Earlier today I had the pleasure of being invited to lunch with 3 school kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are part of group of 250 kids being taught some basic life skills. One of the lessons was about how to use soap - yes soap!

Of the 250 kids, amazingly, only 3 eat regular meals at a dining table. The kids don’t even know how to handle cutlery because they mostly eat takeaway with their hands.

Back to finding jobs. So how can they find a job?

It’s not that difficult!

The 15 year olds I sat with gave me the usual boring answers to questions.

“I like hanging out with my friends: [Boring]

“I like watching movies” [Who doesn't?]

“I love sport” [so do most 15 year olds]

And on it went until I asked them about their passions. Still the boring responses but they opened up ever so slowly.

It turns out one loves Music and writes songs, the other hates rain, lies and writes short stories, and the third leads Scout groups into the bush for days at a time.

So I had a creative person, one with ethics, and a leader sitting there in front of me and I would never have known. An interview would have been an injustice.

Unfortunately, people being interviewed might be perfect for the job but they don’t turn up with their whole self.

Although hundreds of people may apply for a job, it is easy to stand out.

I have interviewed thousands of people, and my tips are:

1. Get your application right perfect because only 5 seconds is spent on the first pass.
2. Don’t get internet resume templates, because they are easily spotted.
3. Research the company on the web before the interview.
4. Be on time - so many are not
5. Don’t smell of smoke.
6. Don’t chew gum.
7. Hold a pen above the table. It will stop you stooping with your hands under the table.
8. Straighten your back because it gets you out of your shell.
9. Immediately try to ask them questions about their company and department. It gets you settled and gives you first mover advantage. It also gives you a chance to understand how to answer future questions.
10. Talk about yourself and your passions.
11. Straighten your back again.
12. Be well presented.
13. Have a prepared answer for your strengths and weaknesses.
14. If you don’t know what you want to be doing in 5 years, the say so.
15. If you need thinking time, tell them. Otherwise ask if you can answer the question later. If you are really stuck, relate back to a personal situation. eg Question: “How do you deal with a customer who is wrong?” Answer (example): “Gee, I can’t think of an example in a work environment, but at home if my dad is wrong but I don’t want to embarrass him, I’ll ……..”
16. Answer truthfully. If you are artistic and they are looking for a mathematician, don’t fake it. You won’t last (or want to stay) in the job.
17. Speak c l e a r l y.
18. Leave the interview with a question, so have a reserve question to end with (but not a question about money). Foe example, “could you give examples of how some people have progressed in the company?”, or “How quickly would I be expected to learn the job?”

The trick is not to be wallpaper. Talk about your passions, your strengths. My lunch guests were starting to look like bland forgettable wallpaper. After I dug into who they are they became memorable. Unfortunately in an interview I cannot afford to spend that much time with a prospect.

Back to the hundred or so applications I receive. After all the filtering, usually the hiring decision is simple because there is usually only one stand out, if any.

It’s not the smartest because the smartest people are often the smartest - it’s all opening your whole self to this perfect stranger.

It is easy to stand out.

This from lifehacker

Editor: Meet io9 contributor Lisa Katayama. When she’s not blogging about robots and futurism, she’s spreading the word about how to GTD in the most unexpected ways. Here’s a sampling of a few clever tricks you’ll find in her new book, Urawaza.
When it comes to life and getting things done, we like to do things a little differently in Japan. When I break a glass in the kitchen, I don’t use my vacuum cleaner to clean it up; I use a slice of bread. When my socks become dirt-stained from running in a muddy ravine, I don’t pour bleach on them; I stuff them with marbles. And to save space and money, I have never bought a document shredder. I just stuff incriminating documents in a stocking and toss them in the washing machine.

In Japan, there’s an organic, non-commercial cure for almost anything. It’s a tradition that blossomed in the post-WW2 era when people had to save money and space for economic reasons. Today, this habit of utilitarian thriftiness paired with a quirky national sensibility has spawned a phenomenon called urawaza—a collection of offbeat life hacks and unmapped shortcuts. It’s also the subject of my new book, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan. Keep reading for excerpts on how to silence a crying baby, get rid of splinters, swim backward, make grass greener, and easily clean up egg yolk… all using common household objects.

1. How to make a baby stop crying
Dilemma: Sure, the baby’s cute. But why won’t he stop crying?
Solution: The secret to stop a crying baby lies in making the sound you produce during the mouthfeel stage of wine tasting.
Why this works: When babies are still in the womb, the noises they can hear are limited to those in the 6000-8000mHz range. The sound you make when you slosh the liquid behind your lips during wine tasting takes place at about 7000mHz, reminding the baby of a time when the world around was peaceful and the whirs and stirs inside Mommy’s tummy soothed him back to a sleepy state.

2. How to get rid of surface splinters
Dilemma: You have dozens of little splinters in your hands and arms from helping your little brother with his secret wooden fort. Isn’t there a way to get rid of them without having to pluck each and every one out with tweezers?
Solution: Dip your finger in a tub of liquid glue and smear it all over the problem area. Once it dries, peel it off, just the way you used to when you were a bored little kid in arts-and-crafts class. The splinters will come right out along with the peeling glue!
Why this works: Surface splinters are hard to get out not because they’re deeply embedded but because they’re tiny and hard to grasp even with the daintiest of fingers. The sticky glue serves a function similar to a lint roller when the glue is applied evenly across the splintery surface of your skin. Plus, it’s super fun to peel glue off your hands.

3. How to clean up spilled egg yolk
Dilemma: The egg was supposed to crack in the pan—not on the floor. Now there’s gook all over the linoleum.
Solution: Sprinkle some table salt on the spilled egg and wait ten minutes for it to soak in, then sweep the egg yolk right off the floor with a broom.
Why this works: The salt dissolves the lipoproteins in the egg yolk, which changes its texture from gooey to nongooey, making it easier to clean. (Bonus: Brian Lam of Gizmodo shows us how.)

4. How to make the grass green again
Dilemma: You got a new puppy, and now your once beautifully green lawn has bare brown patches all over it from dog pee.
Solution: Pour some beer on the problem areas, making sure the foam’s covering all the naked spots. The grass will be greener in no time.
Why this works: Beer has fermented sugars in it, which can act as natural fertilizer. The dying grass will feed on these sugars, detrimental fungi will die, and your lawn will start looking normal again.

5. How to swim backward
Dilemma: Your breaststroke is weak, your dives all end up as belly flops, and you can’t even do half a somersault without getting water up your nose. You need some kind of skill that will set you apart from the rest of the pool party this summer—but what?
Solution: Learn how to swim backward! When you flex your feet instead of pointing them while holding onto a kick board, your body will chug through the water in reverse gear.
Why this works: The direction you advance in the water depends on which way you’re kicking. When you kick away from your body—which is essentially what you appear to be doing when you flex your feet—you reverse the body’s inclination to go forward. It takes a little bit of practice, but once you perfect it, the whole party will be wide-eyed with wonder at your newfound skill. Images by Joel Holland for Chronicle Books.

Have you ever been the recipient of such breathtaking goodness that it takes your breath away?

I was recently on the phone with a shopper we had to terminate from our company.  The shopper upset two of my best staff over a period of three days.  She was a good shopper but she just lost it over the phone (twice).

The shopper was OK with me on the phone but I had to stick up for my staff.  I cannot have them being abused.

Two days later the shopper sent in a note asking for forgiveness but the staff would not have anything else to do with her.

Then the amazing happened.  Earlier today, two ladies came into our office carrying a bunch of flowers each.  We had no idea what was going on.  Who was getting flowers?  Why?

It was not a florist, but the shopper with a friend.  She drove an hour each way simply to hand deliver the flowers and an apology.  All my supervisor could do was step out from behind her desk and give the shopper a hug.  Truly amazing!

They were quite rocked by the events of previous days, but now what do they do?  Do they readmit the shopper?  Do they let it lie?  Can bad deeds be undone flowers and a hug.

I think that when there is so much positive energy spinning off a bad situation it should be harnessed as good Karma.  But I’ll leave it to my staff to make the call.

It still blows me away because we ‘never’ have shoppers visit, and certainly not under such a trying situation requiring massive courage.

This business surprises and tests me every single day.

The last set of grammar tips were quite popular.  Here are some others I’m guilty of, especially the first one.

1) Get rid of “that.”

Nine times out of ten, the word “that” can be profitably eliminated from your sentence.

Original: “Here are the key metrics that web analysts measure.”

Better: “Here are the key metrics web analysts measure.”

2) Do not invoke the future tense unless it is needed.

Original: “Optimizing your web site will increase traffic.”

Better: “Optimizing your web site increases traffic.”

3) Do not capitalize words to emphasize their importance.

Original: “It is the policy of the Company to provide up to 10 paid Sick Days.”

Better: “It is the policy of the company to provide up to 10 paid sick days.”

4) Say what you have to say in the fewest words possible.

Original: “He was driving at an excessive rate of speed.”

Better: “He was driving too fast.”

5) Avoid dangling modifiers.

Wrong: “As a policyholder, I want you to know that you can reduce your premiums by 50% this year.”

Correct: “As a policyholder, you can reduce your premiums by 50% this year.”

Thanks to Ted Demopoulos for finding Bob Bly’s blog www.writebetterandfaster.com

How do you remember things for Mystery Shops?

Many shoppers struggle to remember everything required for a Mystery Shop. Here are a few tips to remember what you need.

Timings

· Write yourself a draft SMS with key timings and names. Useful when there are many nagging details such as multiple names to remember.

· Look at the timings on TV screens showing in-store news or promotional materials.

· Record yourself a voicemail while in-store. Say the time you entered and perhaps even the employees name as you hang up when you are served. You can make it sound like your imaginary friend on the phone has the same name as the server. Use your imagination.

· Take a friend with you and ask them to recall just one or two simple measurements.

Facts

· Before you leave for a shop, send yourself a voicemail with the key attributes to remember. This is useful if you must remember many interactions and store items.

· Take a little spiro notepad into the store as if it is a shopping list. Although the questionnaire is not permitted, sometimes a little hand written notepad is OK.

· You might even pretend you are talking to someone on the mobile and taking a note on a piece of paper.

What if you forget?

· Despite the best plans, as you walk out, or get to the car, you might remember something you forgot to evaluate. Sometimes it is OK to walk-back in a pretending as if you you’re your sunglasses on the counter. If you need to get close to see the name badge, use the glasses as an excuse to interact with the staff member.

· Do not make it up, call the Mystery Shopping company. You would be surprised how much the evaluations are scrutinised to reveal manufactured results.

Do you have any other tips? If so, please post them on my website and share.

]]> http://whytohow.com/2008/04/10/how-to-remember-shop-details/feed/ sdipietr http://whytohow.com/2008/04/01/poor-service-is-ok-sometimes/ http://whytohow.com/2008/04/01/poor-service-is-ok-sometimes/#comments Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:49:26 +0000 sdipietr http://whythenhow.wordpress.com/?p=57

Why do we still buy when Service is Poor?

I posted this on my client focused blog but is a great story for anyone else interested in customer service.

Most of the Extreme Customer Service stories we read about come from the US.

Here is an example of extreme service in a small regional town in Nowra, about 3 hours south of Sydney. Thanks to Custserv for finding it.

Some examples of extreme service are now clouded in history and it is uncertain as to whether it ever happened: South Western airlines famously picked up a customer that was running on the runway to make his ride, and Nordstrom’s exchanging a used tyre that a customer brought back, are just two such examples.

But this one is real: I was served by Angie at Downtown Motel, in Crown Street; and boy is this girl amazing!

I arrived soon after two other gentlemen, and watched as she greeted one (about 80 years old) with a hearty kiss, then she greeted the other gentlemen with a kiss (about 60 years old)who turns out to be the son of the other gentleman. The welcome was so warm and engaging, I had to ask if she knew them.

You can read the rest of the story on the Inside Retailing website.

proof that the dog ate my homework

Originally uploaded by IvonneNYC

I asked the staff in my Mystery Shopping business, the top reasons why people do not complete assignments as scheduled.

These probably apply to other vocations as well. Granted these may be real, but the regularity with which they are heard suggests otherwise.

1. I was sick
2. My children were sick
3. My grandfather has passed away (we hear that much more than Grandmother)
4. My computer is not working (I suppose it’s sick too)
5. The internet is down (or dead like grandpa)
6. There wasn’t any paperwork (knowing full well it’s a click away)
7. Something else came up
8. I was just about to call you (my least favourite)
9. My printer is not working (though you probably don’t need it)
10. I had to take the dog to the vet (probably from eating the homework).

We’ve head it all before. Staff become de-sensitised and may even seem unsympathetic when something really does happen.

My real favourite is the truth. . “Sorry it totally slipped my mind”.

People chase work life balance in an effort to be happier. When busy, they think it means they are getting further from being happy, followed by stress. Do you know the feeling?

New research shows under people have the same low level of wellbeing as those that are unemployed.

The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index shows that people who are overworked maintain their happiness as other commitments such as family take up their time.

On the contrary, the author of the report, Professor Bob Cummins of Deakin University, said it was the people who cannot find enough suitable work that have a low wellbeing.

As Australia and the rest of the developed world bask in full employment, the Professor reminds us that if you work only one hour per week, you are classified as employed.

So although everyone is still working, not getting enough hours created the stresses and decreases their wellbeing more than being overworked.

“This means that many people might not be getting enough hours to meet their needs even when they have a job,” he said in a recent article for Money Magazine.

“What’s really worrying is that people who are underemployed have a wellbeing score that is no better than people who are unemployed.”

He went on to add that it is normally “better for us to be too busy rather than not busy enough,” he said.

“Many people would like to work less hours, but in most cases their happiness is not actually at risk from their busy workload.”

What this research confirms for me is that we should not stress about work life balance making us unhappy. It is the thought of that happening that creates the stress and unhappiness.

Complaining about work life balance is like a rich Hollywood actor saying they act for the art, not for the money. Would you rather have the work-life balance problem, or the problem of not getting enough hours?

Here’s a tip I learnt about avoiding call centres.

If you are sick of the Dial 4, 1, 2, 7, 8, and hold routine, try this.

If I have a non-urgent query of an organisation I’m dealing with, I go to the their website and type the query into their “Contact Us” page.

For example, if you are looking for a new Bank Account with specific needs and you heard Bank ABC had a good product, don’t call them make them call you.

Send a message to Contact Us and wait for them to call you. Sure it may take a few days for the message to ferret around the organisation, but when someone gets to you, it tends to be the right person.

The elapsed time is longer, but you spend less time on the phone.

Just beware, some organisations don’t ever reply, but most do.

Would love to see comments on other ways to avoid the call centre, or to speed up response time.