Why audiobooks? Why are so many people keen on the listened word? My personal favorite reason, and I believe the sweetest, is that most people still enjoy being read to. Who doesn't look back fondly on their childhood days, curled up before bedtime, as a parent read you that magical book of fairy tales? Audiobooks bring back that feeling of sweet nostalgia.

The other top two reasons people are gravitating toward audiobooks is the ease that audiobooks present. 1) Multitasking made simple. Americans are busier than ever these days, and hours for sitting and reading a book are rare, if impossible, these days. Audiobooks provide an easy solution, whether you're road-tripping, pounding out the miles on the treadmill, or walking your dog. 2) Portability. That iPhone you're probably reading this blog on right now is the #1 device people use for their listening pleasure. There's no extra baggage, no bulky hardcover to haul around. Audios can easily voyage with you wherever you go, no matter how far off the grid you fall.

We've introduced a few reasons here why folks love listening to audios. What are yours? Include them in the comments below, and they could be picked for an upcoming article.

There were over 50,000 audiobook titles published in 2016 alone. Go out there and enjoy 'em!

Take a look at what some Members are saying about the program:

“The audios have made a difference for me in the way I approach obstacles, changing my attitude, and positive ways of communicating, to name a few. I am so grateful that I have a chance to be a member of the 3Leaf Group. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.” –Shirley H.

“I owe much of my ability to promote to higher ranks and positions to the education I received from the 3Leaf Group.  I would never be able to read the number of books I was able to absorb with my ears on my daily commute.” –SGT1 Arthur K., CA ANG

“Thanks to this program I have learned a lot on guidance on how to balance military and family and succeed. Thank you.” –Emelissa R.

Want to get involved? E-mail us for further information at info@3leafgroup.com. Can't wait to hear from you!

Employee recognition makes the corporate world go round. 

Why?

Because next to an all-you-can-drink Keurig machine, being recognized and rewarded for your hard work is most likely #1 on your list at your workplace.

Employee recognition is valued on both ends of the power scale.  Managers recognize its importance because it is the key factor that drives loyalty, enthusiasm, and performance.  Employees value recognition because it generates a feeling of self-worth and importance – which leads to happiness in the workplace and the desire to do more. 

Sounds like a win-win situation.

What do today's outstanding employee recognition programs look like?  According to a survey and data collected by the Great Place To Work Institute, here are 5 great components to a successful employee recognition program:

•  Make it Personal:  Yes, it may be easy to give everyone the same box of chocolates or Amazon gift card – but making a reward more personal goes a long way.  Additionally, catering to the personality and needs of the recipient also goes even greater distance.  If a project lead is an introvert and not a sports fan, perhaps box seat tickets to the basketball game with 50 friends of his choice is not the appropriate prize.   Taking the time to understand what an employee would appreciate – and following through with an appropriate reward speaks volumes.
  
• Make it Specific:  Along with granting a personal reward – make sure you clearly state the behavior and actions for which the reward was granted.  Fellow employees should know exactly which behaviors are recognized and how they are in turn rewarded.
•  Don't be Exclusive - Consider the Bigger Picture:  Rewarding one individual when a team is worthy of praise is a sure way to receive negative feedback.  Superstars aren't the only ones deserving of praise.  Yes, if an accomplishment was achieved solely by one individual – all the praise should be hers.  But if there were others involved – be sure to recognize the group.
•  Consider Peer-to-Peer Recognition:  Having employees evaluate and praise eachother is rewarding on many levels.  It generates camaraderie and healthy competition. 
•  Ensure Recognition Reaches the Top:  Yes, it feels good to have a manager recognize your work.  But what about the branch manager?  Vice president?  CEO of the company?  When an employee goes above or beyond – make sure he knows his work was noticed and appreciated not just by his immediate hierarchy – but by top management as well.

When developing your own employee recognition program, keep these 5 important points in mind.   Remember, the surest way to generate productivity and enthusiasm is recognizing and rewarded hard work by those who get it done! 

Customer Service is an innate component of the business world… or it should be at least.  I'm sure you can recall your most positive and negative customer service experience.  Did the waitress bring you a new steak after you specifically requested medium-well but received rare?  Did the Mercedes-Benz salesman personally drive your new car straight to your driveway after you faxed in your paperwork?  Or on the other hand, have you waited on the phone with your cable company for over 42 minutes? Was the customer service representative for your health insurance policy rude and unhelpful?    

These are all common occurrences of negative and positive customer service experiences.  The bottom line is -- customer service is vital – it can truly shape your customer base and ultimately, your success.  The amount of value and time spent on developing and ensuring optimal customer service directly correlates to customer satisfaction, revenue, and productivity.    

In plain English:  Happy Customers -->  Returning Customers --> Referrals --> More business --> Cash.

According to a 2010 study in the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, satisfied customers will tell 4 to 6 people about their experience, whereas dissatisfied customers will tell on average 9 and 15 people. 

Geez. Why is it that the unhappy people have larger mouths than the happy folks??  If only it were the other way around….

Whatever the case may be, the message is clear.  It's worthwhile to keep your customers happy.  Not only will dissatisfied customers spread the negative word twice as much, but 91% of dissatisfied customers will not willingly do business with your organization again says Lee Resource Inc.

We all know the various factors for successful customer service:  Recognize what the customer wants, treat the customer as you personally would like to be treated, create customer loyalty, etc. etc. etc.  But let's talk about customer service and TRAINING.

Training is crucial in any department.  You can't expect any individual to perform or be well-informed without the proper training.  Training for customer service can be directly applied to training across any industry.  Here's how:

Step 1:  Lay out expectations.  Make sure employees understand guidelines, policies, and procedures related to their department.

Step 2:  Cover the cornerstones of the service area:  Teach employees how to deal with every aspect of their position from greeting to closing, handling stressful situations, and ensuring proper listening skills (in the case of customer service.)

Step 3:  Train on system and equipment:  Once the foundation is laid, test skills in a hands-on environment.

Step 4:  Offer a mentoring program:  At the end of the day, the learning is never completed.  Once an employee is fully trained, assign a mentor who can assist when problems or questions arise.

Step 5:  Test the trainees:  Provide assessments and quizzes that directly reflect what the employee has learned and make sure he fully understands how to handle each aspect of his position.

What can we learn from this? 

At the end of the day, we are all in the customer service business.   Customers are the single most important factor in a business because in reality, if there were no customers, there would be no business.  Take the above training steps to heart.  Train your employees as if they were customer service reps.  Train them in their specific field, but don't lose site of the customer service component.  Each employee should be friendly, resourceful, and willing to help.

After all, retailers deliver the highest level of customer service in North America says the Forrester Customer Experience Index of 2010. 

So -- let's do our jobs right!