http://barbaraburke.com Customer Service Solutions > training > consulting > change Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:11:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It’s easy to feel less confident about the future when all we hear on TV and read in the newspapers is how bad the economy is. If we act as if these dire worst-case scenarios are inevitable, they are destined to become self-fulfilling prophecies. The economist Ben Stein summed up ... http://barbaraburke.com/aha-16-united-we-stand-divided-we-fall/ "You can never get away from life’s problems." Excerpted from the book, The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey. Olivia was plagued with problems. She was about to get fired from her new job; she and her husband were on the outs; her twins were having problems at school. When she asked ... http://barbaraburke.com/aha-1-i-will-always-have-problems/ Olivia's supervisor had a sign in her office that summed up her management philosophy. It read: Great Supervisors Do Two Things: 1. Follow the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would like to be treated." 2. Do the right thing. Excerpted from the book, The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey. Of all the supervisors ... http://barbaraburke.com/aha-12-great-supervisors-follow-the-golden-rule-do-the-right-thing/ "You are experiencing what happens when you are happy. Happy from the inside. Happy people put out more positive energy. You aren't aware that you are doing it. You can't see it, but other people feel it. When they feel it, they respond to you in a positive way. They ... http://barbaraburke.com/aha-11-people-harmonize-when-they-are-tuned-to-the-same-frequency/ "When I told him about Lucy's offer, he said, 'You're going to take it aren't you?'  As if it was a no brainer." "Jake was a coach at heart. 'Olivia, you've got to give it a try. Remember, you need to be in the game in order to win.'" Excerpted from the ... http://barbaraburke.com/aha-13-spreading-my-wings-is-the-only-way-to-fly/ "You know," she whispered. "Sometimes I feel almost guilty about how much pleasure I get from my job.  I have discovered that when I extend even the smallest kindness, I am repaid a hundred times over." Excerpted from the book, The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey. With the help of Isabel, ... http://barbaraburke.com/aha-14-give-a-little-get-a-lot/ "I get it!" I laughed. "If customers didn't have any problems, Mighty Power wouldn't need me. I wouldn't even have this job!" Isabel grinned and nodded. "So you can see, in a way, every problem a customer presents to us is really a gift." From the book, The Napkin, the Melon ... http://barbaraburke.com/mondays-aha-3/ "I never considered it my responsibility to apologize to a customer for the inconvenience a problem had caused. But then I tried it. I was amazed at how those two words, 'I apologize,' immediately diffused customers' anger." -- Olivia From the book, The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey When irate customers ... http://barbaraburke.com/aha-9-a-simple-apology-works-wonders/ Don’t miss it! Barbara presents important case study at EMACS 2008 October 10-13 in Austin, TX Join Barbara and Carrie Kelly from Vertex Outsourcing as they share their story of using The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey and related training to improve employee engagement and improve key metrics in 2 large ... http://barbaraburke.com/barbara-presents-important-case-study-at-emacs-2008/ Publisher Hay House has purchased the rights to publish The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey. The company plans to issue the hardcover version in early 2010, translate it into multiple languages, and distribute it throughout the World.  Barbara self-published the book in 2003 and since that time has sold ... http://barbaraburke.com/hayhouse/