Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential.
Will Cuppy

Ever thought of an art of getting along with people without being rude or demanding. Getting into a position where you make people feel at ease with you in social situations because they know you won't make thoughtless remarks. 

Well, let me share something that will teach you to do unto others as you would want them to do to you. Here's a project by Emily Post on Etiquette This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no
cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook.


So here's your solution for all those questions you have about etiquette. 


Enjoy the read and don't forget to leave a line if you've liked the post.


My Fav part from the book.....


"To the French we owe the word etiquette, and it is amusing to discover its origin in the commonplace familiar warning--"Keep off the grass." It happened in the reign of Louis XIV, when the gardens of Versailles were being laid out, that the master gardener, an old Scotsman, was sorely tried because his newly seeded lawns were being continually trampled upon. To keep trespassers off, he put up warning signs or
tickets--etiquettes--on which was indicated the path along which to pass. But the courtiers paid no attention to these directions and so the determined Scot complained to the King in such convincing manner that His
Majesty issued an edict commanding everyone at Court to "keep within the etiquettes." Gradually the term
came to cover all the rules for correct demeanor and deportment in court circles; and thus through the
centuries it has grown into use to describe the conventions sanctioned for the purpose of smoothing personal
contacts and developing tact and good manners in social intercourse. With the decline of feudal courts and the rise of empires of industry, much of the ceremony of life was discarded for plain and less formal dealing.
Trousers and coats supplanted doublets and hose, and the change in costume was not more extreme than the
change in social ideas. The court ceased to be the arbiter of manners, though the aristocracy of the land
remained the high exemplar of good breeding"

Click here to download the book. Etiquette

Cheers,
Joel 

Everything about effective communication skills.

Hello Readers,


We sometimes get perplexed when we think about the actual meaning of communication skills and what it really encompasses. So here's all that you should or would like to know about communication skills. The most important aspect that's covered in this informative PDF is stuff about body language.


Enjoy the read.


Click on the link below to view the file.

Effective Communication Skills

Regards,
Joel  

Training games and stories

Hi All,

A lot of trainers and facilitators sometimes wonder what activities and games to use in different training sessions or situations? what would make their training sessions interactive and lively? or which icebreaker/energizer  to use to start a session or break the monotony?. I thought of uploading a collection of training activities, games and short stories that us trainers can use in our different training sessions. Please click on the link to download the file. 


Master List of Games and Stories

Enjoy training, keep it lively and accelerated.

Regards,
Joel 

Negative to Positive phrases in customer service.

I researched a lot for some content like this when I was working on a project and looked up on the internet for relevant material, however I didn't find any. I just had a thought that there might be a lot of people looking for such kind of content just the way I did. That's exactly why I posted this. Enjoy the read! 

Joel 

Nine things you should never say to a customer.

The words that you use with customers can help you communicate effectively...or can sometimes generate bad feeling.

Here are three vital things to remember:

1. NEVER blame the customer. When trying to find what went wrong, use the indirect approach or ‘I’ statements. ‘I can see that you are very upset. Could you tell me exactly what happened?’

2. Avoid giving orders: ‘You have to …’ The customer doesn’t HAVE to do anything.

3. State what you CAN do – not what you CAN'T do. Replace ‘I can’t do that’ with ‘I don’t have the authority to take that action, but I’ll get my supervisor to contact you. What's the best time to catch you?’

Here are 9 Forbidden Phrases ...

and a few strategies for turning negatives into positives.

1. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'Are you sure?'

Explanation: It sounds as if you don’t believe the customer.

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM

“That’s most unusual. Would you mind telling me exactly what happened?”

2. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'You’re confusing me....'

EXPLANATION:You're blaming the customer for confusing you.

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM:

Always attribute any blame to yourself, rather than the customer. Say: "I'm sorry, but I'm not clear about the problem. Would you mind telling me exactly what's wrong please?"

3. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'What’s the problem this time?'

EXPLANATION:You're inferring that the customer is a troublemaker. Even if he is, you don't need to come on so strong.

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM

'How can I help you, Mr Smith?'

4. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'You’re wrong......'

EXPLANATION:

Never tell the customer they are wrong! Assume the blame for not understanding the problem to avoid an all-out war. (You will NOT win!)

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM:

"There seems to be a misunderstanding"

5. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'No one else has complained .......'

EXPLANATION:This infers that the customer is a first-class whinger.

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM:

'Would you mind telling me what happened?

6. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'Who told you that?'

EXPLANATION:This infers that there's a problem within your team and you are trying to fix the blame onto someone.

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM:

'There seems to be a misunderstanding. Would you mind telling me what happened?'

7. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'It’s not my job......'

EXPLANATION:As far as the customer is concerned, it IS your job! Whoever answers the phone or is on the desk IS the organisation to the customer and is responsible for helping the customer.

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM:

'Please tell me how I can be of assistance and I will make sure that (the nominated person) gets back to you on this.

8. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'You’ll have to .....'

EXPLANATION:The customer doesn't HAVE to do anything. If you want their business, you HAVE to look after them.

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM:

'Would you mind...?'

9. NEGATIVE PHRASE

'It’s company policy....'

EXPLANATION:This is like a red rag to a bull. Give the reasons for the policy and you will generate understanding instead of thoughts of murder. Most importantly, tell the customer you want to help them...and mean it!

POSITIVE WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM:

'The reason for this policy is ..... I really want to help you fix this problem. How do you think we can reach agreement?'

Note: Always work within your polices and procedures.

Follow these simple guidelines and you'll find that your customers are much nicer to work with....and they keep coming back....and your business continues to flourish...and your staff keep their jobs...need I say more?

This is an excerpt from the course 'Customer Service Magic'.

Empower your staff to look after your customers and keep your business booming by running your own course in your own workplace.