Distance between customer empathy & employee empathy

Empathy! This is one of the vague terms I was fairly certain what it mean, but haven't realized its importance until it caused a vast impact on me. So I decided to know in detail what's empathy and its importance in the business world.

You might recall former US President Bill Clinton's famous quote, "I feel your pain." It says all about empathy. Empathy is the capacity to recognize emotions that are being experienced by another sentient or fictional being.  It is the ability to put yourself in another's shoes and walk a mile.

It could be said that empathy in its purest form is the force that moves a business forward. For every organization, customer is king and for a business to experience success, they need to not just see or hear the activity around them, but also relate to the people they serve. Customer empathy(CE)- the ability to identify, understand, and respond appropriately to a customer's emotional state, before, during, and after the transaction is the key when it comes to delivering a great customer experience.

Organizations which focus on customer empathy, have strict quality check to ensure customer satisfaction. To ensure this, the employees are instructed to adopt a list of procedures while handling each customer. To an extent it's a sound excercise to ensure client satisfaction. But when it comes to a situation where employees are overloaded with customer issues, will it be possible to trace each and every statement in the checklist? Many companies, while trying to implement customer empathy, fail here. ie, they fail to notice their own employees sweat over machines,race towards deadlines or crunch data. Instead of firing the employees for violating their documented customer empathy rules, the top authority should have taken a moment to understand why this happened; then they should have realized that employees are also human beings and not some machines loaded with CE software and empathy checklist. It is here where the employers have to recognize the importance of employee empathy.

Employee empathy is critical skill for one, simple reason-trust. When an employer/leader shows that he/she is aware of the employees' feelings and appreciate those feelings, it builds trust. The employee has faith that the concerned authority will atleast hold their opinions into consideration. An employer can then employ this intellect of their touches to give the employees what they require to follow, further fortifying the relationship, increasing collaboration and improving productivity. Empathizing with the employees can inspire employee loyalty and dedication to the company and its goals.

Without empathy, a person might command people without regard to workers limitations or needs, and end up losing respect and cooperation from subordinates who regularly feel dismissed. Then the employees will always have their guards up. They will  feel like they have to look out for their own emotional interest. While with an empathetic leader, the employee knows that their feelings will never be simply overlooked or ignored.

This picture says all about the relation between customer empathy and employee empathy. It's not rocket science! It's so simple that the employers need to realize just two scenarios:

1. First and foremost they have to realize and accept the fact that customer empathy is directly proportional to employee empathy.

"Satisfied employees transfer their enthusiasm and commitment to customers. This in turn enhances customer satisfaction, driving additional business opportunities and revenue generation", says Karen Price, chief executive of E-Skills UK, the organization responsible for developing the UK's professional IT skills.

2. Customer empathy could be achieved only when the employees are allowed to be themselves and to use their own abilities & personalities, rather than trying to force-fit them into being carbon-copies of some ideal corporate 'branded' personality with 'QA  approved' behaviors.

Employers who fail to recognize these stand to lose out in the competition for a skilled workforce. Good workplaces are created through good attitude and thinking from management. Empathy for employees and consideration of work/life balance generates a particular company culture and finally leads to a successful organization in all aspects.

How to share your mobile internet connection with PC

Now-a-days everybody uses their smart phones to get into the wide world of cyberspace. However, sometimes, we just feel to browse from our laptop/PC, in the big screen. Earlier, the mobile phones came with the PC suite for internet/data sharing, which needs to be installed on laptop/ PC.  But now, the android phones are by default equipped with the features for tethering. 

Tethering refers to connecting one device to another. In the context of mobile phones or Internet tablets, tethering allows sharing the Internet connection of the phone or tablet with other devices such as laptops. It could be done in two ways:

1. USB tethering
2. Bluetooth tethering

USB TETHERING

I. Connect your mobile phone with the laptop using USB cable. Ignore the window that pop ups with the options for USB storage/ USB debugging.

II. Go to Settings >> All Settings >> More Wireless (Wireless & Networks).

III. Under Wireless & Networks section click the option Tethering And Portable Hotspot.  

IV. Select the USB tethering option.

Now you will be able to browse internet from your laptop. You could disconnect anytime by deselecting the USB tethering option or by disconnecting the cable.

BLUETOOTH TETHERING

In order to enable Bluetooth tethering, first and foremost you have to set up wireless hotspot.

I. Go to Settings >> All Settings >> More Wireless (Wireless & Networks) >> Tethering And Portable Hotspot.

II. By default the WLAN hotspot will be disabled; enable it.

III. For secure connection and to prevent unauthorized access we shall edit the basic settings.

Click on WLAN hotspot >> Set up WLAN hotspot. Here you have to provide the following details:

a) Network SSID:  Configure the name of your portable mobile device.

b) Security: It provides two protocols for securing your network. You can select either WPA PSK or  WPA2 PSK.

c) Password: A secret key of at least 8 characters strength.

d) Maximum connections: You can specify the number of devices that could simultaneously use your mobile internet connection.

Finally it’s done. Now your mobile device will be listed in the available network connections in your laptop and you can connect using your password.

Enjoy browsing from your laptop using your cell phones data plan. :)

How To Obtain Duplicate Mark list (Btech) From Cochin University Of Science And Technology (CUSAT)

We all believe that Google have answers for all our queries; so did I. But when I searched to know the procedures for obtaining a duplicate mark list (B.tech v semester) I was really confused. There were lots of threads with the procedures in other universities. But, none of the sites could give an exact answer of the procedures in CUSAT university.

When I inquired in the office, certain officials scared me telling that I should notify this in the newspapers and an affidavit should be produced.  Since I was in an urgent need for the certificate these advises were more than enough to put me under huge pressure. Fortunately,I was able to figure out the exact procedures with the help of my friends.

So,I thought of writing a blog post about the procedures, which might be useful to the needy.

Disclaimer: I have tried to be as accurate with the details, but there could be discrepancies as things change and memories fade. As with all things, rely on your personal judgment. I suggest you to go to the EC's (Examination Controller) office and cross check the procedure before proceeding. The office assistants are really helpful. If you do find something which could be corrected, let me know.

1. First and foremost, you have to write an application addressing the controller of examination, CUSAT, clearly specifying your register number and the semester for which duplicate certificate needs to
be issued. Get it verified and signed by the principal of your college.

2. Once forwarded by the principal, you can go to the CUSAT university,administrative block.

The office of the controller of examination (EC) as well as the sections of each engineering college is in the second floor. To know in which section your college belongs,you can inquire the staff in the controllers office.

The K & L sections represents college of engineering Vadakara & college of engineering Thalassery.

3: Now go to your college section. The SO (section officer), should check and verify that the certificate was already issued and is lost irrecoverably. 

4. Once it is verified,go to the cash section in the ground floor. Give your application there and you will be asked to remit RS.500 as fees.

(Unless the request gets signed by the SO, you won't be able to remit the fees.)

5. Finally go again to the Examination controllers office and submit the request and the fee receipt there. (You can retain a copy of bill with you.)

In case of urgency,with the permission of EC, you can submit the form directly in the section office. The office assistant in the EC's office will stamp your request, which can be then submitted in the respective section of your college.

Now the university will process your request and the certificate will be sent to your college.

NB:
From 1:00pm to 2:00 pm its lunch break time. At that time you wont be allowed to enter the administrative block. Also cash counter will be open only till 3:00 pm, so make sure to reach there on time.