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A question from a service manager

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Just remember the positivity ratio we teach and it’s easy – 5:1 if you want your relationships to flourish. Give sincere positive feedback five times more often than you give negative feedback. When you use this formula –you’ll feel good, they’ll feel good and you’ll watch their productivity soar.

I’m one of the “experts” over at the Customer Service Advantage newsletter. That means I get questions to answer from time to time. Here’s one I got yesterday.

 

“I’m learning the ropes as a new customer service manager. One thing I struggle with is giving feedback to my service pros. How do I give critical feedback without leaving my people feeling negative about themselves and parts of their work?”

 

What a great question and how smart of you to ask. Negative feedback makes us all feel a little diminished – after all you are talking about our weaknesses. Positive feedback makes us feel encouraged, proud and confident so the answer to your question lies not so much in the “how” but in the “how often.”

 

We teach people to be “Positive Leaders”. That entails using some of the new insights and tools that come from the field of positive psychology. So here’s lesson number one – learn to look for and build on people’s strengths. Give affirmative feedback – often – on what’s right about their performance, their talents, their attitudes and their abilities.

 

Skip the “attaboys” and start getting specific with your feedback so people know exactly what you want repeated. “Robert, I especially liked the way you handled that angry customer. You showed so much skill in the way you clarified and confirmed his situation. It was masterful the way you dealt with his emotion first and then got the problem solved on the spot.” When you spend your time looking for what people are doing right and sincerely praising them for it you are building an emotional bank account (just like we do with customers).

 

When people come to trust that you can see the best in them, and appreciate it, it makes it easier to take constructive feedback that will improve their performance. Please note – I didn’t use the word “critical.” There is no need for you to be critical, that’s not part of your job.

 

Just remember the positivity ratio we teach and it’s easy – 5:1 if you want your relationships to flourish. Give sincere positive feedback five times more often than you give negative feedback. When you use this formula –you’ll feel good, they’ll feel good and you’ll watch their productivity soar.

 

JoAnna Brandi, a founding member of the Positive Workplace International is the author of two books on customer loyalty and one on positive thinking. You can find more advice on creating a more positive customer caring culture at www.CustomerCareCoach.com and www.ReturnOnHappiness.com

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Testimonials
We’ve engaged JoAnna Brandi on numerous occasions over the course of several years, and on each occasion she has delivered insights, wisdom, and a significant dose of common sense to the process of elevating our customer experience and improving the engagement of our teams to create a happier, healthier work environment. Her methods are engaging,…

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I was exposed to JoAnna Brandi at a Vistage presentation in Nashville. JoAnna led an information packed lecture speaking to the power of positivity, and positive leadership. In our modern constantly evolving world where employee happiness is moving to the forefront of company mindset JoAnna’s lecture highlighted numerous areas of untapped developmental resources in the realm of positivity. If…

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Among the greatest challenges that every business faces is how to improve employee engagement and enhance customer experience. Well, Chief Happiness Officer JoAnna Brandi is here to help! A specialist in positive psychology who is dedicated to helping to make the world a more happy, human, humane, and productive place, JoAnna is a dynamic presenter,…

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I wanted to thank you for the program you presented to my CEO group this past week. Discussing happiness, positivity or empathy with this group has never been something they looked forward to talking about. The way you approached it changed that mentality. You were fast paced, credible and prepared with solutions that we all…

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JoAnna’s message couldn’t be more relevant than it is right now.  After two years in a pandemic, with our employees working remotely and juggling the challenges of all that the pandemic has brought upon us, we knew this was the right time to bring her back.  This is not the same old customer service training…

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On behalf of the Temple Sinai Navon Committee, thank you for your efforts in developing and leading the “Planting the Seed of Happiness and Creating and Flourishing Life” program. Our Navon community (aged 70+), was eager for an uplifting program like this as many transitioned from 18 months of challenging isolation. The participants thoroughly enjoyed…

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Since 1998, JoAnna has inspired CEO's and key executives all over the country to take better care of their customers and employees, and to see a tangible return on their happiness
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