Rolling Sands Consulting

Be kind.

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has many resources for those of us experiencing pandemic stress, stress adjusting to working from home or job loss, social issues like bullying or discrimination, ongoing medical issues like chronic pain or mental illness, stress felt by caregivers, and the list goes on.

Most of us yearn for our lives to be normal and mourn the loss of our routines, our jobs, our colleagues, our friends, and our families in a multitude of ways.

The pandemic has made life…interesting…to say the least. Disruption is the norm. “Unprecedented times” have been getting old for a long while now. Some things will never be the same.

It might take a while to shake out, but some changes will inevitably be positive. Humans are incredibly adaptable and creative. It’s important for each of us to go through our own grief process…and allow for those around us to do so as well.

Be kind to others. Be kind to yourself. Hang in there, stay safe and take care.

World Water Day 2021: Where there is no water…

Change is unsettling and disruptive. It’s instinctive to be wary of change. However, there are many situations in business and in life where it’s absolutely necessary for our safety, security, prosperity, health, and sanity.

To succeed, we need to be authentic, consider other people’s point of view, value the wellbeing of others and our own, and often go against the grain. The (dreaded) “we’ve always done it this way” argument…

Is false (or we’d still be living in caves!), and
Assumes that there is never room for improvement, it’s perfect as is

Innovation and evolution are required for personal, professional, and community growth. Being Agile—committing to continuous improvement—makes all the difference. Perfection does not exist. Excellence does!

Today is World Water Day. Let’s look for ways to protect and conserve this finite and indispensable resource:

After all, where there is no water, there is:

No health.
No prosperity.
No business.
No life.

Customer Service Fail!

My dog knows to respond when I call him…unlike some companies.

Recently, a product I buy regularly was out of stock on Amazon with no restock date. I found the manufacturer’s Q&A web form and submitted two simple questions, “Will Amazon be receiving more stock soon?” and “If not, can I buy it somewhere else?”

I waited…and waited… After more than a week of waiting, I was forced to look for an alternate product.*

In the end, I found something that works better, sells for less, and made in Canada. Guess which product I’m buying next time!

How much business are they losing by not providing even the most basic customer service?! Why do they bother with a contact form on their website if they lack the capacity or intention of responding?

Providing great customer service can be challenging, but the basics go a long way. Simply listening and responding to your customers—even if you can’t help them—is the least you can do.

Have you had a bad customer experience lately? Comments and/or dog photos welcome!

Common sense is not so common. — Voltaire

*My Treeing Walker Coonhound, Roger, loves digging in the dirt with his nose leaving it dry and cracked. The product in question is a salve for his poor abused sniffer.