Most people have had the misfortune of having to deal with a difficult customer. It is not a pleasant experience at the time and can be very stressful. Dealing with difficult customers is almost a rite of passage in the work world. Everyone can remember their first difficult customer. You probably panicked and wondered at the time how to deal with such a difficult individual.

It is also likely that you wondered if that type of bad experience with a customer was going to be a frequent occurrence. However, relief probably set in when the next customer, and the one after that, came along and were very nice and appreciative of the help you provided them with. With the above in mind, we can have a brief look at the best ways to deal with difficult customers when they do rear their heads.

The first rule of customer service that everyone learns in their first job is that the customer is always right. What is the principle behind that and what can you learn about how to deal with difficult customers from this statement? Obviously the customer is not always right. Sometimes their request is unreasonable or simply impossible. Sometimes they do not understand the processes involved or other aspects of your business. However, the principle is that you never present things in a way that makes a customer feel like they are wrong. This is essential when dealing with all customers, but especially difficult ones; present them with other options when their request is unavailable or is simply undoable. Another simple thing that goes a long way in dealing with difficult customers is just trying to respond to them in a positive and cheerful way. Indeed, many employees often have difficulty with certain customers and overreact or deliver news in a negative way. Sometimes you will not be able to resolve difficult customers’ demands, but many will appreciate that you are trying your best to help them and are adopting the right attitude towards them.

Lastly, when dealing with some difficult customers, one fact will hold true sometimes. That is that some of them are just beyond help. Indeed, some customers are just determined that things will not work out for them. Therefore, no matter how pro-active you are, or how accommodating and positive you try to be, some people just refuse to be helped. All you can do is try your best and if that is not good enough then sometimes it might be best just to let them go.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leo_Thomas
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Technorati Tags: customer service, dealing with customers

Caps and gowns and diplomas…oh my! Graduation season is upon us and with that comes a slew of recent college graduates (over 1.6 million according to the National Center for Education Statistics) ramping up to join the workforce of America, but what they may be greeted with is less than favorable for young job seekers. Recent college graduates will undoubtedly face fierce competition with the decrease in college hiring, but hunting for a job is not a recent college grad’s only option. Many companies are offering new and unique ways for young job seekers to gain real-world work experience.

“I started my job search a couple of months prior to graduation,” says Kenny Fellows, a graduate of the University of Michigan. “Prior to graduation, I had heard countless times about how tough it was in the job market, but I was pretty lucky in terms of being able to find an opportunity pretty quickly.”

The opportunity Fellows found was with SkillStorm, a San-Diego based technical and professional services firm, and their new training program targeted specifically for recent college grads. The SkillStorm Program for Extreme Educational Development, also known as SPEED, is a six-week sales training program. The company covers all expenses including travel costs to the training site in San Diego, California, lodging, food, a weekly salary and performance bonuses.

“SPEED is a very innovative program. I hadn’t heard of any other programs like it,” says Fellows. ” It was very intense, and not only allowed SkillStorm an extended period of time to train and evaluate us, but it also gave the us an extended period of time to evaluate SkillStorm, and the potential career opportunity set in front of us.”

SPEED offers both lecture-style sessions and hands-on work experience similar to a traditional internship, but unlike internships, trainees that successfully complete the SPEED program are guaranteed a full-time recruiter position in one of the company’s offices nationwide.

Fellows is now a full-time recruiter at SkillStorm and would strongly suggest training programs such as SPEED to other recent college graduates. “It is truly an unbelievable opportunity. If you are invited out to training, the worst case scenario is that you get a few weeks of intense sales training, and meet some really great people along the way. No matter the outcome, it is a very valuable experience and opportunity.”

In the current economic state, post-graduation internships are also becoming more and more common. According to NACE’s 2009 Student Survey report, more than 50% of college seniors had secured employment after graduation in 2007; in 2009, that number fell to a dismal 19.7%. An internship can be a great way to gain hands-on experience in the field rather than search endlessly for open full-time positions.

Rob Nunnery, a broadcast journalism major from the University of North Carolina – Ashville is a big fan of internships, both during and after graduation. “I actually had four internships,” says Nunnery. “For me, it was an opportunity to get a glimpse into the broadcasting industry and my future career. It was a blessing for me because I realized that it really wasn’t the career path I wanted and I was able to focus my attention elsewhere.”

While most graduates find internships to be beneficial to their future, potential interns beware-internships are not necessarily a guarantee of full-time employment and, while the number of unpaid internships has increased in recent years, the Department of Labor is cracking down on many unpaid internships nationwide for illegally using interns for free labor. So how can students avoid being taken advantage of? First, interns should be familiar with federal regulations regarding internships. The Department of Labor recently released a new set of criteria for paid vs. unpaid internships, which can be found on the department’s website. Potential interns should also ask questions – does this company have a formal internship program? Has the company ever sponsored interns in the past? Is there a clear list of responsibilities for interns? Asking these types of questions not only protects the potential intern, it also demonstrates a high level of interest in the internship opportunity, increasing a college grad’s chances of being selected for the internship.

According to a September 2009 study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers plan to hire 7% fewer college graduates from the class of 2010 than they did from 2009’s graduating class. This figure alone may not seem so troubling, but when you take into consideration the fact that employers hired 21% less college graduates in 2009 than in 2008, the outlook is not so cheery for recent grads. Does this spell disaster for upcoming college graduates? Not necessarily. While many graduating students may be nervous about starting a job search after graduation, there are other options they can explore.

Technorati Tags: Career Coaching, graduate employment, internships

We have all heard at one time or another about the benefits that can be derived from better time management. This is a subject that is discussed by every self-help authority and successful entrepreneur, and it applies equally whether you are running an online business from home or if you own a bricks and mortar business.

The question is whether you have ever considered why you should spend any time on learning better time management skills and if it is worth your while to invest in them? The truth is that for anybody who has battled to manage their time better, it certainly is.

Here are three of the main benefits of having better time management skill:

1. Being in Control!

When you are able to manage your time more effectively, you have better control over your life. By planning your daily activities before-hand you will have more clarity and be more aware of what you will need to do, and in what order so that you can get it all done.

When you plan ahead of time and work out what time needs to be allocated to each task, you will immediately be relieving yourself of a lot of unnecessary pressure as you will understand what you need to do and you don’t have to waste time worrying and trying to remember each thing, all that has to be done is to work systematically through your list.

The advantage that you gain from this is that you will feel far more confident about completing your tasks and reaching the goals you have set.

2. Less Stress Means Greater Productivity?

When one works to a plan that is set out for the day, there is immediately a feeling of being less stressed as you know what is required and you have a plan to follow and this leads to being more productive, which in turn leads to a greater sense of job satisfaction. You are also able to enjoy what you do and will feel much happier.

Another benefit is that when you are more productive you achieve more in a shorter space of time and will end up with more free time on your hands. This is time that you can devote to your family, friends or just chill out and do something that your really enjoy.

3. Enjoying more Free Time;

When you learn to control the amount of time that you take on a daily basis to complete the tasks required for your online income business, you will have more free time to spend doing things that are important to you that are not connected directly to your business.

It is absolutely necessary to have some time to relax and get rid of excess stress because if you fail to do this chances are you will become less productive and the quality of your work will suffer. Even people who believe that they can perform better under pressure actually only produce good results if the stress is short lived.

A small amount of stress can force a person to focus and concentrate on a task and this can be a good thing, but too much stress will eventually affect their health and their work will deteriorate in quality. Being able to have some free time in which to relax and enjoy yourself is essential for your health and the success of your online business enterprise.

Time management is one skill that generally gets overlooked or put on to the back-burner to be learned at a later date. This is a mistake if you want to not only make a success of your online business but also if you want to be able to enjoy the results of having made a success of it. It is well worth your time to develop these skills for the benefits you will gain.

If you enjoyed this article by Michelle Jayes then visit her website www.online-income-business.com for more great ideas and business opportunities and sign up for her free newsletter.

I hope that you will put this information on time management to good use. Feeling a little stressed is okay as long as you still feel in control. Lose that control and it will feel like your whole world is in a tail spin and nothing seems to get done.

Technorati Tags: singels careeer coaching, time management tips

2.  Seek opportunity from challenges.  We reduce our stress when we use it as an opportunity.

3.  Create an environment that reduces stress.  Our environment influences how we feel in many situations.

4.  Do not procrastinate.  Procrastination is a stress producer.

5.  Choose your friends carefully.  Choosing positive individuals to be your friend is a key to minimizing stress. It allows you to share your burden, increase your strengths, and create solutions to problems.

6.  Eat well.  Take vitamins as well as eat nutritious foods.  It would be wise to take very good care of yourself physically and mentally to have good stamina.

7.  Exercise regularly.  This is a great means for releasing stress

8.  Get proper rest.  We need rest to regain energy.

9.  Recognize your values.  Focus on what is important to you.

10.  Properly channel your anger.  Discuss your anger issues with a friend or professional and develop a healthy release for your anger.

11.  Do a reality check.  Take a step back from life and reflect on the reality.  What can you change, have control over and accept in your life?

12.  Stabilize your situation.  Be open and honest to yourself.

13.  Decrease life distractions.  Discover your own getaway where you can relax.

14.  Keep a sense of humor.  Learn to laugh at yourself.

15.  Do not participate in gossip.  This creates a stressful circumstance for others.

16.  Treat yourself.  Get a spa treatment or stay in a luxury hotel.

17.  Pace Yourself.  Manage your time well to avoid anxiety.

18.  Don’t be a SuperSingle.  Refrain from saying “yes” to every request.

19.  Learn stress reducing techniques.  Keep items with you that help with your stressful situations.

20.  Develop your spiritual life.  Prayer, mediation and spiritual reflection are “peaceful to the soul”. Discover ways to become more centered with your life.

Technorati Tags: dealing with workplace stress, economic stress, singles career coaching, surviving workplace stress

1.  When speaking with someone always make eye contact.

2.  Never lose control of your emotions in public.

3. Have an open mindset to change, but do not negotiate your principles.

4. Stand your ground and be confident with your ideas.

5. Don’t beat yourself up for making mistakes.  Learn from them and move on.  No one is perfect.

6. Always sit and stand with good posture.

7. Dress the part for any occasion you are confronted with.

8. Remind yourself daily that you are a “Successful Single”.  Only you can define your success.

9. Do not allow others to intimidate you and control your life.  They have no right to do so.

10. Believe in your abilities to reach your goals.  Others can tell when you doubt yourself.

11. Do not let anyone demean you in front of other people.  It is a flood gate for others to follow suit and treat you the same way.

Technorati Tags: building self confidence, tips for building self confidence

You end your day laying in bed thinking about the things you didn’t get completed that day and all of the things you need to tackle tomorrow. This leads to a restless night of sleep and waking in the morning feeling like you have worked all night long in your sleep. You feel just as exhausted waking up as you did when you fell into bed the night before.

Your brain and body need “down time” to function properly. Think of yourself as a rechargeable battery. When you are fully charged, you work harder and faster. When your chage becomes depleted, you become slow and sluggish. Sleep is the one thing that you need to recharge your batteries every night, but if you are continuing to drain the battery instead of charging it when you sleep, you are soon going to be totally unproductive.

Here is a technique that I learned that I would like to share with you. It takes a little practice but you will notice a big improvement right from the get-go. Continue to use this technique every night and you will soon be sleeping like a baby and waking each day feeling fully refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Relaxation Therapy:

1. Get into bed and lay on your back and position a pillow comfortably under your neck and another one under your knees so they are slightly elevated.
2. Allow your arms to fall loosely by your sides in the most comfortable position for you.
3. Take a few deep breaths, holding them for a few seconds before fully exhaling. Allow your mind to drift and imagine youself floating on water.
4. Starting at your feet, inhale fully and clench your feet muscles tightly. Hold for a few seconds. Now exhale saying the word “relax” in your mind as you fully relax your feet muscles. Repeat this step making sure you clench your feet muscles as tightly as you can and relaxe as fully as you can with each breath.
5. Now move on to your leg muscles. Repeat the process of inhaling, clench, exhale relax.
6. Continue this process all the way to your face and to the top of your head.
7. If you are not already asleep at this point, just continue to inhale deeply and say the word “relax” on the exhale and consiously relax your muscles even more.

This is what I like to call resistance relaxation. Each time you tightly clench each muscle group, you are able to relax those muscles more. By the end of this exercise, you will be so relaxed that you literally feel like your body has melted into the mattress.

Now do not spoil it by allowing conscious thought to invade. Continue to imagine yourself floating on the water until you drift off to sleep.

I first learned this technique as pain management after an injury. The more you practice this the faster full relaxation becomes. Eventually all you have to do is imagine floating on the water and your body and mind will respond by relaxing. You can then use this imagery during the course of your day to take a 2-5 minute breather at the office to recharge your batteries and become more productive again.

So here’s to a good night’s sleep! Relax and enjoy.

Technorati Tags: natural pain management, reduce stress, relaxation techniques

If much of your time is spent worrying about possible outcomes of situations, you are draining your energy that could be better spent on productivity. There are times when you should worry. But not doing anything about what is worrying you is counter-productive.

One thing you must realize is that the majority of people who are chronic worriers have a feeling of being out of control in certain situations. Learning to take back the control whenever possible, or developing plans of action can make you feel more in control and eleviate your need to worry.

If you are a naturally fearful person, this may be a difficult habit to change. That does not mean it is not impossible.

Here are some tips for dealing with your concerns to get them out of the way so they do not take over your daily life.

1. Analyze what is causing your worries. Most of the things you fret about every day are problems. So take a look at the problem and come up with some concrete solutions. Set aside an hour per day to worry your way through the problem. Non-productive worrying is just that….non-productive.So write down the problem to put a name to it. Then write a list of actions you can take to eliminate it. If you cannot come up with any solutions, then it most likely is something out of your control and therefore not something you should focus your attention on. Instead, focus on a plan to counteract the problem.
2. Do not fall into the habit of worrying about “What if…” Deal with a situation when it happens instead of worrying about an event that may not happen. The What if’s in life can needlessly sap your energy. If you are a speculative worrier, then set a time aside to deal with the What if’s and create a plan of action to deal with your most concerning fears. Having a plan of action already in place will take the fear out of the What if’s.

Setting a specific time every day to worry will allow you to indulge in your habit but it will also give you the freedom of having time to spend not worrying. That worry free time will be far more creative and productive without that cloud of fear continually hanging over your head. You will feel a huge weight lifted off your shoulders and will regain control over your life.

Technorati Tags: Life Coaching, relieving stress, Self Improvement

Step 1: Master Your Morning

• Make a To-Do list.
• Focus on time management.
• Complete one task at a time.
• Discipline yourself to follow through on your task to completion and avoid interruptions.

Step 2: Develop Goals for the Week

• Keep a notebook on your desk to jot down upcoming tasks.
• Develop a short-term and long-term goals list.
• Get out of the habit of having sticky notes all over your desk, computer, etc.

Step 3: Stop Procrastinating

• Choose your best time of the day to complete tasks.
• First, take care of those tasks you dread the most. After you are finished you will see it wasn’t that bad after all.
• Set deadlines for yourself and commit to them no matter what.

Step 4: Prioritize Everything

• Use colored folders to locate files quickly.
• Start with your most time sensitive tasks.
• Arrange tasks in order of deadline.
• Don’t forget to enter the deadlines on your calendar.
• If someone gives you an assignment don’t forget to ask for the deadline.
• Learn to say “no”. If you know your schedule does not permit another task on your list then you should make it known. Is there someone else who may be able to assist you?

Step 5: Organize Your Desk

• Begin your day with a clean desk. Take off anything that is not work related.
• Place needed tools on your desk such as stapler, tape dispenser, paper trays, etc.
• Try to keep up with your filing on a daily basis. Discard duplicate documents according to your company policy.
• Clear your desk each day before you leave the office.

Step 6: Limit Office Interruptions

• Remove candy dishes from your desk and out of view. (Discourages co-workers from stopping by to get a snack.)
• Your work area should not face the door where you may be visible and an easy target for interruptions.
• Should you have an important deadline and experience constant interruptions find a vacant office to escape.
• Ask co-workers if you may get back to them once you are finished your deadline.
• Place your phone on do not disturb and listen to your voice mail and e-mail while on a break.

Step 7: Conquer Your E-mail

• Turn off the sound of your e-mail notification.
• Schedule a time to preview e-mail. It is not necessary to constantly check your e-mail messages unless you are expecting one.
• Set your e-mail view to auto preview.
• “Go Green” Don’t print messages unless you have to.
• Read e-mails once, take action and then move the message to the appropriate folder.
• Review outgoing messages for grammar and spelling mistakes.

Step 8: Manage Your Phone Calls

• Place a call log by your phone.
• Keep your voice mail greeting current.
• If you have a receptionist have them screen your calls.
• Schedule a time to return your calls in order of importance.
• Gather documentation you may need prior to returning the call.
• Always be prepared to leave a voice mail. It is better to leave a voice mail instead of having someone take a message. You then have the opportunity to provide details on the voice mail.

Step 9: Delegate Tasks

• Review your task list and decide which tasks can be re-assigned.
• Focus on those tasks that need more of your expertise.
• Make sure you explain the tasks well to the person for which you are delegating. Remember to include the deadline.
• Delegation is a form of motivation for others.
• Document the employee you have given each task including the deadline.
• Once you have given the employee the assignment don’t micro-manage.

Step 10: Plan Productive Meetings

• Review the expenses for the meeting. Would it be more productive to send a PowerPoint in an e-mail?
• Is the meeting necessary? Is it going to provide useful information?
• Gather all the pertinent information for the meeting:
o Topics
o Time frame
o Cost
o Participants
o Location
• Appoint employees to participate in the meeting.
• Send out a reminder to participants prior to the meeting.
• Develop an agenda for the meeting.
• Avoid distracting elements such as phones and intercoms.
• Conclude the meeting on schedule.

Technorati Tags: improving office productivity, Time Management

If you work from home, chances are you already know that you’re really pulling “double duty”. You probably work on your business while doing the laundry, corralling the kids, or fixing dinner… and let’s not forget all the phone calls from family and friends expecting you to run errands or just “go out” for an afternoon of fun.

One of the hardest parts of running a home business is separating your work from your family and social life. Here are six proven ways to keep your home life running smoothly while keeping your business on track.

1. First, create a work schedule and stick with it. It may be tempting to answer personal calls during the day or take business calls after-hours, but doing this actually shows that you’re expendable – not dependable – and people will take for granted that you’ll “always be there” for any little things that come up. Even though family comes first, stay true to your business hours and resist the urge to chat with friends or pick up groceries during working hours.

2. Your friends may consider “working from home” an invitation to chat during the day or just go out for coffee or shopping for an afternoon. Make it clear that your business hours are just that – for business. Leave personal calls for after-hours, and you’ll find that your friends will gradually accept your schedule without feeling slighted.

3. Just because you have to set up a work schedule, doesn’t mean that you have to keep the same hours as everyone else. One of the benefits of working for yourself is setting your own hours to fit your most productive times. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, you’ll find that you’ll get much more done when you’re attuned to your body’s own natural rhythms. Some people work in the morning, take a break in the afternoon when the kids are home from school, and work again in the evening. Schedule your work time when you feel the most productive and you’ll find that things get done easier, faster and better than when you were dragging along during those same rigid work hours that everyone else has.

4. If getting after-hours business calls or work day personal calls is a problem, it helps to have a separate business phone line, or at least an answering machine or voice mail, to take the incoming calls. This also gives your business a more professional appearance to clients than if you and your family make and receive calls from the same phone line.

5. If at all possible, try to separate your “home office” from the rest of your home. If you don’t have the luxury of a separate room, a room partition or screen can be just as helpful. This also serves as a visual cue to family that you’re working and shouldn’t be bothered.

6. Dress and act professionally while working. Some people find it helpful to dress in casual business attire during their working hours. This reinforces that just because you’re working from home doesn’t make you any less of a professional. Answer the phone with your name, or business name, and keep your children off the phone during business hours. Also, spend money investing in the tools you need to do your job right. A cell phone, fax machine or even a budget computer can help turn your home office into a true workspace.

If you follow all of these tips and stick with them, chances are you’ll find a routine that not only makes you feel productive and active in your business, but also projects the message that you mean business – literally!

Technorati Tags: Home Office, managing a home based business, setting boundaries for working at home

The fact is that, over the last fourteen years, the vast majority of the clients with whom I have worked were already successful before we ever met. But they were “normal successful”, judging themselves against such pathetic norms that they almost had closed their minds to the possibility that there is a level of abnormal success out there that anyone can attain – and it’s different from normal so-called success. Normal success is comparative and competitive – we judge our success against others’ achievements, material goods and lifestyles. We compare this year’s sales and profit to last year’s – when, if we just opened our minds a little, we would see the absurdity of planning next year on what we manage to achieve this year. Yes, business planning is a classic example of the manner in which we shut down our expectations and then reward ourselves for living down to them. After all, what sane person would use the normal levels of business this year as a benchmark against which to visualize next year’s. That’s why long-standing businesses are often overwhelmed by a new entry into the market, one who hasn’t succumbed to the “conventional wisdom” (by the way, there’s no such thing!) of the marketplace. That’s why, for example, the Swiss watch making industry has never recovered from the development of quartz timepieces – for, when offered this new technology in the nineteen seventies, the Swiss response was that they couldn’t take that on board – “a watch isn’t a watch unless it has all the moving pieces” – the rest is history.

When we consider ourselves successful through the normal lens of self-evaluation, we may be fooling ourselves – because we’re comparing ourselves to the crazies – you know, people who work crazy hours, ride roughshod over their fellow human beings, make lunatic decisions, screw up the world economy, clap themselves on the back, pay themselves obscene bonuses and, in the process, lose a little of their soul. But that’s enough about bankers!!! Allow me quote Niall Fitzgerald from an interview in Ireland’s leading newspaper, The Irish Times. Here’s a man who left Ireland in the 1970s and who went on to become Chairman and Chief Executive of Unilever and Chairman of Reuters. Fitzgerald is quoted as saying that the development of his business career, had he stayed in Ireland, would have been restricted unless “I was prepared to compromise my own principles”. That’s the kind of normal success I’m talking about.

But principles come in all shapes and sizes – for example, what comes first, working crazy hours to make more money, or family life? What’s more important, an organization’s bottom line or the people who make the money? The key question was well put two thousand years ago “What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” What price “success”?

Let me propose a different perspective on success that suggests that real success simply happens when one is extra-ordinarily good at what one does for a “living”, that they get a great kick out of doing it and, because they’re so good, they get really well remunerated – that they have a wonderful time with the people who are most special to them in their lives – that they also spend lots of time and energy doing the things that really turn them on and that, in the whole process, they enable those whose lives they touch be the better for knowing them. This perspective on success encompasses financial freedom, work life balance, personal effectiveness and ambition and what’s come to be called “giving something back” (of course, in that regard, charity always begins at home). There are many of my clients who don’t subscribe to this perspective – they actually live it and it confirms to them that “you have to work hard to be a success” is a myth – hard work, like beauty, is in the mind of the beholder. For those who are truly successful what normal people see as hard work is a labour of love. The macho myth that you have to walk through people to be a success is also exploded – I’ve been privileged to work with senior management teams who deeply care for each other – to the extent that would put many normal family “caring” relationships to shame. These people grow each other and, in turn, grow themselves. These people don’t take themselves too seriously, have great fun doing what they’re doing and don’t give a damn about what normal people think of them – why should the bother? Why should you?

Which leads my nicely back full circle. Why conform to crazy norms? Why fall into the normal mould of “successful” living? Why jump aboard the normal express train to stress, infidelity and moral stupor? Why even care about what these so-called ordinary people think of you? Because, if you want to be extraordinarily successful, you’re going to have to start being extra – ordinary.

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Willie Horton, an Irish ex-accountant and ex-banker, has worked as a success coach to business leaders and sports people since 1996. He moved to the French Alps in 2002, from where his free weekly Self-Help video seminar is sent to thousands of people worldwide. His Online Personal Development Self Help Workshop is used all over the world, clients say it’s life-changing. Info: http://www.gurdy.net

Technorati Tags: achieving success, Self Improvement