Tips for Managing Volunteers With Disabilities
from The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Leaders who work with disabled volunteers can take several easy steps to create a welcoming environment. Start by being straightforward, says Gillian Friedman, executive director of Ability Awareness, in Cosa Mesa, Calif., which recruits disabled volunteers. "If you ask people if they are able to do something, they are going to give you a good idea if they are capable of doing it," she says. More

Developing Staff Interest in Training and Education in Managing Volunteers
from Energize via The Network Volunteer Center
Staff will only be interested in training if they can understand how it will benefit them. It must be perceived as solving their problems. For example, rather than inviting them to a workshop on "Interviewing Volunteers," invite them to learn how to design interview questions that will screen in the right volunteers. The following are some additional suggestions. More

Managing Volunteers Via the Internet
from The Virtual Volunteering Project via YouthLearn
No matter where volunteers perform online service for your organization onsite at your facility, in another facility offsite, or via the Internet from a home or work computer the Internet can play an important role in communicating with your volunteers regularly and helping you manage volunteers effectively. In addition to increased efficiency, using the Internet to manage volunteers affords managers several benefits, such as having an automatic, extensive written record of volunteer activities through email and chat archives. More

Twelve Leadership Lessons from the Bridge of the Starship Enterprise
from Fast Company
Between liaisons with Pantone hued alien females, conflicts with empire-building cyborg killing machines, and encounters on new planets that always results in the death of a red shirted security officer, koans of management advice are routinely delivered from the bridge of the Enterprise. There are great lessons to be learned from the words of these men who sit in the Captain's chair. Apply the wisdom of Starfleet's finest to your strange new world of business and you too will manage well and prosper. More

Twenty Five Ways to Build Trust - And Sales - With Customer Success Stories
from MarketingProfs
A major survey on corporate trust just came out, and the news isn't good. Of people surveyed in 20 countries, 62 percent say they trust corporations less now than they did a year ago. People do business with people they like and trust, so how can you inspire trust during the current crisis of credibility? Buyers are increasingly turning to real experiences to give them the confidence that products, services, and people deliver what they promise. In the age of Amazon.com reviews and eBay feedback, prospects are looking for anecdotes from other happy customers. More

2009 AHVRP Annual Conference Distinguishing Our Profession, Discovering Our Spirit Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa Phoenix, AZ August 27-30, 2009 Website: www.todaysvolunteer.org

Opinion: Retailers Giving Lip Service to Customer Service
from Retail Customer Experience
Customer service. We've all heard the need for it. We've all tried to manage it. We've all felt a lack of it. America is hurting, stores are shuttering, consumers are wary. So can we finally put the words "customer service" out to pasture? Yet we retailers keep doing it wrong. Ignoring customers. Trying the hundreds of "tried-and-true ways to close the sale." Dropping prices like some reality show contestant willing to do anything to win. Lying to them. And underappreciating what it takes for them to buy our wares. More

Learn to Spot Fake Cashier Checks
from Business Know-How
The U.S. Treasury Department protects paper currency with standard paper, ink, design and security features, but each bank’s cashier’s checks are individually designed. Each bank uses different paper, designs, and security features, and this wide disparity appeals to crooks. To avoid being a victim of a counterfeit cashier's check, law enforcement recommends the steps in this article. More