How To Diffuse Any Heated Customer Interaction With Ease

Don’t we all wish that every customer interaction is a smooth and pleasant experience where all parties respect each other? The reality is that some experiences, unexpected news or unfortunate events can bring out a strong negative energy in some customers. In the heat of the moment those customers can vent their emotions on the people in your front-line: your tellers. Training your tellers to handle these heated customer interactions with confidence and calmness is imperative. Equip your tellers with the techniques that enable them to satisfy the hard-to-please by using the five point customer contact rule.

1. Remain friendly and keep your smile upDon’t raise your defenses, it will turn the situation into a power struggle
2. Show interest in the customer’s issueShowing genuine interest is a strong signal that you are committed to solving the issue
3. Maintain eye-contactDon’t look away, stay focused on the customer as this is yet another signal that you are dedicated to find a solution
4. Express appreciation for their feedbackSignaling that your customer’s feedback is important shows that your organization puts its customer's satisfaction first.
5. Use the customer’s name
   Using the customer’s name makes the conversation a little more personal and it grabs people’s attention. Bring your customer out of a frenzy by repeating their name to get their focus back.

Using these techniques will show your customer you are interested in resolving their issue professionally. It will quickly bring the heat down so you have the opportunity to get to the root of the problem, find a solution and ultimately provide outstanding service.

 

Still learning,

Honey

Leading the Way at the Branch

The highly accomplished basketball coach at Duke University, Coach Mike Krzyzewski, has earned a reputation for being an outstanding leader. In his book, Leading with the Heart, Coach K says, “There are five fundamental qualities that make every team great: communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring, and pride. I like to think of each as a separate finger on the fist. Any one individually is important. But all of them together are unbeatable.” His philosophy for the business world is to approach it like basketball. “Business, like basketball, is a game of adjustments. So be ready to adjust.” 

 

Leadership isn't better than management nor is it a replacement for it. Not all leaders have responsibility for managing others but, more often than not they do. Leadership is circuitous; what you give is what you need to get. A classic example at the bank is the role of the branch manager. Here the leader is given a set of objectives and is expected to work with a team to produce meaningful results. The branch manager will need a dynamic role model that is devoted to encouraging and coaching the manager to success.

 

Effectiveness as a leader doesn't include walking on water or perfection. Rather it includes a genuine desire to make a difference – to continuously work on personal effectiveness. At the same time, recognize that the more you contribute and the higher up the ladder you go, the more vulnerable you become. Taking on more responsibility and signing up for big challenges increases the risks associated with scrutiny, failure, criticism and disappointment. Yet, when weighing all the odds, the chance to experience a deep sense of personal satisfaction that comes with meaningful work will make the effort outweigh the risk.

 

Still learning,

 

Honey

Spark Your Improvement as a Leader

It is easier to be a judge of others’ leadership than it is to lead. All of us have a critic that lives and thrives within us. Most of us never question that critic when the target of criticism is someone else and especially, when we are up close and personal with someone we view as a poor excuse for a manager or a lousy leader. This situation often intensifies when that someone is our boss or a leader in our midst. No question that a lack of management skills or inadequate leadership ability can create a ripple effect resulting in confusion, frustration, dissatisfaction, and even disaster. Perception can come crashing into reality when something similar to an Enron debacle surfaces.

Responsible, dynamic leadership calls for you to become a master at self-evaluation. Examine the common characteristics of great leaders and ask yourself, “where am I with that?”  Keep a watch out for people who exhibit great leadership and ask them about their journey. Look over the common characteristics of lousy leaders and find your own sparks for improvement.

Common Characteristics of Lousy Leaders

• Lack of character
• Issues with honesty, limited humility, questionable trustworthiness
• Rules oriented vs. people oriented
• Micro managing
• Disengaged from the team
• Undermining or allowing undermining to go on among the troops
• Defensive when challenged or offered feedback
• Attack mode when giving feedback
• Power smacking – in meetings or in groups dressing people down
• Seeking blame rather than resolution
• Ignoring poor behavior or lousy performance among leadership