I think the Queen is a truly remarkable lady and I was really looking forward to watching the Diamond Jubilee river pageant today. As well as the sheer spectacle and scale, I was looking forward to finding out more about the boats involved, their histories, their crews, and so forth - and also to hearing some of the music from the barges carrying choirs, orchestras and bands.
I thought the BBC television coverage would provide that.
How wrong I was.
They kept showing the same kind of picture, aerial views of the man-powered boats, and hardly had any coverage of the historic ships. For example there was no mention at all of the "Matthew" replica. The powered boats also only got a few shots in and very limited information. And even for the man-powered boats, they only gave tiny snippets of information about one or two of the vessels and their crews.
And we didn't get to hear any of the music.
The BBC even kept hopping back to studio shots.
There was so much more they could have done with this afternoon's coverage - like more information about the different ships, identifying some of the lesser known Commonwealth countries' flags, playing excerpts from some of the music.
Instead the coverage came across as poorly researched and light on information - not at all what I would expect from the BBC.
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Is David Cameron right?
David Cameron famously said he doesn't want the coalition to be seen as "a bunch of accountants".
To my view that's a sad indictment of how much of the wider business community regards accountants. We're popularly viewed as reactive, regressive, backward-looking stuffed shirts who can't explain things in plain English to save our lives, don't want to know about anything resembling progress in the technological arena, charge astronomical fees that mount up every time the client calls, and are more of a necessary evil than anything else.
That's a stereotype, but how far is it true?
I attended a seminar last week given by Steve Pipe, who's a fantastically dynamic speaker and great advocate for proactivity amongst accountants. Steve's view is that:
"Accountancy is a noble profession, clients deserve nothing less than extraordinarily great service and accountants deserve great rewards".
I agree with that. But we can't deliver extraordinarily great service unless we stop looking in the rear-view mirror, give real-time practical advice in the moment by embracing technology, stop spouting accounting-speak and learn to talk to clients in plain English. Say "trade debtors" to anyone who's neither an accountant nor a bookkeeper and their eyes will, quite rightly, glaze over. Try saying "customers who owe you money" instead. Bingo. Wasn't it Einstein who said that if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it properly yourself?
Let's wake up and smell the coffee, and show David Cameron he's wrong!
To my view that's a sad indictment of how much of the wider business community regards accountants. We're popularly viewed as reactive, regressive, backward-looking stuffed shirts who can't explain things in plain English to save our lives, don't want to know about anything resembling progress in the technological arena, charge astronomical fees that mount up every time the client calls, and are more of a necessary evil than anything else.
That's a stereotype, but how far is it true?
I attended a seminar last week given by Steve Pipe, who's a fantastically dynamic speaker and great advocate for proactivity amongst accountants. Steve's view is that:
"Accountancy is a noble profession, clients deserve nothing less than extraordinarily great service and accountants deserve great rewards".
I agree with that. But we can't deliver extraordinarily great service unless we stop looking in the rear-view mirror, give real-time practical advice in the moment by embracing technology, stop spouting accounting-speak and learn to talk to clients in plain English. Say "trade debtors" to anyone who's neither an accountant nor a bookkeeper and their eyes will, quite rightly, glaze over. Try saying "customers who owe you money" instead. Bingo. Wasn't it Einstein who said that if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it properly yourself?
Let's wake up and smell the coffee, and show David Cameron he's wrong!
Saturday, 28 January 2012
A gold star for Lands' End
I regularly buy clothing from Lands' End, who sell excellent quality casual and smart casual wear.
In the autumn I bought two pairs of leggings from them. Recently I noticed one pair had begun to come apart at the seams, so I posted that pair back to Lands' End and asked for a new pair and a refund of postage.
That parcel went in the post on Monday.
My new pair arrived today - Saturday. Less than a week later.
With a refund of postage notification.
What great service.
We all make mistakes. Sooner or later every business sells a faulty stock line, or doesn't give tip-top service. But making a mistake is the perfect opportunity to "wow" a customer by putting it right.
Lands' End just wowed me.
That means I'm not only going to go back and buy from them again, but I'll recommend them as a great business to buy from.
In the autumn I bought two pairs of leggings from them. Recently I noticed one pair had begun to come apart at the seams, so I posted that pair back to Lands' End and asked for a new pair and a refund of postage.
That parcel went in the post on Monday.
My new pair arrived today - Saturday. Less than a week later.
With a refund of postage notification.
What great service.
We all make mistakes. Sooner or later every business sells a faulty stock line, or doesn't give tip-top service. But making a mistake is the perfect opportunity to "wow" a customer by putting it right.
Lands' End just wowed me.
That means I'm not only going to go back and buy from them again, but I'll recommend them as a great business to buy from.
Sunday, 13 November 2011
White poppy for peace and respect
Forgive the off topic nature of this post, please folks - it's Remembrance Sunday and I'd like to share my reasons for wearing the white poppy rather than a red one.
My Quaker faith includes a testimony to peace and nonviolence. But the nature of Quakerism is that nothing is forbidden or prescribed, and Quakers have no creeds. We all have to make our own choices.
In the two World Wars, a lot of Quakers were conscientious objectors. Many served with the Friends' Ambulance Unit to help care for battlefield casualties. But one or two fought. Robert Lawrence Smith, a lifelong Quaker, explains in his book "A Quaker Book of Wisdom" that he chose to fight in the American army during the Second World War because he felt that a lasting peace could not be built until the "unspeakable evil" of Nazism was removed.
So I don't have to wear the white poppy because I happen to be a Quaker. It's a matter of choice.
And I don't agree with those who say that to wear the white poppy is disrespectful to the armed forces and to those who've died in the service of their country.
My white poppy shows that I wish to honour and respect the memory of all the servicemen and women, and civilians, worldwide, who've lost their lives in conflict - but that I deplore the fact that they had to do so.
And for the same reason, through the year, I wear a white dove badge on my coat.
Because "I will never know how men can see the wisdom in a war". - Chris de Burgh
My Quaker faith includes a testimony to peace and nonviolence. But the nature of Quakerism is that nothing is forbidden or prescribed, and Quakers have no creeds. We all have to make our own choices.
In the two World Wars, a lot of Quakers were conscientious objectors. Many served with the Friends' Ambulance Unit to help care for battlefield casualties. But one or two fought. Robert Lawrence Smith, a lifelong Quaker, explains in his book "A Quaker Book of Wisdom" that he chose to fight in the American army during the Second World War because he felt that a lasting peace could not be built until the "unspeakable evil" of Nazism was removed.
So I don't have to wear the white poppy because I happen to be a Quaker. It's a matter of choice.
And I don't agree with those who say that to wear the white poppy is disrespectful to the armed forces and to those who've died in the service of their country.
My white poppy shows that I wish to honour and respect the memory of all the servicemen and women, and civilians, worldwide, who've lost their lives in conflict - but that I deplore the fact that they had to do so.
And for the same reason, through the year, I wear a white dove badge on my coat.
Because "I will never know how men can see the wisdom in a war". - Chris de Burgh
Talk to me, I'm a customer!
Two shop-assistant incidents where a chance for a wow was missed.
First - in the gi-normous Waterstone's store in Piccadilly, London. I went up to the counter with a new book to buy. There were no other customers queuing. The staff behind the counter had been chatting as I approached. Perfectly OK. But as one of them served me they continued their conversation, only speaking occasional words to me.
I thought, "What do I have to do to make you pay attention to me? Wave a sign saying 'hello, I'm a customer'? Do a strip-tease in the middle of the shop?"
That's one of my pet hates - shop assistants who talk to each other and ignore their customers. If they draw the customer into their conversation then great, but if they ignore the customer then they're ignoring the people who ultimately pay their wages. Not a good move!
Then this morning, in Waitrose in Hexham, Matt and I were in the queue at the checkout behind a dear old gentleman on his own. He tried to engage the young female cashier in conversation. Nothing remotely creepy, just a friendly chat.
She wasn't having any of it. She hardly spoke a word to him while she served him. And she hardly spoke a word to us either.
For us - meh. We've got each other to talk to. But that gentleman might not see or speak to another human being for days on end. A friendly chat with a kind person at the checkout would make his week, never mind his day.
Contrast that with the staff in every branch of Pret a Manger I've ever visited, who always talk to their customers, greet them in a friendly way, ask "How are you today?" and sound like they really do care about the answer.
Customer service managers, please encourage your staff to talk to their customers!
First - in the gi-normous Waterstone's store in Piccadilly, London. I went up to the counter with a new book to buy. There were no other customers queuing. The staff behind the counter had been chatting as I approached. Perfectly OK. But as one of them served me they continued their conversation, only speaking occasional words to me.
I thought, "What do I have to do to make you pay attention to me? Wave a sign saying 'hello, I'm a customer'? Do a strip-tease in the middle of the shop?"
That's one of my pet hates - shop assistants who talk to each other and ignore their customers. If they draw the customer into their conversation then great, but if they ignore the customer then they're ignoring the people who ultimately pay their wages. Not a good move!
Then this morning, in Waitrose in Hexham, Matt and I were in the queue at the checkout behind a dear old gentleman on his own. He tried to engage the young female cashier in conversation. Nothing remotely creepy, just a friendly chat.
She wasn't having any of it. She hardly spoke a word to him while she served him. And she hardly spoke a word to us either.
For us - meh. We've got each other to talk to. But that gentleman might not see or speak to another human being for days on end. A friendly chat with a kind person at the checkout would make his week, never mind his day.
Contrast that with the staff in every branch of Pret a Manger I've ever visited, who always talk to their customers, greet them in a friendly way, ask "How are you today?" and sound like they really do care about the answer.
Customer service managers, please encourage your staff to talk to their customers!
Monday, 26 September 2011
East Coast take the biscuit for dreadful service
York-Carlisle East Coast train yesterday afternoon, in First Class.
Free tea, coffee and biscuits?
Yes but...
The two ladies pushing the tea trolley stopped just in front of me, where a black couple were sitting with three packets of biscuits on their table, presumably from earlier in the journey.
"You can't take those off the train," barked one of the trolley ladies. "I'll take them now."
And leaving all of us in the immediate vicinity speechless with horror, she scooped up the biscuits and trundled the trolley away.
That's the most appalling service I've ever seen.
The gentleman had paid for a First Class ticket. He'd paid, in essence, for those biscuits.
And once given to him, they were his to eat exactly when he liked - on or off the train. She had absolutely no right to take them away.
He did go and try to talk to her but she wouldn't listen to him.
I won't be travelling East Coast again if I can possibly help it. I'll stick to Virgin, or go by plane, in future.
UPDATE: East Coast say the team member has been "re-briefed on customer service and how to treat customers". Personally I'm not hugely impressed. I'll still avoid East Coast if I can.
Free tea, coffee and biscuits?
Yes but...
The two ladies pushing the tea trolley stopped just in front of me, where a black couple were sitting with three packets of biscuits on their table, presumably from earlier in the journey.
"You can't take those off the train," barked one of the trolley ladies. "I'll take them now."
And leaving all of us in the immediate vicinity speechless with horror, she scooped up the biscuits and trundled the trolley away.
That's the most appalling service I've ever seen.
The gentleman had paid for a First Class ticket. He'd paid, in essence, for those biscuits.
And once given to him, they were his to eat exactly when he liked - on or off the train. She had absolutely no right to take them away.
He did go and try to talk to her but she wouldn't listen to him.
I won't be travelling East Coast again if I can possibly help it. I'll stick to Virgin, or go by plane, in future.
UPDATE: East Coast say the team member has been "re-briefed on customer service and how to treat customers". Personally I'm not hugely impressed. I'll still avoid East Coast if I can.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Self-confidence vs arrogance: part 2
Jim Connolly has published a great article, "How to succeed in a world of failing small businesses".
And I think he's just exemplified the difference between self-confidence and arrogance.
Self-confidence says: "I'm good at what I do. That doesn't mean I think I know everything. There's always more I can learn, from people in all fields including my own. My mind is open to new ideas because that's the best way I can help others succeed."
Arrogance says: "I'm good at what I do, I know all I need to know, and I don't need anyone else telling me what to do or how to do it."
People love to feel wanted and appreciated for their expertise, and to share it. That's why self-confident people draw others to them, and arrogance pushes others away. Who wants to feel like someone else is looking down on them and making them feel like the Dirty Rascal instead of the King of the Castle?
Well not me for starters. That's why I steer clear of arrogant people.
And I think he's just exemplified the difference between self-confidence and arrogance.
Self-confidence says: "I'm good at what I do. That doesn't mean I think I know everything. There's always more I can learn, from people in all fields including my own. My mind is open to new ideas because that's the best way I can help others succeed."
Arrogance says: "I'm good at what I do, I know all I need to know, and I don't need anyone else telling me what to do or how to do it."
People love to feel wanted and appreciated for their expertise, and to share it. That's why self-confident people draw others to them, and arrogance pushes others away. Who wants to feel like someone else is looking down on them and making them feel like the Dirty Rascal instead of the King of the Castle?
Well not me for starters. That's why I steer clear of arrogant people.
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