The 4 Things the Parents You Serve Really Want to Know About You

Among the many things that people want to know about the people who serve them, research shows that four specific items are at the top of the list. Here is what the studies have identified.  Customers

typically want to know the answers to four questions. They are:
          1. Do you like me?
          2. Do you care about me?
          3. Can I trust you?
          4. Do you know what you are talking about?

The first thing they wanted to know was if they were sincerely liked by the person serving them. The customer knew this from how the representative interacted with them. Did they use their name, did they really listen, and did they have sincere empathy in their voice?
The second thing people wanted to know about the professionals who serve them was, did the representative care about them. The customer could sense this from the questions they were asked, again, the tone of voice, the little things they said or did that indicated they indeed cared, and how helpful the representative tried to be.

The third question they wanted answered was, could they trust the representative. Indications of trust could be seen in how confident the representative was and did they follow through as promised. One example of how trust can be lost by a public school administrator, secretary, teacher or some other representative, is by how promptly a phone call or email is returned  to the parent. When there is a long period of time that elapses between the time the parent contacts the school and there is follow up by the school, or worse yet, no follow up, trust diminishes rapidly. A good rule of thumb is to have all phone calls and emails returned within 24 hours or less.

Finally, the fourth thing people want to know about the professionals who serve them was, was  the person serving them knowledgeable and competent. Indications of these qualities were demonstrated if the individual was familiar with the particular situation the customer was experiencing and had they solved similar types of problems for other customers in the past.

In summary, to build lifetime customer satisfaction with the parents you serve, make sure your school system is able to provide customer service training that teaches the right kind of customer service skills. These skills should empower all of your administrators, secretaries, teachers, bus drivers, food service and all other employees to treat your parents in such a way that consistently answers their four most common questions about your school system.

For more information on how we can speak at your next in-service or provide consulting and training to help you attract and retain more students, please contact our office at 734-404-5909 or email Tom at Tom borg@TomBorgconsulting.com or visit our website at www.TomBorgConsulting.comwww.tomborgconsulting.com

Public Schools MI-What Public Schools Can Learn from Other Failing Institutions

There are several examples of how large institutions or organizations lost power because of their unwillingness to listen to their customer base. Following World War II, the railroad industry started its’ nosedive. When President Dwight Eisenhower enacted the interstate and highway system in 1956, it sent a huge signal that times were changing. The highways being built  enabled people who could afford it, to buy their own cars which would transport them to anywhere they wanted. The interstate trucking industry began to develop at a rapid rate which took even more business away from the railroads. Add to that the development of jet airplanes and the railroad industry, as it was known at

that time, began to shrink.

Despite government restrictions that had been placed on it, the railroads also, in a way, caused their own downfall by the shoddy and monopolistic practices they took part in during the 19th and early 20th centuries (which resulted in many of the regulations imposed on them).

Their disregard for the people they were serving led to a general overall dissatisfaction and was a major factor leading to a shift to other forms of transportation.

Another more current business example is the fall of K-mart Corporation. Some of the major problems that were identified included: lack of customer focus, poor inventory management resulting in empty store shelves, and a poor, undifferentiated marketing strategy.1.

One final example is the United States Postal Service. With the steady decline of first class mail, the increasing use of electronic communication, unwillingness to make changes that were being demonstrated in Europe in the early 1990’s, and a history of a less than stellar customer service, the USPS started losing money in 2000.

“What didn’t help was “The USPS was slow to react to shifts in the industry. In the late '70s, Congress prodded it to allow private companies to carry letters needing urgent delivery. FedEx and UPS built enormously valuable businesses on the USPS's turf.”2

With these three examples cited, is doom and gloom all there is for public schools to look forward to in the United States?

The answer is a resounding no, if public school leaders and their team of employees can begin changing their paradigm of the business they are really in. We use the word business to describe the approach school systems must follow in order to be successful. It could be called a non-profit business, but it is still a business.

We would like to suggest that public schools are in the business of not just educating their students, but they are, in part, in the business of creating a solid foundation that will prepare  these students for a successful life and professional career. They are also in the business of helping parents feel secure, knowing their children are getting what they need and want to prepare them for future learning, whether or not it includes college.

For more information on how Tom Borg Consulting, LLC can help your school district attract and retain more students please contact us at 734-404-5909 or visit our website at www.tomborgconsulting.com

1. Source: K-Mart: Fall of a Marketing Giant Case Study, ICMR, Center for Business Research, 2003
gomasa.org

Leadership in Public Schools- Garbage in - Garbage Stays

Be careful what you watch, listen to and read. It will definitely alter your attitude towards life and

work. I encourage you to be very selective in what you allow to enter your brain. As Nido Qubein says, the old saying “Garbage in – garbage out, is not true. Rather, garbage in, garbage stays.”

If you allow negatives to enter you mind, they have a tendency to limit your thinking. The wrong kind of thinking limits your actions. The wrong kind of actions will limit your potential in life and work. It is difficult to keep a PSL with a constant negative flow of information into your brain.

It has been reported that the Coca Cola Corporation spends over one billion dollars per year on advertising. Over the years they have used catchy slogans like, “Coke is the Real Thing,” or “Things Go Better with Coke.” More recent slogans include “Life Begins Here” and “Enjoy Coca Cola.”  The Coca Cola Corporation is not unusual. Most large companies spend enormous amounts of money to advertise their products or services. They do it because it works.

It has been proven that with enough exposure to an advertisement, a certain percentage of people will be influenced enough that they will try a product or service. If they like it, they will continue to buy and use it.

Why not take a lesson from big business and do something to influence the minds of your staff or fellow employees. Create your own advertisements. What I am suggesting is to create your own positive communications, to promote the optimistic and results oriented thinking that is needed in your school district.

In the school districts where we have conducted our workshops and training programs, we have had them participate in an exercise where we divide the participants into small groups. Then they brainstorm slogans or sayings that espouse a positive alternative to negative thinking.

Some examples of the slogans they have created are:
“We care.”
“Do it now.”
“Expect the best”
“The best is yet to come.”
“Big enough to deliver, small enough to care.”
“We are the best, but were getting better.”

Often, the teams create posters or banners that contain the slogans  they have created. Then they post them around their building on walls and bulletin boards. It serves as a constant reminder of their commitment to create a more positive and productive school environment.

For more information on the services of Tom borg Consulting, LLC and how we can help your public school district attract and retain students call 734-404-5909 or visit our website www.tomborgconsulting.comwww.tomborgconsulting.com

How to Keep Your Staff Meetings Productive

When you count up the amount of hours a meeting lasts and multiply it times the number of people in the meeting, it adds up to a significant amount of your school administration's hours.

By bringing several people together it can gather much needed input and direction yet, unless the good input is utilized, it will have a tendency to create ill will and feeling of non importance among the meeting participants.  The importance and value of future meeting participation will be jeopardized by this type of superintendent or principal practice.

Hidden agendas are another way to sabotage meetings. When the people participating are not up front and honest about their reasons for pursuing a particular agenda item, more non productivity and group politics can be the result. This form of miscommunication can be very unproductive and should be avoided.

Being guilty of using either of the above practices can lead to wasteful meetings and will tie up valuable time of the attendees that can be used else wise more productively. It is up to the school leaders to do his or her best not to let this happen.
For more ideas on how to make your meetings or in-service programs more productive and successful please contact our office at 734-404-5909 or visit our website at www.tomborgconsulting.com

Why are Public Schools Privatizing?

An interesting article by Lori Higgins of the Detroit Free Press and why public schools are privatizing things like food service and other departments.
http://www.freep.com/article/20120814/NEWS06/120814053/Report-Growing-number-schools-privatizing-food-custodial-services

For more information on the services of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC please call our office at 734-404-5909 or visit our website at www.tomborgconsulting.com

How to Praise Your Team Members

In one of my training sessions with a school system, I explained to the participants the importance of sincerely complimenting fellow team members.

No matter what your position is, one of the best ways to build your school district is to find the strengths in your employees and fellow staff members and praise them on a regular basis. Whether they admit it or not, from time to time, everyone loves to receive sincere recognition. It doesn’t cost anything to give this, and yet, it can pay huge dividends in the form of productivity.

An easy way to pay a sincere compliment to others is through the use of the SES formula.  Let’s take a look at what it is and how to use it.

The first S stands for the word “sincere”. Find something about the person that you can sincerely compliment. It could be something they did, something they own or a personal quality they possess.

The E stands for the word “evidence”. Give some solid evidence that would support what you are saying. It is hard for someone to deny a compliment when you are sincere and give some form of proof of what you are communicating.

The final S stands for the word “short”. Keep you compliment short. The reason for this is twofold; one it is easier to give and two, it is easier for the person to receive it. Most people are uncomfortable receiving a compliment and the easier you make for them to hear it, the better. Once you finish the compliment, move on to another topic or walk away.

An example of how to give a compliment might sound like this: “Mary, nice job on the Smith company report. I say that because it was concise and to the point. Keep up the good work, I will see you tomorrow.”

In summary when we properly pay sincere compliments, it can build good will and help us to feel better too.

Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC., a company that specializes in working with public school districts. They show their clients how to attract and retain students and build connections with the business community. For information on our services, please contact us at: 734-404-5909 or visit our website at www.tomborgconsulting.com

Don’t Worry About Criticism

I remember when I was recreation director for a small township in Michigan, and my department had been invited by four other recreation departments to participate in a regional winter festival. It was agreed that my small department, which was composed of a few part-time employees and myself, would organize and facilitate a fun run.

Much planning went into organizing this winter festival. Many of the activities were based on having a reasonable amount of snow on the ground. Usually in southeastern Michigan you can depend on having plenty of snow on the ground during the month of February, but this particular year was a different story. The weekend of the winter festival came and there wasn’t even a trace of snow on the ground. No, nada, nyet snow. Oh, it was very cold, but absolutely no snow. Most of the winter festival activities were cancelled due to the necessity of having snow, but not the fun run. As matter of fact, it was perfect for it. The dry roads were ideal for the runners. Our race was a huge success and actually made a profit for the festival.

A few weeks later, all of the regional recreational directors came together for our follow up meeting. The first person who spoke, was the director of the park where the entire event was held. This gentleman lashed out at my program because of some trite mistake we had made in conducting the fun run. Much to my surprise, the rest of the group spoke up and defended my event by saying it was the most successful, well attended event, and that I should be congratulated. My critic was soon silenced and the meeting continued.

What I learned that day, is that when you are doing anything that garners some success, you will have critics who will find something to criticize about it. It just comes with the territory. As Dale Carnegie once said, “”Remember that unjust criticism is often a disguised compliment.” Here is my point. Do your best at whatever you do, and don’t be surprised by the critics. Your benefit, you will be able to have fun and more fully appreciate the experience.

Tom Borg Consulting, LLC., is a consulting group that specializes in without the box strategic planning, leadership training, team building, and customer culture transformation, for public school systems in Michigan and the United States. For a free 30 minute consulting session or for more information please call 734-404-5909 or visit our website at www.TomBorgConsulting.com