Managing Your Business

Turning complaints into something good

Don't let customer complaints ruin your day. Complaints actually are an opportunity for you to improve your business. To better your business, carefully listen to a complaint and probe for more information—do not assume anything. Be sympathetic toward a complaining customer even if his errors contributed to the problem. Verify the problem's solution with the customer by repeating it to him. And thank the customer at the end of the conversation. After all, he helped you improve your services and keep his business.

Source: Adapted from the Mediate Web site, as cited in The Manager's Intelligence Report, May issue.

All you have to fear is …

A Gallup Poll surveyed U.S. adults to see how their fears rank. The following results are a good sample of what your employees most likely fear.

Snakes—51 percent

Public speaking—40 percent

Heights—36 percent

Enclosure in a small space—34 percent

Spiders and insects—27 percent

Needles and shots—21 percent

Mice—20 percent

Flying—18 percent

Thunder and lightning—11 percent

Dogs—11 percent

Crowds—11 percent

Going to the doctor—9 percent

The dark—5 percent

Source: Adapted from the Gallup Web site, as cited in The Motivational Manager, May 2001 issue.

Asking for help

Occasionally, it is necessary to ask for someone's help to complete a task. Unfortunately, most people have trouble asking for help. If you are one of these people, consider the following guidelines to assist you in your time of need:

• Use a person's name. When asking someone for help, address the person by name. If you do not use a person's name, he may feel unimportant and will be less likely to help.
  
  
• Be direct and polite. Explain why you need help and what must be done. Personalize your request by referring to yourself and the helper, such as by saying, "Bob, I need you to help me with this project." Do not forget to say "please."
  
  
• Ask for input. Ask a potential helper to tell you how your request will affect his workload, what he needs to complete the task and efficient solutions he may have.
  
  
• Set a deadline together. Tell a helper your deadline. Together, you can decide on a time frame to complete the task.
  
  

Source: Adapted from Influencing People, as cited in The Working Communicator, April 2001 issue.

Bringing home the bacon—for baby

The University of Washington at Seattle studied 1,200 men in the United States for 25 years and found that fathers tended to work more when a new baby arrived in their households.

After the arrival of a firstborn son, fathers worked an average 84 more hours per year. And after the birth of a daughter, fathers worked an average 31 more hours per year. Although it is not clear why fathers worked more after a son's birth, some theories include that fathers feel they must demonstrate a man's societal role to a son or they have a greater stake in a male child.

Source: Adapted from Psychology Today, as cited in The Working Communicator, May 2001 issue.