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PLEASE! Let Me Speak to a Human!
Do you remember when one could call a company and speak to a real human being ? What happened?
In our rush to reduce costs in the corporate world by slashing headcount we have arrived at a place where, if you have a question or a problem, there’s no one to talk to anymore. Organizations have rushed to implement chatbots, the majority of which are unable to answer standard questions, offering only boilerplate “non-help”.
The result: a race to the bottom with customer service standing at an all-time low.
This presents a wonderful opportunity: Any company that wants to stand out and develop a unique relationship with its customer base can now stand head-and-shoulders above the rest by employing human beings who interact with other human beings. The world has become increasingly frustrated and exhausted from useless and faceless technology that has failed to replace useful and friendly humans.
This presents a unique opportunity to become distinctive in the marketplace. Do you want to be different and better? If so, dust off the phones and bring back the people to answer them when customers call.
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A Love Story – Guest Blog #3
I have invited a number of authors, leaders and coaches who have reviewed my recently released book, A Love Story, to contribute their thoughts and ideas, and particularly those prompted by their reading of this book. Over several weeks they will share their insights...
A Love Story – Guest Blog #2
I have invited a number of authors, leaders and coaches who have reviewed my recently released book, A Love Story, to contribute their thoughts and ideas, and particularly those prompted by their reading of this book. Over the next few weeks they will share their...
A Love Story – Guest Blog #1
I have invited a number of authors, leaders and coaches who have reviewed my recently released book, A Love Story, to contribute their thoughts and ideas, and particularly those prompted by their reading of this book. Over the next few weeks they will share their...
A Love Story: An Intensely Personal Memoir
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The Kind of Capitalism We Need Now
A recent Gallup poll surveying the level of confidence that Americans have in their institutions reveals a frightening truth - big business is ranked second from the bottom, just above (no surprise here) Congress (see chart). The best employees are attracted to...
Opportunities to Grow
During 2015 and 2016 we are offering several opportunities for personal development and growth. Higher Ground Leadership® Coach Certification—an online course taught in partnership with CoachVille™, the largest coach training organization in the world. It consists of...
Bill Clinton and Inclusion
Late last month I participated in a remarkable event called LEAD2015. It was the brain child of Debbie McGrath, the founder of HR.com, who had a vision: to put together an event featuring 22 global thought leaders, speaking for 22 minutes each, over 2 days. Because...
Employee and Engagement Surveys
A number of survey instruments, free and paid, exist on our website. One of the most widely used and comprehensive, is the CASTLE® Organizational Survey. I am often asked how the data generated by this survey compares to other surveys. This raises some very...
Should Personal Views Override Optimum Strategy?
For several years our largest client was BP. At the time, John Brown was the CEO. Of all the leaders that I have known over the years, John Brown stands out as one of the most visionary, insightful and prescient talent builders of the last 50 years. Had he remained...
We’ve Lost our Feminine Energy
First, I want to say hello to our regular readers, after an absence of 4 1/2 months. If you would like to know the cause of this silence you can find the details here. Please use this password: 7243541. ************************** In my work with leadership teams I...
Are You Playing Baseball or Soccer?
Baseball is a game of individually executed actions supported (we each hope!) by a group of brilliant colleagues. Soccer, on the other hand, depends entirely on context and efforts of the collective more than the individual. With the exception of the penalty kick,...
To Be Inspired, Choose Your Clients and Customers Carefully
My book, The Spark, the Flame, and the Torch, is a manifesto for living an inspired life and creating inspiring organizations. Its first assumption is that we can't inspire others unless we first become inspired ourselves – you can't give what you don't have. The...
