Top 10 Ways to Improve Customer Service:

Internet marketing expert Dan Brown recently wrote about the 10 most powerful ideas for improving customer service.

• Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Offer them a free e-zine subscription. Ask customers if they want to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to your Web site. After every sale, follow-up with the customer to see if they are satisfied with their purchase.

• Create a customer focus group. Invite ten to twenty of your most loyal customers to meet regularly. They will give you ideas and input on how to improve your customer service. You could pay them, take them out to dinner or give them free products.

• Make it easy for your customers to navigate on your web site. Have a "FAQ" page on your Web site to explain anything that might confuse your customers. Ask them to fill out an electronic survey to find out how make your web site more customer friendly.

• Resolve your customer's complaints quickly and successfully. Answer all e-mail and phone calls within an hour. If possible, you the owner of the business, personally take care of the problem. This will show your customers you really care about them.

• Make it easy for your customers to contact you. Offer as many contact methods as possible. Allow customers to contact you by e-mail. Hyperlink your e-mail address so customers won't have to type it. Offer toll free numbers for phone and fax contacts.

• Make sure employees know and use your customer service policy. Give your employees bonuses or incentives to practice excellent customer service. Tell employees to be flexible with each individual customer, each one has different concerns, needs and wants.

• Give your customers more than they expect. Send thank you gifts to lifetime customers. E-mail them online greeting cards on holidays or birthdays. Award bonuses to your customers who make a big purchase.

• Always be polite to your customers. Use the words your welcome, please, and thank you. Be polite to your customers even if they are being irate with you. Always apologize to your customers should you make a mistake. Admit your mistakes quickly and make it up to them in a big way.

• Reward customers a point for every one dollar they spend. Let's say customers can get a free computer for 300 points. That means customers will spend $300 dollars on your products and services to get enough points to get the free computer.

• Build strong relationships with your customers. Invite them to company meetings, luncheons, workshops or seminars. Create special events for your customers like parties, barbecue's, dances etc. This will make them feel important when you include them in regular business operations and special events.

10 Ideas for Better Staffing Results:

Great staffing results don't happen by accident. They occur when smart people, like you, invest in creating the best possible relationship with a quality staffing solutions firm.

If you'd like to hear more praise and excitement about the temporaries your company uses, consider these 10 ideas for achieving GREAT staffing results!

• Temps Need Job Descriptions Too!
  Job descriptions should be well-defined, prioritized, current and submitted in writing to your staffing firm. They should include your expectations in terms of candidate abilities and experience along with specific performance goals and standards.

• More Lead Time Equals Better Candidates
  Give as much lead time as possible when placing orders with your staffing provider. This will optimize your chances of finding an ideal candidate for the assignment and may give you more than one suitable candidate to choose from. And when lead time isn't an option, let your staffing vendor know which skills and traits are most critical for the assignment.

• Be Mindful of Cut-rate Deals
  People are your organization's most important asset. And that should include temporary employees. Treat temporary staffing as an investment, not an expense. Cheaper is not better. The last thing you want is the cut-rate service that typically accompanies cut-rate pricing. Go with a staffing firm that takes the time to fill your needs correctly.

• Train Your Service Rep
  Educate your staffing service representatives on your organization's mission statement, goals, culture, history and current performance. Tell them what types of work styles or personalities will fit best in your organization. Familiarizing your representatives with your company's needs and preferences helps the staffing firm to become a more knowledgeable extension of your human resources department.

• Take Full Advantage of Your Staffing Vendor's Resources
  Invest a little time to learn about your staffing vendor's full range of capabilities, so you can take maximum advantage of their resources. A good vendor can not only provide qualified candidates, staffing flexibility and cost savings, but can also offer a great deal of staffing expertise and employee relations support. To get a complete picture, request a tour of their facility or a capabilities demonstration.

• Set Clear Expectations
  Establish mutually agreed upon expectations for interaction with your staffing supplier at the beginning of your relationship. This can include development of an order-placing procedure, appropriate quality control checks and feedback methods. Setting expectations can ensure clear communication and expedient service.

• Benchmark Performance
  Find out what type of tests candidates are required to take at your staffing firm. When candidates are referred to you, ask what their test scores are. Establish preferred scoring levels for placements within your company (you might even ask to have one of your internal employees tested to give you a benchmark for performance). In addition, encourage your temporary employees to take advantage of training available at the staffing firm.

• Provide Feedback
  Maintain an ongoing dialogue and honest relationship with your staffing contacts. Keep them abreast of changes in your company. Give them useful feedback on their service and the performance of employees placed. Meet regularly to obtain their input on what you can do to enhance interaction with them and ultimately improve quality service and placements.

• Create a Partner in Your Success
  Consider involving a staffing firm in your company's business planning. For example, you might include your staffing representatives in an annual meeting to plan staffing strategies. They can offer insight regarding the possible uses of strategic staffing to meet your needs for workload variations, new hires, and managing attrition. They can also offer valuable market data to help with employee retention.

• Reward Results
  High quality staffing firms focus on more than filling orders. They want to help you save time, save money, and make it easier to find the qualified people you need to get work done. While all staffing firms are not created equally, the good ones can be worth their weight in gold. When you find a vendor who does a great job, look for opportunities to enhance the relationship. Invite them in. Challenge them to help you solve problems. And see what you can do to reward their good results. Not only will you make your top vendor happy, you'll increase their commitment to your success.

Better Results, Right Now!
With a 10%+ unemployment rate and a slowly recovering economy, your company may be feeling the pinch. There's more work to be done, yet continued pressure to control costs. Now may be an ideal time to look at strategic approaches to staffing. Through the creative use of temporary help, you may be able to get more done and reduce your personnel costs.

Want to take a look at your options? Give Cutting Edge a call (561-910-8000). We can support you by: Identifying inefficiencies where work could be performed at a lower cost.

Providing access to qualified and diverse candidates seeking temporary employment. Outsourcing candidate screening and follow-up on new hires—two functions that become overwhelming when an abundance of applicants exists.

The Pride System: Building a Productive Workforce

Workers face dynamic and ever increasing challenges. A global economy of discriminating consumers has placed demands on employers never before seen. Managers face the task of finding, keeping, and motivating workers. Environmental pressures, rising health care costs, and the sophisticated needs of the workforce have placed management in a complicated and tenuous situation.

The answer lies with creating a work environment that motivates people toward exceptional performance. Supervisors and managers who maximize the potential, creative abilities, and talents of the entire workforce have a greater competitive advantage than those who don't. Motivated workers provide the insurance businesses desperately need in these chaotic times.

HOW TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE—THE PRIDE SYSTEM
Supervisors have the responsibility of creating a motivating working environment. According to Dr. Edwards Deming, "The aim of leadership should be to improve the performance of man and machine, to improve quality, to increase output, and simultaneously to bring pride of workmanship to people." A motivating environment is one that gives workers a sense of pride in what they do. To show supervisors and managers how to build a more productive work environment, I've created a five-step process called the PRIDE system. Leaders can improve motivation within their organizations by following this process:

• Provide a positive working environment
• Recognize everyone's efforts
• Involve everyone
• Develop skills and potential
• Evaluate and measure continuously

STEP 1: PROVIDE A POSITIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Motivation begins by first providing a positive work environment. Fran Tarkenton says to find what motivates people, "you have to find what turns people on." This is the most important factor in the process. A motivating working environment requires going above and beyond the call of duty and providing for the needs of the worker.

Walt Disney World Company provides an excellent work environment for their employees or "cast members." Employee assistance centers are spread strategically across the theme park. Some of the services included employee discount programs, childcare information, money orders, postage stamps, check cashing, and bus passes. The Walt Disney Company realizes that taking care of their employees' needs keeps them motivated, on the job and loyal to the company.

STEP 2: RECOGNIZE EVERYONE'S EFFORTS
Mark Twain once said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment." Personal recognition is a powerful tool in building morale and motivation.

A pat on the back, a personal note from a peer or a supervisor does wonders. Small, informal celebrations are many times more effective than a once-a-quarter or once-a-year formal event.

Recognition from one's peers is more motivating than from supervisors. United Services Automobile Association (USAA) provides "Thank You" note stationary for their workers. Employees are encouraged to say "Thank You" to each other for the help they receive at work. The most surprising thing happened on the first day USAA printed the notes . . . they ran out! The company couldn't keep up with the demand.

STEP 3: INVOLVE EVERYONE
Having workers involved at all levels of the business is a key element to improving morale and motivation. It also has a major impact on improving profit and productivity. The best way to involve workers is the use of teams and teamwork.

Businesses have found that teams improve productivity, increase morale and empower workers. Teams have decreased the need for excessive layers of middle managers and supervisors.

Johnsonville Foods located in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin has been a flagship of productivity improvement. Almost 90% of the workforce belongs to some type of team. The team, not management, decides who is hired, who is fired, and who gets a pay raise. Ralph Stayer, Johnsonville's Chief Executive Officer, reports that his company's productivity has risen by at least 50% since 1986. Teamwork has made a tremendous impact on the morale of the company.

STEP 4: DEVELOP WORKERS' SKILLS AND POTENTIAL
Training and education motivates people making them more productive and innovative. At Federal Express, all customer contact people are given six weeks of training before they ever answer their first phone call. Learning never stops and testing continues throughout their employment tenure. Every six months customer service people are tested using an online computer system. Pass/fail results are sent to each employee within 24 hours. They receive a personalized "prescription" on areas that need reviewing with a list of resources and lessons that will help. Federal Express' intensive training and development program has resulted in higher motivation and lower turnover.

There are many reasons training and development makes sense. Well-trained employees are more capable and willing to assume more control over their jobs. They need less supervision, which frees management for other tasks. Employees are more capable to answer the questions of customers building better customer loyalty. Employees who understand the business complain less, are more satisfied, and are more motivated. All this leads to better management-employee relationships

STEP 5: EVALUATE AND MEASURE CONTINUOUSLY
Continuous evaluation and never ending improvement is the final step of the PRIDE system. Evaluation is a nonstop activity that includes a specific cycle of steps. The primary purpose of evaluation is to measure progress and determine what needs improving. Continuous evaluation includes, but is not limited to, the measurement of attitudes, morale, and motivation of the workforce. It includes the identification of problem areas needing improvement and the design and implementation of an improvement plan.

Businesses have searched far and wide for the competitive advantage, the best equipment, robotics, or the latest business technique. These devices provide only temporary solutions. The true competitive advantage is trained and motivated people proudly working together, contributing vitality and energy toward the goals of the enterprise.

Reduce Operating Expenses and Increase Bottom Line Profits!

Business challenges never stop. It takes intelligence and dexterity to deal with the recession, growing government regulation, advancing technology and global competition. Solutions must be found. And each solution must be cost effective.

At Cutting Edge Recruiting Solutions we help companies reduce overhead expenses, increase employee effectiveness, and give managers the flexibility to tackle big jobs and produce great results. Talk to us about how we can help you.

Containing Costs
CERS offers many solutions to reduce overhead, manage operating costs and improve organizational performance.

Challenge: Fixed Expenses are Dragging Down Profits

CERS Solutions: Develop a two-part plan to 1) reduce the number of permanent employees to support normal workloads and 2) bring in extra help when required. Identify the as-needed employees so they can be brought in at the time they are needed. Contractors or temporary staff brings the experience and skills you need. But they don't add to fixed expenses. They are often as qualified as consultants without the high costs. CERS can find these workers who are available on short notice to serve your company.

Challenge: The Cost of Benefits is Increasing

CERS Solutions: Find more ways to employ contracted temporary employees who receive limited benefits. Costs for these benefits are absorbed by CERS. Adjust benefit programs for different groups of employees. The CERS payroll or employee leasing services may make it possible to offer more limited and less costly benefits.

Challenge: Overtime Costs are too Great

CERS Solutions: CERS may lease employees to the company. This should reduce overtime as the employees could be used as a supplement to the permanent staff just for the overload, or as full-time temporary staff that allows the work to be completed without incurring any overtime.

Challenge: Existing Employees are not Properly Trained

CERS Solutions: Use fully trained and experienced CERS employees. They have the skills you need and are immediately available.

Challenge: Recruiting Takes too Long, Cost too Much, and Produces Inconsistent Results

CERS Solutions: Reduce time and expenses by using CERS – they are highly efficient at advertising, screening, interviewing and checking references. The end result is you receive a selection of qualified candidates in time to meet your needs.

Challenge: Managing Payroll Costs too Much and is Difficult

CERS Solutions: CERS's PEO or ASO service absorbs all the expenses of payroll processing and administration.

Challenge: High Unemployment Claims

CERS Solutions: Employees from CERS do not impact your unemployment claim experience since they are actually employed outside of your company. Employees can be leased from CERS or payrolled through CERS.

Challenge: Operating Inefficiencies from Overhead

CERS Solutions: You make money providing service and selling products … not writing payroll checks, complying with OSHA, or in anything else related to compliance and administration. CERS is an outsource provider that offers the same (or better!) work for less cost. It allows you to maintain a laser focus on your core business so you can reduce expenses and improve performance.

Cut costs. Improve productivity. Grow Profits.

These are almost always goals of managers. And they are always followed by the same question: How will you achieve the goals during the coming year?

A great place to find the answers is by looking strategically at your employees. This article will show you how to view your current and future staff as the vehicle that will drive the growth of your profits. Take a strategic approach to staffing. Do you plan staffing requirements six months or more in advance? Do you look for ways to use contract and temporary staff to reduce labor costs, expand capacity, and capitalize on new opportunities? This article will introduce you to several ways to use Cutting Edge Recruiting Solutions services strategically, as a tool to help your organization navigate the turbulent waters ahead and emerge from the downturn stronger and more profitable.

• Goal: Contain Costs
  All businesses need to control expenses. When used effectively, CERS services can save far more than they cost. Staffing solutions can reduce overhead and manage operating costs in several areas:

  • Fixed Expenses--By using CERS employees for special projects, knowledge infusion or during peak workload periods, you get the experience and skills you need without increasing your fixed payroll costs.
  • Benefit Expenses--Using staffing services can limit your benefit expenses. Most temporary employees receive limited benefits paid by CERS.
  • Overtime Costs--By using temporary employees, you can reduce the amount of overtime you pay your direct staff.
  • Unemployment Claims--Because CERS provides temporary employees, none of the unemployment claims affect your rating.

• Goal: Reduce Risk
  CERS can help your business prosper by reducing the risks inherent in hiring and human resource management:

  • Bad Hires--All hiring decisions are risky because bad ones are so costly. To help protect yourself, consider a temp-to-hire option to try out a new employee. If you're pleased with the temporary employee's performance, you can offer him or her a direct position. If you're not, you can terminate the assignment without consequence.
  • Burnout--As the workload increases, tension in the workplace rises, and so do absenteeism, workers' compensation claims, and the need for more management. Adding CERS employees during peak work periods can help relax the demand on your direct staff.
  • Legal Issues—CERS is well-versed in employment law, so we comply with all federal, state, and local regulations. We can also help ensure that you're following non-discriminatory hiring practices or with diversity initiatives.
  • Layoffs--By using temporary employees on an as needed basis, our clients that experience frequent variations in workload have reduced or eliminated the need to lay off direct personnel during slow periods.

• Goal: Increase Flexibility
  Today's organizations are challenged with the ever changing climate of the business world. This requires swift, decisive action or your competitors will gain an advantage. CERS can provide the support and expertise you need to meet market demands quickly, without committing to long-term expense.

  • Operating Efficiency--Business functions outside of your core competencies can be outsourced to CERS. Outsourcing normally translates to decreased expense and increased efficiency.
  • Staffing Options--Temporary employees are an ideal answer to situations with short-term staffing requirements, including special projects, seasonal work, vacation and maternity leaves, and tight deadlines.
  • Hiring Restrictions--If your company has instituted a hiring freeze, temporary employees can help you with the workload without increasing your direct hire headcount.
  • Immediate Placement Needs--CERS maintains a robust applicant databases. We can often identify candidates who have the skills, experience, and personality traits that match your work environment. We can also supply competent temporary employees who can fill in until we've found the right candidates for direct positions.

• Goal: Save Time
  Time may be the most precious commodity in business. The time you spend finding and administering employees is time away from critical job concerns. CERS can relieve your hiring and managing burden.

  • Hiring Process—CERS offer direct placement services which substantially reduce or eliminate the time you spend advertising, screening, interviewing, testing, and reference checking.
  • Training--Because CERS has access to temporary employees with the skills you need, you'll spend less time training new personnel. We provide access to a full library of training programs our employees can use to sharpen their skills before they begin their assignment with you.
  • Payroll Administration--When you use temporary employees, CERS is responsible for the time-intensive tasks of processing and administering payroll and benefits.
  • Non-Critical Activities--Outsourcing non-critical departments or activities to a CERS can free up your employees' time and lead to improved performance.

• Goal: Grow your business.
  Businesses either grow and prosper or stagnate and fail. Staffing can play an important role in facilitating new growth concepts and supporting demands created by an organization's success.

  • New Ideas--Before you commit to hiring direct staff to implement a new concept, you can test your idea with temporary employees. These temporaries can assume a direct role, or they can fill in for your staff members involved with testing the new idea.
  • Rapid Growth--CERS can act as an adjunct to your human resources department. By taking the time to learn and understand your business, we can help you recruit temporary employees and direct hires that will succeed in your work environment.
  • Knowledge Infusion--CERS allows you to bring in the expertise you need on a short-term basis. These experts, especially temporary technical and professional staff, can also teach new skills to direct employees in your organization. Client often find this alternative is far more cost effective than traditional consulting firms and you have complete control over billable time.