Category: HR/Associate Development

There will be a variety of posts, encompassing everything from hiring checklists to training ideas and documents based on more than 25 years of experience and learning from the best people in the business.

FP/NFP – The Key is Customer Service

Paul Wagenaar

The concept of “No wrong door” is a great philosophy to build “customer service” standards. Regardless of whom a client/customer speaks to, each associate has been trained to help that person work towards solving his or her problem. That does not mean that everyone is cross-trained on every nuance and issue that a customer might have. It means that each associate understands the importance of the following, and they know that how each client/customer is handled in every single encounter determines whether the organization will be successful or not.

Making a difference …

Paul Wagenaar

The problems we face as individuals, in our work, with our families, and as a society often can seem incredibly overwhelming.

You can’t change everything, but you can change some things, start where you are. Try these suggestions; they work, and they can help you to make a difference …

Building Culture = Building Success

Paul Wagenaar

Building a solid culture and a solid team isn’t easy. It is worth the time however, and it is worth the investment … every time. Here are some proven ideas to consider, they have worked for others and many of them can be done quite easily and inexpensively.

Day to Day Management

Paul Wagenaar

Although the focus of this post is on “Retail Management,” the issues discussed are transferable to many other sectors.

Retail management can make you feel like a “pin-ball” some days as you juggle the inevitable day to day questions and issues that fill a manager’s or supervisor’s day. It is important to remember that the interruptions that keep you from doing your job actually are your job! Taking care of your associate’s questions and allowing them to look after your customers or your clients is really, what makes a manager successful.

Through the other person’s eyes

Paul Wagenaar

“The best way to win a fight … is to avoid having one,” this oft forgotten lesson from Dale Carnegie is one of the fundamentals of “How to Win Friends and Influence people.” It is, however, only part of his lesson. A missing link is to remember that you should always try to “appreciate the other person’s perspective.”