Category: Office and Homeworking

No matter how hard you try, it isn't possible to please your customers all the time. Whether they are dissatisfied with the quality of your product or the service they received, dealing with unhappy clients can definitely be stressful. However, instead of letting yourself get all worked up, it's important to stay calm and face every customer complaint head-on. Here is some helpful advice for dealing with disgruntled customers:Don't Immediately Jump to a Resolution When a customer complains about something, it's natural to want to come up with a solution right away. However, doing this may backfire and anger the customer even more, according to Kissmetrics. Before you attempt to fix the problem, take time to actually listen to the client's complaint so that he or she feels like you truly…

Although you'd probably like to give your employees positive feedback every time, it isn't always possible. When a staff member makes a major mistake or isn't keeping up with his or her workload, it's necessary to provide the person with constructive criticism. The good news? It's possible to give tough feedback without scaring your staff members. Here is some helpful advice on delivering negative feedback to your employees:Listen First According to Erika Andersen, it can be helpful to listen to an employee's point of view first. For instance, if a staff member is having problems keeping up with a project, you could ask the person something like, "I'd like to discuss the project you're currently working on. How do you think it's going?" This will let the employee talk honestly about…

If you want to keep your best employees around, you have to do more than just pay them a decent salary and offer paid vacation time. You also have to create a company culture where your staff members feel comfortable and happy. If the corporate culture is strong, your team members will be excited to come into the office every day and give it their all. Here are three ways to improve your company's culture: 1. Let Your Employees Interview An effective way to create a great company culture is to let your team members interview job candidates, according to Jeff Boss, a leadership coach and author of "Navigating Chaos: How to Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations." "First, it conveys that everyone's perspective counts and that they have a say…

As a business owner, it's important to continuously show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work. If your team members know they are valued, they will be more productive and happy in their positions. Here are four tips for showing you appreciate your employees:1. Tell Employees When Others Compliment Them According to Forbes, it's important to show your staff members that they're not just appreciated by you, but by other people too. For example, if a client called you to tell you about what a great job an employee did on a recent project, be sure to share that with the staff member. If you think you will have trouble remembering, write down the information in personalized notepads. When the team member hears how happy the client was with the…

Waking up at the crack of dawn isn't always pleasant, but doing so can make the working day that much better. Here are four things you can do in the morning to set up your day for success:1. Plan Out Your Day One of the first things you should do after you wake up is plan what you want to accomplish that day. Get out your personalized notepads and write down your tasks and goals. According to Jennifer Cohen, author of "No Gym Required – Release Your Inner Rock Star," the morning is a good time to do this because you often have quiet time."The early hours foster easier reflection that helps when prioritizing your activities," Cohen said in Forbes. "They also allow for uninterrupted problem solving when trying to fit…

There's more to being the head honcho of the office than assigning tasks and making sure clients get their work delivered on time. To be a good boss, you genuinely have to care about your employees and do everything you can to help further their development. If you make the effort to improve your managerial skills, your staff members will respect you and work hard for your company. Here are some tips on how to be a boss your employees will love:Show Interest in Your Employees If you want your employees to continue doing good work, it's important to show them you are interested. According to Janine Popick, founder of VerticalResponse, your staff members want to know that you care about the projects they are working on."If you don't meet with your team…

Experiencing stress at work is inevitable. According to a 2014 Nielsen survey, 8 in 10 U.S. workers are stressed about at least one job-related thing. However, you don't have to let this anxiety keep you up at night. If you learn how to handle stress in healthy ways, you will be much happier. Here is some helpful advice on how to cope with stress in the workplace:Look at the Bright Side When you have a million things to get done in a short amount of time, it can be difficult to see a silver lining. However, it's important to search for the bright side in these tough circumstances. Instead of becoming bitter from all the stress, think about how it will make you a better and stronger person. For example,…

A new employee shouldn't be the only one trying to make a good impression on his or her first day of work. It's equally important for you to prove to the rookie that your company is great to work for. Your goal is to make him or her excited to come into the office the next day. Here is some advice on how to make an employee's first day special:Make Thorough Introductions During the introduction process, it's not enough to just have all your employees exchange names. If you really want to make your new staff member feel welcome, you should spend more time introducing him or her. In addition to telling your staff members the new hire's name, give more background about the person. For example, you could say something…

It's a relatable scenario: You're so exhausted that you feel like you can put your head on your desk and go to dream land, but you've got important deadlines to finish. Whether you stayed out too late for happy hour or watched your favorite TV show until 2 a.m., being tired can really slow you down at work. However, it's possible to increase your productivity by following these five tips:1. Create a To-Do List When you are running on little sleep, it's imperative to have made a to-do list on Post-It notes before you start your work. One of these lists will keep you organized and prevent you from getting off track. Rieva Lesonsky, CEO and founder of GrowBiz Media, suggests putting no more than three items on your to-do list."Limiting your to-do list…

'Tis the season for warm weather and sunshine, but, surprisingly, not a lot of Americans actually take advantage of that to give themselves a well-deserved break. In fact, Americans (who already receive very little vacation time compared to other countries) forfeit over $50 billion worth of vacation time each year, according to Market Watch. While this means spending more time in the office, and presumably getting more accomplished, a lot of research shows that taking breaks is necessary, not only for your own personal health, but also for your work mentality. Here are five very real reasons you should take a vacation this summer:1. To Boost Your Creativity Running a small business requires a great deal of creativity, whether you're designing car magnets for a new marketing campaign or developing products.…