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About Robert Bacal
My background, not surprisingly, is in Psychology, and more specifically in Educational Psychology. I've had the opportunity to be a social science researcher and statistician, a university professor and college instructor, and trained and educated thousands of people over the years.
As I get older, I'm amazed at the number of books I've authored, somewhere over twenty, but who counts when there's always the next book to create. Not to mention over 300 articles published online, and in print publications.
The future? I'll continue to do training seminars on customer service, management and communication, but I look forward to devoting more time to my writing. My most recent book is for teachers, school principals and educational staff: Building Bridges Between Home And School -- The Educator's/Teacher's Guide To Dealing With Emotional And Upset Parents, and future plans for 2013-2014 include a brand new book on getting along more effectively in the workplace (conflict management and resolution), and what I think will be a ground-breaking book on why customer service quality is so terrible.
I reside in a small town outside Ottawa, and also have a number of websites that offer free articles on topics that interest me, and hopefully interest you. You can visit my main site at http://work911.com, and I love to hear from readers, so feel free to get in touch.
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Author Updates
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Blog postMore research supporting the importance of communication between home and school, and its relationships to various student outcome measures. Remember that correlation does not necessarily mean causation. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postSome real life stories of how teachers are using APPS to communicate with parents. References some app tools. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postTwo apps: Bloomz vs. Remind for communicating with parents are reviewed, and explained. A nice intro to some of the app tools out there. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postMust read for those interested in the use of digital communication as a means for parents and schools to interact. Overview of academic research on its use and effectiveness. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postExcellent overview of the various types of technology schools can use to leverage technology to improve communication between schools and parents. From email to portals covered. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postExcellent 5 minute video for parents on how to get the most out of parent teacher conferences. Upbeat and helpful. Explains the baggage we as parents bring to the parent conference that tend to make us uncomfortable in an environment we tend to associate with being kids in a school. Valuable tips on how to prepare, arrange followup and more. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postParental and community involvement in schools doesn't "just happen". It needs to be planned, and strategies acted upon. This article focuses on this process, and what schools can do. Includes sidebars describing various parent involvement levels, and what it means to be a supportive parent. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postSurveying of principals yields a number of innovative and standard ideas for getting parents more involved in schools in ways that are productive and inclusive. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postExplains five types of parental school involvement, and includes a short checklist to evaluate what your school is doing currently in this area. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postSummary of and links to a number of research studies that look at a) how to measure teacher performance, and b) whether teacher compensation should be tied to performance. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postCites a startling survey that suggests almost half of teacher surveyed would quit now for a higher paying job, the author suggests the importance of reducing teacher frustration by involving and empowering them. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postLeading any school is a difficult job, being pulled in different directions by the school system, teachers, students and parents. Here are five leadership practices explained, by those in the school leadership trenches. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postArticle suggests that professional development activities can be more meaningful and motivating by empowering teachers. Offers up five recipes for action. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postExperienced teacher explains how she gets ready for teacher observations, and things to consider, and explains the process of observation. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postExcellent literature review of violence in the schools includes summary plus various links to individual studies on causes and possible prevention. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postResearch summary investigating how the economy can effect teacher "quality" and in turn student outcomes. Read Full Article!.
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Blog postBeing the Boss: Dealing with Customers Referred to You by Employees You can help your employees deal with difficult customers by encouraging them to refer problems to you. Often that can reduce the total time spent resolving issues, since customers tend to respond more positively to those who they feel have more status and power—such as the owner.
Here are some phrases to use with customers whom your employees have referred to you.
Hello, Mrs.Wh -
Blog postHere are some ideas, from Perfect Phrases For Managing Your Small Business.
There are times when a particular customer is so demanding or offensive that it’s not worth your time and frustration to keep him or her as a customer. In fact, you may not want to do business with the person again. That’s your prerogative—provided you are not violating any laws related to discriminatory practices in your jurisdiction.
Before you decide to “fire” a customer, be awar -
Blog postIn the end it doesn't matter if you call some people customers or not, provided you understand the relationship between you and those people. Sometimes it's easy to get lost in semantics when it doesn't much matter. Technically, your co-workers are NOT your customers, even if they consume what you produce (e.g. information, memos, etc.), because there is no EXCHANGE of value for any specific services or functions AND you are your colleagues share a reporting str
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Blog postI am this type of customer. My time is important and time spent fixing an issue someone caused me can never be repaid.
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Blog postThis is a common question, particularly from people working in call centers. First, hanging up on a customer implies that you simply put the phone down, with no warning or explanation. That's a bad idea, particularly because the customer is usually going to phone back anyway.
Unilateral Termination Of A Customer Service Phone Call Rather than talking about "hanging up", in my books and seminars we talk about "terminating the conversation", because it's a bit differ -
Blog postCustomer Service Zone - The place to get help and learn about customer service issues. Learn about difficult customers, and develop your customer service skills.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postThis mega-portal offers a huge array of customer service and customer experience resources to learn from, and we welcome customer service representatives, call center employees, managers and customers. Read, Learn, Discuss. It's all free.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postOur customer service books are ideal for use in training sessions and customer service coaching, and sometimes even to replace costly face to face seminars. Here's some suggestions.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postOur Defusing Hostile Customers Seminar Government and Public Sector Clients7 years ago Read more
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Blog postBacal & Associates pricing for seminars, keynotes, coaching, consulting and design is done differently than how most companies do it.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postWe offer you free book excerpts from our best selling books that teach you how to deal effectively with difficult and angry customers7 years ago Read more
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Blog post2013 predictions and trends in customer service. What the experts are saying.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postCustomers DO try to "get your goat". Learn about the techniques you can use to keep your own temper and anger in check.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postLife is more stressful, and with more stress comes more anger. Here's some suggested self-help books to help you manage your anger.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postA different and contrarian look at customer service from a psychological and business strategy perspective.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postYou can't copy other companies when it comes to customer service but you can learn from other companies best practices.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postSome customers, when upset, use bullying tactics to control the customer service interactions and get their own ways. Find out what to do.7 years ago Read more
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THE RIGHT PHRASE FOR EVERY SITUATION . . . EVERY TIME
The ability to craft an employee review that is meaningful and change-driven is what separates average supervisors from great managers. How often, though, have you struggled to find the most appropriate words for your needs?
This completely revised and updated second edition of Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews provides hundreds of ready-made phrases you can use to clearly communicate any employee's performance in 74 different skill areas. Learn the most effective language for:
- Crafting an accurate, carefully worded assessment
- Documenting behaviors and accomplishments
- Guiding and developing promising workers
- Conducting face-to-face interviews
THE RIGHT PHRASE FOR EVERY SITUATION . . . EVERY TIME
Real success is about the future, not the past. As a supervisor, you'll be most effective if you concentrate on setting goals for your employees, rather than assessing past events and behaviors.
This completely revised and updated second edition of Perfect Phrases for Setting Performance Goals provides hundreds of precisely worded performance goals you can put to use in virtually any situation. This handy, quick-reference guide provides effective language for:
- Focusing your people on the most important parts of their jobs
- Communicating your expectations
- Aligning employee goals with organizational priorities
- Improving productivity and morale in the workplace
- Reducing disagreements during performance reviews
THE RIGHT PHRASE FOR EVERY SITUATION . . . EVERY TIME
You've heard it a million times: "The customer is always right." But let’s face it--sometimes the customer is misinformed, confused, or downright difficult. The ability to handle such customers is what separates the serious professional from the average employee.
Perfect Phrases for Customer Service, second edition, provides the language you need for everyday customer service situations--and includes simple, effective techniques that can help you meet even the most demanding customer needs. Master the most effective words and phrases for:
- Defusing bad situations before they get worse
- Handling complaints patiently and professionally
- Satisfying customers and increasing sales
- Building long-term relationships with important customers
Meet or exceed all your goals with this comprehensive guide to performance reviews
3 books in 1 eBook!
Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews covers all the bases when it comes to using the right language during every stage of the performance review process. Packed with the exact words and phrases you need to plan, conduct, and finalize performance reviews, this three-eBook set helps you express yourself with crystal clarity—as well as sidestep any landmines that might be in your path.
This 3-eBook set includes:
Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews, Second Edition
Get hundreds of ready-made phrases for clearly communicating an employee's performance in 74 different skill areas. Learn the most effective language for:
- Crafting an accurate, carefully worded assessment
- Documenting behaviors and accomplishments
- Guiding and developing promising workers
- Conducting face-to-face interviews
Perfect Phrases for Setting Performance Goals, Second Edition
This completely revised and updated second edition of Perfect Phrases for Setting Performance Goals provides hundreds of precisely worded performance goals you can apply to virtually any situation. This handy, quick-reference helps you:
- Focus your people on the most important parts of their jobs
- Communicate your expectations
- Align employee goals with organizational priorities
- Minimize disputes that can arise during performance reviews
Perfect Phrases for Documenting Employee Performance Problems
Using this wide range of ready-to-use scripts and a handy problem-solving toolkit, you can address even the most difficult issues diplomatically and constructively. Learn how to:
- Find the perfect words to suit each employee review
- Document performance in the most effective way possible
- Build strong working relationships and boost morale
- Increase productivity, meet deadlines, and achieve goals
Proven strategies for maximizing employee commitment and performance
As a manager, you know that employee performance is your most important asset—but are you making smart, well-thought-out efforts to leverage it to its fullest?
Manager’s Guide to Performance Management helps you get the most out of your people by focusing on performance planning (instead of appraising), creating a dialog (instead of issuing directives), and solving problems (instead of pointing blame). Learn how to:
- Work with employees to create goals that are beneficial to everyone
- Observe, gather data on, and document performance
- Conduct performance reviews in a cooperative, collaborative way
- Address thorny situations proactively and professionally
- Leverage the powerful but often misunderstood process of “progressive discipline”
Briefcase Books, written specifically for today’s busy manager, feature eye-catching icons, checklists, and sidebars to guide managers step-by-step through everyday workplace situations. Look for these innovative design features to help you navigate through each page:
+ Clear definitions of key terms and concepts
+ Tactics and strategies for managing performance
+ Tips for executing the tactics in the book
+ Practical advice for minimizing the possibility of error
+ Warning signs for when things are about to go wrong
+ Examples of successful performance management
+ Specific planning procedures, tactics, and hands-on techniques
Set the bar for outstanding performance
A follow-up to the top-selling Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews, this book provides managers with phrases and goals that describe expected future performance from their direct reports. A timesaving job aid for any performance review or plan, the book:
- Makes it easy for managers to set high performance goals for executives, management, or non-managers employees
- Includes many categories of goals, from revenue and productivity goals to quality and personal development goals • Facilitates the goal-setting process across the organization
- Includes a guide to writing a performance plan for any employee
Featuring hundreds of ready-to-use performance goals, this practical job aid makes it simple for managers to set the bar for outstanding future results.
Because human beings learn to use language as children, we're ALL prone to communication and conflict mistakes as adults. We say the wrong things. We send messages we don't intent to send. We get reactions that both surpise us and cause grief for ourselves. Worse, though, our ineffective language habits damage our relationships with spouses, children, other family members, friends and at work with colleagues and "superiors". Sometimes the damage is minor. Sometimes relationships founder on the rocks of consistently bad ways of talking. Regardless if you find yourself in unnecessary arguments, or unable to solve sticky and persistent issues in your marriage, dating relationships and family, here's a solution.
Imperfect Phrases For Relationships: 101 COMMON Things You Should Never Say To Someone Important To You...And What To Say Instead is a unique, practical and hands-on book that will teach you what NOT to say, and how to replace "imperfect phrase" (ones that harm relationships), with effective phrases. Rather than deluging you with theories and principles, this book contains one hundred and one phrases to eliminate, and provides better options, so you no longer end up in arguments that waste time and energy. It's compact, to the point, and you can start improving your relationships NOW.
Take advantage of the suggested activities to use this book with your significant other so you can learn together, or use it on your own to improve existing relationships, and start new ones off on the right foot.
Do YOU Know Why You Should Never Use These Phrases?
Because those are the rules
It's none of your business
You take everything too seriously
You make me feel stupid
I'm doing my best
That's just five of the 101 imperfect phrases included, and better yet, you'll learn what to say INSTEAD to build bridges and relationships with the important people in your life, whether it's a spouse, date, child, colleague, or boss.
Use it on your own, or with someone important to you!
Written for anyone dealing directly with customers in any industry from hospitality to business to business this book provides you with both the principles and words to defuse almost all difficult and scary customer situations. Here are just a few of the things you will learn to do:
Why it's in YOUR interest to learn how to defuse volatile customer situations
Why customers act in manipulative, aggressive and even childish ways
How the verbal abuse game works, and how to stop the game cold
How to apply the CARP system for defusing customers
How to maintain SELF-CONTROL so you don't lose your cool, and get "baited"
How to start off customer interaction well and PREVENT escalation
How to choose your words so you come across as helpful and cooperative
How to say no without being antagonistic
How to get customers to STOP ranting, yelling and being aggressive, and getting them to LISTEN
How to apply verbal self-defense techniques to TAKE control
...and tons more. This 8.5 x 11 inch book goes beyond what you've ever been taught about difficult customer situations, and allows you to stop feeling like you are powerless in the face of angry customers. It helps you decide what to do, and what to say, and goes way beyond the ";be nice"" advice so often mentioned in other books and training. You WILL learn from the 176 pages of 120 defusing tactics you'll learn.
There are even chapters for supervisors and managers (and how they can help), dealing with groups of customers and "the audience effect" and dealing with customers in social media.
It's time to stop feeling like a victim, and empower yourself to be the "go to" person with "tough customers". Not only will you increase enjoyment of your job, and reduce your stress levels, but you'll enhance your career prospects. Managers and supervisors DO notice when you can defuse the customers who are "nightmares". That means career advancement.
Translated into 16 languages! The reader-friendly, icon-rich Briefcase Books series is must reading for all managers at every level.
All managers, whether brand new to their positions or well-established in the organizational hierarchy, can use a little "brushing up" now and then. The skills-based Briefcase Books series is filled with ideas and strategies to help managers become more capable, efficient, effective, and valuable to their organizations.
For both managers and employees, performance reviews are too often viewed as negative and disciplinary. The Manager's Guide to Performance Reviewshelps managers instead make reviews both positive and proactive. It provides a step-by-step process for administering an effective performance review, one that will meet the organization's needs for employee appraisal while giving employees an honest sense of how they are performing and where they could improve. Also examined are various approaches to performance reviews, different forms and techniques, and more.
Tools for pleasing even the most demanding customers
A satisfied customer is a loyal customer, and in today's supercompetitive business economy few things are as crucial to a company's bottom line as the quality of its customer service. This latest title in the popular Perfect Phrases series is just the thing for customer service employees and those who train and manage them. Perfect Phrases for Customer Service gets you quickly up and running with everything you need to keep customers happy and loyal, including:
- Clear explanations of the reasons for difficult customer behaviors
- Proven tools and techniques for successfully handling even the most cantankerous customers
- 101 dialogues and scripts organized according to types of difficult behaviors, usable as is or as part of a training program, and easily tailored to any industry and company culture
For more information, visit www.customerservicezone.com
Teachers, principals, school administrators, even school support staff know that it "takes a village to educate a child". Unfortunately, educators, parents and tax payers are often on different sides of issues, and work at cross purposes. Teachers get frustrated and stressed, and parents get angry, upset, and often aggressive and hostile towards school staff, often because they care so much.
In this practical and hands-on book, teachers, administrators and school staff can learn to deal with even the most difficult parents, even those who are insulting and challenging.
You'll learn over 100 hands-on, practical tactics to:
- Take control of difficult conversations with parents
- Maintain your own self-control when interacting with upset, and even abusive parents and members of the community.
- Reduce the time and stress involved in dealing with uncooperative parents.
- Apply the Psychology of anger, and basic psycholinguistic elements to establish rapport and bridges when conflict happens.
- Apply basic principles of Jiu_Jitsu and Aidido to difficult conversations.
- Stop verbal abuse cold, while maintaining a professional demeanor and focusing on the welfare of the student.
- Handle non-verbal intimidation tactics smoothly and safely.
- Set limits and apply them to difficult interactions when the gentler methods of verbal self-defense fail.
Ideal for teaching staff, but also school principals, school superintendents and school board officials -- anyone who deals directly with parents and community members. Included is a special chapter for principals and administrators with tactics to use to support teachers and staff in building bridges with the community, rate payers, and parents.
If so, you are at risk of losing the people who are most important in your life, at home and at work.
Divorces are way to frequent and one reason is that couples don't know how to disagree without hurting each other. It's the same at work. Can you afford to alienate your boss, or co-workers? Are you willing to deal with that pain over the long haul?
Hopefully not!
We all have conflict at home and at work. What counts is how we choose to handle it.
No relationship is without fighting and arguing. What distinguishes relationships that work from those that don't is how the arguing is done. You can learn to fight fair, and actually reduce the negative effects of disagreement while reducing the chances of arguments in the future.
Many of us haven't had a chance to learn fair fighting. Even the best of us sometimes strike out in anger, at least verbally, and poison the environment that, if we took time to think, we care about.
That brings us to our Learn To Fight Fair Helpcard, a fast way to learn what to do and not do -- and something you can share with others you tend to argue with; friends, family or co-workers
Now you can learn to fight fair without having to wade through hundreds of pages from all those self-help books. We've boiled down the essence of the best material on disagreements. You can download a copy of this helpcard and learn to disagree and argue constructively and fairly (and painLESSly) all within 15 minutes.
Content
Written by conflict expert author Robert Bacal, Learn To Fight Fair Helpcard provides you with specific instructions so you can argue, disagree, and even fight in constructive ways that will enhance the relationships, rather than destroy it. This 2 sided 8.5 x 11 inch card describes the fifteen "dirty fighting" techniques you need to eliminate, and over eighteen specific techniques you can use today to "fight fair". Here's how it's broken down:
* Introduction to Fighting Fair
* Fighting Fair In A Nutshell
* Eliminating Dirty Fighting
* Arguing Constructively
* Specific Fight Fair Techniques
* Planning To Fight Fair
Each of these strategies is explained.
Take the first step in building a better, harmonious relationship with those you care about. For the sake of your spouse. For the sake of your children. For the sake of your coworkers. But above all, for YOUR sake.
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