By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Does your organization make customer service a priority? I expect that it does. In fact, I suspect that the phrase “customer service” is found somewhere in your mission or vision statement, etched on a wall plaque, proclaimed in your marketing material, and oft orated by upper management. However, as is […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I’ve come to the realization that I tend to put off buying things. It’s not because I procrastinate (at least not too much), or because I am adverse to making decisions, or even because it is a money issue. Sadly, the reason that I often avoid purchasing things I want […]
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The Power of a Compliment
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. In the years between high school graduation and my first real job, I took on a variety of part-time work while being a full-time student. During one such vocational transition, the placement advisor at school knew of an immediate opening for an audio engineer at a TV station. I arrived […]
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What I Learned on My Summer Vacation
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD This fall, the thoughts of school age children everywhere are focused on returning to school. Some approach the new school year with dread and trepidation, a few with excitement and high expectation, and others with inevitable acquiescence and acceptance. Regardless of their personal perspective, many will be faced with the traditional […]
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The Myth of Self-Service
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD What is your self-service strategy? Is it in-place and fully functional? Perhaps it’s moving forward, slowly but surely. Conversely, you may still be contemplating what your self-service offerings should be – if any at all. If you do make available self-service to your clients or their customers, is it used […]
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Watch Your Attitude
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. On a weekend trip a while ago, my wife and I found ourselves at the local McDonald’s for breakfast. “I’ll have a number 10,” I decisively informed the perky and personable teenage-looking girl at the counter. She acknowledged my request and smiled pleasantly. This encouraged me to make small talk […]
By Peter DeHaan, Ph.D. Voicemail systems have come a long way during their 25-year history. When first introduced in the early 1980s, these systems came in large floor to ceiling cabinets and did little more than match the functions of an answering machine. At that time, many call centers and teleservice companies feared that voicemail […]
Adhere to Best Practices, Follow Guidelines, and Write for Your Audience By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Consider this: “ABC Company, a strategic provider of advanced business technology applications to facilitate organizational utilization of game-changing convergent networks, announced today the release of its unprecedented Widgetizer solution, which is guaranteed to revolutionize existing technological infrastructures overnight.” This is […]
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A Word is a Powerful Thing
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD A reader complained about our content in the May issue. In fact, he was downright mad over our coverage promoting outsourcing call centers. The ironic thing is that this reader actually works for an outsourcing call center! Yes, they go by a different label, but they are, by definition, an […]
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Are You Certifiable?
By Peter DeHaan, Ph.D. Your call center may be an in-house operation or an outsourcer processing calls and contacts for other organizations. Regardless of the type of call center you work in, there is a common need for increased, positive visibility. This is necessary for two key areas. The first is budgeting; the second is […]