It's that time of year!

Well, October now seems to be in full swing!  It's the beginning of the first full week and the weather is definately fall weather!  Every time someone asks me what my favorite season is, I jump to say spring but then fall comes around and I feel conflicted.  I love the crisp, cool air, the changing colors, wearing jeans and sweaters...  The sun is usually shining which helps with my emotions.  I love gathering together with family for the holidays - especially Thanksgiving!  This time of year makes me think of the next and I get excited that there are new opportunities out there.  Of course, eveyone makes their "New Year Resolutions" but really, you can make a resolution any time of the year.  I think it's the feeling of starting fresh that gets everyone pumped up for new goals at the beginning of the year.  It's like you haven't failed yet.

With me..  I feel that fall is pretty fresh.  I took a short walk from the Target to work this morning and started thinking about how much I like taking photos and how cool it could be to have a year in photos.  I think I'd like to do that...  Take at least one photo every day and post it her maybe...  I could write a little blurb about the photo, why I took it, what it made me think about...  What do you think?

I've joined a book club!  I'm so excited to be attending my first meeting on Friday...  Of course, since it's October, we're reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  The way that this book club works is that we read the book then meet to discuss it.  I got the book a couple of weeks ago and am having a hard time reading it.  I'm only on page 38 and it's sooooooo boring.  I feel like such a jerk!  I'm hoping that if I struggle through a little more, it will get interesting and I'll be able to finish it by Friday.  Of course, I'm using my extra time at work today writing this blog so I guess that's not helping!  LOL

Anywho...  There's a lot coming up this weekend.  Book Club on Friday, Dentist on Saturday & the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.  My sister-in-law's husband is running in it again & there's a party afterwards.  We missed the party last year for whatever reason I cannot remember and are set to go this time.

This week is Customer Service week at work.  We've been in business for 22 years and pride ourselves in providing that extra special customer experience.  Here's a little tidbit from our CEO!

We are also celebrating the 22nd Anniversary of ConferencePlus this month.  It is a significant accomplishment that ConferencePlus has been able to thrive through many changes in the past 22 years.  It is through the commitment of our dedicated employees that we are able to adapt and change as our Customers and the competitive environment in which we operate change.  Continuing to focus on exceptional Customer Service has been a hallmark of ConferencePlus in the past and will be something we focus on continually.

A high quality customer experience is the foundation of all that we do at ConferencePlus.  In order to provide this type of service, it is important that we enjoy our work and have fun in our jobs.  When we succeed in this critical effort, it is readily apparent in our voices, and customers and co-workers alike will take notice.  They may even say "you sound like you're in a great mood!" or thank you for your “upbeat attitude.”  Your mood translates into everything you do; if you find ways to enjoy what you do every day, it will show.  Ultimately, this makes our customers’ experience even better!

Customer Service is not just about providing a high-quality service that works.  Customer Service is also about responding to customer inquiries with accurate information, addressing any problems that occur in a timely fashion and constantly striving to improve.  Spend some time this week thinking about your interactions with customers as well as what Customer Service means to you.  Each of us has a role to play in servicing our customers, and the experiences you have as a consumer can serve as powerful examples of what exceptional customer service and not-so-exceptional customer service looks like.

Since we cease to exist as a company without our customers, it is imperative that we focus on providing value in everything we do.  We need to remember that customers have a choice, and we need to take every opportunity available to make customers believe they have made the right choice with ConferencePlus.

I am so proud to be a part of a company that recognizes and prides itself in customer service excellence and excellent employee relations.  I thank God for this opportunity and hope that I will be able to continue to learn and grow with such a great company.


I Just Want to Be Ok by Sarah A. Manning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.