On customer service...

Being a woman in the world, I have done my fair share of customer service activities.  Sexist, is that?  I think not.  Merely factual, people are much more receptive to women helping them and being in positions of administration/service roles and respond accordingly.  Now does that mean that I think all women are good with people, or empathic?  Hardly.  Does that mean I think men aren't those things?  Nope.  Just means that often we as humans are put into roles where we fit more naturally and excel, and often there are many more women than men who excel in that area.  

Now, back to the point.  Having done a lot of customer service, and having experienced a lot of customer service, (I believe that in most every type of work if you pay attention, you have some 'customer' you are serving, be it a retail consumer or a client you are consulting for, it is that relationship which is key to your selling/providing/acting out your function, so you better listen up!) it is high time there were standards in place.  

Anecdotally, we have all had good and bad experiences.  This restaurant is quick and courteous without being sycophantic, that bank loses your certified deposit and then gives you the runaround for the better part of a week without actually helping, *cough* www.compassbank *cough cough* that consultant always seems available even when you call her at 3am because you forgot she, unlike you, is not in Rome at the moment....

What sets people as individuals in normal life, as well as in their workplace roles, apart is their decision to take ownership and not accept failure as a possibility.  They might not know the answer, they might not have caused the problem, but they believe that they are empowered AND in and of themselves have the ability to take care of the situation.  I run into this all the time...as I am sure all of you do as well.  Anyway, there are all sorts of 'how to's' and guides for good customer service, but I think part of getting good customer service and ultimately getting what you need/want out of the situation has to do with you as the client.  So here's my list of do's and don't's....for you!  (sure sure, easy use of 'Oklahoma' line, but I really couldn't resist)

Don't lose your temper.  The sooner you allow your emotions to take control of your reason, the less likely you are to offer good and useful information to the person trying to help you.  Besides, even when they are being buffoons, and of no assistance, you think they'll be *more* helpful when you start disparaging their mother?  Probably not.  

Do center your discussion around salient DATA, not opinion.  Sure, the person who helped you before might have screwed it all up royally, but when you lay into their coworker you make the person on the defensive.  A person who is defending their company AND trying to help you is splitting their focus, just cut to the facts and focus.

Do have a goal in mind.  If you aren't sure what you need accomplished: get a deposit posted, get a credit for calls you didn't make...whatever.  Just keep your eyes on the prize and don't give up til you get there.  If you leave the goal to the person on the other end...meaning you are just frustrated and venting, you almost always will get nowhere.

Do be creative.  Sometimes you have to help them help you.  They know what's normally done, they know the rules.  Help them figure out a way to make it work within their parameters by asking questions.  Explain the situation, and ask for their advice.  Make sure you know that (usually) you have faith in their desire to help you, so between the two of you you are going to figure out the path to get there.

Don't just ask for the supervisor and have no reason to do so.  Usually all they do is handle complaints anyway, and have no more power than whomever you were speaking with previously.

Leaving Minnesota

On 15 December I left Arizona, bound for home in Hastings MN and arrived some 30 hours and 22 minutes later.

It is now almost February, and I will be leaving on Wednesday after being home for nearly 6 weeks. And you know what? It just wasn't long enough. I had a great amount of fun, and more importantly, I got to spend a lot of time with my family. Orion and I...for those of you just tuning in, Orion is my adorable black Chow Chow who will be figuring in frequently in my adventures and thoughts. Anyway, Orion and I have been home with my parents, Tammy and Bill, and little brother Skyler, and their goldendoodle Rufus. Most people, I'm sure, would find that spending time with their family in this concentrated of a way to be just too much but...well, not me. Not my family. We had a great time and my cousin Stuart and I played many a game with the rest of our family of Settler's of Catan and others...I am sad to go. It has been probably since I was in high school that I actually spent this much time with my family, I mean like this, where I actually am spending time with them and not running everywhere all the time. It is different now, I'm older, they are older...and we're all much more comfortable in our own skins.

Most of you probably know that one of the constants in my little world is a feeling of singularity. Not often in a bad way, not always in a good, but just often I have an overwhelming sense of being just a shade different, just a shade off-color....just a bit that I don't fit in anywhere even though I an pretty sure I am good at pretending I always feel comfortable and people usually assume that my contentment is that comfort. When I am with my family it is entirely different. There are people who get my jokes, there are people who understand and enjoy that my tastes run the visible and invisible spectrum, and everything besides. I like that my feet are much more on the ground, and now for the first time in years I feel like I am myself again.

I'll be going home now, with this sturdy footing. I don't know what is going to happen, I don't know what is next, but I do know that I feel good and I am optimistic. It's nice to have hope again that something interesting will be coming along again and that it's not all over now.

First!

I've finally caved and begun a blog. I know, generally I have eschewed any footprint on the web but I give. I am going to be searchable whether I want to or not, so I might as well control that which is written about me by writing my own items.

On my Facebook I had written several long postings and notes, and I started my Twitter account (sassyorion) so am already being much more open about my life than in any previous iteration of Rhiannon. You can expect to see thoughts, items that are of interest to me such as: politics, travelling, rock climbing, baking, wine, my business and the progress I make along that tack, books, sewing, fashion, music....to name just a few.

I'll try and organize these the best I can, and keep things as open and honest of a dialogue as possible. I enjoy knowing what the people who I care about think, and greatly enjoy collaborating with you, my beloveds.

Cheers!