar to that of other stumps, there is a difference in the root system that requires addressing. That is to say, these stumps tend to have much larger, flatter root networks than that of other types. That being said, the most effective techniques with pine may not necessarily be the best idea when dealing with oak or spruce. Taking the time to do this task yourself can save hundreds of dollars. In this article, we will outline the necessary steps to doing just that.Tools:1. Shovel2. Black Plastic Sheet3. Axe4. Loppers5. Handsaw6. Drill7. Nitrogen-Rich FertilizerIn cases involving a smaller one, simply digging around and cutting will likely do the trick. Dig around the area until the root system is almost completely uncovered. Roots can be severed by a saw or axe, but loppers may be more appropriate depending on the root system. All severed roots should be disposed of in the trash or through burning.For larger trees, the same general idea applies, however the tools used and the overall labor required are a bit different. As with the smaller pines, you should dig around the area to expose the roots. The larger the pine, the more digging there’ll be. An axe or handsaw is preferable to loppers and required to sever the larger root systems. Prepare yourself for a good day or two of constant chopping. If it is heavy, wrap the chain around it and pull it out by hitching the other end of the chain to a tow hitch. Be sure that the pine is severed completely and that the truck pulls it out slowly.Another option for removal is to hasten the biodegrading process. Keep in mind that this option can take months. Just as with the manual process outlined above, reduce it to the smallest height possible before hitting the ground. Proceed by boring a rash of holes around 2 inches deep into the top. Add water to each hole and follow it up with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Cover the surrounding area with the same mixture. Next, cover the stump with organic compost and place a black plastic sheet over it, making sure to add a weight to it doesn’t blow away. The plastic absorbs sunlight, which heats the compost, thus speeding up the decay process. Repeat the process every couple weeks until the pine is completely decomposed.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In San Rafael tree stump removal is performed by experts who are experienced in all aspects of tree care and removal. Their services include tree removal, assessment, maintenance and disease control. To know more, visit http://mandmtreeservices.com/

Why Do You Need Home Insurance Quotes?

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Home insurance is one of the safest, easiest, and clearly a smart way to overcome problems of this nature. All you need to do is use your common sense while going for these, lest you stand a risk of being over-insured, which is never a good thing.If you are afraid of this particular occurrence, then you should be a bit more cautious before going to any agent or approaching any company for such things. Always remember, getting your home insured has become a matter involving quite a lot more money in the last couple of years. Several times, it has been noticed that the cost of securing houses has multiplied, and that has made the price rise quite steeply, getting it steadily out of the reach of the common. So while checking out your home insurance quotes from different companies, be sure to get a good idea about what you want and how much cash you are willing to pay. Do not make common mistakes like getting your land secure along with the house. Remember, even if there is a fire emergency, and the house does burn down, the land where it stands remain intact, and not too many major damages come to them. So make sure you are not given that extra cost by the agent, who, of course would always try to get a better, bigger cut, and thus, sell you stuff which you really do not require. What you can do is simply go for the most affordable one, which basically covers the general ingredients. And if you are wise, always be on the lookout for free stuff. For example, sometimes supermarkets and malls offer free insurance with their products. If you are facing any accident, do not hesitate to use these to get the amount you deserve, and press them with required documents in order to get the necessary sum of money to rebuild your place. Remember, it is always a good thing to be cautious and prepare yourself for a rainy day, for the rainy day just might be around the corner.

Article Tags:
Home Insurance Quotes, Home Insurance, Insurance Quotes

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Get instant insurance rates from multiple carriers online. Free comparison for cheap auto, low cost health insurance, affordable home insurance quotes. We are dedicated to helping  consumers find the most affordable and competitive home insurance on  the web.