Disqus - Latest Comments for changeforge

Re: The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:34:11 -0000

I love the focus on 45 minute meetings! I've really seen so many poorly run meetings (and some I've even facilitated)! The part on renewing your energy is a great piece of advice as well.

I found that working out of a home office could really drain my battery at points, so I came up with my Daily Focus Pad to help me stay on track and maintain focus...

I'm happy to share it free for all to use at http://destroydistraction.com/...

Keep up the great advice!

Ken Stewart
ChangeForge

Re: Kodak Sues HTC, Apple Over Patent Infringement

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:48:47 -0000

Are the chapter 11 lawyers giving them a 2-for-1 deal or something? I suppose the Kodak execs have been hanging around the RIAA execs too long!

Re: What’s the difference between an ISV, a VAR, and an SI?

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:00:48 -0000

David, solid clarification. Indeed the lines are blurry, and I've begun to think of these terms (and other channel labels) in terms of "heritage" as opposed to an all inclusive label. MSPs seem to be the force dujour today, seemingly taking the heritage of either a VAR or SI and evolving the finance and billing aspects to the business. In other words, adding "managed" to the transaction/project, as it were, in an on-going, annuity-based model.

Re: Destination or Direction? Why Your CRM and SFA Initiative Failed.

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:46:04 -0000

Very well said, Hyas! How do you recommend management teams reduce risk, and what are the most common causes of 'CRM failure'?

Re: 3 Time Management Tools to Stay Focused

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:55:45 -0000

Darrell, that's a nice little addition for my resource tool bag!

Ken

Re: Top 10 Takeaways: 2011 Global MPS Conference

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:19:57 -0000

Hmmm... uniforms, conformity, boot-licking... I see a theme here, Mr. Walters. LOL!

Re: How to Focus Your Finding-Customers Efforts

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:54:06 -0000

Great article, Laura! I am always a fan of free resources for small businesses!

In that same light, I try to offer some unique spins on various technology tools out there for small business owners. I wrote a quick article on using 37 Signals Highrise product for managing your employment pipeline for free while you were unemployed, but the principal remains true...

Most don't need the heavyweight CRMs out there like SalesForce.com... http://changeforge.com/unemplo...

Outside of that, other easy applications like Freshbooks and Zoho are pretty solid for helping to manage your customers and your budget :-)

Semper Fidelis,
Ken Stewart
ChangeForge

Re: Five Lessons Learned On the Road to Becoming a Guru

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:55:26 -0000

Dude, you crack me up! That SNL skit cracks me up, and yes that is a 'hottie in a box', but I'm sure you'll notice a fair amount more clothes are indeed present. ;-)

I am glad you enjoyed.

Re: The Secret of How To Get Your Message Out Without Spending Alot!

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:53:52 -0000

LOL, Carro! I continue to find distractions in my own life ;-)

I have my daily focus pad I'm using to help me clarify my daily goals...

Re: Farewell, Blogs! Your Days Are Numbered

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:59:00 -0000

Keir, while I am an avid blogger (over the age of 34), and would hate to see a future where your title comes to life, I certainly see you points.

Marketing is being turned on its ears. This morning I was having trouble with Google Reader -- while sipping a cup of coffee ;-) -- and when I experienced a nightmarishly slow connection I first turned to a friend on Google Chat, but then instantly got my answer from Twitter Search.

We buy from those we trust and ask those we trust to tell us what to buy. While I might argue the semantics of a scary type of 'groupthink', your points here make sense. The only challenge I'm seeing is how scared corporations are of people airing their dirty laundry... and this ruins the intention and corrupts the integrity most certainly.

Ken Stewart
ChangeForge.com

Re: Verizon's Big Year Is Much More than Just iPhone

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:01:57 -0000

LOL, it was meant to be a bit confusing... I am not terribly keen on the shackle of most mobile providers. However, Verizon Wireless has been nothing but excellent in their customer service. I've had repeated good experiences with them which make me worry much less about the feeling of being "locked in". On top of that the Droid X has been a wonderful mobile device that I have almost felt like a laptop replacement (almost, but not quite).

Past that, AT&T Mobile had not proven to be a great partner. BellSouth, or SBC (which adopted the AT&T brand after acquisition), had been really solid in customer service, but I've not had great experiences with them lately. While I only have the choice of ISPs (AT&T and Charter), the mobile market is much more open, but I chose Verizon Wireless because of 3 things:

1) Network coverage
2) Customer service
3) Device mix I liked (less the iPhone, which is changing).

PS - now that I've been using the Droid X for awhile, I am seriously wondering if I will ever "need" an iPhone again...

Re: Verizon's Big Year Is Much More than Just iPhone

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:22:10 -0000

Louis, join the dark side... wait, I mean leave the dark side ;-)

Regards,
Ken

Re: Time Management Tools and eBook – FREE to Download

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:17:33 -0000

Brian, great to hear from you and happy New Year to you! I always welcome any feedback.

Re: Nuance Recommends Adobe

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:21:32 -0000

Steve, first let me say thank you for your passionate response. I am very glad you are so expressive.

Now, please allow me to respond in kind.

1) I'm not insulting Nuance for caring... I'm insulting them for lack of caring. The point is that I waited for an entire month for a response. Would you really accept that as adequate customer service?

2) Nuance clearly states in their sales literature that their solution is the "smarter" choice for those who create, manage and read PDF documents. In fact, they go so far as to claim they have tools and options others don't. Something as simple as rendering a font not to be some elaborate process, but a simple bug. If you are a business owner, and you make a claim that your product is superior than all others (not just one), then recommending inferior products is in fact, malpractice.

3) Evidently, you wanted to put emphasis on my "SELFISH NEEDS" in my business. First, a business, by definition is formed to serve customers while generating revenue sufficient to maintain operations. Second, I've offering my time, effort and energy on this blog since 2008 - FOR FREE. Third, I must've missed the memo that Nuance is a not-for-profit organization...

4) I've managed businesses, customer service centers, software developers, etc... and in my years of doing this, I've gained a healthy instinct for when an organization cares for its customers and when they are simply passing the buck. Going back to bullet number 1, they took almost a month to answer me and then said that another product would be better to use. This wasn't due to some intensive Q&A, it was simply due to the fact the product I purchase was a consumer-focused product and this issue was minimal enough to sweep under the rug.

5) Then you state, "When your customer is floundering on something critical to them and you know that you are unable to help them, the right thing to do is direct them to the solution, even when it doesn't directly benefit you." I completely agree with you! -- all I have to say is A MONTH??? Good thing it wasn't critical in nature, Steve.

6) Do you know how many updates I've had since then? 0 - ZERO... not one contact from Nuance, except to try and sell me on another product of theirs. A company concerned with my benefit would've contacted the customer they cared so deeply about.

I live and breath support. Why? Because I know the only way to survive is to develop long lasting relationships. It's bad when a company doesn't stand behind their brand promise, but the one thing I can't abide is missing the opportunity to make a customer a raving fan.

If you want some examples of a great company, take a look at Aliph, makers of the Jawbone headset. Three times I've had to call them for issues with my headset and they've replaced it, at their cost, three times. They didn't deflect blame, they were happy to talk with me and made me feel like an appreciated customer... for a $99 headset?

So you know what, I tell everyone I know how good the support is at Aliph, and that I recommend their product every time without reservation. So it is that I end this response... Why, Steve? Not because I want to berate you, but because my hope is that you see the opportunity that was missed, and the opportunity you overlooked. You were almost there, Steve... and given you took time to write to me, you really care about this.

So you can leave this conversation with the knowledge that I heard you, and that I care about what you say as a person. I just disagree with your logic in supporting your argument as well as your delivery in personally attacking me. Keep up the passion, and I especially encourage you to continue to have such strong opinions. We need more people in this world who care so very much.

Happy New Year to you, Steve! Best success and I wish you well!

Semper Fidelis,
K

Re: Empathy: The Bridge Connecting People

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:47 -0000

Michelle, I originally sourced it from Flickr Creative Commons under Attribution-Only rights, but the link provided to credit seems to be broken.

Re: 11 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Do in 2011

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 22:39:31 -0000

Maren, new to the site and this post is spot on. An assistant is the first thing I'm looking for! I am horrible with minutia!

I'd like to say kudos to all here who are setting their goals! Make sure you get out there and make them happen!

Best Success in 2011,
Ken Stewart

Re: The Death of the Copier

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:53:11 -0000

Thanks for stopping by, and we post regularly here on ChangeForge. Look forward to seeing your opinions and insights from time to time.

Re: You Shall Seek Out New Adventures

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:49:25 -0000

Chuck, good to hear ftmrom you! I'd love to stay in touch and hear your
perspectives from the field! Always thought you had a good read on your
channel.

Semper Fidelis,

Ken Stewart
Owner | ChangeForge
Phone: 864.916.9536

Re: Nuance Recommends Adobe

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:38:35 -0000

I appreciate your perspective, Lukas.

Semper Fidelis,

Ken Stewart
Owner | ChangeForge
Phone: 864.916.9536

Re: Nuance Recommends Adobe

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:15:47 -0000

Blain, I think you and I are in perfect agreement. I would be interested what link you came across, but don't expect it a good idea to create another link to it. I enjoy the liberties of freedom of speech, but I believe in attempting to present a fair and balanced review of my experiences instead of just "ranting", as it were.

Your thoughts and opinions, whatever they may be, are always welcome here.

Re: Slow Down to Speed Up: The 4 Tenets of Productivity

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:13:31 -0000

Thanks for stopping by Amanda! Always glad to have your comments.

Re: Nuance Recommends Adobe

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:53:43 -0000

Blain, wow! Thank you for such a thorough response. First, I applaud you for being so thoughtful on such things as the world is in sore need of individuals such as this. Second, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts here.

The PDF format actually now is an ISO standard administered by AIIM (http://aiimstandardswatch.type..., but do I share your frustration with the format over the years, and have had my equal share of frustrations. That said, I was very pleased to see that it is finally a standard (as of July 2008 I believe).

I greatly enjoy this line of conversation as I believe iron effectively sharpens iron. Your logic is sound, and at the end of this unfortunate journey I would share that had they offered a refund I would gladly accept. My frustration was not so much in the fact that a solution would be forthcoming, but the communication was not effective, especially when a dissatisfied customer was literally created during the process.

I certainly respect your thought, and generally agree with it in many situations. Specifically on the front of offering a competitive product, perhaps I was not clear enough. I do this as well - in a pre-sales environment - not in a post-sales environment. In a post-sales environment the issue is either solved, an alternate process implemented to achieve the desired result, or a refund/exchange is orchestrated.

In essence, I train my teams to be the owner until such time as the issue is resolved, or a supervisor or manager is sufficiently engaged to own the issue and reach mutual satisfaction. In this situation, perhaps what was most irritating was the obvious lack of empathy and the seeming lack of concern which was subsequently generated.

In a pre-sales environment, when conducting questions to ascertain need, I attempt to determine if my solution is adequate, and if not I move to addressing alternate options. Recommending a competitor when you cannot do the job is honorable. However, recommending a competitor to mop up your mess is flat out lazy and irresponsible - specifically if you subscribe to the belief of customer loyalty.

Undoubtedly, there are times when queues are missed and a solution is a bad fit. In my position over the years, I have aligned myself with organizations who don't just talk about taking care of customers - they actually do. After all, it is not that you or I never fall down, but the sign of a customer-centric focus is to be there through scraped knees - much like a successful marriage.

All said, I respect your obvious though process here. I think it sound, and had your thought process been manifested in Nuance's communication things may have been dramatically different.

Regards,
Ken Stewart

Re: Nuance Recommends Adobe

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:57:17 -0000

Blain, thank you for taking obvious time to craft your response. As I indicated to Richcon, the entire experience was rather distasteful (I won't rehash details here).

Instead let me offer a story of success since your questions seem to offer only a negative outcome - specifically a win-lose. The story goes a little something like this:

I am a fan of Dave Ramsey, so I recently decided that I wanted to travel a few hours and attend a 1-Day EntreLeadership seminar - and had a wonderful time. In the process of ordering tickets for the event online, I inadvertently added the wrong ticket to the cart and processed the order in my haste.

After receiving the tickets via e-mail (for both events) I instantly knew what I had done (hand-palm moment). So I then began to review the return policy to discover the tickets were non-refundable.

I received an initial response that I could transfer the tickets, but not receive a refund. As I worked through the process, via e-mail the day I was attending Dave’s live event, I let the customer advocate know that while I was disappointed I enjoyed Dave so much that even if I never used the other set of tickets the content and presentation was well worth the combined total!

To my surprise, I then received an e-mail apologizing for the disappointment during my “experience”, thanks for attending, a full refund, and two complimentary tickets to share my experience with others.

Blain, at times we have to look past what the problem is to what the opportunity could be.

Respectfully
Ken Stewart

Re: Nuance Recommends Adobe

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:37:58 -0000

Richcon, thank you for writing in. I appreciate your input. Two points I'll make: First, the point of the article was not wholly that Nuance recommended Adobe (although that is certainly questionable in a directly competitive product); the point is really that their customer service levels were so very lacking that it underscores a seemingly lack of concern for the issue - mainly because of the sheer gaps in communication.

To my second point - which directly relates to my first - the fact that they offered only the solution of using a competitive product is quite appalling. In point of fact, I have worked with several software development houses, those that garner the most respect offer the following:

1) Solid customer service (through a customer advocate position normally).
2) Proactive communication indicating status of issue and/or resolution.
3) Ownership of the issue (meaning they focus on how this impacts their customers, they have the lead role to play, and they follow-through without prodding).
4) Concise follow-up on action plan and estimate of deliverable dates.

In this case, every single point was missed, instead reading like a classic "How Not To" create a sticky customer experience.

I do appreciate you as well as your input. However, this entire experience was rather frustrating.

Respectfully,
Ken Stewart

Re: The Role of a Company Advisor, and How to Spot Bad Ones

ChangeForge | Ken Stewart — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:10:25 -0000

I love it. I do this within my own industry where ever possible, but I must've forgotten to ask for 1-2% of the company ;-)

Needless to say, I am a firm believer in helping companies who are geared towards helping others through their products and/or services. Keep up the good work good sir!

Best Regards,
Ken Stewart
ChangeForge