Mistake # 94: Hire someone who makes demands

I just made an offer to an individual who will serve as customer service support. Ahem. I think I may have to retract the offer. She is demanding to start at a particular time in the morning, and needing to leave during a particular time in the afternoon. During the interview, I explained that the company makes every attempt to be flexible with hours. For example, we have several single mom’s who come in early and need to leave to get to day care later in the afternoon. Some come in later to accommodate for different time zones across the country. If someone has to leave for a doctor’s appointment, we allow to make up the hours throughout the course of the week, etc.

I think she heard what she wanted to hear, but not what I was explaining. If she is making these demands now, what kind of employee will she be?!

Mistake # 93: When things go wrong—run!

I am having a serious customer problem. Four people have spent the past seven days working on this account. Yes, we had mistakes. Yes we jumped into fix-it mode, changing procedures and the way we do things to better serve. But, there was a minor discrepancy — and not anything to do with what we delivered — where the customer became unglued (again. Screaming and threatening over the phone to us (again). The stress levels are at their highest. The nerves at their extremes. And we cannot, obviously, deliver to the best of this customer’s ability.

Tomorrow will be another packed day on dealing with with the continued madness. Here are a few suggestions I am trying to take:

(1) Don’t argue with the customer. Ever. Give facts and details on what took place the decisions made at the time. Take the blame no matter what.

(2) Compensate the customer for the poor experience (which we have already done).

(3) Change the approach immediately on procedures, performance, and how to reach your customer’s expectations.

(4) Identify who is the communicator to the customer. You? Your rep? Your CEO?

I’m about to say my Hail Mary’s for tomorrow…

Mistake # 92: Keep harassment to yourself

OMG, no! Even if you have second thoughts on if an incident is harassment, if you even have any inkling that you may have caused harassment, don’t, please don’t keep it to yourself.   It is absolutely the wrong thing to do. You need to fess up and talk to your supervisor or HR Director.  I’ve heard of one employee who thought that if he/she just waited to “clear things up” it will all go away. Well, it didn’t, and it only got worse.  And, because the employee did not talk to anyone about the incident, thinking it would “all go away” is what made the incident get to a boiling point.

There are several state government websites that define and advise on what happens when you have an employee who is conducting harassment of any types, or even if you, yourself, believe that you have been harassed.

Let’s just hope that none of us have to deal with these issues. Be respectful out there folks!

Coffee, anyone?

Mistake # 91: Ask for commission when there are no sales!

Yes, folks, you read that right. A sales rep did not hit quota four months out of the eight and wants commission or compensation changed in order to bring in more money. It’s sort of hard to believe. Now she is talking about getting a second job in order to make ends meet. Well, if she would just grow sales, she would make commission and all of us would be happy! Jeez!

Mistake # 89: Make it up as you go!

This is an interesting one. I have a sales rep who put a quote together for a client – in the body of an email! No logo, no format, nothing. It did have a signature line for the client to sign. Honestly! I could scream!

Mistake # 87: Fail to fix a sales problem

I have a direct report who completely screwed up with a client. He just didn’t have the answers and instead of making sure someone was on the call to help answer the questions, he delayed and delayed, not knowing how to get the answers (or not looking) and after a week the customer calls the President and complains. So, I had to un-$@$#% the problem and  transferred the account over to someone else.  The customer is now a happy camper.

Fast Company provides a no-brainer way to fix a sales problem!

Mistake # 86: Performance review to death

The company I work for conducts two annual performance reviews on direct reports. Neither are tied to compensation. I spend an inordinate amount of time on these with clear examples, facts, and offering suggestions for my direct reports to grow. What I get is garbage. No one spends time on these. No one provides examples on what they achieved, or challenges they have overcome, nor described how they did it. It looks like they spent a total of maybe 15 minutes on them.

I have advocated that these move to once annually and be performed on the individual’s anniversary date. I realize that the company goals may not coincide with the timing of these, but for me, it makes it easier to spend time on each individual. Otherwise, I’m cramming a half dozen reviews into two weeks!

Eventually, when the economy grows, they can be tied to compensation. For more information on performance reviews, Compensation Today blog provides a terrific overview.

Mistake # 85: The consultant is working on it

Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong way of thinking.  I’ve worked with many consultants in my life. Some I even learned from so much, that they became mentors (two, in particular). However, when you have consultants that really don’t have something specific to do, but are on the monthly company expense report, it’s really hard to justify.

Being a consultant right now could be very lucrative, since many companies have reduced hiring and controlling their activities by hiring freelance work.

Being a consultant right now could be very lucrative, since many companies have reduced hiring and controlling their activities by hiring freelance work.

When you do hire a consultant, I suggest that you at least follow these tips:

* Have specific outcomes monthly on what you expect that individual to perform.  It seems like a very obvious tip, but you would be surprised on how months go by and you are wondering what that individual is actually doing out there!

* Ask the individual to put together a monthly report on activities with specific deliverables attached, along with their invoice. This will monetize the value of this individual on what he/she is performing.

* Speak with the consultant weekly to answer questions, ask questions, identify if he/she is on track—or on the wrong track—to accomplish the assigned project. Just thinking that they are doing what they need to do could be a big problem in the end. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Finally, be sure to evaluate the value of the work the consultant has performed every 3-6 months. You’ll be glad you did!

Mistake # 83: Text message in the wrong places

Are there etiquette rules out there for adults on text messaging? Anywhere? How about if you are at dinner with your boss and you receive a text message? Should you answer back in between bites of shrimp or prime ribs?

I say nay, nay. I was at dinner not too long ago and my direct-report received a text. He puts his fork down and answers away.  Head down to his lap to poke his fat fingers on the phone’s buttons, I’m still talking to his bald spot on his head. What’s with that?! Is that really necessary?! What happens when he’s at his desk and in the middle of a conference call on the office phone. Does he do that too? It’s unlikely that it is from a customer, because, let’s be honest, what customer would text message a representative for more information?!

Here are three rules for text messaging for employees:

* Text messages are like emails. Answer them when you can, but don’t stop the train to do so. Take a break and go out to a hallway or the work break room to answer your text message.

* Don’t text message in front of your boss. If you do, there are likely to be questions on how you are spending your time–at the computer answering customer questions, or on your phone answering your wife’s questions on what color she should color her hair.

*Don’t ever text message at dinner with clients or your boss. Ever. If you do, it will look like you are not paying attention to the conversation and you have other things to do tend to. “Dad, did u deposit my $ yet? I want 2 go 2 the muveez w/Jak!”

What are your rules for text messaging at work?

Mistake # 81: Un-motivate and discourage your teams

Modeling. As a manager, you need to model your behavior to your staff. Motivate them and encourage them in order to drive high performance. Sounds so easy, doesn’t it?

Cripes! I eat lunch at my desk everyday because I never have time to go out with an employee and smell the roses. I jump in when they need me and end up putting fires out all day long. How is that modeling? I am frustrated with myself.

I read the Five Positive Traits that are Exhibited by A Successful Sales Manager. The first one, Lead By Example, is the hardest. You make one little mistake and they all know it and they spread it around in the company like wildfire. It’s so hard to be a manager. As much as I try to get better at it, sometimes I feel like a failure.

Well, enough already!

Here are three ways, and three goals, that I have for the remainder of the year so that I can motivate and encourage my staff:

* Take one employee to lunch once a week to talk. How’s their family? How are things going? What can we do to get better?

* Hold more department meetings – at least twice monthly.

* Develop a sales incentive program to launch 2010 to drive sales, bring moral up, and do some crazy, zany, fun stuff to make people laugh!

I can get myself more focused to do these! Really!

…I’ll keep you posted.