9 TIPS FOR PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

Excellent customer service creates loyal customers for life; customers who are willing to refer your business to friends, family and colleagues. Providing this type of excellent customer service starts with a genuine desire to delight your customers, but you also have to think beyond selling your products or services. You need to consider the cumulative experience your customers have when they visit your store or website, what they think and feel, and what you can do to make it better.

Here are nine ways you can learn more about your customers and start to create a pattern of excellent customer service in your small business.

1. Know Your Product or Service

In order to provide good customer service, you need to know what you're selling, inside and out. Make sure you -- and all of your customer-facing staff -- know how your products or services work. Be aware the most common questions customers ask, and know how to articulate the answers that will leave them satisfied.

2. Be Friendly

As they say, customer service starts with a smile. When you are in a face-to-face situation, a warm greeting should be the first thing your customers see and hear when they ask for help. And even when handling customer service requests via telephone, a smile can come through in your voice, so make sure you're ready to be friendly.

3. Show Respect

Customer service can often involve emotions, so it's important to make sure you and others you have handling your customer service tasks are always courteous and respectful. Never let your own emotions overtake your desire to see your customer walk away happy.

4. Listen

Listening is one of the simplest secrets of customer service. Listening means hearing what your customers are saying out loud, as well as what they are communicating non-verbally. Watch for signs that they are displeased, while listening to what they say to you directly.

5. Say Thank you

Gratitude is memorable, and it can remind your customers why they shopped at your store or hired your company. Regardless of the type of business you have, saying thank you after every transaction is one of the easiest ways to start a habit of good customer service.

6. Train Your Staff

It's important to make sure all of your employees, not just your customer service representatives, understand the way they should talk to, interact with, and problem-solve for customers. Provide employee training that gives your staff the tools they need to carry good customer service through the entire customer experience.

7. Be Responsive

There may be nothing worse than non-responsiveness to a customer who is trying to get help, resolve an issue, or find out more about what you're selling. It's important to respond quickly to all inquiries, even if it is only to say you are looking into the issue and will be back in touch. Some response is always better than none so the customer doesn't feel ignored.

8. Ask for Feedback

You may be surprised what you learn about your customers and their needs when you ask them what they think of your business, products, and services. You can use customer surveys, feedback forms and questionnaires, but you can also make it a common practice to ask customers first-hand for feedback when they are completing their orders.

9. Use Feedback You Receive

You need to do something with the feedback you receive from customers in order to make it useful in your customer service process. Take time to regularly review feedback, identify areas for improvement, and make specific changes in your business.

Excellent customer service often comes down to consistently checking in with your customers and making sure they are happy with not only the products and services you're selling, but also the process of purchasing, ordering, working with you, etc. If you do that successfully, you are on your way to becoming known for providing excellent customer service.

By Lusako Mwakiluma

Motivational & Inspirational Speaker

ZIARA YA WAFANYAKAZI WA WEZESHA KWA WAHANGA WA MAFURIKO KILOSA MEI, 2016

Kutokana na hali ya mafuriko yaliyoikumba Kilosa Mwanzoni mwa mwaka 2016 wafanyakazi wa Wezesha walitembelea wahanga wa mafuriko na kuweza kuwafariji kwa namna ya tofauti wakiamini kwamba tatizo la wahanga ni letu sote, hivyo basi walifanikiwa kupeleka misaada ya vyakula, nguo, pesa taslimu na misaada mbalimbali ili kuhakikisha hata kile kidogo kilichotolewa kinaweza kuwafuta machozi wahathirika japokuwa haiwezekani kutatua tatizo hilo kwa mara moja.  

Wahanga hawa wameharibikiwa nyumba zao hawana makazi tena, hawana mashamba tena, makanisa, misikiti na hata miundo mbinu imeharibika.  Tunaiomba jamii kujitoa kwa matukio yoyote yanayohusu jamii tukiamini kwamba sisi sote ni ndugu na tunatakiwa tukimbiliane na kusaidiana. Poleni ndugu zetu na poleni wote mlioathirika. Tunaamini Mungu wetu wa mbinguni atafanya njia hata pasipo na njia. 

 Mkurugenzi wa Wezesha Trust Fund Bi. Lusako Mwakiluma akikabidhi misaada kwa waathirika wa mafuriko Wilayani Kilosa Mei, 2016 kulia ni  aliyekuwa Mkuu wa Wilaya ya Kilosa Mheshimiwa Henjewele akipokea misaada hiyo: Chakula, Nguo, Pesa taslimu na vitu vingine vingi kama pole kwa Wahanga wa mafuriko hayo.

 Kushoto ni aliyekuwa Afisa Tawala wa Wilaya akishukuru misaada kama anavyoonekana pichani.

 Wafanyakazi wa Wilaya ya Kilosa, Wezesha na wadau waliohudhuria mapokezi ya misaada hiyo kwa pamoja wakimsikiliza Mkuu wa Wilaya akitoa shukrani za dhati kwa Asasi ya Wezesha
 Mkuu wa

 Wafanyakazi wa Halmashauri ya Wilaya ya Kilosa wakishusha mizigo toka ndani ya gari iliyobeba misaada hiyo.

 Wafanyakazi wa Wezesha Trust Fund kushoto Mohamed Nyongo na Salum Tingwa wakiingia nyumba iliyoathirika na mafuriko kutathmini athari zilizopatikana.

 Wafanyakazi wa Wezesha wakiangalia athari zilizopatikana kwenye mafuriko hayo, ni hali ya hatari kwa kweli watu wengi wamekosa makazi  na wamekosa hata mahali pa kujificha kuweza kuendelea na maisha.  Serikali imewaahidi kuwaandalia eneo la kuwajengea.  Waathirika wanasubiri kama serikali ilivyowahidi.

 Wakinama waathirika wakitoka kuchoka maji mbali sana kutokana na athari ya mafuriko. Waliezea hali halisi ya mafuriko hayo kwamba eneo hilo ni hatari hata kwa kuishi kwani mkondo wa maji umepita tangu miaka mingi iliyopita.

Mto Mkondoa, ni mto ambao umemwaga maji na kusababisha mafuriko baada ya kujaa na kingo za mto kuzidiwa kuhifadhi maji na kuyafanya yatiririke mpaka maeneo wanayoishi watu.  Serikali tunaomba iweze kulifanyia ukarabati daraja hili kwa manufaa ya wananchi wa Kilosa na waathirika kwa ujumla.

10 TIPS ON HOW TO BE THE BEST PERSON YOU CAN BE

For most successful people in the world, that success didn’t come overnight; they had to work at being the best in their field and at becoming the best person that they could possibly be. Most of us have more in us than we know, so read these ten ways in which you could start to become the best person that you can be.

1. Start by thinking about what it is that you want

A good starting point is to work out what it is that you are looking for in life. Set yourself some objectives and think about where you would like to be ten, fifteen and twenty years and, from there, you can begin to formulate a plan.

2. Believe in yourself

Whatever your dreams, only one person will make them come true and that is you! Recognise your own talents and believe in yourself. You are capable of far more than you think!

3. Nurture your dreams

Don’t ignore your dreams, follow them. Every day, if you try, you can do something that will take you a step closer to becoming the person that you want to be. It won’t happen overnight, so be patient but be persistent.

4. Practice makes perfect

Whatever it is that you aspire to be, you will need to practice to get there. Build on the talents that you already have and work toward improving them. Don’t fear mistakes along the way, they are just a part of the learning process.

5. Gain inspiration from other people

Take a look at other people who are more like the person that you want to be. You don’t need to copy them because, after all, you should stay true to yourself, but you can learn from the people that you admire.

6. Surround yourself with positive people

Try not to let negative people get you down; there will always be someone who will be happy to shatter your dreams. Surround yourself with positive people and people that you admire and some their positivity will run off on you.

7. Read books

Read inspirational books and make a promise to yourself to never stop learning. Someone somewhere will have done before, what it is you are trying to do today, so get into the reading habit and learn how other people have made themselves a better person.

8. Get organised

Get organised, declutter, and don’t get distracted from the task in hand. Whatever your ambitions or your goals are, the more focused you are to achieving them, the easier it will be.

9. Step out of your comfort zone

If you tell yourself that you can’t, then you won’t, so be prepared to take on new challenges and try new things. Becoming a better person doesn’t mean changing who you are, but it does mean pushing at the boundaries a bit harder.

10. Start today!

Lots of people think that they could be a better person and some even promise themselves that will do something about it, most, however, never actually get around to making a start. You have to start some time, so why not decide that the time is today?

How to be the best person you can be?

Stay happy!

10 WAYS TO GUARANTEE A POSITIVE NEW YEAR

1. Be prepared

It’s important to set yourself up for success. Spend the month of January reflecting and planning for the next year. Where are the areas you are weak? For me, I am weak when it comes to taking care of my health. So I have found a workout buddy to keep me on track and have designated healthy meal planning days where I plan and prepare freezer meals. If you struggle with keeping your business afloat, try setting big and small goals for each month and scheduling networking events.

Maybe you are scatterbrained and have trouble keeping track of your belongings or often forget important things when you leave the house. Prepare your home with better organization. Start the year off feeling prepared!

2. Say goodbye to toxic relationships

Everyone has one or more relationships that are toxic. Some toxic relationships are obvious while others we ignore. Before going another year with the life being sucked from you while you pour into the friendship, examine the relationship. Discover which friendships need better boundaries or simply need to end to ensure a positive year! Remember, you will soon start to become like those around you, so make sure you are surrounded by the right kind of tribe!

3. Create a home environment that you love!

Your home is the only place in the world where you can choose the design and decor details (unless that’s your job).  Sure, you aren’t made of money, but you can create a space you love while still on a budget! Toss the clutter, repaint, and only include decorative pieces that bring you joy or give you the feel you want in a home.

4. Plan a budget

Speaking of budgeting your home makeover, a complete budget is essential to relieve financial stress and set you up for success! Many people I’ve talked to who had a difficult year said that “money trouble” played a big part in the struggle! Take control over your budget instead of letting it control you!

5. Don’t let anxiety run the show

For some of you, anxiety is a constant battle. You may never be able to rid yourself of fear and worry completely, but you can certainly decide to fight against it this year! The best way I have found to conquer anxiety is through reading and meditating on the truth found in the Word of God. Here is a post that includes a list of verses to get you started.

6. Give yourself permission to tap into your inner child

We spend 24-hours a day being an adult. But within all of us lives our inner child. Sometimes we have to let that part of ourselves out so we can have fun and feel less stressed.

7. Practice self-care

You are a whole and complete person, so you need to make sure to nurture your complete self. When you are running on low energy and not enough self-love, you need to stop and practice some self-care.

8. Unplug and tune out the noisy world

You are in control over what you let enter your life. In all the noise, sometimes we forget we have the control. You can be sure you will have a better year when you acknowledge the fact that sometimes you have to turn the noise off and listen to yourself.

9. Eliminate procrastination

Yes, that feels like a HUGE obstacle to tackle. You’ve been procrastinating for years and years, and it gets easier and less scary over time. But let this be the year you stop procrastinating and start activating! You will be surprised when you see how great it feels to accomplish your goals in a timely manner, leaving you more time to dream and take action!

10. Give yourself grace

We all need more and more grace. The world gives us zero, so we need to become a “grace-giver” to those around us and ourselves.

You can plan the perfect year in your head, but nothing is ever perfect. When you give up on your resolutions the first month in, give yourself grace! When you forget to incorporate self-care into your routine or spend too much money caring for yourself, choose grace. And when you feel anxious or go back to that relationship you know you needed to end a long time ago, give yourself grace.

The new year is a much needed fresh start, but remember, we are given a fresh start with each new day as well! Choose to make each day better than the last and live positively!

Welcome to share together, give us comments and recommendation.

Lusako Mwakiluma

Motivational & Inspiration Speaker

29^th December, 2016

HOW TO AVOID GOSSIPING

While gossip isn't always a bad thing, it can be incredibly harmful not only for you, but also others may be affected. It's good to find ways to limit your own gossip tendencies, as well as not engaging with gossip with other people. See part one to get started dealing with gossip, both from yourself and part two from others.

part one

Keeping yourself from Gossiping

1.Sort out negative gossip from the rest 

Not all gossip is necessarily bad, so you don't need to completely eradicate it from your life. You should, however, learn to differentiate between harmless gossip and the kind of gossip that hurts people. 

·        People who are spreading gossip (and most people do at some time or another) don't spend a lot of time getting facts. In fact, they have usually heard the information they're spreading second or third hand.

·        There's also a difference between blowing off steam about a person or incident with a trusted friend and spreading toxic misinformation (or one-sided information) to a bunch of people. Unless someone is dangerous (they're a rapist or an abuser or thief), you don't usually need to air your conflicts.

·        For example: telling people that you heard Harry from accounting was cheating on his wife is malicious gossip (even if it is true, people don't need to know that). Now, if you are Harry's wife and you find out that he is cheating on you, you can tell people (especially people like family if they ask why you're getting divorced, or to clear it up if Harry starts saying that he initiated the divorce because you were cheating).

2.   Ask yourself what the point of repeating the information is

Human beings are social creatures and gossip is part of the framework of society. It can help to maintain social norms and keep people's worse instinct in check, if they think people are paying attention to what they're doing. It can also be used, however, to destroy reputations, and lift the gossiper's status at the expense of other people.

·        Some questions to consider about your information: Would I say this to their face? Is it harmful? is it substantiated (can you support the gossip with actual facts, instead of just hearsay)? Am I doing this to make myself feel better or raise my status? Is this something that I've heard second or third-hand?

·        If you're gossiping because it puts you at the center of attention, or boosts your ego, you need to stop. That's where the harmful aspects of gossip come in. Imparting information is one thing (example: "Did you hear that they're adding a new wing to the library?" or "Did you hear that Christian was hospitalized? You should send him a card.") but harmful gossip is another (example: "I heard that Sandra slept with like all of Human Resources; it's why she's getting a raise and we aren't.").

3. Figure out the problem behind the gossip

Sometimes the reasons that you're spreading gossip about someone is because you're angry about them or something they've done. Consider why what they're doing bothers you so much. Sometimes, it's because you're guilty of the same practice yourself.

·        For example: If you find yourself constantly talking about how Jane is such a slut and is always attracting boys, stop and ask yourself, what's the problem here? Is it because you're jealous of the attention given to Jane? Does Jane even want such an interest? Even if Jane does sleep with a variety of guys, what does that have to do with you?

·        You really want to get to the root of the problem, especially if it is something that has been ongoing (especially if you've been gossiping about the same person or situation over and over again).

4. Do something about the problem. 

Sometimes, instead of just venting to every person you meet, you should figure out a solution to the root problem. This may require talking to the person about whom you're gossiping, but it can often foster a more healthy and trusting network of relationships.

·        Sometimes what you have to do is remove someone out of your life. For example, instead of talking about how rude and inconsiderate your ex-girlfriend was (and still is), you stop engaging with her, de-friend her on Facebook, and delete her out of your phone. This way, instead of wasting energy talking to people about her, you move on to talking about things that are more fun.

5.Give yourself a gossip specific time limit. 

If you can't help but talk about a certain person or a certain time limit, set yourself a specific amount of time to talk about it. Once that time is up, you're finished and you can focus your energies on something more positive.

·        Begin to start limiting yourself to between 2 and 5 minutes for talking about this (per day if possible). Do not give yourself the same amount of time for each person.

6 Ask yourself before you talk about another person? Is it true? Is it necessary? Does it need to be said? Does it need to be said right now?

Lusako Mwakiluma

Motivational & Inspirational Speaker