The Constellation A newsletter for Answering Service Employees, donated to the industry by TeamSNUG
Aquila A Shining Star to Guide the Way... “The Eagle” Today’s Luminary is Jennifer Ferby AnswerPlus Aquila is a constellation in the By Paul Lloyd northern sky. Its name is Latin At 19, Jennifer Ferby was hired as a part-time CSR at AnswerPlus while attending college. for 'eagle' and it represents She graduated Mohawk College with a degree in Social Work, and began working full the bird who carried Zeus's time while seeking a position where she could use her newly acquired skills. thunderbolts in Greco- During her breaks, Jennifer could be found visiting staff in other departments, and asking Roman mythology. what she could do to help, even if it was on her own time. It was clear that Jen was eager to accept new challenges, and she quickly earned her place as a Supervisor. The Ah-ha moment came when a fellow supervisor, (Gayle), was diagnosed with cancer, and very Aquila lies just a few degrees quickly passed away. Jen was just 23 at the time, but she recognized that her co-workers North of the celestial equator needed an outlet to grieve. She arranged a memorial service in the chapel of the local and is best seen in the hospital, gave a beautiful eulogy, and then encouraged the rest of us to share our favorite memories of Gayle. There was laughter, there were tears, and everyone left feeling a little summer as it is located along better. the Milky Way. It was at this time that we were searching for the right person to manage our Hamilton Call Centre. We’d already made a couple of choices that didn’t work out, and were concerned Altair is the brightest star in about providing our CSRs with a leader that they could trust and respect, but when I the constellation Aquila and experienced Jennifer’s organizational skills and her unbelievably caring spirit, I knew that the twelfth brightest star in I had found exactly who I was looking for. Barbara Bradbury, VP, had just announced her intention to retire in 5 years, and assumed the role as mentor. Jen has all the qualities it the night sky. It is an takes to be a great manager. She has a big heart and is known for going out of her way to abbreviation of an Arabic help her staff, listening to their concerns, and always being open to their suggestions. But phrase meaning “The flying Jen’s no pushover, she also has high expectations of her CSRs, constantly coaching them to achieve their goals and providing feedback on their progress. Jen never hesitates to eagle”. convince a CSR to find another calling if they are unable to achieve their goals.
In the Chinese love story of One of my favorite stories is when she had to fire the aunt of her best friend. She did it because she had to, it was the right thing to do and she didn’t consider it adversarial. Qi Xi, Niu Lang (Altair) and At the age of 27, Jen has made AnswerPlus an employer of choice, with a waiting list of his two children (β and γ applicants who wish to work for us. She currently oversees 55 CSRs, 2 programmers, 3 Aquilae) are separated Account Managers and a receptionist. forever from their wife and In her spare time she coaches children & adults with physical mother Zhi Nu (Vega) who is & cognitive challenges in a baseball league in summer and on the far side of the river, the indoor soccer league in the winter. She is also serving a two year term on the league’s board of directors as Special Events Milky Way. They are only Coordinator and is in her second year as the Administrator permitted to meet once a year, Assistant. when the Milky Way is P.S. When we asked Jen to give up on a career in the field of crossed by a bridge of Social Work and accept the role of Operations Manager, we magpies. convinced her that she would get plenty of opportunities to use her social work skills just working in the call centre business. And she did. 4th Quarter 2013 Our Clients Are Judged By How WE Speak
We are judged by how we speak as much as by what we say. Our Clients judge our ability to represent their company by how well we speak. Our clients know that THEIR callers will judge THEIR companies by how well WE speak.
Our job is to facilitate communication; therefore, our clients have a right to expect, even to demand, that we project a professional, knowledgeable and competent image of their company. We cannot allow our employees to exhibit speech patterns that could make this vital contact difficult or unprofessional.
So crucial in the impression we create for our clients, we must be diligent in monitoring the way we speak. We cannot employ people who do not use Standard American English, (Standard Canadian English, or grammatically correct French or Spanish) the language that is taught in our schools. Speaking in various vernaculars, dialects, or slang will not provide the educated, professional image our clients expect. Imagine this…
Caller: “May I speak with Mrs. Brown, please?”
Valley Girl: “She’s like, not in right now, ya know? Like, could you call back at, like, 2:30 or 3:00 to see, ya know, if she’s, like, back yet? Or, I could, like, take a message…”
Or this…
Caller: “My sink is stopped up, could you please have maintenance come out to see what is wrong with it?”
Rosanne: Watcha mean, stopped up? Is da wadda standin’ in the zink, or ovaflowin’?
Or this…
Caller: “I’m returning Mr. Smith’s call.”
Slang: “I’ll axe him to get back wit-chu. Waz yer nummer?”
These are very exaggerated examples, aren’t they? Well, actually they aren’t. Every one of these fractured words and grammar rules have been heard in our monitoring process! Granted, they haven’t all been in a few sentences, such as we have done here for effect, but whether taken singularly or in groups. However, each one of these words, and others, are detrimental to our client’s good image and reputation.
It’s important to know the right words to use in any situation. Often we use words or word combinations that “jump out at people” who know they are not “good English”. When people misuse words others cringe when they listen and that misuse reflects on the person using them as showing a lack of education or knowledge. In addition, it is distracting to hear words being used incorrectly and people actually miss what is being said next as they process the incorrect word.
If you think you may have picked up some poor speech habits, ask to use a tape recorder, and record yourself answering some calls. If you’d like help, your supervisor will be delighted to help you critique your pronunciation, grammar or just vocabulary. There is almost always room for improvement, and it just might help you get a better score on your next evaluation. Good luck. Which Is Right?
ere are some of those blatantly misused words that “jump out” at people who know better. H Avoid these common mistakes and improve your image.
1. A – You look especially nice in that blue dress, are you going somewhere special? B – You look expecially nice in that blue dress, are you going somewhere special?
2. A – I will do this regardless of how many attempts it takes. B – I will do this irregardless of how many attempts it takes.
3. A – Here are the textbooks; would you like me to add these ones to the pile? B – Here are the textbooks; would you like me to add these to the pile?
4. A – The circus is today; I can’t wait, I am so eager to go! B – The circus is today; I can’t wait, I am so anxious to go!
5. A – He can’t run for president, firstly, he is not a citizen, secondly, he is too young. B – He can’t run for president, first, he is not a citizen, second, he is too young.
6. A – What is the height of that truck; will it fit under the overpass?
B -
B – What is the heighth of that truck; will it fit under the overpass? Bonus
A -
10
B -
7. A – There is such a miniscule difference between right and wrong in this case. 9
A - 8
B - B – There is such a minuscule difference between right and wrong in this case. 7
A - 6
B - 8. A – The freshmen go a day early so they can orient themselves to the new school. 5
A -
B – The freshmen go a day early so they can orientate themselves to the new school. 4
B -
3
A -
9. A – She had chicken pox as a girl so getting the shingles vaccination is a preventative measure. 2
A - 1 B – She had chicken pox as a girl so getting the shingles vaccination is a preventive measure.
10. A – She was yearbook editor in college that supposedly is why she was made newsletter editor. Answers: Puzzle
B – She was yearbook editor in college that supposably is why she was made newsletter editor.
Bonus: A – I will undoubtably get all of these choices correct! B – I will undoubtedly get all of these choices correct!
Healthy... Wealthy...... and Wise rinking water is great he n the US we create for your body it helps manufacturing about 70 million D you lose weight, it T of plastic water I water bottles every improves your skin texture, it bottles requires year and about 86 % of helps maintain digestive health enough oil to keep them end up in landfills and flushes out toxins. 100,000 cars on the every year; when they road every year! COULD be recycled! Dream Job... Be A Dream Employee
I had an interview for the job of my dreams! My 18 year-old neighbor told me with excitement in her voice. “Good starting pay, great benefits, vacation, interesting work, just what I’ve been looking for!” My heart sank, even though I wished her luck. I suspected that she didn’t have a chance at getting that job.
At age 16 Julie had wanted to work at McDonald’s, she was an “A” student, so her parents agreed. Having a job meant giving up hanging with her friends and video games so she could do her homework and get to her job on time. After a while she began missing work, or going in late. McDonald’s had spent time and money training Julie; just when she was about to become an asset to the company, she quit. McDonald’s never even broke even on Julie’s employment. It cost more than they benefited.
The following summer, before her senior year, Julie took a job at a local deli where her boyfriend worked. She started out great, everyone liked her; she has a great personality. But work is called “work” for a reason – it’s a responsibility, not a game. Julie’s work ethic wasn’t good. Getting to work on time wasn’t a priority, getting back from breaks wasn’t a priority; actually, getting to work at all wasn’t a priority. Julie found herself on the schedule less and less – and still didn’t work all the days she was scheduled. Technically, she was never fired; she just wasn’t scheduled to work, and that seemed to be OK with her.
After graduation, she again looked for a job to earn some college money. Prospective employers looked at her track record and chose another applicant. Finally, she got a job in nearby town, “Just until I can find something better”. However, Julie’s car was a gas guzzler, and the job was several miles away. “It costs me so much to get to work,” she complained, “that it just doesn’t pay to go; nearly every dollar goes into the gas tank.” And so she quit, and waited for the right job to come along.
When the right job DID come along her references – the three previous employers – were undoubtedly asked if they would rehire Julie – and I’m sure they all said, “No! She isn’t dependable.” Dependability is more important than a brilliant performance, more important than a stellar education, more important than a great personality. If an employer can’t depend on an employee to be on time and to be there whenever they’re scheduled, there will never be a good relationship, or good references.
Julie was devastated when she didn’t get the job of her dreams; but she has only herself to blame. If Julie asked me for advice, I’d tell her to go back to that deli and ask for a second chance. If they said, “no”, I’d tell her to offer to work free for a week just to show how sorry she was for letting them down the first time. I’d tell her to make sure she was always at least 5 minutes early for her shift – 10 would be better; to volunteer to fill in when needed, and to comeback from breaks on time. Finally, I’d tell her to work hard every day, and show that employer just how much a second chance meant to her. After a year of making up for her original bad attitude she would probably get a great recommendation.
In a nutshell – I’d tell her, “If you want that dream job, first you need to be a dream employee.”