Customer Support Secret - Be A Good Listener

Hey guys! I know it’s been a while I shared some things with you. I will try not to be missed for this long. At a better time I will share with you all that I have been up to, but today, I have decided to share some points on how to be a good listener.

When our work involves serving others irrespective of the field you are working in, it's important that we become good listeners. Being a good listener can be difficult at times. Here are some tips to help in becoming a good listener. Whether at work; with customers and colleagues or at home; with family and friends or anywhere we find ourselves.

1. Stop Talking: One of the great paradoxes is that if you want to be known as a great conversationalist, you need to stop talking and let the other person say what's on his or her mind. It doesn’t matter if you know why the person reached out to you, just stay quiet and listen to the other party. It can get annoying if you realize you are not being listened to.

2. Lose Distractions: These may include your own to-do list, plans for the weekend and extra distractions like cell phones and computers. Once you get to speak with someone, you need to give your maximum attention to the speaker. It can be disrespectful knowing that whoever you are speaking to is not paying attention or has a divided attention.

3. Pretend there will be a Test: This point reminds me of my high school days. Whenever our teacher spoke he observed that some of us were looking into his eyes and listening with rapt attention, some of us did this because for some reason that was our only chance to remember the examples of the topic should it come into our exams. However, it is important to focus on what the other person is saying as tho there will be a test after the conversation.

4. Keep an open mind: In my last few years in working and dealing more with customers, I seem to have noticed that people appreciate feedback even if they do not ask for it. Just as customers will be happy to give you an amazing feedback or review, you need to also appreciate their criticisms. They may not understand what it takes to pull off a fantastic service or experience. Remember customers will always ask for more. So it is your duty to keep your mind open to the possibility of new information and try not to let your personal believes close your mind of new ideas.

5. Respond appropriately: I get very emotional when I am speaking to someone and the line is so dead on the other side. Like cold dead, lol When listening to conversations, use physical and verbal responses appropriately timed to show that you are listening, such as nodding your head, raising your eyebrow and saying things like “..Uh huh”, “...alright”  or “..Oh”. These just give the speaker a sense of being heard. Listen to their words and tone of voice. These will give you a clue of how they feel especially for customers you don’t see face-to-face

6. Let them Finish: A lot of people are eager to cut through conversations just because before the speaker begins to speak, they know the direction he or she is headed to. Avoid being frustrated. Be patient and cooperative. Let the other person finish what they are saying. Resist the temptation of jumping in with your response and don’t be in a hurry.

7. Ask Questions: Oh my goodness, In the last few years I have learned the art of doing this so well and it has helped me a lot especially in my line of work. So let me digress a bit, I often go to help my mum at her shop and you will mostly get people coming through and shout “I will buy something(mostly said in our local dialect), you will need to follow up with a question; “What will you buy?”, the customer will mention the item, you will have to ask again “what size?”, he responds then you ask again “How many”? Sometimes we could go on and on and on. I bet this can be pretty annoying. What stops him from just saying “I will buy a box of toothpaste, I want the medium sized one” This is a lot more concise, isn’t it? For clarification purposes we need to ask questions but only when the other person is finished. Identify the customers needs by asking questions and concentrating on the answers. Most customers may either be frustrated or angry and will not be precise with their issues. It is important that you do not make assumptions but rather ask questions to know specifically what the problem is or what they need.

8. Repeat back what the other person said: I think I learned this from my eldest brother; Godwin. He will double and triple confirm something you have discussed just to be sure, which I think he over does but i seem to understand him to some extent. Lol. You know you can say things like, “I just wanna be sure i understand you so please let me repeat back what you just said." Then repeat back what they just said and ask “Is that correct?’. This is just to put you on the safer side to understand what you have been told. Now, this avoids the back and forth. In the first contact, try to take as many information as you will need.

9. Allow Natural Pauses: Whenever there is a silence or a pause in a conversation it does not necessarily mean that you have to jump in and speak right away. I can understand that when the pauses are very long, they can affect communication negatively but they can also have a positive effect if they are not too long. Sometimes you are better off allowing silence while you process the information being relayed.These natural pauses are allowed for clarification purposes

10. Watch for Non-verbals:  Non-Verbals are what you should look out for especially when you see or do not see the speaker. However, in instances where you don't be sensitive to the non-verbal cues such as body language, tone of voice and facial expressions

When you do speak, ask open-ended questions and let the other person finish their thoughts. No one ever learned much from talking but there is a wealth of information waiting for the patient listener. I will be standing by for your feedback and don’t forget I will be looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions.

Your Truly,

Ese😘

Arts and Music Festival 2017

The maiden edition of the Arts & Music festival and exhibition organized by the Art Therapy and Kobina Annan Music is happening live on the 29th of October,  2017 in the premises of Almond Institute, Opposite Pleasant Place Church Spintex Road.

Forget your idea of a typical arts or music exhibition, this is an extraordinary event, aimed at bringing together patrons from all across the city to exhibits their artifacts and love for the Arts. The festival is to collaborate with an array of talented artists and offers a well-selected worldwide collage of electronic music and visual art.

The Arts and Music Festival will be jam-packed with different genres of gospel music including jazz, traditional music, pop, reggae, contemporary and soul. On the bill will be awesome dance performances, spoken word, poetry recitals, and comedy. There will also be tasty, finger-licking dishes and so much more for sale. This one-day event promises to be a sensational afternoon which will bring together top-notch performers, entertainers and thriving artists in one place.

This event is  organized by ArtTherapy and KobinaAnnanMusic powered by the Pleasant Place church and Titi-Ofei Ministries and  is dedicated  to exploring and reshaping art and music's cultural, social, and educational impact on our community, especially to the youth, hence the theme for the event is 'Bringing Artists and Community together"

The programme aims to ignite excitement and enthusiasm in a safe, positive and spiritual atmosphere.

This maiden edition of the Arts and Music Exhibition guarantees an experience you will remember for a lifetime. Don't forget to mark your calendar for the 29th of October, 1:30 pm -7:30 pm

It's free, yes free as in no tickets required.

Come and have the experience of a lifetime. Interested vendors should contact 0243285395 or 0547270254 for any further clarification.

The team

ArtT, Kam Arts and Music Festival; Music Exhibition 2017

Don Williams dies at 78

The Country Music world mourns the loss of one of its’ most distinctive song stylists with the passing of Don Williams after a short illness. He was 78.

A native of Floydada, Texas, Williams was born May 27, 1939. He grew up in Portland, TX, graduating there in 1958. Music had always been a part of his upbringing, entering – and winning - a talent contest when he was just three years old. For his efforts, Williams received an alarm clock. He began playing guitar during his teen-age years, learning the songs that he heard on the radio during that period. He and his friends played in local bands around the area, and he wed wife Joy Bucher on April 10, 1960.

To support his family – which would grow to include two sons, Gary and Timmy – Williams worked at a number of odd jobs, including oil field work, and also as a bill collector. While living in Corpus Christi in 1964, he formed the folk-styled trio The Pozo Seco Singers with Lofton Cline and Susan Taylor. They stayed together for seven years, with their biggest hit being “Time.”

After the group disbanded in 1969, Williams soon found his way to Nashville. By 1971, he had a songwriting contract with the publishing company owned by Jack Clement. The next year would see Williams ink a recording deal with Clement’s JMI Records. He made his chart debut with “The Shelter of Your Eyes” in 1973, and was soon hitting the charts time and again with a much more laid-back sound than a lot of the music coming out of Nashville at the time. 1974 would see Williams top the charts for the first time with “I Wouldn’t Want To Live If You Didn’t Love Me.” From that point all the way through 1991, each Williams single would hit the Top-40 on the Billboard Country charts. His 1970s hits included such chart toppers as “Tulsa Time,” “She Never Knew Me,” and “It Must Be Love.” His career grew steadily through label shifts to ABC / Dot, MCA, Capitol, and finally RCA. Williams also gained a devoted following overseas in such unlikely spots as England, Ireland, and New Zealand , and even South Africa and Kenya – where he reached superstar status. He was named the Male Vocalist of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1978. Though known for being very low-key and soft spoken, Williams did make two movie appearances – 1974’s W.W. and The Dixie Dancekings, and 1980’s Smokey and the Bandit II.

The 1980s saw no slow down in Williams’ recorded output, with the singer notching his biggest hit with 1981’s “I Believe In You,” which not only topped the Country charts, but crossed over to No. 24 on the Hot 100. By this time, he had earned the nickname “The Gentle Giant” for his trademark mellow sound, and the hits continued to pile up throughout the rest of the decade - “Stay Young,” “If Hollywood Don’t Need You,” and “One Good Well” being three of his biggest of the 1980s. His final top ten came in 1991, with “Lord Have Mercy On A Country Boy,” a song that Josh Turner – a Williams fan – would record in 2006.

Though the changing of the guard at radio slowed down Williams’ chart success, he continued to perform for sold-out crowds in America and abroad, playing a final tour in 2006. However, retirement was not in the cards for the singer, who returned to the road in 2010 – the same year that he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Williams’ return to the spotlight also included a pair of albums on Sugar Hill, 2012’s And So It Goes, and 2014’s Reflections, which included contributions from Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, and Keith Urban. It was a sign of his enduring appeal that both albums hit the Top-20 on the Billboard Country Albums charts – his biggest rank there in three decades.

In 2016, Williams decided that the time was right for his final performance, calling it a career after one of the most successful careers in the history of the Country Music business. "It's time to hang my hat up and enjoy some quiet time at home. I'm so thankful for my fans, my friends and my family for their everlasting love and support," the 76-year-old Williams said in a statement at the time. Last year also saw the final release of Williams’ career, a live CD and DVD recorded in Ireland. In 2017, the singer was the subject of a tribute album, Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams, that included performances of his hits by artists such as Lady Antebellum and Garth Brooks.

Arrangements are pending.

Source; http://websterpr.com/news/don-williams-dead-78

Out and About at #GGFS2017

Ghana Garden and Flower Show, #GGFS; an annual event organized by Stratcomm Africa, designed to help beautify Ghana, enhance its green spaces and make it a pleasant habitat for its citizens while contributing to making Ghana a compelling investment and tourism destination.

Over the weekend I took my turn to enjoy the experience since I have never been able to attend any of the events since its inception. Well, i finally made it to GGFS2017. I was just excited about it this time around since I have been telling myself every year I will be there but never got the opportunity to make it.

I must say this is a step in the right direction for individuals and entrepreneurs to take advantage of partnering with the public and private sector to contribute to the use of landscape in gardening and flowering of our cities, towns and major projects.

The vendors who were present gave me a great idea of things you needed to look out for when you decide to grow plants or have a garden at home. A pretty educative session with some of the vendors I must say.

I sat in one of the conferences where one of the speakers( i have forgotten his name) mentioned that whenever there is a major project ongoing, we did see all the portions slated to be developed but there is little or no attention to gardening or flowering within the premises.

Personally, I believe a lot needs to be done at the venue, Efua Sutherland Children's Park, The private sector can partner with the public sector to develop this venue just like it's been done at Rattray Park. While money is being made for the government. The site of the broken down roller-coaster got me sad! I had memories of enjoying that swing and the little train when I made few trips to the children’s park growing up. These days everything seems to have worn out. It's a very sad distin!.

I also used the opportunity to catch up with old friends since we rarely meet due to our busy schedules. Naa Adjeley, Afiyo, Mawuena, Naa Oyoo, and all other who couldn’t make me out, lol.  Oh yes, the Seemychow wings and fried yam chips by Naa Oyoo was nice and tasty ehh? I couldn’t get enough of that.

The fashion show, the games, the music, kids playground, etc were all on point. Who else saw the flower pot of different shapes and designs? hehehehe. I want to congratulate the Stractcomm team for taking this up and i look forward to many more activities during the period in the coming years.

Keep Being Awesome!

Ese😘

SEPTEMBER 2017 - Shatta Mix by Dj Sid Gh

Happy New Month! This month's Mix is a people's choice. By popular request; your favourite Shatta Wale tunes mixed back2back in a way you love it!

Its your boy DJ SiD. You know how he does it.

Download, listen, share and as always keep the feedback coming through to DjSid

https://soundcloud.com/djsidgh/shatta-mixx

Keep Being Awesome!

Sunday after-church poses 😘

Don’t we all love Sundays. My look to church and i really love it! My brother got me the skirt by the way...and my blouse was made by my seamstress...my shoes errrmmm picked it from my shoe rack. Lol

Do have a blessed week and don’t forget to be awesome!

Ese😘

How Transparency Improves The Customer Experience

We’ve all been there: interacting with a store employee or customer service representative only to feel immediately of their distain and frustration with their job. There are many factors that can lead to frustration, but one of the most common is working for an organization with a bad company culture, especially one that isn’t transparent. Companies that aren’t transparent are full of office politics, bureaucracy, and nonsense and don’t make employees excited to come to work. That culture can quickly seep into the customer experience and make it difficult for customers to enjoy simple interactions with employees.

To improve the customer experience, you must start with the employees and the overall company culture. Employees across multiple industries say transparency is one of the most important things about a workplace—instead of feeling like just a cog in the machine, transparency helps employees see their place and helps them feel valued at work.

There are a number of things that can be done to improve transparency, and they all start from the top down. When leadership is open and honest with employees and shows it cares about them, that feeling will filter through the company until it becomes a strong part of the culture. Common practices to improve transparency include the following:

Honest communication. Transparency starts when leadership is open and honest with employees, which means they have to interact with employees, especially those on the front lines. This can happen through company-wide meetings or small group interactions. In larger companies where it can be difficult for executives to visit the contact centers to talk with employees, leaders can record videos with company news and updates to broadcast instead so every employee gets involved.

Open doors. Even something as simple as opening an office door can have a huge affect on transparency. An open door shows there’s nothing to hide and that the manager or leader is open to sharing and to suggestions. Encouraging employees to open their doors whenever possible creates a culture where information can more easily be shared.

Collaboration technology. Employees who feel isolated from the rest of the company can easily get frustrated and feel they don’t belong. Providing collaboration technology to front-line employees, like cloud software or instant messaging, can allow them to always be in the know with what is happening in other parts of the company.

Share news. Find a way to candidly share updates with employees, whether it’s a newsletter, email update, or in-person chat. Transparency means every employee knows what’s going on, and that doesn’t happen unless information is shared. It also means sharing more than just the good news—if there are rumors swirling around or if the company is going through a rough patch, be open and address that with employees. It’s better they get information straight from the source than to hear different versions from other sources; plus, it helps them feel invested in the success of the company.

A lack of transparency can cause stress for employees, especially if they are worried about their job security. Improving transparency throughout the organization can create a more cohesive place to work, which will almost immediately be felt by customers throughout the company.

Blake Morgan - www.forbes.com

Family Time

Right after church, i dashed home to make time for family. These days it’s pretty easy to not to make time for family, you need to make time and trust me it’s always worth it.

I left church and headed straight to Kasoa to make time for the family since everyone was going to be there...it was amazing! Knowing that we are the manifestation of the Lord’s blessings. It was wonderful and marvelous in our eyes. I can’t get over my family time, the pictures will speak for themselves lol

Keep Being Awesome,

Ese😘

AUGUST 2017 - Love Classics by Dj Sid

In the month of August we dropping LOVE CLASSICS. Love is shown through your thoughts, actions, kind words and calls.

LOVE CLASSICS is a compilation of your favourite love songs from over the years for your listening pleasure.

Download, enjoy, share and as always keep the feedback coming through.

http://www.hulkshare.com/tp3sjgz18d8g

Keep Being Awesome!

JULY 2017 - 80's Jam by Dj Sid

July 2017,

How about we do a little throwback? I thought of doing something different for you.

I know a number of you still have so much love for the 80s music

Something for the old folks came in handy this July.

Download, listen and share....

http://www.hulkshare.com/36m3iqdmghq8

Keep Being Awesome!