CH-12-14 Helping Others Develop and Grow – Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills : Book Guide

This Document Contains Chapters 12 to 14 Chapter 12 Helping Others Develop and Grow One purpose of this chapter is to convey information that will help students recognize their responsibility for the growth and development of others. A closely related purpose is to provide concepts and skills to facilitate the process of developing the skills necessary for helping others in the workplace develop and grow. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES Although not specifically stated in most job descriptions, workers have a responsibility to help each other learn, grow, and develop. For example, much of job training occurs as coworkers instruct each other on work procedures and techniques. I. BE A NURTURING, POSITIVE PERSON A major strategy for helping others grow and develop is to be a nurturing, positive person. A nurturing person promotes the growth of others. Nurturing people are positive and supportive. A toxic person stands in contrast to a nurturing person because he or she dwells on the negative. Toxic people have been described as energy vampires because they suck all the positive energy out of you. Three nurturing attitudes and actions are as follows: 1. Recognize that most people have growth needs. 2. Team up with a coworker in your department or from another one so the two of you can form a buddy system. 3. Be a role model for others. Being a nurturing, positive person is a life long process, rather than a tactic that can be used at will. II. BEING A MENTOR TO COWORKERS A mentor is generally defined as an individual with advanced experience and knowledge who is committed to giving support and career advice to a less experienced person. The less experienced person is the protégé (from the French word for protected). A. Characteristics and Types of Mentoring Mentoring includes a unique relationship between two people, a learning partnership, reciprocity, and a frequently changing relationship between the mentor and the mentored. 1. Age and experience differences between mentor and protégé. As long as a person is more experienced and wiser than a coworker in some important aspect of the job, he or she can be a mentor. Mentoring supports the team-based organization. 2. e-Mentoring. When the mentor and protégé communicate by e-mail, the process is referred to as e-mentoring. One specialist says that today’s mentorship models are more similar to Twitter conversations than to the long-term relationships of the past. Quite often a one-minute exchange between the mentor and protégé can provide a useful idea. 3. How c-worker mentoring takes place. With informal mentoring, the mentor and protégé come together naturally, in the same way that friendships develop. The formal approach is to be assigned somebody to mentor. Studies have shown that mentoring is likely to be more effective when both the mentor and protégé have some input into the matching. Serving as mentor is an excellent way of helping others on the job, and is also widely practiced in the community. B. Specific Mentoring Behaviors To be a mentor, a person engages in a wide range of helping behaviors, all related to being a trusted friend, coach, and teacher. Mentoring behaviors include the following: 1. Sponsoring. A mentor actively nominates somebody else for promotions and desirable positions. 2. Coaching and counseling. A mentor gives on the spot advice to the protégé to help him or her improve skills. A mentor can be helpful also just by giving support and encouragement. 3. Protecting. A mentor might shield a junior person from potentially harmful situations or from the boss. 4. Sharing challenging assignments. In some situations a fellow team member can request that the protégé help him or her on a difficult task. 5. Acting as a referral agent. The mentor sometimes refers the protégé to resources inside and outside the company to help with a particular problem. 6. Role modeling. An important part of being a mentor is to give the protégé a pattern of values and behaviors to emulate. 7. Giving support and encouragement. A mentor can be helpful just by giving support and encouragement. 8. Providing friendship. A mentor is above all a trusted friend, and the friendship extends two ways. 9. Encouraging problem solving. Mentors help their protégés solve problems by themselves and make their own discoveries. 10. Explaining the ropes. A general purpose function of the mentor is to help the protégé learn the ropes. 11. Teaching the right skills. Mentors can help protégés develop skills such as those related to information technology, customer service, and achieving high quality. 12. Encouraging continuous learning. Part of encouraging lifelong learning is to emphasize that formal education and an occasional workshop are not sufficient for maintaining expertise in today’s fast-changing workplace. Mentoring is a complex activity. To develop mentoring skills, a person needs to offer help to several people for at least six months. A key way in which the company benefits from coworker mentoring is that the mentor passes along valuable knowledge to the protégé. Workers who receive mentoring are likely to feel more satisfied with their jobs and stay with the organization longer. As business has become more internationalized, mentoring people from different cultures has become more frequent. III. COACHING AND TRAINING OTHERS Two direct approaches to helping others in the workplace are coaching and training. In the modern workplace, team members share responsibility for coaching and training. High tech firms such as Google and Microsoft, heavily emphasize workers sharing knowledge with each other. Open workspaces facilitate information sharing. A. Coaching Skills and Techniques In the workplace, coaching is a method of helping workers grow and improve their job competence by providing suggestions and encouragement. Coaching is mostly for managers, but with a helpful attitude, coworkers are likely to accept coaching. Eleven suggestions for coaching follow. Note that they should be combined with active listening. 1. Build relationships. 2. Provide specific feedback. (Behavioral feedback pinpoints behavior rather than personal characteristics or attitudes.) 3. Make criticism pain-free and positive. 4. Encourage the person you are coaching to talk. 5. Ask powerful questions. 6. Give emotional support. 7. Give some constructive advice. 8. Coach with "could," not "should." 9. Interpret what is happening. 10. Allow for modeling of desired performance and behavior. 11. Applaud good results. Coaching helps retain employees because being coached helps build loyalty. A study with 666 call-center operators found that workers who received coaching tended to perform better. One implication of the coaching suggestions just presented is that some people are more adept at coaching than others. B. Training Others A direct way of helping others in the workplace is to train them. Training is the process of helping others acquire a job-related skill. As organizations operate with fewer managers, coworkers have more responsibility to train each other. Certain time-tested principles facilitate learning, and, therefore, training. 1. Encourage concentration. Not much learning takes place unless the trainee concentrates carefully on what is being learned. 2. Use motivated interest. People learn best when they are interested in the problem facing them. Explain to the trainee how the material to be learned will benefit him or her. 3. Remind learners to intend to remember. We often do not remember something because we do not intend to commit it to memory. 4. Ensure the meaningfulness of material. The material to be learned should be organized in a meaningful manner. 5. Give feedback on progress. As a person's training progresses, motivation may be maintained and enhanced by providing knowledge on progress. 6. Ask the trainee to reflect on what he or she has learned. If you think carefully about what you have learned, your retention of the information increases. 7. Deal with trainee defensiveness. Training is sometimes retarded because the person being trained is defensive about information or skills that clashes with his or her beliefs and practices. 8. Take into account learning style. Another key factor that influences training is learning style, the way in which a person best learns new information. Two examples are passive learning and active learning. Another key dimension of working style is whether a person learns best by working alone or cooperatively in a study group. IV. HELPING DIFFICULT PEOPLE A difficult person is an individual who creates problems for others, yet has the skill and mental ability to do otherwise. The difficult person may meet or exceed attendance and performance standards, yet has a toxic personality. A. Types of Difficult People Dozens of types of difficult people have been identified, with considerable overlap among the types. A major challenge in classifying types of difficult people is that some of the types are manifestations of a personality disorder—a pervasive, persistent, inflexible, maladaptive pattern of behavior that deviates from expected cultural norms. Also, many personality disorders are a blend of various types. Following is a sampling of the many type of difficult people. 1. Know it alls are experts on everything. 2. Blamers are workers who never solve their own problems. 3. Gossips spread negative rumors about other and attempt to set people off against each other. 4. Bullies cajole, and intimidate others, and are insulting. 5. Exploders readily lose control when something important or trivial does not go their way. 6. Repulsives have poor personal hygiene, eating habits, and appearance, and also use foul language. 7. Passive-aggressive people appear to enthusiastically respond to another person’s request or demand while acting in ways that negatively and passively resist the request. 8. No people are negative and pessimistic, and quick to point out why something will not work. 9. Jekyll and Hydes are pleasant when dealing with superiors and customers, yet tyrannical as bosses. 10. Whiners gripe about people, processes, and company regulations. 11. Backstabbers pretend to befriend you and encourage you to talk freely about problems you face. Later they report this information to the person you mentioned in a negative light. 12. High maintenance types require considerable attention from others in such forms as demanding much of the supervisor’s time. 13. Clods are master procrastinators, and they work slowly. 14. Minimalists are apathetic and low-performing, and do just enough work to avoid being fired. 15. Office cheats take claim for the ideas of others and benefit from the ideas. B. Tactics for Dealing with Difficult People How one deals most effectively with a difficult person varies somewhat with the type. Difficult people have been referred to collectively as office jerks. The following techniques have wide applicability for helping difficult people change to a more constructive behavior pattern. 1. Stay calm. A good starting point in dealing with many types of difficult people is to stay calm so you can confront the person in a professional manner. 2. Give ample feedback. The primary technique for dealing with counter- productive behavior is to feed back to the difficult person how his or her behavior affects you. Feedback will sometimes take the form of confrontation. 3. Criticize constructively. Criticize in private and begin with mild criticism. Base your criticism on objective facts rather than subjective impressions. 4. Help the difficult person feel more confident. Many counterproductive employees are low in self-confidence. Work with your team leader or manager to help the difficult person succeed on a task. 5. Use tact and diplomacy. Tactful actions can sometimes take care of annoying behavior by coworkers without having to confront the problem. Tact and diplomacy can also be incorporated into confrontation. 6. Use nonhostile humor. Nonhostile humor can often be used to help a difficult person understand how his or her behavior is blocking others. 7. Work out a deal. Negotiate a solution such as asking for reciprocity when the difficult person asks for help. 8. Reinforce civil behavior and good moods. When a generally difficult person is behaving acceptably, recognize the behavior in some way. 9. Ask the difficult person to THINK before speaking. (THINK = true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, kind.) The tactics for dealing with difficult people described above require practice to be effective. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW 1. What is your opinion on whether workers have a responsibility to help each other grow and develop? Answer: The answer to this question depends to a large extent on the student's values. In a team based organization, however, workers are supposed to help each other in many ways including growth and development. Workers do have a responsibility to support each other’s growth and development, as fostering a collaborative and supportive environment benefits the entire team. Sharing knowledge, offering feedback, and mentoring colleagues can enhance collective skills and create a more positive and productive workplace. This mutual support also promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement. 2. What is your opinion of the potential effectiveness of the buddy system in your career? Answer: Students who are socially minded and who have at least average needs for affiliation will probably endorse the buddy system. Also, the buddy system is a natural relationship for many people at the beginning of their career. The buddy system can be highly effective in a career by providing support, guidance, and a smoother transition into new roles or environments. It fosters peer learning, builds strong relationships, and helps navigate challenges more easily. A well-implemented buddy system can enhance job satisfaction and accelerate professional growth. 3. Suppose that one of your mentors is a highly-placed professional in his or her field. Explain whether you would send that person tweets asking for career advice. Answer: A sensible answer here would be based on whether the highly-placed professional makes use of tweets. Tweets have gained in popularity among workers at all levels, yet many people perceive tweets to be goofy and a waste of time. The student is therefore advised to ask the professional whether or not he or she would like to exchange tweets. 4. What satisfaction might you derive from coaching a coworker who capitalized on your suggestions to attain higher job performance? Answer: Among the satisfactions for the successful coach would be (a) the joy of having helped somebody succeed, (b) pride in one’s coaching skills, and (c) the satisfaction of helping the organization in a small way by helping one worker perform better. 5. Describe any constructive advice you have received from anybody who coached you. What was the impact of this advice? Answer: This question might elicit some useful data that could be shared with classmates. Many students can point to advice they received from a teacher or guidance counselor as to which major to pursue, or which school to attend. Many students will also have received constructive advice with respect to sports, car repair, or information technology. 6. Many career-minded workers today hire their own coach, much like a personal trainer for solving job problems and advancing. Explain whether you would be willing to invest money to hire a “business coach” for yourself. Answer: A strategic thinker would be more likely to invest in a business coach because if the coaching were successful, the return on investment would be substantial. For example, if the coach provided ideas that would facilitate the individual becoming a more effective leader, the coached person might earn much more money. A less strategic thinker might be skeptical of investing money in something as intangible as coaching, and prefer to use the same amount of money toward the purchase of a vehicle or for a vacation. 7. What might be a problem in relying heavily on “FAQs” (frequently-asked questions) in training employees? Answer: The use of FAQs can overlook the individualized information the trainee is seeking. Such canned questions-and-answers might also be interpreted as too impersonal, especially because so many websites use FAQs. The method of FAQs can also fall short because the trainee might have a question not covered in the prepared questions and answers. 8. How might one employee coach or train another employee by use of Twitter and text messaging? Answer: Twitter and text message are potentially useful for coaching and training. The coach or trainer might send brief notes to the person being coached or trained, giving pinpoint instructions. For example, “At today’s lunch you neglected to ask our guest even one question. You can do better.” A public message, such as one posted on Twitter, might be embarrassing for some people. 9. Suppose an employee notices that a water main has broken in the company parking lot, and shrugs off the incident without reporting the problem. Why should this individual’s lack of action be classified as passive-aggressive behavior? Answer: The employee’s negligence is a classic example of passive-aggressive behavior. The person is passive by doing nothing about the problem, and the passivity is an aggressive act because it leads to considerable physical harm to the organization. 10. How might humor help you deal with the repulsive type of difficult person? Supply an example of a witty comment you might make. Answer: We can count on students to respond imaginatively and humorously to this question. The humor should point to a problem the repulsive type of person is creating, yet not be so hostile that he or she becomes angry or defensive. Here is one possibility: Group member Oscar comes to office consistently looking disheveled and unshaven. The supervisor or coworker says, “Oscar, the group has decided to give you a gift of an alarm clock. It appears that you are not giving yourself enough time in the morning to shave, comb, and put on fresh clothing most of the days.” ANSWER TO CASE QUESTIONS The Reality Coach This case illustrates the thin line between being a candid, constructive coach, and an irritating critic. 1 . How effective do you think Malcolm is in his role as Kara’s coach and mentor? Answer: Malcolm’s behavior, as well as Kara’s comments, suggests that Malcolm comes across so negatively that he is probably not an effective coach and mentor. An effective coach and mentor is usually more supportive. 2. What suggestions can you offer Malcolm to be more effective in his role? Answer: Malcolm is coming across to Kara as being too negative, therefore not developing a good relationship with Kara. He is not making his criticism pain-free and positive; he is not encouraging Kara to talk; and he is not giving emotional support. 3. What suggestions might you offer Kara so she can benefit more from the coaching and mentoring the company is providing her? Answer: Perhaps Kara can search more for the grain of truth in the criticisms Malcolm offers. Her perception that Malcolm is a heckler may be true, but hecklers often point the way toward needed change. Kara might also attempt to seek additional feedback on some of the negative feedback she receives from Malcolm, such as asking a couple of coworkers if they think her appearance is suitable for her position. Paula, the Petulant Paralegal This case illustrate the problems, an otherwise competent employee can create because of her negativism. Most students will encounter a person similar to Paula at some point in their career. 1. Which type of difficult person does Paula appear to be? Or, is she a difficult person? Answer: From the data presented, it appears that Paula is a difficult person. She could be classified as a combination of a bully and a no-person. To determine if Paula is a difficult person and her specific type, one would need details about her behavior. Common types include the aggressor, who challenges and criticizes others, or the passive-aggressive person, who avoids direct conflict but undermines others subtly. Observing her interactions and conflict patterns will clarify her type. 2. What actions should the partner in charge of office administration and human resources take to deal with the difficult behavior of Paula? Answer: A starting point would be to give Paula serious feedback about the image and reputation she is developing within the firm. Next the partner could reinforce he civil behavior and good moods—should Paula make nice in the future. The partner might also coach Paul with the THINK technique (True? Helpful, Inspiring? Necessary? Kind?) 3. What should Attorney 1, the office assistant, and the paralegal have done in response to the personal criticisms made by Paula? Answer: Both should have confronted Paula and told her that such criticism is unacceptable in a work environment. The criticism of Attorney 1 could be called into question because it is not job related. The criticism of the office assistant was simply too cruel to be helpful. COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES Self-Assessment Quiz 12-1: Attitudes Toward Helping Others An intended value of this self quiz is to sensitize students to the fact that attitudes contribute heavily to being a helpful, nurturing person. Students who choose to work in a team environment would do well to have a positive attitude toward helping others. Part of a team member's responsibility is to share knowledge and skills. Skill-Building Exercise 12-1: The Nurturing, Positive Person A subtle message emerging from this role-play is that personality characteristics contribute heavily to one's ability to be nurturing. For example, if a person does not project warmth it will be difficult to be supportive. A person who is not naturally warm will have to work extra hard at being supportive and nurturing. Skill-Building Exercise 12-2: Getting Started Mentoring Could this be the most valuable skill-building exercise in the entire text? The majority of students who take a course in human relations probably would like to mentor a younger person, and this activity might serve as a prompt. It will be instructive to discuss in class both mentoring successes and failures. Diagnosing both successes and needs for improvement will enhance mentoring skills. Skill-Building Exercise 12-3: Selecting a Protégé The purpose of this exercise is to help students think through the type of characteristics they would admire in a protégé. The exercise also highlights the fact that a mentoring relationship is one of friendship. Self-Assessment Quiz 12-2: Characteristics of an Effective Coach The major purpose of this exercise is to help students recognize that many of the characteristics that contribute to effective coaching can be developed. Also, the importance of action plans is reinforced once again. Skill-Building Exercise 12-4: Coaching a Mediocre Performer Role Play Here is an opportunity to practice coaching in relation to an important workplace behavior: performance that is mediocre but not substantially poor. The coach must keep in mind that Tanya should offer patients more in terms of warmth and welcoming, but that she is not a candidate for serious discipline. The purpose of the coaching is to move Tanya from aver to above-average performance. Skill-Building Exercise 12-5: Designing a Training Program The point of this exercise is to help students appreciate the complexity of designing an adequate training program. The exercise also serves as a reminder that an effective training program incorporates principles of learning. Self-Assessment Quiz 12-3: Dealing with Difficult People Even if students do not agree entirely with the scoring of the alternatives, the scenarios and alternative solutions offered provide good discussion points about dealing with difficult people. Self-Assessment Quiz 12-6: Dealing with Difficult People Doing the role-plays required here will help students realize that dealing with difficult people is really a subset of conflict resolution. It will be helpful to see if the role players use some of the suggestions in the text instead of using the common sense approach of simply getting into a debate with the difficult people. Interpersonal Relations Skills Role Play 12.1: Dealing with Petulant Paula A key point about this role play is that Roger should not look to get into a debate with Paula about the acceptability of her behavior. Instead, he should focus on coaching her toward more acceptable behavior. Also, to be effective, Roger should not slip into a legalistic or disciplinary role. Observers should look to see if Paula has any intention of changing her behavior. Chapter 13 Positive Political Skills The purpose of this chapter is to help students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to make positive use of organizational politics. Career advancement is difficult without developing at least moderate political sensitivity. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES A knowledge of positive political tactics helps build good interpersonal relationships. In turn, these good relationships can facilitate achieving career goals. Political skills are a supplement to, not a substitute for, job competence. Organizational politics refers to gaining power through any means other than merit or luck. Politics are used to achieve power, the ability or potential to control anything of value and influence decisions. Political tactics → power → control and influence. Often politics has been described as the unwritten rules of the workplace that involve getting along with others, getting recognized for one’s efforts, and following the protocol of how things get accomplished. I. POLITICAL SKILL AND SOCIAL OTHER HUMAN RELATIONS SKILLS Political skill does not stand alone, separated from other human relations skills. Here we describe the relationships between political skill and four other human relations skills. A. Sensitivity to Your Surroundings Being sensitive to your surrounding and to other people helps make you politically aware. Cultural sensitivity is a specific type of sensitivity to one’s surroundings that deals with sizing up the cultural environment. B. Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence Political skill relates to emotional intelligence because you need to be able to read the emotions of others to establish rapport with them. Political skill is directly related to social intelligence, an understanding of how relationships with bosses and colleagues, family, and friends, shape our brains and affect our bodies. Social intelligence tells us that good relationships act like vitamins, energizing us to perform well. In contrast, bad relationships are like poison that undermines our cognitive efficiency and creativity. A socially intelligent person recognizes that being arrogant or derisive toward others can cause emotional distress that impairs the brain’s ability to learn and think clearly. C. Relationship Building with the Leader A major purpose of organizational politics including political skill is to develop good relationships with your superior. Strong political skills can help you develop a higher quality leader-member exchange (LMX). A study suggests that having good political skills can help a person develop a positive leader-member exchange even when the two parties are demographically different. II. IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND ETIQUETTE To get ahead, it may be important to make others aware of one's capability. Impression management is a set of behaviors directed at enhancing one's image by drawing attention to oneself. The attention can be drawn to superficial aspects or to work accomplishments. A. Tactics of Impression Management Managing one's impression encompasses dozens of specific tactics, limited only by one's imagination of what will impress others. Impression management is most commonly found in attempts to please the manager. Five tactics of impression management are as follows: 1. Display Organizational Citizenship Behavior A highly effective and meritorious way of creating a good impression is to step outside your job description to help coworkers and the company. You become admired for going beyond the call of duty. At times the purpose of citizenship behavior is to create a good impression. 2. Perform Well and Build Trust and Confidence . A key strategy for creating a positive impression with your immediate superior and high ranking managers is to perform well and at the same time build trust and confidence. Project the authentic impression of a person who can be trusted to carry out responsibilities faithfully and ethically. 3. Be Visible and Create a Strong Presence. Be perceived as a valuable contributor on the job. Attend meetings, company events, and be assigned to important projects. Many employees are shocked to learn that they lost their jobs during a downsizing because upper management did not know that they were valuable contributors. 4. Admit Mistakes. A high level of political skill is to admit mistakes, therefore appearing more forthright and trustworthy. The simple statement, “I goofed” will often gain a person sympathy and support, whereas an attempted cover up will decrease a person’s social capital. 5. Minimize Being a Yes-Person. When working for an emotionally secure and competent manager, you are likely to create a better impression by not agreeing with all the boss’s ideas and plans. Instead, express constructive disagreement. 6. Create a Healthy Image. A superficial yet important part of impression management is to project a healthy, physically fit appearance. Many business firms offer workers rewards for being physically fit and avoiding smoking and obesity. Emotional fitness is also important. William L. Gardner III offers sage advice: "Make every effort to put your best foot forward but never at the cost of your identity or integrity." A person needs good political skill (or sensitivity) to be effective at impression management, as demonstrated in a study with 204 employees. B. Business Etiquette A major component of impression management is to practice good etiquette. Business etiquette is a special code of behavior required in work situations. Both manners and etiquette generally refer to behaving in a refined and acceptable manner. Knowing and using proper business etiquette contributes to individual and business success. The general principle of being considerate of the feelings of work associates is more important than any one act of etiquette or courtesy. 1. Etiquette for Work Behavior and Clothing General work etiquette includes all aspects of the work environment such as timely completion of work, punctuality, being a good team player, listening to others, and following through. A caution about casual business clothing is that being neat and clean is part of being casual. 2. Introductions. The basic rule for introductions is to present the lower-ranking person to the higher-ranking person regardless of age or sex. Provide a little amount of information about the person. It is good manners to remember names and to pronounce them correctly. Men and women are now both expected to extend their right hand when being introduced. 3. Relationships between Men and Women and People of Different Ages. Women should no longer be treated differently when approaching a door, riding in an elevator, or walking on the street. The person in the lead (no matter the sex or age) should proceed first and hold the door for the others following. However, a man should still follow a woman when using an escalator. Older people should be treated with respect. Avoid touching others of the same or opposite sex except for a handshake. Social kissing should generally be minimized in an American workplace, but welcome in Europe. 4. Dining. Etiquette surrounding meals involves planning for the meeting, seating arrangements, bill paying, tipping, using proper table manners, and appropriate drinking of alcoholic beverages. For example, order an alcoholic beverage only when invited to by the host. 5. Working in a Cubicle or an Open-Seating Arrangement. The lack of privacy in cubicles and open-seating arrangements can create etiquette challenges because a variety of coworkers and superiors can observe your everyday work behavior. Among the many problems are speaking too loudly, allowing a cell phone to ring, displaying offensive websites, and poor personal hygiene. Another etiquette problem in an open-seating arrangement is the potential of getting so physical close to another person that he or she feels uncomfortable. 6. Cross-Cultural Relations. Be alert to cross cultural differences in etiquette in such areas as gift giving, dining, drinking alcoholic beverages, and where and when to discuss business. Watch out for differences in nonverbal communication. 7. Interacting with People with Disabilities. Be as natural and open as you can. Keep in mind specifics such as speaking directly to a person with a disability, not to the person’s companion. III. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANAGERS AND OTHER KEY PEOPLE The political purpose of building good relationships with superiors is to gain power through such means as being recommended for promotion and key assignments. A good relationship with the boss can also lead to a better performance evaluation. Building these good relationships is also important because it helps create a positive, supportive work environment. A group of useful tactics is described next. A. Network with Influential People A basic success strategy is to develop contacts, or networking, with influential people. You have to identify influential people and then think of a sensible reason to contact them. Networking also takes place with people inside and outside the organization who are not your managers. Provide a benefit statement to your contact. For example, send an e-mail message to a high-ranking manager, offering a money-saving or revenue-producing suggestion. Social networking sites now play a major role in networking. Avoid being a pest when networking. B. Help your Manager Succeed The primary reason a person is hired is to help the manager to achieve the results necessary to succeed. Perform your job superbly, and your manager will share in your success. A contributor to helping your boss succeed is to listen carefully to what he or she expects of you. C. Conform to Your Manager’s Work Style An advanced technique for establishing a good working relationship with a supervisor is to match your work style to his or her preferences and needs. It is important to be aware of a conflict in behavior style with a manager such as being detail-oriented versus focusing on the broader purpose of an assignment. Differences in communication preferences are also significant. D. Understand Unwritten Boundaries A person skilled at positive organizational politics is able to read unwritten rules about who has the authority to do what there by following unwritten boundaries, or dividing lines of behavior appropriate to different roles. The more hierarchical a company, the less welcome boundary crossing is likely to be. E. Volunteer for Assignments By volunteering to take on assignments which do not fit neatly into your job description, you display the kind of initiative valued by employers. E. Flatter Influential People One of the most effective relationship builders is to flatter people sensibly and credibly. A study indicates that even at the highest positions in business, flattery helps a person get ahead. Flattery even helped CEOs get board appointments. Evidence reinforces the idea that constructive compliments are not overblown. Also, listening attentively is flattering. F. Use Information Power Power accrues to those who control vital information. At the same time, being a source of useful information helps build constructive working relationships with managers. Information power is closely related to expert power, such as being able to use social networking sites to gain publicity for products and to recruit employees. G. Appear Cool under Pressure. Maintaining emotional control under chaos conditions shows that one is ready for additional responsibility. Being cool under pressure is party of emotional stability, and it is a key leadership characteristic. H. Laugh at Your Manager's Humor. Sharing humor is a rapport builder, and also indicates good two-way humor between a person and his or her boss. I. Express Constructive Disagreement. Be ready to disagree in a constructive manner when you sincerely believe the boss is wrong, instead of being a yes person. Do not confront the manager loudly in public. If you disagree with your boss, use carefully worded, inoffensive statements. J. Present a Clear Picture of Your Accomplishments “What have you done for me lately?” is a question on the minds of many managers. You can help your manager better understand your contributions by explaining exactly what work you are doing, problems you are solving, and the success you are attaining. IV. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH COWORKERS AND OTHER WORK ASSOCIATES Another strategy for increasing one's power is to form alliances with coworkers and other work associates. These individuals help one get work accomplished, and their input might be solicited when a person is being considered for promotion. The increasing use of peer evaluation systems makes coworker relationships even more important. Research conducted by the Gallup Organization emphasizes the contribution of friendships and alliances in the workplace, including productivity gains and better interaction with customers. In addition to the following list, the teamwork skills described in Chapter 4 are also relevant. A. Maintain Honest and Open Relationships Being open is representative of nature of positive politics. Giving coworkers frank but tactful answers to their requests for your opinion is one way of development open relationships. Another advantage of honest and open relationships is that they foster collaboration, with improves teamwork and organizational performance. One of the swiftest ways of breaking down honest and open relationships with coworkers is to backstab—an attempt to discredit by underhanded means, such as innuendo, accusation, or the like. During times of job insecurity, workers are more likely to negative things about coworkers to gain advantage. B. Make Others Feel Important A fundamental principles of fostering good relationships with coworkers and others is to make them feel important. Expressing an interest in the work of others is an effective tactic because so many people are self- centered, and because the interest is a form of recognition. C. Be Diplomatic The egos of most people are too tender to accept the raw truth when faced with disapproval of their thoughts or actions. Translated into action, diplomacy means finding the right phrase to convey disapproval, disagreement, or discontent. D. Exchange Favors Reciprocity is a key part of human interaction. Exchanging favors with others can make it easier for people to accomplish their work because they are able to call on assistance when needed. E. Ask for Advice Asking another person for advice will usually be perceived as a compliment. Asking advice is a subtle form of flattery because it shows you value the person’s judgment. F. Share Constructive Gossip An effective way of building workplace relationships is to share constructive gossip. Constructive gossip is unofficial information that does not attack others, is based on truth, and does not leak confidential information. G. Minimize Microinequities A potent way of alienating coworkers is to snub them, or put them down, in a small way without being aware of your behavior. A microinequity is a small, semiconscious message we send with a powerful impact on the receiver. [An effective class exercise here is to ask for volunteers to share microinequities they have received.] H. Follow Group Norms A summary principle to follow in getting along with other employees is to heed group norms, the unwritten sets of expectations for group members. Group norms also take the form of social cues about how to act, and therefore contribute to the organizational culture. Some of the relationship building described above is now being done on company social networking sites. The company social networking sites are often supplemented with Websites such as Facebook and Twitter because so many employees from the same firm might be members. IV. AVOIDING POLITICAL BLUNDERS A strategy for not losing whatever power you have accumulated is to refrain from making power eroding blunders. A sampling of these blunders follows. 1. Criticizing your manager in a public forum. 2. Bypassing the manager. 3. Displaying disloyalty (such as criticizing the company publicly). 4. Being a pest. (Over-persistence can backfire.) 5. Being (or being perceived as) a poor team player. 6. Burning your bridges (such as being angry on your way out of the company). 7. Indiscreet behavior in private life (embarrassing the company will lead to dismissal and a negative reputation). 8. Making derogatory comments about your employer on the Internet. If you want to overcome having committed a blunder, avoid defensiveness. Focus on solutions to the problem rather than fault finding. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW 1. To what extent are office politics skills important for a person who is technically competent and hard working? Answer: Keeping your nose to the grindstone works as a career-advancement strategy to some extent. To gain the power you might want and need, however, it pays to engage in positive politics such as cultivating a network of influential people. The hard-working, talented person may get recognized but it is worthwhile to increase the odds of getting noticed and acquiring power. 2. In what way might organizational citizenship behavior be part of playing office politics? Answer: The political actor knows that organizational citizenship behavior is valued in the organization, and that the good organizational citizen is likely to be perceived quite positively. As a result, he or she engages in organizational citizenship behavior in order to look good. 3. Remember the leader-member exchange theory from Chapter 10 about leadership? What steps could you take to become part of your boss’s in-group? Answer: A plausible way of becoming part of the boss’s in-group would be to implement any of the tactics for building relationships with managers described in this chapter. Among the best for becoming part of the in-group would be to conform to you manager’s work style, volunteer for assignments, flatter the boss, laugh at your manager’s humor, and present a clear picture of your accomplishments. 4. It has often been observed that building relationships with people increases in importance at higher levels of management responsibility. Why might this be true? Answer: Relationship building becomes increasingly important at higher levels of responsibility because these positions emphasize such behaviors as building coalitions, persuading others, resolving conflict, and motivating large numbers of people. Such behaviors all require relationship building. 5. Identify three jobs in which you think practicing good business etiquette would be the most important. Answer: High level jobs with extensive business contact require the highest degree of practicing etiquette. Among them would be public affairs specialist, industrial sales representative, and executive secretary or executive assistant. 6. It has been observed that corporate employees who work mostly from their home put more effort into building their networks than people who work in a traditional office. Why might this be true? Answer: Corporate employees who work from home recognize that it is easy for them to be forgotten, based on the principle, “Out of sight, out of mind.” To compensate for not being around the office physically and therefore having a natural opportunity to interact with work associates, these telecommuters put extra effort into develop their network or social contacts. 7 . It has been said that although most people can see through flattery, the technique still works. How would you explain this observation? Answer: Whether or not flattery is transparent, it still works with most people for several reasons. One reason is that many people have such strong needs for recognition that they do not care if the recognition is genuine. Another reason is that most people do not receive enough compliments, and are therefore predisposed to accept any flattery that comes along. 8. Give an example of a microinequity that you have been subject to, or that you observed happen to another person. Explain why the incident is a microinequity. Answer: We suggested this question as a class exercise, and it is worth repeating. It takes careful observation to point to a microinequity. Here is an example: At a team meeting, the external manager to whom the team reports said, that Jim, the team leader, was leaving and that the company would have to hire from the outside to find a qualified team leader to replace Jim. Two of the team members who thought there were ready for promotion to team leader felt that they were subject to a microinequity. 9. In what way might being politically incorrect be a political blunder? Answer: Being politically incorrect is really a blunder because the object of political incorrectness is insulted, and therefore the relationship or potential relationship is damaged. Political incorrectness has the potential of being a cutting insult. An example would be saying to the vice president of marketing, who is Latino, “You are the vice president of marketing? Is your job to develop marketing strategy to reach Latinos?” The person who made this comment has most likely not created an ally in the vice president. 10. Why might a study of organizational politics seem more relevant to people with at least several years of work experience than to career beginners? Answer: Career beginners are typically idealistic, thinking that their talent and knowledge is all that is needed to have their ideas accepted and to gain momentum in their careers. However, with experience, people see that organizations are highly political and that even the most talented people have to cultivate allies and avoid creating enemies. The presence of favoritism becomes especially evident with a few years of experience. ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS The Talkative Boss This case illustrates a serious and sensitive problem with one’s immediate manager. A high level of positive political skill would be required to resolve the conflict. 1. To what extent should Suanne be concerned about Aaron taking up her time? Answer: Suzanne has to be strongly concerned about Aaron taking up her time because he is evaluating her on the promptness of her reports. 2. What should Suzanne do to preserve her relationship with her boss, yet still get her work accomplished on time? Answer: Suzanne’s best hope might be to initiative a gentle confrontation with Aaron, stating that she wants to establish the right priorities in her work between conferring with him and working on her claims reports. 3. What about Suzanne working extra hours to make up for the time she loses in small talking with Aaron? Answer: Working extra hours to get her analytical work performed would be a second choice as a solution to her conflict. In the long run, Suzanne would come to resent Aaron and the company because she has to compensate for losing time to her boss’s desire to chat with her during working hours. 4. What specific techniques about boss relationships apply to this case? Answer: Conforming to your manager’s work style applies strongly to this case because Aaron and Suzanne clash in terms of work style, specifically the desire for verbal communication. Expressing constructive disagreement could also be applicable if Suzanne decides to gently confront Aaron about the problem. The Unpopular Office Administrator This case points to a problem that faces many people who want to advance in their careers: They are not as well liked as they would like to be, thereby jeopardizing their career, especially if it involves a heavy component of working with people. 1. What should Max do (if anything) to discover what might be wrong? Answer: To discover what is wrong, Max might ask the group members to send him some informal feedback about his supervisory style. E-mails or social media posts would not be so effective because they are not anonymous. Perhaps group members could send him suggestions on hard copy memos. 2. What general suggestions do you have as to how Max might become better accepted by the group? Answer: Max might use a couple of the techniques designed to build coworker relationships such as expressing an interest in the work of group members and making them feel important. If the underlying problem is that Max has a personal style that is generally disliked, her will continue to struggle as a supervisor in terms of building relationships. COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES Self-Assessment Quiz 13-1: The Organizational Politics Questionnaire Students typically enjoy comparing their scores to normative data. One finding that occurs regularly is that many students who receive relatively high scores do not perceive themselves to be very political. Skill-Building Exercise 13-1: The Elevator 30-Second Speech The elevator-speech is excellent for reinforcing the idea of making a good first impression, and simultaneously yet another opportunity to sharpen communication skills. We have found that many students find this exercise to be extremely valuable and practical. One application is to keep the presentation in mind for job interviews. Skill-Building Exercise 13-2: Business Etiquette Students who are willing to invest the time in these roles-plays will find them useful. Under the pressure of a live interaction, people often neglect to practice the etiquette they know should be practiced. Skill-Building Exercise 13-3: Flattering an Influential Person A beneficial aspect of doing a role-play about flattery is that students come to realize that being an effective flatterer requires skill. However, the students who volunteer are usually pretty effective flatterers. For an added kick to this role-play, ask a few students to flatter the role players. Self-Assessment Quiz 13-2: How Important Do I Make People Feel? To the extent that the self-assessments are accurate, a person with a high score on this quiz would be politically astute with respect to making others feel important. A low-scorer would have poor political skills in dealing with peers. The reason is that making others feel important is a major political skill. Skill-Building Exercise 13-4: Getting Along with Coworkers A feature of the two role-plays in this exercise is that students have an opportunity to practice basic human relations skills. Exchanging favors is demanding because it is not so easy to think of an ethical and appropriate set of favors to exchange. The auditor might suggest that if the audit goes smoothly, he or she will casually mention to the supervisor how cooperative and friendly the store associate was. Many students fumble a bit when trying to express an interest in the work of the store associate, thus pointing to the need for skill development. Self-Assessment Quiz 13-4: The Blunder Quiz Taking the blunder quiz can alert students to potential areas for career self sabotage. A fruitful discussion item is to explore the meaning of an affirmative response to Number 10, "I avoid any deliberate attempt to please or impress coworkers or superiors.” Interpersonal Relations Role Play: Dealing with a Talkative Boss The role players here are placed into an emotionally-intense scenario, particularly if tone of the role payers empathizes with Suzanne. The role player of Suzanne will have to act with considerable tact and sensitivity, whereas the role player of Aaron will have to act with particular lack of empathy and insensitivity toward the plight of Suzanne. Chapter 14 Customer Satisfaction Skills The key purpose of this chapter is to help students enhance their ability to satisfy customers, both external and internal. Customer satisfaction receives the highest priority in today's business environment. Companies that take customers for granted often regret their mistake. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES Outstanding customer satisfaction leads to good will, repeat business, and referrals. External customers are paying customers including clients, guests, and patients. Internal customers are the people one serves within the organization, or those who use a person's job output. All workers in contact with customers are required to have customer satisfaction skills. Workers in a wide variety of jobs need good customer satisfaction skills. I. FOLLOWING THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Customer satisfaction is important for several reasons. A firm cannot exist without satisfied customers. Dissatisfied customers bad-mouth the company. Customer satisfaction breeds loyalty which is profitable because of repeat business. Consider also that satisfying people enhances their physical and mental health. Certain general principles will sharpen a person's ability to satisfy customers and thereby improve customer retention.. A set of key principles follows. A. Strive for High Levels of Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is considered a minimum expectation. Customer delight should be the ultimate goal. The “wow” experience provides a customer with an unusually sensitive and warm surprise, lead to the highest levels of customer satisfaction. A daily activity at every Marriott International Ritz-Carlton hotel is for the staff to meet to share “wow” stories. Cadillac dealers have been coached by Ritz-Carlton trainers to provide a wow” experience for customers. B. Be Satisfied So You Can Provide Better Customer Service Employees who are satisfied with their jobs are the most likely to satisfy customers. Treating employees well puts them in a better frame of mind to treat their customers well. Employees can control some attitudes and beliefs related to customer satisfaction. 1. Interest in the work itself 2. A feeling of self esteem 3. Optimism and flexibility 4. Positive self image 5. Positive expectations about the job 6. Effective handling of abuse from customers. Employees who are satisfied with their jobs are also more likely to engage in service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. C. Understand Your Company’s Expectations in Terms of Customer Service Effective communication with employees makes good customer service possible. The employee needs to understand how the company defines outstanding service, and the company has a responsibility to make sure the employee understands the definition. Among the factors that need to be understood are what type of reputation the company is attempting to establish, and how service levels drive that reputation. D. Receive Emotional Support from Coworkers and Management to Give Better Customer Service According to a research study, the emotional support of coworkers is even more important than supervisory support. Employees who perceived their coworkers to be supportive had a higher level of commitment to their customers. The study also found customer satisfaction was positively related to the strength of the service worker’s customer orientation. Research also supports the idea that the type of leadership sales representatives receive influences the type of relationships reps build with customers. Sales managers who were charismatic and good at setting visions strongly affected the use of customer-oriented selling behaviors, such as building good relationships. A study with hair stylists found that charismatic and visionary leaders enhanced customer service. (It might be fun to discuss how a hair stylist in a salon can be visionary.) E. Understand Customer Needs and Put Them First The most basic principle of selling is to identify and satisfy customer needs. To help identify customer needs, the customer service worker may have to probe for information. Customers now have more power because of the availability of information and more competition. Satisfying customer needs adds value for them. After customer needs have been identified, the focus must be on satisfying them rather than on personal needs or those of the company. F. Focus on Solving Problems, Not Just Taking Orders Effective selling uses sales representatives to solve problems rather than merely taking orders. A customer-centric sales process emphasizes a low-pressure environment in which the sales staff acts as consultants, offering information and explaining how the product or service can help solve a customer’s problem. The focus on problem solving enables sales representatives to become partners in the success of their customers' businesses. Using this approach, the customer is receiving consulting services in addition to the merchandise or services being offered. A major contributor to solving customer problems is to have in-depth product knowledge, no matter what type of product or service is being sold. G. Respond Positively to Moments of Truth An effective customer contact person performs well during situations in which a customer comes in contact with the company and forms an impression of its service (a moment of truth). If the customer experiences satisfaction or delight during a moment of truth, the customer is likely to return when the need for service arises again. The customer who is angered or frustrated during a moment of truth will not return. One way to track moments of truth is to prepare a cycle of service chart. Such a chart summarizes the moments of truth encountered by a customer during the delivery of a service. H. Be Ready to Accept Empowerment A major strategy for improving customer service is to empower customer contact employees to resolve problems by themselves. Empowerment refers to managers transferring, or sharing, power with lower ranking employees. In terms of customer relations it means pushing decision making and complaint resolution down to customer-contact employees. For empowerment to work, the company must grant decision making latitude to employees, who in turn must be willing to accept empowerment. I. Enhance Customer Service through Information Technology Information technology can play an important role in recording customer preferences and individualizing service. One such application is to use databases to have information on hand about customer preferences. Sending customers information they are likely to use is another way of enhancing customer service through information technology. Apps are now widely used to enhance customer service, such as depositing a check with a mobile device. Developing individualized appeals to customers is likely to be included in customer relationship management (CRM) software. A major challenge in providing good customers service when using information technology is to preserve the human touch. For example, (a) when you respond to a voice-mail outgoing message, leave specific, relevant information, and (b) use the customer’s name when sending e-mail messages. Multiple surveys indicated that the single biggest driver of making customers more likely to follow through on purchases, buy repeatedly, and recommend the product or service to others was decision simplicity. This refers to gathering reliable information about a product or service and making the purchase option. J. Avoid Rudeness and Hostility toward Customers Although rudeness to customers is obviously a poor business practice, the problem is widespread. Rude treatment creates more lost business than does poor product quality or high prices. A widely practiced form of rudeness is for two store associates to converse with each other about non-work matters while a customer waits for attention. Rudeness is sometimes a form of hostility because rudeness, such as grimacing at a customer stems from anger. One study in a bank showed that when the technical performance was low, hostility by the service provider lowered customer satisfaction considerably. With good technical performance, hostility had a lesser impact on service quality. II CREATING A BOND WITH YOUR CUSTOMER Creating a bond or emotional relationship with a customer helps bring about customer satisfaction and delight. Warm, constructive customer relationships enhance customer retention. A strong customer orientation is a set of basic individual predispositions and an inclination to provide service, to be courteous and helpful in dealing with customers and associates. Creating a bond is aimed at increasing sales, but also enhances service. If the customer relies on and trusts the sales representative, the customer will perceive the service to be of high quality. Six key principles are as follows: A. Create a Welcoming Attitude, Including a Smile Use enthusiastic expressions, including a smile, when greeting customers. Attempt to show a sincere, positive attitude that conveys to customers and prospects, “I’m here to make you happy.” A potential problem, however, is that a smile might be interpreted as a social invitation. A study with college students showed that employee smiling made customers smile in return, and feel satisfied with their encounter. Yet phony smiles tended to backfire. B. Provide Exceptional Service (or Customer Experience) Many successful companies contend that their competitive advantage is good service or experience. As at Burger King, give customers what they want, not what others think they should have. (The ethics of offering the Enormous Omelet Sandwich might be discussed in class.) Exceptional service includes dozens of customer transactions, including prompt delivery and accurate billing. Another way of understanding the importance of exceptional customer service is to study what happens when service declines. Part of the demise of the once popular Circuit City was attributed to a decline in customer service. C. Show Care and Concern During contact with the customer, the sales representative should show concern for the customer’s welfare. Microsoft is one of many companies that asks about the quality of customer service, and their inquiries are pointed and specific rather than canned. D. Make the Buyer Feel Good A fundamental way of keeping a relationship going is make the buyer feel good about himself or herself. It is helpful to point out how well the product fits the customer. An effective feel-good line is, “I enjoy doing business with you.” Sometimes giving the customer or potential customer a small treat (such as a thumb drive) will make that person feel good enough to take decisive action. E. Build a Personal Relationship through Interaction with Customers Interacting with customers in a personal way often enhances the customer experience, leading to repeat business. Instead of providing loads of amenities, Staybridge Suites concentrates its customer service on staff members interacting with guests. Another way of building relationships with large numbers of customers is to interact with them through blogs or the social media. Company-approved blogs are widely used as customers demand information presented in more unvarnished form. F. Invite the Customer Back The southern U.S. expression “Y’all come back, now!” is well suited for bonding with customers. Specific invitations to return may help increase repeat business. Despite the importance of forming a bond with your customer, getting too personal can backfire. Most people want a business relationship, not a personal one, with the company. III. DEALING WITH CUSTOMER DISSATISFACTION Most companies put honest effort into preventing customer dissatisfaction. Despite the many efforts to achieve total customer satisfaction, some customer dissatisfaction is inevitable. One reason for this dissatisfaction is that mistakes in dealing with customers are inevitable. A challenge is that the negative personality traits of customers can bring down a person’s level of customer service. A. Deal Constructively with Customer Complaints and Anger Customer satisfaction specialists recommend the following techniques for dealing with angry customers: 1. Show emotional leadership (by not reciprocating the customer’s anger). 2. Acknowledge the customer's point of view. 3. Avoid placing blame on the customer. 4. Use six magic words to defuse anger. (I understand [that this is a problem]; I agree [that it needs to be solved]; I'm sorry [that this happened to you].) 5. Apologize for the problems created by you or your company. 6. Take responsibility, act fast, and be thorough. 7. Tell the difficult customers how much you value them. 8. Follow up on the resolution of the problem. 9. Do you best to make sure the problem does not happen again. B. Involve the Customer in Working Out the Problem To minimize the perception of poor service, the customer should be involved in deciding what should be done about the problem. By involving the customer in the solution to the problem, the customer is more likely to accept a deviation from the service promised originally. C. Focus on the Customer’s Problems Rather than His or Her Emotions A study of 228 recorded customer service calls in a medical billing operation showed the importance of focusing on the problem rather than the customer’s emotional response to the problem. One problem-focused strategy was for agents to do what they could to modify aspects of the situations negatively affecting the customer’s emotions. Another problem-focused strategy was cognitive change, or altering the customer’s perspective regarding the problem. The two problem-focused strategies helped calm down the customer, whereas emotion-focused approaches resulted in more intense negative emotions by the patients who call in with a complaint. C. Anticipate How to Handle an Unreasonable Request The customer who makes an unreasonable demand is usually aware of the unreasonableness, and therefore may not expect to be fully granted the request. A few of the suggestions for dealing with an unreasonable request are as follows: 1. Let your customers retain their dignity by stating your position politely and reasonably. 2. Avoid arguing with an upset customer. 3. Appeal to your customer's sense of fair play and integrity. 4. Be firm by repeating the facts of the situation, but keep your temper under control. 5. Accept responsibility for your decision. 6. Be willing to say no to a customer when it is justifiable. D. Maintain a Realistic Customer Retention Attitude Some customers are too unreasonable, and therefore may not be worth keeping. A realistic goal is to retain as many profitable customers as possible. Airline passengers who engage in air rage are not worth keeping. Customers can be unreasonable and unruly also because they are late paying their bills or do not pay them. Such customers divert resources away from more loyal and profitable customers. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW 1. Suppose that your employer provides a service that customers desperately need, such as payday loans or prescription medication. Explain whether it would still be necessary to apply principles of customer satisfaction. Answer: Under conditions of desperate customer need, principles of customer satisfaction are still important. You want the desperate customer to return instead of searching another provider of the same product or service. Also, you want the customer to say nice things about you to others in his or her network. 2. Assume that a customer at one restaurant of a well-known restaurant chain is served stale bread. How fair would it be for that customer to post an angry tweet about the incident? Answer: A major challenge for consumer-oriented business firms is to prevent on angry customer to anonymously say critical things about the company on a social media site. In our opinion, the customer should make the complaint to the restaurant The complaint would most likely result in a coupon for a free meal, an appetizer, or dessert. Case closed. 3. For what reason is a satisfied employee more likely to provide better customer service? Answer: A satisfied employee is less likely to be harboring discontent that he or she might take out on customers. A satisfied employee is also less preoccupied and can therefore concentrate better on customers, thereby serving them better. Another consideration is that when one is satisfied, it is easier to deal with the challenges of human interaction. 4. A couple walks into the showroom of a home developer with hundreds of homes for sale, and ask about what type of home they should purchase. Describe how you might identify customer needs in this situation. Answer: A good starting point is to get the couple talking about how many people they envision will be living in the house, including children as well as parents of the couple. The answer here would suggest both the size of the house and the importance of separate living areas. The couple might also be asked how much privacy people want, which would suggest whether open living areas are best. Asking about anticipated price3 range would also be essential. After these uses are gathered, they will point to criteria for a vehicle that will meet all their needs. 5. Describe several customer moments of truth you have experienced this week. What made you classify them as moments of truth? Answer: An appropriate answer to this question includes an understanding of the concept of moments of truth: interactions in which the person forms an impression of the company's service. Many of these moments of truth will be negative, such as two store associates conducting a conversation while the student was waiting to be served. Another negative many students have experienced is not being taken seriously because they were dressed as students. 6. What is your opinion of the impact of automated voice systems on customer service? (We refer to the use of computerized voices to replace interaction with a live company representative.) Answer: A wide range of responses are possible here, including negative, neutral, and positive. On the negative side, being routed through a long menu of options to answer a question asked on the telephone. On the neutral side, calling in utility reading, or reporting them online seems satisfactory. On the positive side, some automated voice systems are quick and efficient, such as calling in a meter read for utilities or re-ordering a pharmacy prescription. Automated voice systems can streamline customer service by providing quick, consistent responses and handling high volumes of inquiries. However, they can also frustrate customers if they lack personalization and fail to address complex issues effectively. Balancing automation with options for human interaction can enhance overall customer satisfaction. 7. See if you can find an example of providing a customer so much information that it is difficult for the customer to make the purchase. How might the buying process be simplified? Answer: A plausible opportunity for being supplied with too much information is to search for a product online, such as a book about dieting or physical fitness. The choices are overwhelming. Perhaps the online bookstore might ask one or two basic questions so the search can be narrowed down. For example, “Dieting for people who want to lose weight?” “Dieting for people who seek healthy food?” 8. If it is really true that industrial customers tend to purchase from people they like, how might a sales representative capitalize on his fact using a couple of ideas from this chapter? Answer: The information in this chapter most specifically geared toward being liked by customers centers on bonding with customers. Key bonding approaches geared toward likability are (a) create a welcoming attitude, including a smile, (b) show care and concern, (c) make the buyer feel good, and (d) build a personal relationship through interaction with the customer. 9. Imagine yourself as a marketing and sales executive at a company that sold to other business firms. What would a large customer have to do before you took the initiative to end your relationship with that customer? Answer: Some students find it hard to believe that any business firm would intentionally get rid of a customer. However, the practice does exist, based on reasons such as the following: The large customer (a) demands unrealistic discounts, (b) pays very late, (c) does not pay all bills, or (d) demands too much service. Before ending a relationship with a large customer, I would need to see repeated, serious issues such as consistent late payments, breach of contract, or unethical behavior that damages the partnership. I would also consider their unwillingness to address or resolve these issues despite multiple discussions. Ensuring that such a decision is well-documented and justified is crucial. 10. How effective is the principle "the customer is always right" when dealing with dissatisfied customers? Answer: Following the principle "the customer is always right" too literally can create problems for the firm. Some customers make unreasonable demands and can lose money for the company. When the customer does appear to be wrong, however, it is necessary to tactfully resolve the conflict. The principle "the customer is always right" can be effective in acknowledging and validating customer concerns, which helps in de-escalating conflicts. However, it’s important to balance this with practical limits, ensuring that the customer’s demands are fair and feasible. Maintaining this balance helps in resolving issues while upholding company policies and fairness. ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS Pamela Pushes the “Wow” Experience This case illustrates that providing a “Wow” experience for customers does not work so well all the time, and must be implemented with sensitivity and tact. 1. What is your evaluation of the “Wow” experiences that Pamela is providing? Answer: Pamela appears to be attaining mixed results with the “Wow” experienced. The “Wow” experience provided for the older couple seems to be sensible. Suggesting that the woman return with the husband who uses two canes was thoughtful, professional, and a practical suggestion. Breaking out into a rap song for the hip-hop style customer might be perceived as patronizing, and perhaps even racist if the customer was African-American. Purchasing Tacos for the customers might make Pamela appear to be too controlling, and pushy. 2. What suggestions might you offer Pamela about her approach to customer service? Answer: Pamela should be encouraged for attempting to provide the “Wow” experience, but she needs to use more sensitivity. Before implementing a “Wow” tactic, she should stop and think whether her tact would be perceived as professional, and not condescending. The Rumpled Claims Form This case illustrates the sensitive problem of providing good customer service to customers who create problems. 1. In what way does this case deal with a customer service problem? Answer: The major issue in this case is customer service. The customers want their claims forms processed quickly, but problems have arisen that are slowing down the service. As a result, the customers will not receive the quality of service they demand. 2. What steps do you recommend that Insurance Resource take to get clients to send the company documents that are easier to manage? Answer: The company might send written instructions to customers explaining the nature of the problem. It would also be helpful, and more customer-service oriented, to phone the customers to explain the problem and work toward its resolution. An additional step might be to establish a two-tier pricing system with a higher price charged for difficult-to-scan documents. 3. What suggestions can you offer Wendy and the other scanning technicians to process their work more effectively for now? Answer: Wendy and the other scanning technicians might ask to be allotted a specific time for processing the difficult-to-scan documents, such as 30 minutes per day. The time spent on these documents would not be subtracted from their regular productivity. Also, Wendy and the other scanning technicians might have to be more accepting of the reality that not all customers are savvy or cooperative. COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES Self-Assessment Quiz 14-1: The Customer Orientation Quiz Answering the straightforward questions in this questionnaire directs the student's thinking toward the behavioral specifics involved in customer service. The questionnaire also touches on advanced knowledge about customer service, such as No. 13: “Now that individual consumers and companies can shop online, the personal touch in business is losing importance.” Skill-Building Exercise 14-1: Moments of Truth The moments of truth exercise works well in helping the student nail down the meaning of moments of truth. At the same time, the exercise raises awareness about the importance of seemingly minor incidents in customer service. Self-Assessment Quiz 14-2: Am I Being Rude? Responding to this questionnaire gives students a refresher on what actions are likely to be interpreted as rude behavior when serving customers. Several of the items warrant discussion as to why they constitute rudeness. Number 11 is an example: "I comment on customer's appearance in a flirtatious, sexually oriented way." Skill-Building Exercise 14-2: Bonding with Customers Most students will enjoy these two positive role-plays. Students who watch the role- play can provide feedback on how well the sales representatives accomplished their goals. As always, a challenge with an exercise of this nature is for the students to display some new knowledge, and not simply using experience and common sense. Skill-Building Exercise 14-3: Dealing with Difficult Customers Anticipate some lively action with these role-plays. Students will also receive a demonstration of the challenge of resolving conflicts with customers. In scenario one the customer appears to be wrong, whereas in scenario two the customer appears to be right. Interpersonal Relations Role Play 14-1: Pamela Applies the “Wow” Experience Although this role play has a light touch, such as Pamela breaking out into a rap song about the customer contemplating purchasing the vehicle, the role play represents a good learning opportunity. The role players reacting to Pamela will need good acting skills. A key observation point of this role play is how authentic Pamela can be. Solution Manual for Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills Andrew J. DuBrin 9780133506822, 9781292059365