Have you ever walked into a business and just felt an atmosphere of genuine welcome and great connection with the staff? It is an experience that will leave you with a feeling of wanting to come back again, really soon. Change your thought to the opposite side of the coin; can you remember experiencing poor customer service, where you wanted to walk right out the door as soon as you walked in?

“Customer service is the new marketing, it’s what differentiates one business from another” – Jay Baer. Meeting front line workers can make or break customer service experiences. Whilst you expect to have a positive experience in a luxury hotel, quality customer service can be brought into any business.

Tips to Create the Quality Customer Service

  1. Consider the ambience, flow, and experience from the view of the customer

Does it work from a practical point of view? User interfaces provide clear labels and messaging and provide comfort to the customer. Implement touch-point maps for larger buildings to guide your customers to their destination. This can help to avoid frustrations, delays for appointments and support them on their journey as they use the service. Implement colourful advisory boards in the lobby area. Notices can include special offers, pricing list and promote other businesses in the local area. A copy of the company’s mission statement can be included here too, showing the customer your commitment to them for their business.

  • Listen to the customer

Where possible meet their needs before they know what they need. Train staff to provide a service that goes beyond meeting customer expectations. The rewards will be great for both parties – boosting customer retention and referral, and the bottom line. Host frequent measurement meetings to evaluate performance and feedback and continue to improve the service.

  • Remember small gestures can really make a big difference
  • Emotions play an important part of the user’s experience

Greet customers with a friendly smile. Provide them with your full attention when they enter the building

  • Respond promptly to customer feedback

Customers that have a poor experience will typically walk out and tell their family and friends of their experience. At this point the opportunity to resolve the situation is lost. Ensure to ask before they leave for their feedback – asking if they are happy with the service or if they can provide recommendations for improvement

  • Employ a mystery shopper

Mystery shoppers engage with your brand on all levels, taking notes on all experiences. Their discerning eye will be more critical than your average customer. The mystery shopper’s feedback can provide you with opportunities for improvement, and suggest processes that can be replaced with another idea or eliminated

  • Research your customer to understand their real needs

Customer feedback can be acquired at many stages of the customer’s journey – at the point of sale or by asking them to complete a customer feedback form or to take part in a simple survey.

  • Offer reward systems to loyal customers

They will value your token of gratitude and appreciate your goodwill gesture.

Delivery of exceptional, rich user experiences in customer service provides dynamic and interactive processes which create a more credible service. There is added value to the customer in a meaningful way, which will prompt them to promote your service. Similar to front-line staff, customers are powerful advocates for any business – referring new service users, based on their experience. This can save a company time and money, particularly on marketing costs.

Are you working with a recruitment agency or considering it as an option as part of your next career move? To get the best possible service, it is important to create a great rapport with recruitment staff. They have specialist knowledge in this area and offer great support on each interaction.

Recruitment agency staff can really assist you to get off to a strong start on your next job and advance your career as a contractor. There are a couple of ways that can boost your relationship with staff members which will speed up and benefit the process. 

Tips to Benefit Relationships with Agency Recruiters

  • Develop a positive relationship

Be honest; let them know your needs on hours and location, if you’re flexible and provide any other important details on your ideal job. It’s ok to decline suggestions and offers. Maintain regular contact with them and advice any updates. This will provide agency recruiters with a better understanding of your needs, and they will be able to find you a suitable role, as they will have all the information to hand. As the relationship develops, the recruiters can provide additional feedback to potential employers on your application, based on their records.

  • Know the job market and your expectations

The supply-and-demand for jobs in the market can change. Recruitment agencies possess vast knowledge of the labour market. If you are looking for a new job, thinking of starting work as a contractor or looking to change your role within the sector, it will be useful to know any changes to jobs in your sector – the effect on rates of pay or changes on training requirements. Recruiters are up to date on this information and will be able to suggest recommendations to advance future applications and may be able to negotiate your salary

  • Find a recruitment agency you are happy to work with

While there are many recruitment agencies, it is important that you feel confident when working with your chosen recruiter. Part of their role is to support you in finding a new job, up-skilling or updating your resume. Agency recruiters are available to fully support your career path – when your contract will be renewed, to answer questions on a new organisation or to chat with if you are experiencing a difficult environment in your current job, resourced by them.  

The role of your recruitment agency is to secure you with employment in a short timeframe, build your skills and improve the experience on your resume. This can save you a lot of time and money. Frequent check-ins with your recruiter will really help you on the road to your next assignment. They will update their system as new information is shared and will be in a better position to support you all the way – preparing your for a new job, securing a job and supporting you while you are working in your new role. 

Call us today, on 01 8783335 or email sales@3qrecruitment.ie – to chat with a member of our friendly team, to explore your options and receive valuable advice.

Do you find the work tasks are getting bigger? Is time management becoming an issue? Most often time management is poor when there is no plan, or goals are not clear. With no plan in place, procrastination can set in and lead to frustration at the end of a busy week. Long-term, the effects will most likely cause stress, anxiety or at worst suffering symptoms of burnout.

Most workers have a limit on their time to complete tasks. This may be higher some weeks due to impending deadlines, extra workload pressure, training new staff or returning back to work after a bank holiday weekend. Common downfalls in time management include allocating too little time to high priority tasks, poor delegation skills or allowing distractions take over limited time. Although it takes time to set this new plan in place, it will be time well spent in the long run!

15 Tips for Successful Time Management at Work

  1. Complete a time audit to understand how you are currently spending your time at work
  2. Develop a weekly schedule planner
  3. Prioritise tasks – schedule high priority tasks at the start of the day
  4. Assign realistic time limits for each task
  5. Group similar tasks together
  6. Prioritise the most difficult task at the start of the day
  7. Learn to say no, when needed
  8. Be aware of distractions and hold boundaries
  9. Build in buffer times to allow for extra time on larger tasks or for work meetings
  10. Use the 4 D’s – Do, Defer, Delegate and Delete when scheduling your weekly tasks
  11. Be flexible – although it is ideal to stay focused, allow for inevitable delays
  12. Set SMART goals, particularly for larger tasks
  13. Colour code the schedule if you enjoy working with bright colours
  14. Choose a smart schedule layout – one that you can easily read and enjoy working with
  15. Up-skill with a refresher course to improve decision making or organisational skills

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot” – Michael Altshuler. Managing limited time at work will help you to stay focused and work more effectively. The benefits can change your work-life for the better! You will find that you get a lot more done in less time, reduce stress levels and the new schedule will boost your confidence and organisational skills.

Have you considered registering with a nursing employment agency? There are a range of options for nurse’s jobs in Ireland – part-time or full-time. Signing up with a nursing agency offers many benefits to help you with your career decision. They provide opportunities to acquire roles in organisations in Ireland including private nursing homes.

Our nursing recruitment agency works closely with many healthcare providers and regularly put forward a list of suitable nursing candidates for roles within the organisation. These are generally permanent positions.

12 Benefits of Joining a Nursing Agency in Ireland

  1. Flexibility of work shifts including a choice of hours of work
  2. One-to-one consultation with friendly staff who offer support and advice throughout the process
  3. Opportunity to increase earnings, or reduce hours – when needed, and work weekends or night shifts to avail of higher rate pay
  4. Reduces stress in your search for a job
  5. Open to retired nurses as an option to source additional income
  6. If weekend time is precious with family, requesting weekdays only is an option
  7. Opportunity to avail of openings in diverse healthcare settings, and grow your skills and experience
  8. Nursing agencies pay a higher hourly rate of pay and payment is prompt
  9. Nurses with permanent positions can register with a nursing agency to avail of extra hours to boost income
  10. Option to choose place of work, or another position if the position does not work out
  11. Opportunity to explore up-skilling needs
  12. Opportunity to expand existing network circles

“Let us never consider ourselves finished, nurses. We must be learning all of our lives” – Florence Nightingale. Nursing recruitment agencies are a great option to secure regular work that offers flexibility, offers higher pay and opportunity to explore up-skilling needs, and improves work-life balance. Thinking about signing up with a Nursing Agency? Call us today, on 01 8783335 or email recruiter@3qrecruitment.ie – to chat with a member of our friendly team, to explore your options and receive valuable advice.

Knowing whether you’re satisfied in your job, if it’s the right one for you, is a measure of your contentedness in the various aspects of the job. This can include the work itself, relationships with colleagues, whether you are advancing in your work, or get along with the management process. There are a lot of aspects of self to consider, as well as the workplace and your personal life. These can include cognitive, behavioural, emotional and other characteristics.

Ultimately job satisfaction has more to do with you, your perceptions and biases, and outlook on life. We have the power within to alter these various aspects of self – positively or negatively. We can believe for the best or the worst. It’s important to remember that the job doesn’t change the essence of self or our values, and who we truly are.   

Personal job satisfaction is a sense of achievement in work related tasks, personal goal achievement and continued growth in our career journey, which have the power to motivate us as an individual. It also goes far beyond daily work routines, spilling out into our personal lives. Life becomes more fulfilling and expands the joy that we share with family and friends. The sense of purpose, receiving recognition and feeling valued, and reaching personal goals provides us with a greater sense of contentment and belonging.

Reaching satisfaction in the job often involves personal reflective work in frequent work reviews and continued self-development. The support of professionals also helps to increase satisfaction and enjoying the rewards of our labour. Ideally, jobs should be enjoyable while doing daily tasks and provide many rewards. If you find that you are in a job that you’re not enjoying, supports such as counsellors, career guidance counsellors, life coaches and recruitment agencies are well worth considering, and investing in. These are powerful resources that offer invaluable advice and insights.

Having an active personal life, healthy eating, frequent exercise, enjoying varied hobbies, nurturing personal relationships and creating time for restful days are important steps which contribute to our sense of personal wellbeing in our job. “True motivation comes from achievement, personal development, job satisfaction, and recognition” – Frederick Herzberg.

Be empowered, become the creative innovator of your life today, and increase personal satisfaction in your job. Call us today, on 01 8783335 or email operations@3qrecruitment.ie if you would like to chat with a member of our vibrant team, to explore your options and new opportunities.

Do you prefer to work from home or the office? Some prefer the working in the office as it gives structure to the day, it’s easier to focus on tasks and they get to meet colleagues. For others working from home is easier than working in the office. They prefer the calm of their home office, the flexibility in their hours and prefer to work on their own, for most of the day – they find that they get a lot more done in this environment.

While working from home during the pandemic may have seemed appealing in the early days, for many the four walls began to close in pretty quickly and they yearned to get back into the office environment. Adjusting to the home-work life model has been a struggle for some. The benefits of working at the office now seem more appealing. They prefer the familiarity that comes with the job, and the structure that the office environment provides.

Benefits of working in the office:

  • Emotional and social value increase towards work, including the brand
  • Face to face connections are far better for wellbeing than webinars and online meeting rooms
  • Helps to keep a healthy work-life balance, by maintaining work hours
  • Disturbances to work flow, which may have seemed annoying before, are now a welcome relief
  • Routines can give more structure to the day
  • Can increase job satisfaction and feeling valued
  • Teamwork reduces frustration on certain activities
  • More recognition is achieved in the office
  • Can improve mental and physical health
  • Likely to increase networking opportunities
  • Less likelihood of household and family distractions
  • Work is left at the office, at close of business

Maintaining clear boundaries, between the work and home environments, will help to maintain a healthy work-life balance in your life. The positive effects can be major including increased overall wellbeing and productivity in work. Social connections are really important; otherwise the job is ‘just a job’! “We must establish a personal connection with each other. Connection before content. Without relatedness, no work can occur” – Peter Block.  

Chef Jobs

Do you know a Chef that is looking for their next job? Here at Three Q we are running a Chef referral competition from July 1st – August 28th.

If you know a Chef that has a QQI Level 6 qualification in Culinary Arts then send us their CV to cvs@3qrecruitment.ie

Anyone who referees a Chef to Three Q (that meets all of the terms & conditions below) will automatically be entered into a draw for a €100 gift card.

Terms & Conditions:

  • This competition is open to the greater public.
  • Referral must have a QQI Qualification in Culinary Arts (or equivalent).
  • Referral must be based in Ireland.
  • Referral must complete all mandatory training & documentation.
  • Referral must sign up and work with Three Q for one month.
  • If your referral sends in their CV directly, make sure they give your details on their application (name, contact number and email address)
  • This competition will run from July 1st to August 28th.
  • The winner will be chosen at random.
  • The winner will be announced on the 2nd of September.

You can view all of our current jobs openings by visiting http://3qrecruitment.ie/view_all_jobs/

Recruitment platforms have really increased online in recent years. The jobs market has been greatly enhanced with these marketing cyber spaces. Employers, HR and Recruitment Agencies benefit from platforms such as LinkedIn. It’s an effective networking arena with many advantages to boost employee careers and their job search. Employers include this in their research when seeking additional information on potential new hires.

LinkedIn provides opportunities to Connect, Collaborate, Create – individuals can connect with a wider network, collaborate with existing and new LikedIn users, and create meaningful network connections! They can also secure new jobs through this social space.

Before setting up a new LinkedIn account, it is important to know the key items to include in your digital space. This is also true if you already have an existing LinkedIn account. The persona profile needs to stand out. The content needs to engage other users, which needs to be updated frequently. There is a great opportunity to widen your social network and find new opportunities.

Top tips to create a great LinkedIn profile in 2022:

  • Include a great profile picture
  • Create a punchy headline, not just a job title
  • Start with a great story in the summary content, make it interesting and check the content for errors 
  • Expand network connections, using buzzwords, and keywords to optimise SEO
  • Bullet-point skills, education, accomplishments and interests with a brief synopsis
  • Use relevant hashtags
  • Create a spotlight for services offered
  • Create a custom profile URL
  • Include colleague recommendations
  • Background images enhance your LinkedIn profile
  • Personality gains the attention of other users
  • Include ‘call to actions’ such as an email address. ‘Follow’ buttons to your website work well too
  • If unemployed, include “actively seeking work” or “actively searching for new opportunities”
  • Don’t slate former employers or colleagues – keep it clean
  • Recruiters look at work history so include this important information here
  • HR view LinkedIn often, to attract and recruit new employees. Make connections with organisations  
  • Ask well-known connections to endorse you, not new connections
  • Engage and ask questions
  • Include LinkedIn Certs in your resume
  • Keep your profile active with frequent updates, organic content is great too

Give it 100% and increase your visibility for a greater return on boosting your career, network connections and new collaborations. “Always put your best foot forward, because you never know where your next step may lead you” – Stephan Labossiere.

Every Moment is a fresh beginning

Change and uncertainty in the workplace can bring unwelcome anxiety, which can take us down a path of unhealthy living and disrupt a healthy work-life balance. This is particularly true when these changes happen outside our control, whether you’re in temporary or permanent employment. Finding ways to cope with change and uncertainty isn’t always easy.

Dealing with anxiety and regaining balance in your life are just two of the necessary steps to help reboot the psychological, physical and emotional aspects of self. Understand how the change is impacting you and increase your self-care also help, as does talking about the new process.

‘Blue Zone Living’ has inspired thousands of individuals globally in a curious movement of on-going research which seeks to understand why some countries have populations with healthy aging individuals. The invaluable advice and insights are relatively simple and can be used to regain a healthy balance in your life.

9 healthy regimes to manage anxiety include:

  1. Understand what your purpose is; why you wake up every morning? Find meaning and develop an internal inventory of passions, values, gifts, talents, likes and dislikes
  2. Body movement relives stress, particularly high stress levels. Natural continuous body movement is just as beneficial as strenuous exercise
  3. Use the Pareto Rule during meal times. Choose to stop eating when 80% full, and let go of late night snacking. Remember – ‘breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper’
  4. Become more aware of, and increase, self-care and wellbeing, and work on ways to reduce stress levels. The body holds stress in different ways, so embrace rituals that work for you – nap for twenty in the afternoon, partake in a happy hour after work, engage in creative activities or simply pray
  5. Include healthy food in each meal serving – fruit, whole grains, rich and colourful vegetables, beans and nuts. Consume lean-meat a few days a week, and avoid processed and sugary foods
  6. The fun doesn’t have to stop with this new way of being. Enjoy things and food that give you pleasure. A glass of wine with a sociable meal can provide powerful antioxidants
  7. Positive social circles promote healthy behaviours with self. These can be fun, nurture talents and advance your personal development journey. Find which ones work for you
  8. Belong and have faith – join your preferred faith-based community, to form strong social relationships, which can provide a powerful sense of belonging. Find one that suits you.
  9. Finally, the depth of love holds many amazing benefits, so stay connected and open to those that you love!

Change isn’t always a negative. It can be liberating, exhilarating and bring some, or many, new opportunities. Remember; “Every moment is a fresh beginning” – T. S. Elliot.

Attention all Three Q Temps, do you know a qualified chef looking for a new career? Are you interested in wining €100? Then refer a Chef to Three Q today for your chance to be in with a €100 One 4 All voucher. If your Chef successfully completes the sign up process we will provide you with a €50 gift card. If your referral works with Three Q for three months you will receive another €50 voucher. For your chance to win this amazing prize, send your Chefs CV to cvs@3qrecruitment.ie with your details, or call 01 – 878 3335 for more information.

Terms & Conditions:

  • Chefs must hold a QQI level 6 in culinary arts, or the equivalent to qualify for a role with Three Q
  • Referral must be submitted between 28/01/2022 – 28/02/2022
  • You will receive a €50 gift card when your referral successfully completes the sign up process (including all mandatory training) and is placed by Three Q
  • You will receive a second €50 gift card when your referral completes 3 months of service with Three Q
  • Should your referral leave before a 3 month period, you will not receive the second gift card.