Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: "customer service training", "Customer Service", Communication
October 26, 2010
True Life Customer Service – “I just called to say…”
“Well, I don’t have a final answer for you yet but here’s where we are in the process…”
written by:
Bill Cleary, Vice President of Business Development and Client Relations
Okay, so, the title of this week’s Customer Service blog post would not make a good Stevie Wonder song, but it does reflect another valuable lesson in customer service. If you are involved in customer service, I’m sure you have experienced that awkward feeling when you’ve submitted a request on behalf of your client and you are waiting for an answer from “on high.” You are almost as anxious as the client is, but you know how the internal process works and you know that the final decision depends on a variety of factors. You’ve done a lot of things to help the internal process go faster, but you (and your client) are now forced to wait for an answer.
Consequently, you are thinking about the client a great deal and you really want to call them, but you are reluctant because you don’t have the final answer yet. It is an uncomfortable feeling isn’t it?
Make the call. Tell the client you are calling because you are thinking about them, and you wanted to know if they’d like an update on the process. Most clients will really appreciate knowing that you are thinking about them and that you cared enough to make the call.
I learned this lesson the hard way. I was just starting my career as a commercial banker about 20 years ago, and I had a loan request from one of our directors. John was a dynamic real estate developer with a somewhat intimidating presence. The request was one you could get excited about – he was going to rehab an older industrial building for a local non-profit to use. It was a good project and I was pleased to distill his request into a loan package which I submitted to our loan committee (back in the days when banks had loan committees). I had spoken to committee members about the request, and made sure to address their concerns up-front. I had every reason to believe the request would be approved, but I wouldn’t know until after the committee met, about a week later.
One day that week, I was sitting at my desk and literally thinking about my borrower and his request when he called me. He was impatient and wanted to know if the loan was approved yet. I told him where we were in the process and when he could expect the answer. He was upset that I didn’t let him know that sooner. When I told him I hesitated to call since I didn’t have the final answer, he gave me a lesson in customer service that I have never forgotten.
He said; “If you are thinking about me, call me!” I trust you will find that to be some good advice that applies to many situations in life!
Bill Cleary, Landrum Human Resources
As the vice president in charge of client relations, Bill is responsible for assuring that the needs of all clients, new and existing, are communicated fully within Landrum to ensure the highest quality service.
Prior to joining Landrum, Bill had a successful career in banking. As Vice President in commercial banking, he served for several years as relationship manager to all Landrum entities before being promoted to Area Credit Officer for northern Florida.
Before his banking career, Bill served as a Marine helicopter pilot and flight instructor. He attended the University of West Florida where he earned his MBA degree.
Filed under: Landrum, Mayberry | Tags: Communication, employees, Human Resources, Mayberry, transparency, Trust
October 25, 2010
Mayberry Monday – “Black Day for Mayberry”
By Holly McLeod, PHR
One day Deputy Barney Fife was in the courthouse admiring himself in the mirror, when two gentlemen walked in asking if the Sheriff was around. Barney explained that the Sheriff was out at the moment and 
repeatedly offered to assist the men, but they politely refused. Instead, the men patiently waited for Sheriff Andy Taylor to arrive. Much to Barney’s chagrin, when Andy got to the office the two secretive men asked to speak to Andy privately. Barney had no choice but to leave and allow the discussion to take place without him.
After the men left, Andy told Barney what all the secrecy had been about – the men were from the Treasury Department, and there was going to be a shipment of gold coming through Mayberry worth over $7 million. The truck was going to stop at the “fillin’ station” to refuel, and the FBI men accompanying the gold would be going to the diner to eat. Barney was very excited about the news, but Andy made one rule very loud and clear; they couldn’t tell anyone about the gold. Andy told Barney they had to do two things; 1) maintain absolute secrecy, and 2) anticipate every possible threat, and guard against it.
Andy left to attend to plans, and Barney was left alone to make his own plans… a dangerous event in any situation. The first thing Barney did was to call the Bluebird Diner to break his date with Juanita. His side of the conversation went something like this: “Something’s come up. Something big… No, nothing like that… You’d never guess this… No, this has something to do with a truck… a truck that’s coming through here tomorrow… Alright, I’ll give you a little hint… it’s worth $7 million… A rocket? No, you’re gold. Cold! I said you’re cold. Ignore what I said about gold!… Did you get that? I DID NOT SAY GOLD!”
Barney then went to the hotel to ask Asa if there were any suspicious characters hanging around. While Barney was scanning the lobby, Asa asked Barney what time the gold shipment was coming through. Barney froze. “What gold? What are you talking about?” Asa told him the news was all over town. In a panic, Barney left the hotel to head back to the courthouse. As he was leaving the hotel, some boys were hanging out on the front stoop and they also asked Barney what time the gold was coming through. Barney walked faster and faster, and each time he passed someone he was asked about the gold shipment.
When Andy came in the office a little while later, Barney was obviously jumpy and nervous. Barney told Andy he had the feeling that maybe the news had leaked out and that they were “gonna blow it.” Andy asked him why he felt that way, then said, “Nobody knows about it but you and me. Relax, Barney. This is our secret.”
When they went to the fillin’ station to check out the security, Gomer Pyle came out and asked what time the gold truck was coming through. Andy said, “Barney! I told you not to tell him!” Gomer said, “Barney didn’t tell me. I got it from Lauralee Hobbs up at the dime store.” Andy looked at Barney and said, “Yeah, it looks like it leaked out alright.” Barney told Andy he had better stop the truck. Andy said he couldn’t stop it because it had already left. He then said, “Somewhere between here and Denver there’s $7 million headed for Mayberry, and you and me and Gomer and Lauralee Hobbs, we’re gonna be here to receive it!”
The next day came with much excitement around Mayberry. A virtual parade of people was lining the street. Andy drove up to the crowd, quickly followed by the gold truck. Andy told everyone to go home, and the convoy proceeded to the fillin’ station as planned. When they got there, Andy told Barney to get in the truck to relieve the guard while he went to eat. After Barney was safely in the truck, Andy went off to disperse another crowd that had gathered.
While Barney was in the truck, he couldn’t resist looking at the gold. He poked underneath a blanket and slowly brought out a rectangular box. He opened the lid, but to his surprise he didn’t find gold. Instead of a brick of precious metal he had expected to see, he found the box filled with sand.
Barney thought the truck had been hijacked, and immediately started yelling for help. Andy was still talking with the crowd, but the FBI men quickly showed up when they heard Barney yelling. The men didn’t open the doors to check on Barney; they got in the truck and drove away – with Barney still inside.
When Andy realized the truck had left with Barney, he and Gomer got in the squad car to chase down the speeding truck. When they were able to get the truck to pull over, Gomer went to get Barney out of the back while Andy spoke with the men in the front of the truck. Barney was still trying to gather his wits when the truck pulled out for a final time. Andy explained that there had never been any gold in the truck; it was a decoy. Andy said that had been their plan all along – “to let folks think that was the truck with the gold in it, while the real truck went by a different route.”
There are a few lessons that can be learned from Mayberry’s encounter with the “gold” truck: First, transparency: Transparency means to be open and honest with whom you are dealing. In this case, neither the Treasury Department representatives nor the FBI men were transparent with Andy. As a result, their plans went awry and could have resulted in serious repercussions when Barney discovered that the truck was not carrying real gold. After all, we all know how trigger happy Barney can be.
Second, communication: Communication ran amuck in Mayberry. The directive to keep the gold shipment secret was not honored by Barney. Perhaps Andy wasn’t clear enough in his directions, but the reality was that Barney was loose-lipped. Sometimes we are entrusted with confidential information, and it’s very important that we honor that trust and not divulge it to those who have no need to know. I can only hope that Barney learned a valuable lesson on that day, but I have my doubts.
The third lesson from this debacle: Don’t trust Barney with a secret! Nor Juanita… nor Asa… nor Gomer… nor Lauralee Hobbs.
See you next week! Stay tuned…
Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments
Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: "customer service training", "Customer Service", "human resources consulting"
October 20, 2010
Customer Service – “Norm!”
written by Bill Cleary
Vice President, Business Development and Client Relations
Landrum Professional Employer Services
Where’s the place where everybody knows your name? Cheers, right? Who can forget the chorus of voices shouting “Norm” every time he walked through the door? What’s the one word folks never get tired of hearing? Their own name of course!
OK, but what has that got to do with customer service? Bill, you are not going to write a whole blog post about some gimmicky way to keep calling people by their first name are you? No, don’t worry – I just wanted you to think about how special it makes you feel when people remember your name and use it in a genuine caring manner.
Can you think of a co-worker who had a knack for making people feel special? When I was in college, I worked at a locally owned restaurant called Tommy’s. 
The food was great, the prices were reasonable and the atmosphere was unparalleled because of the owner, Tommy Fello and his family cared so much for the employees and the customers. Naturally, it was a very busy place so we needed lots of help in taking care of the customers. I was one of the “hosts” but I was more of a glorified bus-boy. We usually worked in pairs, one of us would clear a table of dirty dishes and wipe it down while the other host would go to the front of the restaurant and get the customers who were waiting to be seated. I’m sure I put a lot of miles on my sneakers each night, and when it was closing time, we’d scrub the beautiful woodwork and floor with Murphy’s Oil Soap. We took a lot of pride in our work.
One of my favorite co-workers was another college student named Chris. Chris and his girlfriend both worked at Tommy’s and both were studying to become elementary school teachers. Chris and I worked together so much that I can still remember his favorite t-shirt – it said “See ‘ya on the Yough!” and had a drawing of some folks canoeing down the Youghiogheny River, which is a tributary of the Monongahela River. Chris was from the Pittsburgh area and loved to let everyone know that fact.
Chris was one of those unique people who made a special point to learn people’s names and also to learn a little bit more about them. He was so good at it that he knew all of our regular customers by their first (and sometimes last) name. If they dined as a group, he knew all the names of the rest of the party, and often where they worked or went to school or if they had a special interest. By working closely with Chris, I began to understand how taking the time to get to know people made them feel special (and they came back often), but it was also fun for us as it helped make each night’s work more interesting. Time just flew by on a busy night.
I learned another lesson from working with Chris. I learned to be delighted by the opportunity to make a new friend. As much as he enjoyed seeing our “regulars,” Chris could hardly contain his enthusiasm when a new customer would come in and strike up a conversation with him. I could always tell when we had a new customer as Chris would run over to me with a huge, child like smile on his face and say, “Bill, man – I just met the coolest person!” Then he’d tell me everything about his new friend and repeat their name over and over again so it would become engrained in both our memories. He’d point them out to me while they were eating and it really wasn’t unusual for both of us (or at least Chris) to say “Take it easy, Pat (or whatever the customer’s first name was)!” to our new customers as they were leaving. You should have seen the puzzled and delighted looks on their faces!
Bill Cleary, Landrum Human Resources
As the vice president in charge of client relations, Bill is responsible for assuring that the needs of all clients, new and existing, are communicated fully within Landrum to ensure the highest quality service.
Prior to joining Landrum, Bill had a successful career in banking. As Vice President in commercial banking, he served for several years as relationship manager to all Landrum entities before being promoted to Area Credit Officer for northern Florida.
Before his banking career, Bill served as a Marine helicopter pilot and flight instructor. He attended the University of West Florida where he earned his MBA degree.
Filed under: Human Resources, Landrum, Mayberry | Tags: "human resources consulting", Communication, employees, Human Resources, Mayberry
October 18, 2010
Mayberry Monday – The Pickle Story
By Holly McLeod, PHR
If you ask any fan of The Andy Griffith Show what their top five episodes are, I’d dare say that most of them would include “The Pickle Story.” This is one of the few times in Mayberry history when Aunt Bee’s cooking wasn’t exactly something to brag about, and also one of the few times I can recall when Clara Johnson (aka Edwards) was somewhat likeable…
One morning Aunt Bee was in the kitchen bottling pickles for her family, Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son Opie, and in walked her friend Clara Johnson. Clara came bearing the gift of a bottle of her own homemade pickles for Opie. Aunt Bee told Clara she had the best pickles, and recognized that Clara had won the blue ribbon at the fair for 10 years in a row. Clara corrected her, saying it had been 11 years.
Clara insisted on tasting one of Aunt Bee’s pickles, and the look on her face said it all – Aunt Bee’s pickles were not good. However, she told Aunt Bee they were “very nice… quite pleasant… and nice.” She told Aunt Bee she wouldn’t change a single thing “except the brine is just a touch too heavy, and maybe put an extra sprig or 2 of parsley steeped in the vinegar, and possibly if you can get younger cucumbers they wouldn’t be so soft, then drain them more and use fresher spices… but other than that they’re… quite nice.” On top of that, as Clara was leaving she turned around and said, “You might try boiling the vinegar just two seconds more… but… they’re nice.” OK, so maybe Clara wasn’t so likeable after all.
That afternoon Aunt Bee took lunch to Andy and his Deputy Barney Fife. She had roast beef sandwiches, coleslaw, and of course her homemade pickles. Aunt Bee was happy to be delivering her homemade pickles, and told the boys she had made eight quarts so they could have some every day. With that, she gave each of them a big pickled cucumber and watched while they bit into them. Aunt Bee was oblivious to their pained expressions as they tasted their “treat.”
After Aunt Bee left, Andy said they had to find a way to dispose of the pickles so Aunt Bee wouldn’t find out they didn’t like them. Barney asked why Aunt Bee kept making the pickles, and Andy replied that like most women, she automatically thinks homemade is better than anything from the store. My, how times have changed!
Andy said if the pickles were good ol’ store pickles, they could eat them. Barney said, “But they’re not good ol’ store pickles. They’re bad ol’ home pickles.” Andy said that they would just have to turn them in to store pickles. With that, they devised a plan to switch store-bought pickles for Aunt Bee’s homemade ones.
At the dinner table that night, and after the pickle switch, everyone was talking about how good the pickles were. Aunt Bee decided that since they were being enjoyed so much, she was going to enter the contest at the fair this year and that “this may be the year I beat out Ms. Johnson for the blue ribbon.”
The next day Clara came in the courthouse to deliver a jar of her pickles to Andy and Barney. Clara forced a pickle in Andy’s hand so he had no choice but to taste it. Thinking this would be like Aunt Bee’s pickles, he was pleasantly surprised that Clara’s homemade pickles were actually very good. Clara explained that when her husband was alive, he had loved her pickles. She then asked Andy if he had ever seen her scrapbook. She took it out and showed him her blue ribbons for each of the 11 years she had won the pickle contest at the fair, and said, “Whenever I get discouraged or lonely, I take out my book and look at my ribbons. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s a great comfort to know that there’s something I can do. You must think I’m just putting on airs, but I do try to make my pickles better every year. It means so much to me.” To those who are keeping up, Clara just redeemed herself and is likeable again.
Now Andy and Barney were in a terrible fix! How could they let poor Ms. Clara be the victim of a fixed pickle contest? Referring to Clara, Andy told Barney, “That poor soul just lives for that contest, and if she got nosed out by a store pickle I’d never forgive myself.” He then said that they had to make the contest fair and square, and that meant they were going to have to get Aunt Bee to make another batch. Barney exclaimed, “You can’t be serious! You mean you actually want her to make another batch of them kerosene cucumbers?” The only way to do that was to eat up the store-bought pickles – all eight quarts – so Aunt Bee would see them disappearing. Barney told Andy that his heart wasn’t in that plan. Andy told him it wasn’t his heart they needed; it was his stomach.
So off they went, devouring every pickle in site. Jar after jar disappeared out of the cabinet. Andy, Barney and Opie ate so many pickles they didn’t think they could face another one; however, the day finally came when the pickles were all gone. Aunt Bee was upset when she realized there were no pickles to enter into the contest, but Andy quickly made her realize she should make another batch. And that she did.
It was the day of the county fair, and Aunt Bee was nervous as the judges went from jar to jar, tasting and scrutinizing the pickles. When they got to Aunt Bee’s jar, the judges were obviously taken aback when they tasted her pickles. One judge said, “What would you say?” The other judge replied, “Kerosene?” The first judge said, “Precisely.”
When the blue ribbon was once again given to Clara Johnson, Aunt Bee was genuinely happy for her. She said, “As long as my family likes what I make, that’s blue ribbon enough for me. Actually, you boys are going to be the winners. I made a double batch this time… 16 jars. I’ll see that you get them every day.” After Aunt Bee went off to congratulate Clara, Andy said, “Well, there’s only one thing to do. Learn to love ‘em.”
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone would communicate in such a way that there’s no need to pull the shenanigans that Andy and Barney pulled? Had they just been gently honest with Aunt Bee in the beginning, they wouldn’t have had to eat a total of 24 quarts of pickles. Sometimes the truth isn’t easy to hear, but in my book it’s better to hear the truth than to be blissfully ignorant. Think of all the time and energy (productivity), as well as vinegar and cucumbers (resources), Aunt Bee could have saved had she just known that her talents could better be used elsewhere. I’m sure she would have enjoyed baking an apple pie much more… and we all know that Andy, Barney and Opie would have enjoyed that better!
See you next week. Stay tuned…
Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments
Filed under: Human Resources | Tags: employees, Health Reform, Human Resources, PEO
October 14, 2010
IRS: PPACA W-2 Requirement Optional in 2011
The new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requirement for employers to report health care contributions on an employee’s W-2 will be optional in 2011, according to the IRS. The IRS has released a draft form for the requirement along with its announcement that the requirement will be optional in 2011.
Notice 2010-69 provides: “This notice provides interim relief to employers with respect to reporting the cost of coverage under an employer-sponsored group health plan on Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, pursuant to § 6051(a)(14) of the Code. Specifically, this notice provides that reporting the cost of such coverage will not be mandatory for Forms W-2 issued for 2011. The Treasury Department and the IRS have determined that this relief is appropriate to provide employers with additional time to make any necessary changes to their payroll systems or procedures in preparation for compliance with the reporting requirement.”
Reprinted from NAPEO E-Source – National Association of Professional Employer Organizations e-newsletter. Landrum Professional is a member in good standing of NAPEO.
Call the Landrum office at (850) 476-5100 if you have questions regarding this announcement or any portion of the PPACA; or email Questions@LandrumHR.com .
Filed under: Customer Service, Uncategorized | Tags: "customer service training", "Customer Service", employees, Human Resources
October 13, 2010
“Little Things Mean A Lot”
Bill Cleary, Vice President, Business Development and Client Relations
Landrum Professional Employer Services
This is a story about a customer service lesson I learned early – in fact – when I was in high school. I worked at Roy Rogers Family Restaurant (a popular chain in the Mid-Atlantic States) and was puzzled that we would throw-out food that sat too long under the heat lamps. It seemed so wasteful to me!
At the time, the chain of restaurants was owned by Marriott, and they were very deliberate in their employee training and education. They provided us with a printed four page, weekly bulletin containing financial information, company news and customer feedback. As I recall, the bulletin had actual letters written by customers. Sometimes they were praising us about the good job we did, but sometimes they were complaints.
The one that made a big impression on me was a letter written by a young father. He told how he didn’t make much money but every week, he tried to treat his wife and their young children to a meal “out.” This was the 1970’s, and families really didn’t eat many meals outside the home. Most meals out were just a Saturday trip to a “quick service restaurant” or a Sunday dinner after church.
This young father explained that his family loved to go to Roy Rogers since the food was usually good and they could all get what they wanted (we served fried chicken, roast beef sandwiches, and hamburgers). However, his last trip to the local Roy Rogers was unsatisfactory because his food was cold and his fries were too salty.
As a high-school kid reading this letter, my first thought was something like “good grief, what does he expect?” But as I looked around our dining room, I saw other families similar to the one I imagined had sent us the letter. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I shouldn’t take these customers for granted; if they were not here I wouldn’t have a job! I also realized that for some of them, this trip to our store may be the big treat that the family looks forward to all week!
From that moment on, I made sure to treat all of our customers as if they were the folks in the letter. I imagined that they were my family or friends, and I made sure they were not disappointed.
I guess that this lesson has stayed with me for over 30 years now, because I found myself telling the story to my oldest daughter this summer as she went off to her first day working at a similar “quick service restaurant.” I was excited to talk to her that night and find out that this same lesson about customer service is still as relevant today as it was so long ago!
Bill Cleary, Landrum Human Resources
As the vice president in charge of client relations, Bill is responsible for assuring that the needs of all clients, new and existing, are communicated fully within Landrum to ensure the highest quality service.
Prior to joining Landrum, Bill had a successful career in banking. As Vice President in commercial banking, he served for several years as relationship manager to all Landrum entities before being promoted to Area Credit Officer for northern Florida.
Before his banking career, Bill served as a Marine helicopter pilot and flight instructor. He attended the University of West Florida where he earned his MBA degree.
Filed under: Human Resources, Mayberry | Tags: Human Resources, Mayberry, Trust
October 11, 2010
Mayberry Monday – Mr. McBeevee
By Holly McLeod, PHR
In the mid-1980’s I was an energetic young woman in my first full-time job after college. I was living in Birmingham, AL, and lucked up to find a cute yet affordable apartment located only five minutes from work. Many of my co-workers suffered through agonizingly slow traffic along Highway 280, but I didn’t have to endure the dreaded “rush hour.” Most of my co-workers went out to eat for lunch or brought something from home, but not me; I was able to go home for lunch every day and watch two back-to-back episodes of The Andy Griffith Show (TAGS).
Looking back on this time in my life, I realize it was then that my love for TAGS developed. I had seen Sheriff Andy Taylor and the gang many times as I was growing up, but it was during my precious lunch hours that I was able to fully appreciate TAGS and all the lessons it has to offer.
Actor Karl Swenson played the character Mr. McBeevee (shown here)
One morning Andy’s son Opie was playing in the backyard and was riding his imaginary horse named Blackie. When it was time for breakfast Opie tied invisible Blackie to the invisible hitching post with some invisible rope. Opie was playing in the wonderful world of Make Believe; a place where anything can happen. When Deputy Barney Fife stopped by for breakfast before heading to the courthouse, Opie made Barney believe that Blackie was a real horse that was “black all over with a splat on his nose,” and had a “silver saddle and a long tail.” After Barney went running into the back yard to see Blackie, he was not amused when he realized Blackie was invisible.
Later in the morning Andy and Barney were at work cleaning the jail when Opie walked in after returning from playing in the woods. Andy asked Opie to take out the trash, but Opie said he couldn’t because he told Mr. McBeevee he’d be right back. After Andy asked about Mr. McBeevee, Opie explained that he was new around there and that they had met in the woods. Barney asked what Mr. McBeevee was doing in the woods, and Opie replied that he “mostly walks around in the treetops,” and that he wears a “great big shiny silver hat.” Andy and Barney both thought that Opie was playing another game of Make Believe regarding Mr. McBeevee.
When Andy went home for one of Aunt Bee’s lunches, Opie came in carrying a small hatchet. Andy asked Opie where he got the hatchet, and Opie said he had gotten it from Mr. McBeevee. Believing that Mr. McBeevee was imaginary, Andy told Opie to return the hatchet where he found it. Opie was disappointed, but he left to do what he was told.
After returning the hatchet, Opie returned to the jail and Barney asked him for a description of Mr. McBeevee. Opie said Mr. McBeevee was about tall as his Paw, that he jingles when he walks – “just like he had rings on his fingers and bells on his toes” – that the jingling was from the twelve extra hands he had hanging from his belt, and that he could make smoke come out of his ears. After this description, Andy and Barney are convinced that Mr. McBeevee doesn’t exist. Opie said that Mr. McBeevee was a real nice man, and then he held up a quarter that Mr. McBeevee had given him.
Andy asked Opie where he got the quarter. Opie saw that Andy didn’t believe he got the quarter from Mr McBeevee, so he suggested that Andy ask Mr. McBeevee for himself. Andy took Opie up on his offer and they both headed to the woods in search of the elusive Mr. McBeevee. When they got there, Opie started looking up in the trees and desperately calling out to Mr. McBeevee. “Mr. McBeevee? Mr. McBeevee, it’s me, Opie! Please come down, Mr. McBeevee. My Paw’s here. I want you to tell him about that quarter!” When there was no response, Opie turned around and looked at his Paw. All Andy said was, “Let’s go home.”
When they got home Andy sent Opie up to his room. Andy explained to Aunt Bee that it looked like Opie was in the habit of “stretching the truth out of shape,” and then he headed up to Opie’s room to deal with the difficult situation. When he got there, Andy reminded Opie of the fun he had playing with Blackie the invisible horse, and suggested that maybe the same thing happened with Mr. McBeevee and that Opie had made him up, too. Andy said, “There comes a time when you have to stop play acting and tell the truth, and that time’s now.”
Opie knew he was facing the consequences of Andy thinking he was telling a lie, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell his Paw that Mr. McBeevee wasn’t real. Opie told Andy that Mr. McBeevee wasn’t make believe — he’s real. He looked up into his father’s eyes and asked, “Don’t you believe me, Paw?” Andy looked at his son for a long moment, and then he said the best words Opie could have heard; “I believe you.”
Andy left Opie’s room and went downstairs where Aunt Bee and Barney were waiting. After Andy said he had told Opie he believed him, Barney asked him why he had said that, because what Opie had said was impossible. Andy replied, “Well, a whole lot of times I’ve asked him to believe things that to his mind must have seemed just as impossible. I guess it’s times like this when you’re asked to believe something that doesn’t seem possible… that’s the moment that decides you’ve got faith in someone or not.” Barney asked Andy if he believed in Mr. McBeevee. Andy said, “No, but I do believe in Opie.” What a great Paw Andy was!
Andy was still trying to come to grips with the whole situation, and he went out to the same woods where Opie had said he met Mr. McBeevee. In frustration and disgust, Andy loudly states the name that has caused the problem… “Mr. McBeevee!” At that moment Andy heard someone from above reply, “Hello! Somebody call?” Andy looked up in astonishment to see a man climbing down from a tree toward him, wearing a great big shiny silver hat. He said to the stranger, “You jingle!” Realizing who he was speaking to, Andy asked, “You can make smoke come out of your ears, can’t you?”
Andy was so excited to realize that Mr. McBeevee was standing right in front of him in flesh and blood! He quickly realized there was a logical explanation for everything Opie had said about the man. You see, Mr. McBeevee was a utility worker with the phone company. His “walking in the trees” was caused by working on the nearby telephone lines high off the ground. His great big shiny silver hat was nothing more than a silver hard hat. And his “extra hands?” Those were the tools handing from a tool belt – Mr. McBeevee had explained to little Opie that he couldn’t work without his tools, and that he called him his extra hands. Consequently, the jingling was caused by his tools moving around when he walked. Andy was overcome with joy in realizing that Opie had been telling the truth, and with a great big grin on his face he vigorously shook Mr. McBeevee’s hand over and over again.
Sometimes the people we interact with say things that appear improbable. They may be your friends, your children, your business acquaintances, or perhaps, your employees. If you determine an employee is purposely stretching the truth then they should be dealt with appropriately; however, when trusted employees say or do something that calls you to step back and wonder where they’re coming from, it may be an opportunity to show your faith in them. In an article by Jody Urquhart titled Trust me on this: Having faith in employees will boost your organization’s bottom line, Urquhart states, “Trust affects the bottom line — the way you treat employees is the way they will treat customers.” What better way to multi-task, so to speak, than to show faith in your employees, who will in turn help your customers have faith in your business?
The day I first watched “Mr. McBeevee” will live in my memory as I recall standing in front on my television, willing the episode to progress faster so I could get back to work. I vividly remember standing up with purse and keys in hand, anxiously waiting for the episode to conclude so I would know how it turned out. When it was time for me to leave, Andy hadn’t yet discovered that Mr. McBeevee was a real person. How could I leave without knowing the outcome and seeing Opie vindicated for the alleged crime of stretching the truth??? The answer is that I couldn’t make myself leave; and yes, I was late returning from lunch that day. I must defend myself and say that I’m not normally a rule breaker, but thankfully I didn’t get in trouble… but it would have been worth it even if I did!
This week, try to find an opportunity to show faith in someone when logic would indicate otherwise. You might just be surprised at how rewarding it can be when you’re proven wrong.
Have a great week, and stay tuned…
Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments
Filed under: Consulting, Human Resources | Tags: "human resources consulting", Human Resources, Working a Better Way
2011 Working A Better Way Grant
Do you know of a non-profit agency that would benefit from the development of a strategic vision, enhancement of supervisory leadership skills or having an expert HR Manager on call? Help us help them by encouraging them to apply for the Working a Better Way Grant.
Our goal at Landrum Consulting is to help organizations and employees work a better way. Each year since it’s beginning, Landrum Consulting has provided thousands of dollars in pro-bono work to local non-profit organizations. Our Working a Better Way Grant is a way for us to formalize this community service and extend the opportunity to all community non-profits.
Landrum Consulting Services, a division of Landrum Human Resource Companies, is now accepting applications for the Inaugural 2011 Working a Better Way Grant. The grant is opened to 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organizations located in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, or Baldwin counties who have been operational for at least one year as of the application deadline. Interested organizations can view the application guidelines and apply on-line for the Working a Better Way Grant at www.LandrumConsulting.com/grant.
Through the Working A Better Way Grant program, Landrum Consulting will award three grants in the following categories:
Strategic Planning: Many organizations spend time and money on “strategic planning”, only to let the great ideas that were brainstormed lie on a shelf collecting dust because they didn’t know where or how to begin. Landrum will help your organization outline a Strategic Plan to help your organization establish and achieve their desired goals and vision. The difference in Landrum’s method is that we help organizations focus on the most important things, establish measurable outcomes for those goals, and most importantly, establish an accountability system so that the goals will not fall by the wayside and be forgotten.
Leadership Training: Competent leadership is much more than knowing the right things—it is using the right skills, knowledge, insights, perceptions, and sensitivity to help employees deliver services and products according to expectations. This certification series is designed to enhance leadership skills for all levels of experience including those new to the supervisor role, experienced supervisors/managers who have not had formal training in management education, and seasoned managers who want to further develop their leadership skills. The certification program requires participation in (6) core courses:
1. Boot Camp for Supervisors
2. Hiring 101
3. Dealing with Difficult Employees
4. Sexual Harassment
5. Developing and Sustaining a Customer Service Culture
6. Supervisor Safety Skills
Human Resources Support: Landrum On-Call is human resources management consultation and assistance at your fingertips. Landrum will provide Human Resources support by assigning a certified Human Resources Manager to assist your organization with employee relations issues. Landrum provides guidance and support in the following areas:
• Compliance with Pertinent Employment Laws
• Discrimination and Harassment Claim Avoidance
• Employee Disciplinary Actions
• Investigation of Employee Claims and Disputes
• Conflict Resolution
• Employment-Related Policies
• Job Descriptions
An informational session for interested non-profits will be held October 15, 2010, 8:30am – 9:30am at the Landrum Corporate office, 6723 Plantation Road, Pensacola, FL 32504. This session will explain and review the application, the supporting documentation needed, and services that are provided under the grant. Please register for the informational session by calling Melissa Miller at 850-266-6144 or emailing; Grant@LandrumHR.com.
The deadline for receipt of grant applications is November 1, 2010. The Working A Better Way grant recipients will be chosen by Pensacola area Human Resources professionals and announced December 14, 2010.
Working A Better Way Grant Application
Filed under: Corporate Culture, Customer Service, Human Resources | Tags: "customer service training", "Customer Service", Communication, employees, Human Resources, relationships
October 5, 2010
Celebrating Customer Service
In 1992 the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event, celebrated annually during the first full week in October. Customer Service Week is devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service and to honoring the people who serve and support customers with the highest degree of care and professionalism.
At Landrum Human Resources, we pride ourselves in exceptional customer service. We hope you enjoy this month’s blog posts as we share some of our favorite customer service stories. We begin with a true story titled “Wrong Number? - No such thing in customer service”. We hope you find our series of short, customer service parables informative and entertaining. Enjoy.
Wrong Number?
No such thing in Customer Service
One of my favorite customer service stories comes from a “Wrong Number” phone call. I used to work for a bank that insisted every phone call should be answered by a live person. Our policy was to try to provide immediate help to the person who called, even if they called the wrong department. In short, there was no such thing as “that’s not my job” or “you need to call a different number and ask for so and so.” You can imagine our clients expected a lot from us, but they were very happy with the service they received!
To make things even more interesting, my direct line was only one digit different from the bank’s main phone line. Naturally, I got an excessive number of calls at the first of each month, when folks called to make sure their direct deposits had “hit the bank.” Since I was in commercial banking, these calls gave me a good reason to stay sharp at looking things up on the bank’s depository system. Usually the calls lasted only a few seconds and the customers were happy to have a quick answer.
Sometimes, however, I got an angry customer on the phone. One Friday afternoon, I got a customer who was stuck in a very long line in the drive through. She had a very deep, gravelly voice and she was quick to let me know how angry she was that the line was not moving at all. She pointed out that there were several open lanes, but we 
were not smart enough to see that they needed to be staffed with tellers! She told me I needed to look outside the window and see for myself. I asked her at which branch she was waiting. She told me she was at a very busy branch across town. I immediately apologized for her wait and I told her I was grateful she took the time to call and let me know. Since it would not have made her any happier, I didn’t waste time trying to explain that I was at the main office several miles away.
I told her that I personally knew the branch manager, and told her I’d ask them to open some more lanes. As soon as my caller realized that I was genuinely concerned about her complaint, and was going to take action, she calmed down a little bit. I wanted to make sure we got the problem resolved, so I asked for her phone number so I could call her back. She was delighted to give it to me.
I called the branch manager, who confirmed that it was “a mad house” and she was short-staffed. She did promise to open another lane in the drive thru. I waited a couple of minutes and called my new friend back. She confirmed that traffic was moving so much better now that they had opened the other lane. She was delighted that she was now next in line to make her deposit and she told me that this kind of concern for customers was why she kept banking with us. I thanked her again and we both got back to what we were doing before.
I thought that was the end of it, but my new friend called me back the very next Friday afternoon. I admit I cringed a little bit when I heard that distinctive voice, but she quickly let me know that she just wanted to call me and say things were going well and the drive thru lanes were functioning very smoothly! She also told me a little “secret.” She said she knew I was not the customer service hot-line operator. One of the tellers had told her I was a Vice President in Commercial Banking. She said she was so impressed that we cared so much for our customers that she had been re-telling the “wrong number” story to all her friends. It turns out that she owned a little shop and her friends were also business owners. As a result of a few minutes on the phone, the bank picked up several new accounts!
From that day on, I always looked forward to those “wrong number” calls! At the very least, I would make a new friend, and sometimes we even got new business from them!
Bill Cleary, Landrum Human Resources
Bill Cleary, Vice President of Business Development and Client Relations
Landrum Professional Employer Services
As the vice president in charge of client relations, Bill is responsible for assuring that the needs of all clients, new and existing, are communicated fully within Landrum to ensure the highest quality service.
Prior to joining Landrum, Bill had a successful career in banking. As Vice President in commercial banking, he served for several years as relationship manager to all Landrum entities before being promoted to Area Credit Officer for northern Florida.
Before his banking career, Bill served as a Marine helicopter pilot and flight instructor. He attended the University of West Florida where he earned his MBA degree.
Filed under: Customer Service, Human Resources, Mayberry | Tags: Communication, employees, Human Resources, Mayberry, relationships
October 4, 2010
Mayberry Monday – Dinner at Eight
By Holly McLeod, PHR
One of the most important aspects of being in business is building good relationships. Without them, it would be difficult for an organization to remain viable in today’s society. Think about it… every encounter we have with others has the potential to build or destroy a relationship. Does the bank teller smile and talk pleasantly to you as you hurriedly make a deposit right before closing time? Is the waiter cordial as he takes your order? Do people generally meet your expectations in your interactions with them? Sometimes we need to do things solely in the name of good relationships. The things we’re called to do aren’t always pleasant, but in the name of maintaining relationships we do what is necessary.
Life in Mayberry was no different, and Sheriff Andy Taylor usually did whatever was necessary to maintain good relationships with those around him. He was known to occasionally babysit at the jail when a mother needed to do some shopping; he allowed Otis the “town drunk” to help himself to a cell whenever he needed to sleep off the previous night’s revelry; and more than once he intervened in order to keep Deputy Barney Fife in good graces with girlfriend Thelma Lou. Andy knew the value of relationships.
One time Aunt Bee was heading out of town to visit her sister, and Andy’s son Opie was going on a camping trip. As the family sat down to breakfast before everyone left, Opie was so excited about his trip that he didn’t want to eat his cereal. Andy told Opie, “We don’t waste food around here. When something’s served to you, you eat it.” Opie started inhaling his cereal to get it over with, and then he and Aunt Bee set off on their respective trips.
Andy was looking forward to having the house to himself, but alas, it wasn’t to be. On her way out of town Aunt Bee stopped to get gasoline in the car and asked Goober to check in on Andy to make sure he didn’t get lonesome. When Andy got back from the store to stock up on bachelor food for the weekend, Goober unexpectedly came in with a suitcase. Andy quickly realized that Goober intended to stay with him during Aunt Bee’s and Opie’s absence. With visions of eating smoked oysters and walking around the house in stocking feet quickly fading, Andy did the only thing he could do not to show his disappointment to Goober – he left.
While Andy was gone, Opie came running in the office frantically looking for his scout axe that he had forgotten to pack for his camping trip. Goober was helping Opie look for the axe as the scout master was honking the car horn in frustration. During the confusion, the telephone rang. Goober answered it and impatiently waited for the caller to finish speaking. Goober responded, “I’ll tell him.” The phone immediately rang again, and after the caller had finished speaking Goober replied, “I’ll be glad to.”
That evening after Andy had arrived back at the house, he sat down to a spaghetti supper that Goober had prepared. He enjoyed Goober’s spaghetti so much that he had three helpings. After dinner Goober told Andy he thought there was something he was supposed to tell Andy, but he couldn’t remember what it was. Andy was preparing for a nice and relaxing evening when Goober suddenly remembered the phone calls. He told Andy that Howard Sprague had called and invited him to dinner, and that Andy’s girlfriend Helen had called and “said something about the young people’s meeting.” Realizing that Howard and his mother had probably gone to a lot of trouble to prepare a meal for him, Andy trudged to the Spragues with a stomach already filled with spaghetti.
When Howard answered the door to find Andy standing there, it became obvious that Andy expected to be served dinner. Howard ran into the kitchen to tell his mother, who had already put up the leftovers from dinner and was cleaning the kitchen. She instructed Howard to set the table, and she quickly warmed up their leftovers; spaghetti. Andy sat down to eat, not wanting to offend Mrs. Sprague. He forced down one plate of spaghetti, and Mrs. Sprague then emptied the remaining spaghetti into his place. Andy was visibly miserable from overeating, but he continued to punish his stomach in the name of good relationships.
After Andy got back home, he was moaning from having eaten too much. He was heading upstairs to bed, and the phone rang. It was Helen. Helen wanted to know where Andy was, because he was already an hour late for dinner. As Andy is talking to Helen, Goober realized his mistake; it had been Helen who had invited him to dinner, and Howard had called about the young people’s meeting. Helen was clearly annoyed with Andy, so he immediately headed over to Helen’s where he sat down to his third meal of the evening; that’s right… spaghetti.
By this time Andy is so miserable he can’t force himself to eat, so he told Helen he was on a diet. Also at this time Opie arrived home after his camping trip got rained out. He was hungry, so he went over to Helen’s to eat with them. When Opie got to Helen’s he graciously starting eating a plateful of spaghetti. Helen, clearly annoyed that Andy wasn’t eating, said she was glad that someone liked her spaghetti.
Opie asked Andy if he was going to leave all that food on his plate. Opie reminded Andy of what he had said that morning when Opie didn’t want to eat his cereal for breakfast, and said that they should eat the spaghetti and not let it go to waste. Helen agreed, saying “EAT!” Andy ate. I love spaghetti, but I don’t believe I could ever force myself to eat six helpings of it in the same evening. Andy didn’t think he could either, but he did it in the name of good relationships.
If you think about it, every single encounter we have with others has the potential to build positive relationships. In their book How Full is Your Bucket?, Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton explore the theory of the dipper and the bucket. The concept is this: With every interaction you are either filling (having a positive encounter) or dipping (having a negative encounter) with everyone you encounter. If your encounter is positive, the other person’s invisible emotional bucket is being filled – and so is your own. If your encounter is less than positive, not only is the other person’s emotional bucket being emptied – but so is your own. Therefore, we can conclude that it is in our own best interest to strive for positive interactions with everyone we encounter. Not only will this have a positive personal effect on you, but in building those relationships it will also have a positive effect on your organization.
Poor Andy had his fill of spaghetti, but relationships were more important to him than his stomach. Unfortunately he wasn’t through with his spaghetti feast. When Aunt Bee returned home the next day, she saw that Andy looked pale so she interpreted that to mean he hadn’t gotten enough to eat while she was away. In typical Aunt Bee fashion she immediately went to the kitchen to fix something for him. You guessed it… spaghetti.
I hope you have a great week, and that you start noticing your interactions with others. Now go home and enjoy a spaghetti dinner – just not six servings!
See you next week in Mayberry. Stay tuned…
Holly McLeod is a Human Resources Manager for Landrum Professional Employer Services and Landrum Consulting. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than 15 years of human resources consulting in the corporate world, healthcare and manufacturing environments
