Talking Sense to a CSR

Discussion in 'Swift' started by Injun, Dec 26, 2010.

  1. otherhalftw

    otherhalftw R.I.P.

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    How is it that so many who have never BEEN a Mentor...seem to know so much about Mentoring? Is the fact that you have been a student on a Mentor's truck that qualifies you to critique the "what should/shouldn't the Mentor do"...to a small extent yes....the example your Mentor gave you will tell you what was good and what was not so good (or even bad) about his/her style of teaching...to that point the knowledge you gained from your Mentor should/could be put to use as a Mentor yourself. But to say what is/should be done is limited to your own personal experience...not to what the program is actually set up to teach....actually the Mentor Program at Swift is well designed, the classroom training for the "soon to be Mentor" is as complete as time allows, and is presented to the future Mentor very well....then you get to the real application world....each individual is different, and teaching styles differ...but the curriculum is set and should be followed completely with the "personal touch" added to the curriculum. This topic is very well covered also in the Mentor Class...at least in Phoenix it is!
     
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  3. otherhalftw

    otherhalftw R.I.P.

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    Always the "optimist" aren't you Mr. Jones!??? LOL:biggrin_25525: :biggrin_2559:
     
  4. Injun

    Injun Road Train Member

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    While I have not been a mentor and have absolutely no inkling to become one, I was a NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) certified Fire Instructor II. I trained people how to be firefighters and emergency responders. I have kind of an idea what it takes to pound knowledge into people's heads. I also know that no matter how many times you go over it in a controlled setting, whether that setting is a standard classroom or a hands-on one, minutia will be set aside in those heads until it is put into real practical use. The human brain is designed to be lazy. If there is another one present to do the work of remembering stuff, the first one will allow it.

    It appears there are well experienced drivers who are unhappy with the state of Swift's mentoring program. Might I suggest they set up a special school and run it themselves so they will be more confident in the quality of training Swift's novice drivers receive? They will then be able to teach which Macro to use, wording, strength and tone in order to get the office's attention without pissing in someone's Cheerios and thus still be able to make a living. I understand there is an open office building in the neighborhood of the Lathrop yard. It even has a big lot to teach proper U-Turn methods and docks that can be set up for backing practice in various configurations. Since it is a functional warehouse, proper loading for weight distribution could be taught as well. Maybe it would benefit Swift to contract out the mentoring of its new employees to the seasoned people in this industry who want to share their knowledge and experience.

    It would certainly benefit me. Because then my thread about how to talk to office personnel strongly without getting into hot water would not be hijacked and I would be able to pass my own personal experience along to someone who might find it useful.

    I guess I'll abandon my own thread now so the discussion about mentors, dedicated fleets and practical driving decision making can continue.

    *walks over to the bleachers to observe, popcorn and Henry Weinhard's in hand*

    Hey, Mods, would ya like a Henry's on me?
     
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  5. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    so as long as it actually is productive for the mentor to do it. right now, it dont pay well enough to do it the way of your example. The mentor's truck is used as a crash test vehicle for the most part, and if you're a L/O, they wont pay for repairs.

    Sounds good on paper, but unless Swift actually cared about producing a few GOOD drivers rather than cranking out 100s of drivers a week, then letting them wreck trucks, total 4-wheelers cars and/or rack up a huge hospital/funeral home bill, all for the sake of weeding out the few good drivers from the hundred of others who wont make it 2 months because they dont know how to keep their truck between the lines, use side mirrors and turn their heads all at the same time.....
     
  6. just lil me

    just lil me Light Load Member

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    I was kind of liking seeing what and how to talk to the office people. It has nothing at all to do with "driving". But, this is something that normally WOULDNT be taught. Sure, you would pick up some from the mentor, but the way THEY talk to someone may not be the way you or I would talk to someone.
    Its all information. Whether driving, backing, shifting, or anything else. I learn from almost every post on here. And this is also something I CAN learn without actually driving a truck, YET.
    So, Thank you Injun for this thread.....:biggrin_25514:
     
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  7. otherhalftw

    otherhalftw R.I.P.

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    There was no "talking" to anybody....her post was the Qualcomm "conversation" what she was sending (like we are now) and what the "empty" responses are. Even the DM doesn't directly "talk" to the CSR (in some instances they do if they are in the same room/building...like at the Lathrop, CA terminal, the CSR for the Hewlett Packard account is right there in the same room...so sometimes the DM can actually talk to the CSR...), but most of the time it is a message sent (like an E-Mail) to the CSR...which is why the response to the driver will read....."Have sent a message to the CSR!" No personal contact about 94% of the time.
     
  8. mgfg

    mgfg Road Train Member

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    I agree with you. I couldn't imagine watching my 14 burn up waiting for some knob in the office to make a decision and send the message to some ABC and then ABC has to send the message to XYZ so that they can send it to ME!

    That being said some of the knuckle dragging neanderthalls in this industry shouldn't have phone access to customers as they can;t formulate a two word sentence.
     
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  9. Injun

    Injun Road Train Member

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    *feels the irritation rising*

    OHTW: yes, the conversation was via Qualcomm. That was by design. I wanted a record if they were going to sit me. The customer wasn't the issue here. And, yes, I do talk to office personnel in person, not just inside my own terminal. I have direct phone numbers to several planners throughout Swift. Does it garner me extra favors? I doubt it. But it never hurts to have friends.

    And why do you find it necessary to follow me around the Swift threads busting my chops about mentoring when I have made it as clear as possible I have no intention of having a student on my truck? I have been asked to not be so defensive and I am making a Herculean effort to comply. The direction this thread has gone is not making this easy.

    You don't have to prove your worth, knowledge or capabilities. I think everyone here is fully aware of the great resource you are. I, for one, have appreciated your input. I'm simply asking why it's necessary to imply that since I don't wear a blue shirt that I have nothing to offer? And even if I got the blue shirt I shouldn't be training anyway because I'm not experienced enough? I tend to believe everyone here has something to add, some way of looking at things that I may have missed. That's why I detest the idea of placing people on ignore. Even people I don't particularly like have a different way of seeing things that I might learn from.

    Mods, has this thing derailed enough to shut it down yet? I, for one, am finished here. I can't seem to bring it back on track.
     
  10. just lil me

    just lil me Light Load Member

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    Even I know Injun wasnt "talking" to anyone. I know it was a "communicaton". It is still a dance of words and I stand by MY earlier post that this is STILL something us lowly noobs can learn from.
     
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  11. notarps4me

    notarps4me Road Train Member

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    Well; there is the problem. First you have to learn to think and speak like one....:biggrin_2559:
     
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