Create a Happy Workplace

We just had to share the article below from from Posted in September 2012 issue of the Royal Printer's Press about Create a Happy Workplace and customer service.  Enjoy!

The phrase "fun workplace" doesn't have to be an oxymoron.  When people enjoy their time at work, they are more productive, loyal, and committed to doing their job well.  Here are a few ways to create an uplifting workplace by paving your team's road to success with fun:

• Offer amusement in your breakroom, such as a TV, dart board, Wii, ping-pong table, or popcorn machine.
• Create games out of production goals with employee-requested incentives or rewards.
• Organize a "Great Place to Work" committee to plan celebrations such as a Mardi Gras party, an ugly sweater contest during the holidays, or a chili cook-off contest during football season.
• Encourage employees to volunteer in the community by offering a paid day to do things like help build a house for Habitat for Humanity.
• Draw names for "secret pals".  Encourage employees to surprise their secret pal with simple acts of kindness or random small surprises (such as leaving a favorite snack on their desk).
• Partner with local businesses to create a discount card that features exclusive savings for your team.
• Create a monthly photo-caption contest.
• Designate an Employee Appreciation Day. Provide food or small gifts, or organize an office outing.
• Introduce a casual-dress policy (at least on Fridays), since less-formal environments energize productivity.
• Consider implementing a shorter work week during slower times of the year.  Or restructure working hours to allow Fridays (or even just Friday afternoons) off.
• Encourage employees to "leave work at work" by creating a daily to-do list before leaving work and not thinking about those things at home.

To maintain a healthy balance between work and fun, it's essential to clarify expectations, stress accountability for actions, and discuss consequences for lack of follow-through.  The ultimate goal is to make it possible to have fun and also ensure the jobs get done.

Posted in September 2012 issue of the Royal Printer's Press

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5 Ways to Be Happier at Work

Greetings from Shoppers, Inc.!  Hope you enjoy the article below from Jon Gordon about 5 Ways to Be Happier at Work and good customer service as much as we did.

As most of us head back to work this week I wanted to share some strategies to be happier at work. Summer may be in the rearview mirror but we can choose to fill our days and the rest of our year with positive energy. Here’s a tip for each day of the week.

Monday

Focus on "Get to" instead of "Have to" - While driving to work focus on what you "get to" do instead of what you "have to" do. With gratitude realize that you don't have to do anything. You get to go to a job while so many are unemployed. Gratitude floods your body and brain with emotions that uplift you and energize you rather than stress hormones that drain you.

Tuesday

Don’t Expect your Boss, Co-workers and Customers to Make you Happy - Realize that happiness is an inside job. Our happiness has less to do with forces outside of us and more to do with what's inside of us. The way we think about work, feel about work and approach our work influences our happiness at work. For instance, just by making yourself smile you produce more serotonin in the brain-which makes you feel happier. You'll also be happier when you focus on what you are giving instead of what you are getting.

Wednesday

Don’t Seek Happiness - Ironically if you want to be happier don't seek happiness. Instead share your strengths and decide to work with passion and purpose and happiness will find you. The research shows that people are most energized when they are using their strengths for a bigger purpose beyond themselves. Whatever your job, decide to bring passion to it and find purpose in it. I've met bus drivers, mortgage brokers, janitors and fast-food employees who are more passionate about their jobs and happier than some professional athletes making millions of dollars. Every job will get mundane and "old" if you let it but purpose and passion keep it fresh and make you happier.

Thursday

Focus on Excellence instead of Success - When you focus on success you can easily fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, looking over your shoulder, feeling envious, playing office politics, and competing against coworkers instead of collaborating. However, when you focus on excellence you measure yourself against your own growth and potential. You strive to be the best you can be. You simply focus on getting better every day and this makes work more meaningful and rewarding.

Friday

Celebrate Together - While we shouldn't depend on others to make us happy, by building a positive team or support group at work we will be happier. So instead of expecting others to make you happy, you proactively create the positive relationships that enhance your engagement, productivity and happiness. One great way to do this to huddle with your team/group at the end of the week and have each person share their accomplishments, victories, and great moments of the week. This will produce great feelings on Friday that inspire you and your team to come back to work and make a difference on Monday.

-Jon Gordon

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Simplicity Is Key in Customer Service

At Shoppers, Inc. we are very passionate about great customer service, measurement and teamwork.  The article below from Shep Hyken about Simplicity Is Key in Customer Service and employee training relates to our goals and passions.  Hope you enjoy it!

Let’s assume that whatever you sell, be it a product or service, does what it is supposed to do. In the process of delivering that product or service, just be nice.  Do what’s right for the customer. That’s all there is to it.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” according to Apple’s first marketing brochure.  Is customer service really that simple?

For years the legendary Nordstrom’s employee handbook was a simple piece of paper with just 75 words on it welcoming the new employee. There was only one rule: Use best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.

Stew Leonard’s Fresh Farm Stores reminds everyone, customers and employees, about the importance of customer service by having their customer service edict carved into a 6,000 pound piece of granite outside each of his stores. There are two, clearly- stated rules: Rule 1: The Customer is Always Right!  Rule Two: If the Customer Is Ever Wrong, Reread Rule 1.

The Ritz-Carlton Motto is just nine words long: We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen. Those nine words truly describe how the employees are expected to act and the guests are expected to be treated. 

My friends at Ace Hardware keep it simple. Their slogan is three words long: The helpful place. And really, it’s just one word that sums up what Ace is all about: Helpful.  Do you have one word that can sum up what your business is about? Is it nice, easy, enthusiastic, understanding, etc.? Ace found their word. What’s your word?

Simplicity is just in the concept. It’s the application that takes more sophistication to support the concept. We have to hire right, properly train, constantly reinforce, recognize greatness, create a customer focused system, and more. Ah, that is where it all starts to get complicated.

Even Stew Leonard’s simple customer service rules are backed up with monthly focus groups where each department manager invites a customer to attend. Customers are encouraged to use a suggestion box, and all suggestions, which average about 100 each day, are typed up by 10:00 a.m. the next day. Store managers either act on or call the customers about every complaint or suggestions.

If you start at the beginning, it eases the complication.  Get to the basic root of what your customer service is trying to achieve, and, it’s simple.  Just start with the end in mind. If you have the goal to deliver an experience so great that the customer will return and recommend you, then you’re on the path to success.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional  speaker and New York Times   bestselling business author.

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Get Recognized for a Job Well Done

by Connie Podesta

Regardless of the profession, employees and employers in every industry desire the same thing: recognition and appreciation for their daily efforts. Employees want to be assured on a consistent basis that they have made a positive difference in the organization. Likewise, employers want their workers to realize and recognize the effort it takes to lead a group efficiently and to provide a comfortable and nurturing environment. 

Think about your own performance for a moment. Could your employer enclose a note thanking you for your contributions, support, positive attitude, willingness to accept change, communication skills, commitment to working hard, leadership capabilities and respectful attitude and mean every word? If not, what changes do you need to make in your attitude and behavior?

Perhaps one of the most unfortunate commentaries on management today is its reluctance, fear, or lack of courage to let employees honestly know where they stand within the organization. It used to be that getting a paycheck meant you were doing a good job. That is no longer the case. Many employees mistakenly assume that since no one has reprimanded, counseled or criticized their work or behavior, they are doing a satisfactory job. However, this assumption could very well put their jobs in jeopardy, because many managers have a difficult time honestly expressing their concerns and doubts about an employee's performance, even at evaluation time. Therefore, you must make a concerted effort to identify for yourself where you stand within your organization. One good way to do that is to ask yourself, "Could my employer write a thank-you note to me commending me for my work performance?" By the same token, think about your current employer for a moment. Could you give your employer a note thanking him/her for creating a team environment, being a positive leader, providing adequate training, sharing the organization's mission statement, identifying and embracing change, listening to your opinions, treating you with dignity and respect, and communicating openly and assertively? If you honestly feel you are not being treated well or compensated fairly, then you must address the problem immediately. Many employees reveal that they dislike what they do and where they work. Yet they have done nothing for years but complain and gripe. Not once have they made the effort to move up, on, or out. Perhaps they think that all they have to do is stick it out a few more years before retirement. They tell themselves that they'll survive somehow. If you've ever told yourself this, ask yourself, "Is mere survival all I want out of my job?" Are you really willing to give up precious years of your life simply because you don't want to make the changes necessary to find a more rewarding job? Most people want a job that is meaningful and worthwhile. People instinctively have a need to make some sort of significant contribution and to take pride in their accomplishments. Are you proud of what you do? Do you believe your work, skills and talents are making a worthwhile contribution? Often employees will answer no to these questions because they believe that to do meaningful work you must discover a new vaccine, compose a symphony or save a life. However, the fact is that there is inherent value in any job done well and with a sense of pride. Meaningful employment does not refer to what your job is, but to how you do that job in terms of your commitment to quality service, honesty, dependability, integrity and treating others with dignity and respect. Because today's workplace is continually evolving and more competitive than ever, now is the time to evaluate your circumstances and your strengths and weaknesses and decide where you need to make improvements to get the recognition and appreciation you deserve. The more pride you show in your work, the better your chances for staying employed. While there are no guarantees in today's job market, employees who place a high value on their work and their environment fare much better. In the end, your future employability and job satisfaction are up to you. You and you alone are in charge of your career-and the rest of your life. Share your thoughts on our blog here or Facebook page. Follow Shoppers, Inc. on Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube