ECA Celebrates Women’s History Month! This month, schools, businesses, and professional organizations have been celebrating women’s history month. Here at Emerald Coast Answerphone, we thought we’d pause for a moment to learn the history of women who have contributed to some of the businesses which make up our clientele. We serve a variety of small businesses, […]
In my last blog, we talked about the importance of occasionally checking an ego or sacrificing a bit of self-pride in order to keep customer relations running smoothly and effectively. While our egos are designed to give us self-confidence and to protect us from attack, they can also get in the way of successful communication. […]
This month, we’re unpacking a tool kit for dealing with obnoxious and demanding customers who may have larger than life egos. My hope, gentle reader, is that such a client never happens to you. But a quick reality check says that in our fast-paced society, many people are ruder, less patient, demanding, and even angrier. […]
For those of us living in the South, summer season is flea season! Our Northern visitors are surprised to find that fleas on our pets are a fairly regular occurrence in July and August, especially if they spend any time outdoors. While I was dosing Fido with flea shampoo and squirting him down with […]
When his family was young, my brother-in-law had a special code phrase he shared with his children when their behaviors were less than acceptable in public. “Would you like to come with me for an attitude adjustment?” he would ask. Most times, that did the trick. The kids usually straightened up their wings and adjusted […]
Recently, we’ve been discussing the perils of being a micro-manager—one of those super obnoxious bosses who delegates to an employee, but then cannot stop checking up, sending emails, and doing the task themselves. Giving up micromanaging won’t be easy. You may find yourself experiencing the same kinds of symptoms as those giving up caffeine or […]
You know, I seem to always find time to get it all done. I often look at my calendar, and hear from my staff, and field problems and issues, and I wonder if I’ll get to everything on my “to do” list. Somehow it always comes together. There were times early in my career, however, […]
Happy Administrative Professionals’ Day! We’ve come a long way since the 1970’s, when the Carol Burnett show squeezed a woman labeled “Secretary” into a pencil-tight skirt and painfully high stilettos. For almost a decade, television audiences giggled as Mrs. Ah-Huh-Wiggins displayed all the worst an employee could offer. But in reality, a wacked-out secretary or […]
