Don Crawley, Author.

Many people love their jobs. Others…not so much so. Strangely, even when you love your job, it can sometimes be hard to find motivation. When you really don’t like your job, finding motivation can feel nearly impossible. Still, you’ve got to keep going. So, how can you find motivation, even when you can’t stand your job […]

7 Ways to Find Motivation When You Don’t Like Your Job

Don Crawley, Author.

A well-trained workforce is one of the best ways to ensure a company’s success. It seems like common knowledge, yet often companies provide either inadequate training or none at all. What should you do if you work for an organization like that? Some people might choose to coast, doing as little as possible. They might […]

What to do if Your Company Won’t Provide Training

Don Crawley, Author.

Sometimes, people find it difficult to end conversations gracefully. Even normal, routine conversations can sometimes feel awkward to end. Then, there’s the time when you’re trying to help someone, perhaps an end user, who rambles on and on and won’t stop talking long enough for you even ask a question. Maybe a co-worker has stopped […]

How to End a Support Call or Visit Gracefully

Don Crawley, Author.

Have you ever referred to the ID-10-T error? How about the PICNIC error? Or, the PEBCAK error? If you’re not familiar with them, ID-10-T spelled out looks like the word idiot. PICNIC is an acronym for “Problem in chair, not in computer.” and PEBCAK is an acronym for “Problem exists between chair and keyboard.” Many […]

Condescension Karma

Don Crawley, Author.

My friend Paul Senness is an internationally recognized speaker and trainer on management and leadership. He’s also one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever known. I asked Paul to let me interview him on how to successfully hire and manage technical staff. How to Hire In the IT world, there seems to be a […]

Techniques for Successfully Hiring and Managing Technical Staff

Don Crawley, Author.

People who want to enter the IT field or those who are just entering it often ask me about the best way to get started in IT or how to build their IT career. In this post, I’ll outline some ideas for a basic plan. Start with IT Career Certification Start by pursuing a basic certification such […]

IT Careers: How to Start and Build Your IT Career

Don Crawley, Author.

The first principle of IT customer service is deep technical competence. Often, I get asked how much technical competence is enough? The answer is in two parts. Deep Technical Skills are Required The first part is that you must have deep enough technical skills to fulfill your job description. Obviously, that’s going to vary from […]

Technical Competence: How Much is Enough?

Don Crawley, Author.

During our trip to India, we met Narendra Singh, who was often the morning host in our hotel’s restaurant in Noida, a suburb of Delhi. Narendra was always pleasant and helpful. He seemed to anticipate our needs. I asked him about his motivation to do his job so well. Caring is a Passion, Not a […]

IT Customer Service and the 3 Ps

Don Crawley, Author.

My wife, Janet, and I were honored recently to be able to spend a short time in the country of India. While there, we were deeply moved by the gracious hospitality of the people we encountered. Three different hosts explained to us a Sanskrit verse, which is “Atithi Devo Bhava.” Atithi Devo Bhava is taken […]

Treating Guests (and Customers) Like God

Don Crawley, Author.

I’m in the midst of a plumbing project. You probably know that most plumbing projects require three trips to the hardware store. I’m on my first trip. I’m holding a part which I’m trying to install to show the clerk what I’m trying to do. A second clerk walks up right in the middle of […]

Listening Skills as a Critical Part of IT Customer Service