Articles

FireStar can do more than just deliver training. Recently we worked with a client to help improve their customer service. They have a phone system that allows them to record calls, and they sent me three randomly selected calls from each of their customer service representatives (CSRs). I reviewed them and did assessments. Their leadership […]

Like most consumers, from time to time, I have to call customer service. The strange thing is, the companies that offer the most promotions and fight the hardest to get new customers, seem to have the worst service. Hmmmm……. Out of frustration (but also because I do customer service training), I felt compelled to write […]

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Vail Carter with the Centralina Workforce Development Board. He shared with me the results of a survey of over 330 firms in North Carolina. One of the items asked about current skills needs. Number one was communication and interpersonal skills. (Second was leadership and third was customer service—and […]

Fear keeps our lives small. You only grow by conquering your fear. If you had only a year to live, would you change anything? Would you keep working at the same job? Spend time with the same people? Are there places you’ve always dreamed of seeing you would visit? Why aren’t you doing or planning […]

The Manhattan skyline filled with smoke and debris as the towers of the World Trade Center collapsed is an image few of us will soon forget. Feelings of shock, fear, anger and helplessness filled all of us. Americans were walking around with a dazed, hollow expression – unable to comprehend the enormity of what had […]