Millennials are the subject of a recent communication study and they are setting a new tone for communication in 2019. So, what does this mean exactly? According to a Forbes.com article in 2017, when we're talking about "'millennial' communication preferences, we’re really talking about the future of workplace communication overall." This means that it's vital we understand how they prefer to communicate as this will be the norm in a short time. It comes as no surprise that Millennials tend to shy away from phone calls, yet 68% of them text on a daily basis. Texting is the preferred format, especially when an immediate response is needed. However, they have not totally abandoned emailing when a longer and less pressing...
Last month I talked about Six Ways You Can Demand Better Customer Service as a customer. Today I'd like to share with you how the death of customer service nationwide actually benefits YOUR business. It's actually quite simple because the bar has been set so low. Most Americans' expectations of customer service these days is that it will be a long and frustrating process that will end with little to no satisfaction to show for it. Here's how that works in YOUR FAVOR:1. Unless your company blows it BIG TIME, most people won't take the time to complain. Customers are so tired of expending energy, and they are so busy that they are reluctant even to try unless they deem it...
If you've ever tried to call customer service in the last decade, you know how difficult and frustrating it can be. Getting through the phone tree to the right department can be difficult enough, but getting to speak to a live person might take an act of Congress. Then there's the challenge of getting what you want from a customer service rep who is paid a little more than minimum wage and has little to no customer service training and absolutely no vested interest in the company for which he or she is working. If calling THAT company again gives you nightmares, read on! 1. Getting through the Automated Audrey Phone Tree If the above picture doesn't send shivers...
Last week, I reprinted an article I wrote a while back on the Influence of Texting because technology has long been eating away at our effective communication skills. Technology is a wonderful thing in moderation or as a tool, but not only has it been eroding our face-to-face communication skills, it has also been replacing our real life relationships! How many times have you seen someone on their phone while driving, shopping, or even at a party? Ignoring real people while playing games or texting on a phone has become such a *thing* that I recently saw a photograph on Facebook of a sign on a day care center. It told parents to get off their phone and pay attention...
This month, I'd like to share my thoughts on the dangers of smart phone obsession and how it affects our relationships, but in order to fully understand that article which I'll share next week, I'd like to first draw your attention to an article I wrote several years back on the influence of texting on communication. Texting, emailing, and easy access to various forms of electronic media are a handy tool in the technological age. However, in my experience, it has become more than a tool to most and has greatly degraded the effectiveness of modern society's communication. In addition, it has produced a people who are less concerned with truth than convenience and more concerned with being connected than making...
