January 8, 2024 • 29 mins
Author Paulette Foxx-Dawodu joins V. Helena in THE HAVEN for a discussion on her book entitled, Exceptional Service: How to Keep Loyal Customers. It's a book about how you as an employee or employer can ensure good branding by providing stellar customer service. There are some golden nuggets here that you don't want to miss!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:49):
Hello, dreamy people, and welcometo another exciting day in the writers saving.
This is your host beating Helena,and I'm here with my dear friend
Paultte Fox dot Woo Doo, whowrote a phenomenal book entitled Exceptional Service How
to Keep Loyal Customers. It's abook about how you, as an employee
or employer, can ensure good brandingby providing stellar service. There are some
(01:14):
golden nuggets here that you don't wannamiss. So without further ado, please
welcome all that to the hay Man. So good to have you. This
was one of my best girlfriends.They wrote this as excellent, excellent,
awesome book. What year did youwrite this in? Nineteen twenty one?
Nineteen twenty one, So during COVIDwrite So that's twenty twenty one. I
(01:38):
stand corrected, Okay, okay,twenty twenty one, twenty twenty one,
and I I think I know whatinspired it. But tell the audience what
inspired you to write this book.So one of the things that I thought
about was the importance of writing somethingthat I actually demonstrated and I was practicing.
(02:01):
And as I received new assignments andnew projects, I wanted to be
consistent with the approach. So oneof my colleagues suggested that because I would
receive the team when I say,I really the team when they would when
we would receive raving reviews, Iwanted to be sure that we followed the
(02:21):
process that worked. So based onthe results of the surveys and the feedback,
it motivated me to write the booksso I didn't have to reinvent the
will. Well, you know what, that's really interesting to hear s something
that you said near the tailing aboutthe surveys, because many times there are
customer service surveys that are sent outand some people totally ignore them. They
(02:46):
myself included, don't have a timebe sitting here trying to help you figure
out what you're doing wrong, whatyou're doing right. That's fine, but
then there are others and sometimes thisis me too on depending upon the company.
And you know how much I haveinvested in it, and I don't
mean monetary investment, I mean justyou know, as a as a consumer
(03:07):
of their products or services, andI do want them to give good customer
service cause I'm using them a lot, and so I'll fill out the survey.
But the interesting thing that you justsaid was that that information is collected,
which we know, but whatever happensto it, you know, I
go into the same store and it'sthe same stuff over and over again.
(03:27):
I'm like, are they Are theynot reading my survey? So and and
what you just said, for theorganizations that you have been affiliated with,
you were the one that would takein this information and you decided to write
a book about the finer points thatcame out of those kinds of engagements.
That's correct. In fact, Ilook at feedback as a gift, and
(03:50):
whether it's at work or even ata home with your significant other, we
have the palls to listen, tounderstand so that we can put things back
on track and move forward or continueto do what we know works well right
right, And so I wanna Ididn't intend to jump into this this quickly,
but since you brought up, uh, the keyword, they're listening.
(04:14):
You talk about active listening, Andthere was one thing that you said,
uh that really really resonated with me. You said, limit distractions, including
biases, so you can listen intently. Unpack that a little bit sure for
us. So what's important is thatwhen you're interacting with whether it's a stakeholder
(04:34):
or a customer, even a significantother, you have to really concentrate on
what they are saying, what isthe real message, And the only way
that you can do that effectively isthrough asking questions, engaging with them,
giving them direct eye contact. SometimeI even say, look at their right
(04:57):
eye mm, so that you continueto look, but don't look at a
point where it makes them feel uncomfortable. So it's healthy to look away and
then come back again a read whatthey're saying nonverbally as well, and when
you don't understand, ask questions tofully grasp what they're saying. Right.
And I think it's important for usto do that, not only as as
we listen to stakeholders, but aswe listen to people in the store as
(05:19):
well, because that way, ifwe don't get it, they will let
us know. Oftentimes, I sayit's important a paraphrase because if I don't
fully think I, you know,captured everything that you're saying, I then
paraphrase or what I heard you sayis this, so that if you correct
me, then I get that informationas well. And that's what I U
(05:41):
what I target. Wow. Plus, it's cost efficient, it's cost effective.
It reduces some of that because wedon't wanna deliver something you didn't ask
for. So the only way thatI know what you need is through question
technique and listening attentively to what itis you're sharing. Right, And you
know what, there's there's that noisethat many of us have in the back
(06:04):
of our mind when we're talking tosomeone and we're not actively listening. And
then, as you said, therewere biases. You know, Uh,
if we're asking someone to a question, sometimes in our mind we think we
already know the answer, so we'renot listening that's right to the answer.
How how does one overcome that?Yeah, I would say that when you
(06:26):
start to get distracted, maybe you'rethinking about cooking or eating lunch or something
like that, you might wanna writethat idea down if you can. And
when you write it down or youthink about it, allow yourself to think
about it quickly, it leaves you. Mm. I remember when I was
in graduate school and I would getso distracted because I thought about things that
would happen the night before that wyou know, would we had a great
time. And the instructor is tryingto present material on organization development or something
(06:51):
like that, and I would getdistracted because I was thinking about what happened
the night before. But when Iwrote that down or I was able to
think about it just for a second, then it allowed me to get back
in the game and play right andgive you my full attention. Well,
how does that work? Particularly withthe younger generation who it's kind of like
a microwave society for them, Andthere have been actual studies that were done
(07:15):
on the attention span of young people. I was gonna say Present company excluded,
but but them too. Who y. You know, It's that's why
I Instagram. It is just sucha a great vehicle of communication for them.
You know, it's quick, andthen there's another trying to remember what
(07:40):
the other social media is a snapchat? I don't know, Yeah, don't
even get me started. It's I'mover fifty, so I don't know about
the personal new things that they're doing. But in any event, but it
it's uh a way that they communicatethat is so incredibly quick and to the
point. And you know, forme, I like quick and to the
(08:01):
point too, CORU. So I'mnot listening because I'm waiting for you to
get to the point where I needto actually Okay, now I'm gonna focus
in cause all this other stuff yousaid is just I mean, it's important
to you, but I don't reallyneed to hear all that. Correct.
So you talked a minute ago aboutrelationships, and I think you you meant
like, not just employee employer,but in your personal relationship. Sure,
(08:26):
so how does that resonate for theyounger people? And and you can also
parlay it with having younger people asemployees. Yes, I find that a
blended approach could be helpful. Sowe know that they do have a microwave
mentality. They go in and outvery quickly, and if it's something they
don't want it uh to hear orit doesn't resonate with them, they're gone
(08:48):
someplace else. And we know that. So if I find that you are
a strong auditory person, it dependson the way that you listen and learn
and and when you are observing,because you will understand their way of processing
information. You then have to becomea little creative to keep them, keep
them attentive, and sometime it's throughasking questions or redirecting them in a polite
(09:13):
way, right right, of course, but they they need to be redirected
so that you can continue to haveexchanged with them. I mean I even
think about some of the students thatwe dealt with as stakeholders, and they
would literally look away or look downat their technology, and so I would
be quiet, I would pause andsay nothing, and they will look up
(09:35):
because it's like, oh, thisperson isn't saying anything, and then I
would uh re engage again. Wow. So it's important that you analyze a
person and then meet them where theyare right right that that is a really
really good and important point, Ithink because there are generational differences and the
exposures that we had growing up versuswhat they have, and the distractions in
(10:01):
general. So thank you for you. Also, you also encourage listening tours.
Talk to us about what a listeningtour is and why it's important.
It is so important. Let meexplain to you what it is. It's
a it's actually a project, anassignment where your task is to go out
(10:22):
to understand a process. So II it could be a process, or
it could be a scenario where you'retrying to get additional information on something that
doesn't work effectively. You've concluded thatyou need help with a process. And
so with leaders and others who arein that role, their job is to
(10:43):
go out and just observe, tounderstand, listen, to document so that
we could fully understand the process thatthey experience. And on those listening tours,
that's just this is just one example. You're not doing any talking.
I know I you'd because I haveover twenty some years with it. We
(11:03):
tend to do a lot of talkingand with the listening, tech talking,
yeah, tech talk top of theon top top of that, on top
of that, and then we thinkwe know what the user wants, which
is bad. So one of theassignments would be to listen. You have
to listen, to understand and askquestions to fully understand the process before we
recommend process improvement. So even whenemployer e start new positions and they're leaders,
(11:30):
I will say that you go ona listening tool to understand the things
that work for employees, the thingsthat need some attention, call them areas
of opportunity M And all you're doingis listening to understand so that you can
help to either say what you're doingis great, continue to do it,
or let's have a conversation about somethings we need to be open about doing
(11:52):
differently awesome. Awesome. So tellme in your own words, cause I
woance to true uh about your dayat Bloomingdale's and what happened and how that
played into active listening. Yeah,and in the book in general, I'm
(12:13):
glad you you mentioned and asked aboutit. I was wanting to go shopping
at Bloomingdale's and I I knew beforeI got out of the car that I
just needed to dresses. And quiteoften I know what I want, I
go in very quickly to leave veryquickly. And when I got there,
this salesperson by the name of Michelle, I cannot remember her last name.
Would you say it on the air? I wouldn't say it on the air
(12:39):
right all the customers, cause shewas exceptional. Okay. So she had
asked what was I looking for?And I looked at her as an interruption.
I I thought, I wanna getin here very quickly and get out.
Why are you asking me what Iwant? Oh? I said,
okay, I I need some,you know, some dresses for the office,
(13:03):
and I need something to come downbelow the knee. And she said
okay, and she told me whatsection to go to and I said okay,
and she didn't stay over there.She said, let me walk with
you, and I'm thinking of myself, get away from me, and you
were bothering me. So I wentover and what she decided to do was
to take the information that I gaveher, and it wasn't much. She
(13:26):
observed me a little while I didnot realize that, and she started to
go shopping for me. She cameover and she said, do you like
this paul Atte? And I lookedat it and I said, no,
that's not my style. And I'mthinking to myself, what was she going
to work? I don't know herrunning around the store finding things for me.
(13:46):
Well, guess but that I'm notgonna like. And she eventually,
within less than five minutes, shegot it and she started bringing me things
that I like, and she endedup she convinced me to try him on,
and I did that and I endedup buying four four to five dresses,
(14:07):
that's right, a top and somepants. And not only that.
When I got to the cash register, because even when other people wanted to
talk to her ask her a quickquestion, she said, l I'm waiting
on her right now, and I'llbe with you in a second, she
would give them my contact let'emknow, but came right back to me.
I was most definitely a priority,and she said, oh, by
(14:28):
the way, we have additional discounts, and she helped me to figure out
the additional discounts that I earned.She was amazing and I ended up loving
her forever. So that was yourexample of stellar customers or exactly w yes,
yes, which we we we've losta lot in in the stores.
(14:50):
I almost feel like with the storesthat we shopping, whether it's grocery shopping
or the mall, that we areinterruptions. So to have an experience where
I wasn't a interruption and she lookedat you, I was a party and
I was special. That was amazing. And in your observation, she didn't
put off the other customers. Sheacknowledged them, which is important. You
(15:15):
talk about that, and she usedyour name and she about how important that
is is best correct, But shestayed with you until the mission was complete.
That's right, until completion, andit's customer satisfaction completion. Until I
was satisfied, I had my back. She came from around the counter and
(15:35):
gave me my back and said shehoped to see me again, even gave
me your card. Oh wow,yeah, yeah, until I was then
very very much. They made itto your book. Okay, so you
talk about let's see which section isthis, this is the Customer Experience,
chapter five, and you talk aboutthings that people should do as they're preparing
(16:04):
to meet, and some things theyshould do prior to the meeting and so
and and what I love about thisis you know, you're you're very very
very finite in your descriptions of whatit is that people should do Y so
that there's no room for misunderstanding,cause you're very definitive. You tell us
(16:30):
to remove devices and don't allow interruptions. Use a well lit room to have
conversations. Why is that important?A well lip room people might get comfortable
and those a little bit. Andyou do have some sleepers who don't pause
to stand up and take care ofsomething that they're experiencing, so it should
be well lit. And also forwriting. Some people suffer might have bad
(16:52):
eye vision stuff. You just thoughtof everything. You you've said to use
a round table well so that allmembers can see one another. Yeah,
and it really increases interaction. Iget to see the the facial expression each
of us. We get to seethe nonverbals and it helps to keep us
engaged. So roundtables often work moreeffectively. And I love this one.
(17:18):
If more than an hour's pending onthe agenda over lunch, serve lunch,
don't you hate when you go tothese meetings? Well, fir, First
of all, it's supposed to bean hour. It's supposed to be from
eleven to twelve, yes, andthen it's now twelve fifteen. It's now
twelve thirty, no end in sight. You're saying to serve lunch. Yeah,
(17:38):
serve moe. Why is that important? Right? I think it's important.
It's just one human thing that demonstratesthe level of commitment to customer service
and the people who are present.Plus it also gives a form and an
opportunity for information exchange. You couldtalk a little bit more about the information
was disseminated to you and even startthinking about practical ways to iplement some of
(18:00):
the things you discussed. Right,And so these are helpful tips for employers,
and whether it's a customer that you'remeeting with or employees that you're meeting
with, these are some good,good, good tips. Provide pen and
paper for each member, that's right, Okay, make sure they had their
supplies and have it ready. Ifthey don't, you say that if in
(18:26):
a hotel conference room, turn offthe music. So just want to talk
off the details and like, Inever would have thought of that, but
that is important cause that's a distractionthat can interrupt active listener's right. They
put on a nice little song fromthe sixties, and you know people are
like mm, you know, andthey m. They may be looking at
you, but they're you know,I'm in that zone, especially if it's
(18:48):
Aretha Franklin. Okay, So yourtarget audience for the book overall is who
I would say, y, Iwas actually thinking about eighteen years old and
older. But then as I learnedmore about students at the elementary level and
(19:12):
I've been doing some volunteer work there, some of this information could be helpful
if they got it at the foundationallevel. Okay, So not necessarily exclude
a group, but that was myinitial target. Okay, eighteen and over,
especially when you're talking about saying pleaseand thank you. That's right.
(19:36):
So let's talk about why that's important. It it I I mean, we've
kind of no ideally, right,that the importance of saying please and and
thank you. But but tell mewith regards to exceptional service wise, yeah,
it it's just so important to pauseand recognize the efforts of others.
You don't want people to feel asif they are being taken avan or that
(20:00):
they don't count, or you don'tappreciate what they're doing. It's important to
get in the habit of thinking andshowing your level of appreciation for the experience
that you have, right, andI think it should go both ways.
And one would think that that's kindof common knowledge and basic, but I
know that you experienced a number oftimes, myself included, where people just
(20:22):
don't use those basic gestures of gratitudeand appreciation test for each other. So
and and I I love that youspend quite a bit of time talking about
that. So did you tell mehow long it took to write it?
I know when you wrote it,right, did it take it took about
I would say seven months, betweenseven and eight months, Okay. I
(20:48):
did have someone assisting and facilitating Okay, So it was a passion that I
wanted to document, so I wouldliterally spend time on it every s Okay,
trying to meet goals. I actuallyset goals for each part of it.
Oh okay, so you're answering mysecond question, which is what was
(21:08):
your process? So did you outlineit or did you just sit down and
start writing. Did you know thechapters and then you wrote to the chapters?
How? How? What was yourprocess? Yeah, it was a
outline that was established, and Ididn't necessarily know what chapters at the time,
but I knew what topic that neededto be addressed. So I always
(21:33):
feel that you start at the visionand the mission level. So if I
started there in my thought and thoughtmaybe that would make sense to be chapter
one, it wasn't defined that wayinitially, So then what I would do
for that that section was to thatnight, maybe I would just write information
about what I mean by vision andmission, core values, talk about the
(21:56):
tools, talk about how important itis for leadership to buy into it,
M and so it was actually amethodology that I used to get to the
milestones, and it would be mweekly goals that were established. So some
information had to be moved around becausemaybe I thought that it belonged in this
(22:17):
section, and I realized that somecontent of it belonged someplace else. So
I was able to make that adjustment, but not initially just just data dumping
and r getting it out. Ohwow, and this is your first book,
right it was, yes, myfirst book. Okay, okay,
So any other projects, I haveto think about that because the one thing
(22:37):
that I do wanna give back workshops. I talk about that, but now
it's important for us to put theinformation in a practical in a practical sense,
start to practice, to reinforce,to demonstrate, and to move in
that direction I think would be key. M So not only offering workshops,
(22:57):
but even presentation about what it meansto do customer service. So I started
doing some of that virtually, andI wanna wanna continue to do that to
help as a or uh organization,right, as a consultant. Correct,
Yes, I think it's important.Yeah. Now, you've worked across different
(23:18):
types of organizations. You've worked incorporate, you've worked in non profit.
Uh, we work in educational academia. Yes, so the any others that
I missed? Think you got it? You said nonprofit? Yes, so,
uh, the the tips and thingsthat you highlight in this book,
you w would you say it wouldcross all of those, yes, including
(23:42):
the union and the non union environment. Oh wow, okay, Cross,
it's there as well as education.I was able to palotte the concept in
both places and it worked. Well. Okay, yes, well this and
this, this is a wonderful,wonderful book. I know it's been successful.
I know it's gonna continue to bet Tell people where they can find
(24:04):
you socially. Sure which way shouldI look? Okay? Well, what
you will do is contact me directlyat P dow Wodo at gmail dot com.
And that's P d A wo duat gmail dot com. Do you
(24:29):
have a website and I do haveI Excel it's Facebook, So if you
have a Facebook account, or evenif you don't, you can look me
up through I excel and that's IE X C E L Space. That's
fine, I EXL and you canfind me there. But P dow Woudo
at gmail dot com. I'm alwaysavailable that way, and you gonna get
(24:55):
a whole bunch crazy email. That'sokay, Now, that's fine. Well,
thank you so much, thanks forbeing on the show. I finally
got you here after begging. Butthat's okay for each other right anyway,
Dreamcatchers, I'd like to thank youfor joining us today and keep watching because
we have so much more to sharewith you this season. You can stream
(25:17):
this show on any of our ninestreaming platforms, including iTunes, Spotify,
iHeartRadio, YouTube, and the numberone network on the continent, the American
Legacy Network. For more information onwhere to tune into a broadcast of our
show, you can visit our websiteat www dot Writershaven's Show dot com,
or you can check out the creditsat the end of this show for more
(25:38):
information about how to find us.That's all for now and until next time,
catch fire on purpose are Oh Hello, dreaming people. I am so
(26:42):
excited to share some amazing news forthose who follow me socially. You may
recall in June I hinted about someexciting news coming down the pipeline, and
I'm so happy to reveal it nowto the writers. Have a family of
phenomenal writers and avid readers. Areyou? The Haven is going international in
(27:03):
a very big way, and Iwant to invite you to the party.
Phoenix Ris and Entertainment has partnered withVirgin Voyages to host a writers and Readers
Escape. We are inviting you tojoin us on our first annual Writers and
readers escape wre aboard Virgin Voyages ValiantLady. It's a five night Caribbean excursion
(27:29):
from October sixth through October eleventh,twenty twenty four, which would be a
great kickoff for national bookline. Weare hitting ports of call in Miami,
Costa, Maya and Bemy and weare extending an invitation to all of you
to join us. There will beliterary cafes, masterclasses, panel discussions,
(27:52):
and our first Forward Legacy Awards ceremonyhonoring the work of the phenomenal mystery man
Milan, the legendary James Patterson,and the uber amazing Stacy Abrams. Did
y'all know she writes thrillers and children'sbooks? You probably do. But in
the midst of all that literary bliss, there are so many things to do
(28:18):
on the Valiant Lady. It's abeautiful, beautiful cruise ship. And not
to mention the fun you'll have atthe various ports of call, the theater,
shows, music events, parties.Let's just say, Sir Richard knows
how to put on a great timeand we want you to join us.
You will find the deets on ourwebsite at www dot Writers havenshow dot com.
(28:47):
But let me say this, weanticipate this event with book very quickly,
so don't wait to sign up.I don't want to hear any of
your sad stories about how you waitedand then could get in. So check
it out and I hope to cs e A see your face in the
place. That's it for now anduntil next time, catch fire on purpose.
(29:18):
Going back to my social media cut
Hello, dreamy people, and welcometo another exciting day in the writers saving.
This is your host beating Helena,and I'm here with my dear friend
Paultte Fox dot Woo Doo, whowrote a phenomenal book entitled Exceptional Service How
to Keep Loyal Customers. It's abook about how you, as an employee
or employer, can ensure good brandingby providing stellar service. There are some
(01:14):
golden nuggets here that you don't wannamiss. So without further ado, please
welcome all that to the hay Man. So good to have you. This
was one of my best girlfriends.They wrote this as excellent, excellent,
awesome book. What year did youwrite this in? Nineteen twenty one?
Nineteen twenty one, So during COVIDwrite So that's twenty twenty one. I
(01:38):
stand corrected, Okay, okay,twenty twenty one, twenty twenty one,
and I I think I know whatinspired it. But tell the audience what
inspired you to write this book.So one of the things that I thought
about was the importance of writing somethingthat I actually demonstrated and I was practicing.
(02:01):
And as I received new assignments andnew projects, I wanted to be
consistent with the approach. So oneof my colleagues suggested that because I would
receive the team when I say,I really the team when they would when
we would receive raving reviews, Iwanted to be sure that we followed the
(02:21):
process that worked. So based onthe results of the surveys and the feedback,
it motivated me to write the booksso I didn't have to reinvent the
will. Well, you know what, that's really interesting to hear s something
that you said near the tailing aboutthe surveys, because many times there are
customer service surveys that are sent outand some people totally ignore them. They
(02:46):
myself included, don't have a timebe sitting here trying to help you figure
out what you're doing wrong, whatyou're doing right. That's fine, but
then there are others and sometimes thisis me too on depending upon the company.
And you know how much I haveinvested in it, and I don't
mean monetary investment, I mean justyou know, as a as a consumer
(03:07):
of their products or services, andI do want them to give good customer
service cause I'm using them a lot, and so I'll fill out the survey.
But the interesting thing that you justsaid was that that information is collected,
which we know, but whatever happensto it, you know, I
go into the same store and it'sthe same stuff over and over again.
(03:27):
I'm like, are they Are theynot reading my survey? So and and
what you just said, for theorganizations that you have been affiliated with,
you were the one that would takein this information and you decided to write
a book about the finer points thatcame out of those kinds of engagements.
That's correct. In fact, Ilook at feedback as a gift, and
(03:50):
whether it's at work or even ata home with your significant other, we
have the palls to listen, tounderstand so that we can put things back
on track and move forward or continueto do what we know works well right
right, And so I wanna Ididn't intend to jump into this this quickly,
but since you brought up, uh, the keyword, they're listening.
(04:14):
You talk about active listening, Andthere was one thing that you said,
uh that really really resonated with me. You said, limit distractions, including
biases, so you can listen intently. Unpack that a little bit sure for
us. So what's important is thatwhen you're interacting with whether it's a stakeholder
(04:34):
or a customer, even a significantother, you have to really concentrate on
what they are saying, what isthe real message, And the only way
that you can do that effectively isthrough asking questions, engaging with them,
giving them direct eye contact. SometimeI even say, look at their right
(04:57):
eye mm, so that you continueto look, but don't look at a
point where it makes them feel uncomfortable. So it's healthy to look away and
then come back again a read whatthey're saying nonverbally as well, and when
you don't understand, ask questions tofully grasp what they're saying. Right.
And I think it's important for usto do that, not only as as
we listen to stakeholders, but aswe listen to people in the store as
(05:19):
well, because that way, ifwe don't get it, they will let
us know. Oftentimes, I sayit's important a paraphrase because if I don't
fully think I, you know,captured everything that you're saying, I then
paraphrase or what I heard you sayis this, so that if you correct
me, then I get that informationas well. And that's what I U
(05:41):
what I target. Wow. Plus, it's cost efficient, it's cost effective.
It reduces some of that because wedon't wanna deliver something you didn't ask
for. So the only way thatI know what you need is through question
technique and listening attentively to what itis you're sharing. Right, And you
know what, there's there's that noisethat many of us have in the back
(06:04):
of our mind when we're talking tosomeone and we're not actively listening. And
then, as you said, therewere biases. You know, Uh,
if we're asking someone to a question, sometimes in our mind we think we
already know the answer, so we'renot listening that's right to the answer.
How how does one overcome that?Yeah, I would say that when you
(06:26):
start to get distracted, maybe you'rethinking about cooking or eating lunch or something
like that, you might wanna writethat idea down if you can. And
when you write it down or youthink about it, allow yourself to think
about it quickly, it leaves you. Mm. I remember when I was
in graduate school and I would getso distracted because I thought about things that
would happen the night before that wyou know, would we had a great
time. And the instructor is tryingto present material on organization development or something
(06:51):
like that, and I would getdistracted because I was thinking about what happened
the night before. But when Iwrote that down or I was able to
think about it just for a second, then it allowed me to get back
in the game and play right andgive you my full attention. Well,
how does that work? Particularly withthe younger generation who it's kind of like
a microwave society for them, Andthere have been actual studies that were done
(07:15):
on the attention span of young people. I was gonna say Present company excluded,
but but them too. Who y. You know, It's that's why
I Instagram. It is just sucha a great vehicle of communication for them.
You know, it's quick, andthen there's another trying to remember what
(07:40):
the other social media is a snapchat? I don't know, Yeah, don't
even get me started. It's I'mover fifty, so I don't know about
the personal new things that they're doing. But in any event, but it
it's uh a way that they communicatethat is so incredibly quick and to the
point. And you know, forme, I like quick and to the
(08:01):
point too, CORU. So I'mnot listening because I'm waiting for you to
get to the point where I needto actually Okay, now I'm gonna focus
in cause all this other stuff yousaid is just I mean, it's important
to you, but I don't reallyneed to hear all that. Correct.
So you talked a minute ago aboutrelationships, and I think you you meant
like, not just employee employer,but in your personal relationship. Sure,
(08:26):
so how does that resonate for theyounger people? And and you can also
parlay it with having younger people asemployees. Yes, I find that a
blended approach could be helpful. Sowe know that they do have a microwave
mentality. They go in and outvery quickly, and if it's something they
don't want it uh to hear orit doesn't resonate with them, they're gone
(08:48):
someplace else. And we know that. So if I find that you are
a strong auditory person, it dependson the way that you listen and learn
and and when you are observing,because you will understand their way of processing
information. You then have to becomea little creative to keep them, keep
them attentive, and sometime it's throughasking questions or redirecting them in a polite
(09:13):
way, right right, of course, but they they need to be redirected
so that you can continue to haveexchanged with them. I mean I even
think about some of the students thatwe dealt with as stakeholders, and they
would literally look away or look downat their technology, and so I would
be quiet, I would pause andsay nothing, and they will look up
(09:35):
because it's like, oh, thisperson isn't saying anything, and then I
would uh re engage again. Wow. So it's important that you analyze a
person and then meet them where theyare right right that that is a really
really good and important point, Ithink because there are generational differences and the
exposures that we had growing up versuswhat they have, and the distractions in
(10:01):
general. So thank you for you. Also, you also encourage listening tours.
Talk to us about what a listeningtour is and why it's important.
It is so important. Let meexplain to you what it is. It's
a it's actually a project, anassignment where your task is to go out
(10:22):
to understand a process. So II it could be a process, or
it could be a scenario where you'retrying to get additional information on something that
doesn't work effectively. You've concluded thatyou need help with a process. And
so with leaders and others who arein that role, their job is to
(10:43):
go out and just observe, tounderstand, listen, to document so that
we could fully understand the process thatthey experience. And on those listening tours,
that's just this is just one example. You're not doing any talking.
I know I you'd because I haveover twenty some years with it. We
(11:03):
tend to do a lot of talkingand with the listening, tech talking,
yeah, tech talk top of theon top top of that, on top
of that, and then we thinkwe know what the user wants, which
is bad. So one of theassignments would be to listen. You have
to listen, to understand and askquestions to fully understand the process before we
recommend process improvement. So even whenemployer e start new positions and they're leaders,
(11:30):
I will say that you go ona listening tool to understand the things
that work for employees, the thingsthat need some attention, call them areas
of opportunity M And all you're doingis listening to understand so that you can
help to either say what you're doingis great, continue to do it,
or let's have a conversation about somethings we need to be open about doing
(11:52):
differently awesome. Awesome. So tellme in your own words, cause I
woance to true uh about your dayat Bloomingdale's and what happened and how that
played into active listening. Yeah,and in the book in general, I'm
(12:13):
glad you you mentioned and asked aboutit. I was wanting to go shopping
at Bloomingdale's and I I knew beforeI got out of the car that I
just needed to dresses. And quiteoften I know what I want, I
go in very quickly to leave veryquickly. And when I got there,
this salesperson by the name of Michelle, I cannot remember her last name.
Would you say it on the air? I wouldn't say it on the air
(12:39):
right all the customers, cause shewas exceptional. Okay. So she had
asked what was I looking for?And I looked at her as an interruption.
I I thought, I wanna getin here very quickly and get out.
Why are you asking me what Iwant? Oh? I said,
okay, I I need some,you know, some dresses for the office,
(13:03):
and I need something to come downbelow the knee. And she said
okay, and she told me whatsection to go to and I said okay,
and she didn't stay over there.She said, let me walk with
you, and I'm thinking of myself, get away from me, and you
were bothering me. So I wentover and what she decided to do was
to take the information that I gaveher, and it wasn't much. She
(13:26):
observed me a little while I didnot realize that, and she started to
go shopping for me. She cameover and she said, do you like
this paul Atte? And I lookedat it and I said, no,
that's not my style. And I'mthinking to myself, what was she going
to work? I don't know herrunning around the store finding things for me.
(13:46):
Well, guess but that I'm notgonna like. And she eventually,
within less than five minutes, shegot it and she started bringing me things
that I like, and she endedup she convinced me to try him on,
and I did that and I endedup buying four four to five dresses,
(14:07):
that's right, a top and somepants. And not only that.
When I got to the cash register, because even when other people wanted to
talk to her ask her a quickquestion, she said, l I'm waiting
on her right now, and I'llbe with you in a second, she
would give them my contact let'emknow, but came right back to me.
I was most definitely a priority,and she said, oh, by
(14:28):
the way, we have additional discounts, and she helped me to figure out
the additional discounts that I earned.She was amazing and I ended up loving
her forever. So that was yourexample of stellar customers or exactly w yes,
yes, which we we we've losta lot in in the stores.
(14:50):
I almost feel like with the storesthat we shopping, whether it's grocery shopping
or the mall, that we areinterruptions. So to have an experience where
I wasn't a interruption and she lookedat you, I was a party and
I was special. That was amazing. And in your observation, she didn't
put off the other customers. Sheacknowledged them, which is important. You
(15:15):
talk about that, and she usedyour name and she about how important that
is is best correct, But shestayed with you until the mission was complete.
That's right, until completion, andit's customer satisfaction completion. Until I
was satisfied, I had my back. She came from around the counter and
(15:35):
gave me my back and said shehoped to see me again, even gave
me your card. Oh wow,yeah, yeah, until I was then
very very much. They made itto your book. Okay, so you
talk about let's see which section isthis, this is the Customer Experience,
chapter five, and you talk aboutthings that people should do as they're preparing
(16:04):
to meet, and some things theyshould do prior to the meeting and so
and and what I love about thisis you know, you're you're very very
very finite in your descriptions of whatit is that people should do Y so
that there's no room for misunderstanding,cause you're very definitive. You tell us
(16:30):
to remove devices and don't allow interruptions. Use a well lit room to have
conversations. Why is that important?A well lip room people might get comfortable
and those a little bit. Andyou do have some sleepers who don't pause
to stand up and take care ofsomething that they're experiencing, so it should
be well lit. And also forwriting. Some people suffer might have bad
(16:52):
eye vision stuff. You just thoughtof everything. You you've said to use
a round table well so that allmembers can see one another. Yeah,
and it really increases interaction. Iget to see the the facial expression each
of us. We get to seethe nonverbals and it helps to keep us
engaged. So roundtables often work moreeffectively. And I love this one.
(17:18):
If more than an hour's pending onthe agenda over lunch, serve lunch,
don't you hate when you go tothese meetings? Well, fir, First
of all, it's supposed to bean hour. It's supposed to be from
eleven to twelve, yes, andthen it's now twelve fifteen. It's now
twelve thirty, no end in sight. You're saying to serve lunch. Yeah,
(17:38):
serve moe. Why is that important? Right? I think it's important.
It's just one human thing that demonstratesthe level of commitment to customer service
and the people who are present.Plus it also gives a form and an
opportunity for information exchange. You couldtalk a little bit more about the information
was disseminated to you and even startthinking about practical ways to iplement some of
(18:00):
the things you discussed. Right,And so these are helpful tips for employers,
and whether it's a customer that you'remeeting with or employees that you're meeting
with, these are some good,good, good tips. Provide pen and
paper for each member, that's right, Okay, make sure they had their
supplies and have it ready. Ifthey don't, you say that if in
(18:26):
a hotel conference room, turn offthe music. So just want to talk
off the details and like, Inever would have thought of that, but
that is important cause that's a distractionthat can interrupt active listener's right. They
put on a nice little song fromthe sixties, and you know people are
like mm, you know, andthey m. They may be looking at
you, but they're you know,I'm in that zone, especially if it's
(18:48):
Aretha Franklin. Okay, So yourtarget audience for the book overall is who
I would say, y, Iwas actually thinking about eighteen years old and
older. But then as I learnedmore about students at the elementary level and
(19:12):
I've been doing some volunteer work there, some of this information could be helpful
if they got it at the foundationallevel. Okay, So not necessarily exclude
a group, but that was myinitial target. Okay, eighteen and over,
especially when you're talking about saying pleaseand thank you. That's right.
(19:36):
So let's talk about why that's important. It it I I mean, we've
kind of no ideally, right,that the importance of saying please and and
thank you. But but tell mewith regards to exceptional service wise, yeah,
it it's just so important to pauseand recognize the efforts of others.
You don't want people to feel asif they are being taken avan or that
(20:00):
they don't count, or you don'tappreciate what they're doing. It's important to
get in the habit of thinking andshowing your level of appreciation for the experience
that you have, right, andI think it should go both ways.
And one would think that that's kindof common knowledge and basic, but I
know that you experienced a number oftimes, myself included, where people just
(20:22):
don't use those basic gestures of gratitudeand appreciation test for each other. So
and and I I love that youspend quite a bit of time talking about
that. So did you tell mehow long it took to write it?
I know when you wrote it,right, did it take it took about
I would say seven months, betweenseven and eight months, Okay. I
(20:48):
did have someone assisting and facilitating Okay, So it was a passion that I
wanted to document, so I wouldliterally spend time on it every s Okay,
trying to meet goals. I actuallyset goals for each part of it.
Oh okay, so you're answering mysecond question, which is what was
(21:08):
your process? So did you outlineit or did you just sit down and
start writing. Did you know thechapters and then you wrote to the chapters?
How? How? What was yourprocess? Yeah, it was a
outline that was established, and Ididn't necessarily know what chapters at the time,
but I knew what topic that neededto be addressed. So I always
(21:33):
feel that you start at the visionand the mission level. So if I
started there in my thought and thoughtmaybe that would make sense to be chapter
one, it wasn't defined that wayinitially, So then what I would do
for that that section was to thatnight, maybe I would just write information
about what I mean by vision andmission, core values, talk about the
(21:56):
tools, talk about how important itis for leadership to buy into it,
M and so it was actually amethodology that I used to get to the
milestones, and it would be mweekly goals that were established. So some
information had to be moved around becausemaybe I thought that it belonged in this
(22:17):
section, and I realized that somecontent of it belonged someplace else. So
I was able to make that adjustment, but not initially just just data dumping
and r getting it out. Ohwow, and this is your first book,
right it was, yes, myfirst book. Okay, okay,
So any other projects, I haveto think about that because the one thing
(22:37):
that I do wanna give back workshops. I talk about that, but now
it's important for us to put theinformation in a practical in a practical sense,
start to practice, to reinforce,to demonstrate, and to move in
that direction I think would be key. M So not only offering workshops,
(22:57):
but even presentation about what it meansto do customer service. So I started
doing some of that virtually, andI wanna wanna continue to do that to
help as a or uh organization,right, as a consultant. Correct,
Yes, I think it's important.Yeah. Now, you've worked across different
(23:18):
types of organizations. You've worked incorporate, you've worked in non profit.
Uh, we work in educational academia. Yes, so the any others that
I missed? Think you got it? You said nonprofit? Yes, so,
uh, the the tips and thingsthat you highlight in this book,
you w would you say it wouldcross all of those, yes, including
(23:42):
the union and the non union environment. Oh wow, okay, Cross,
it's there as well as education.I was able to palotte the concept in
both places and it worked. Well. Okay, yes, well this and
this, this is a wonderful,wonderful book. I know it's been successful.
I know it's gonna continue to bet Tell people where they can find
(24:04):
you socially. Sure which way shouldI look? Okay? Well, what
you will do is contact me directlyat P dow Wodo at gmail dot com.
And that's P d A wo duat gmail dot com. Do you
(24:29):
have a website and I do haveI Excel it's Facebook, So if you
have a Facebook account, or evenif you don't, you can look me
up through I excel and that's IE X C E L Space. That's
fine, I EXL and you canfind me there. But P dow Woudo
at gmail dot com. I'm alwaysavailable that way, and you gonna get
(24:55):
a whole bunch crazy email. That'sokay, Now, that's fine. Well,
thank you so much, thanks forbeing on the show. I finally
got you here after begging. Butthat's okay for each other right anyway,
Dreamcatchers, I'd like to thank youfor joining us today and keep watching because
we have so much more to sharewith you this season. You can stream
(25:17):
this show on any of our ninestreaming platforms, including iTunes, Spotify,
iHeartRadio, YouTube, and the numberone network on the continent, the American
Legacy Network. For more information onwhere to tune into a broadcast of our
show, you can visit our websiteat www dot Writershaven's Show dot com,
or you can check out the creditsat the end of this show for more
(25:38):
information about how to find us.That's all for now and until next time,
catch fire on purpose are Oh Hello, dreaming people. I am so
(26:42):
excited to share some amazing news forthose who follow me socially. You may
recall in June I hinted about someexciting news coming down the pipeline, and
I'm so happy to reveal it nowto the writers. Have a family of
phenomenal writers and avid readers. Areyou? The Haven is going international in
(27:03):
a very big way, and Iwant to invite you to the party.
Phoenix Ris and Entertainment has partnered withVirgin Voyages to host a writers and Readers
Escape. We are inviting you tojoin us on our first annual Writers and
readers escape wre aboard Virgin Voyages ValiantLady. It's a five night Caribbean excursion
(27:29):
from October sixth through October eleventh,twenty twenty four, which would be a
great kickoff for national bookline. Weare hitting ports of call in Miami,
Costa, Maya and Bemy and weare extending an invitation to all of you
to join us. There will beliterary cafes, masterclasses, panel discussions,
(27:52):
and our first Forward Legacy Awards ceremonyhonoring the work of the phenomenal mystery man
Milan, the legendary James Patterson,and the uber amazing Stacy Abrams. Did
y'all know she writes thrillers and children'sbooks? You probably do. But in
the midst of all that literary bliss, there are so many things to do
(28:18):
on the Valiant Lady. It's abeautiful, beautiful cruise ship. And not
to mention the fun you'll have atthe various ports of call, the theater,
shows, music events, parties.Let's just say, Sir Richard knows
how to put on a great timeand we want you to join us.
You will find the deets on ourwebsite at www dot Writers havenshow dot com.
(28:47):
But let me say this, weanticipate this event with book very quickly,
so don't wait to sign up.I don't want to hear any of
your sad stories about how you waitedand then could get in. So check
it out and I hope to cs e A see your face in the
place. That's it for now anduntil next time, catch fire on purpose.
(29:18):
Going back to my social media cut
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.