Improving Customer Relations at Excel Polymers

Описание: See how a growing, world-class manufacturer got huge results with just one crucial investment.

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Crucial Conversations Training Improves Customer Relations for Worldwide Manufacturing Company

Hi, I'm John Quinn, I'm the president and CEO of excel polymers LLC, located here in Solon, Ohio

Excel Polymers is the world's leader in merchant compounding of rubber materials. We serve a very wide array of industries and the vision of our company is to be the first choice in Elastomer solutions worldwide.

Describe the employee pains you were trying to resolve.

In late 2004, we transitioned from being a public company to a private equity company and what that meant was classic department heads--our manufacturing, our sales, our technology leaders--had to change their direction and the way they worked together.

Why did you choose Crucial Conversations Training?

We chose Crucial Conversations Training for two reasons. Number one, as we transitioned from a multi-billion dollar organization to a private equity concern, we knew that our skill sets needed to improve. Number two, as we transitioned, we changed the organizational structure from a very siloed functional organization to a market focused business unit structure. We knew we needed to increase the effectiveness of our communication as we moved into that structure.

Describe the training product and your roll-out plan.

We introduced Crucial Conversations Training first to our executive team. We felt that it was important that we be trained first and then lead the process throughout the organization. After the executive team was trained, I became a certified trainer.

Next, we decided to roll out the Crucial Conversations Training with our technology team. They loved the training and were very appreciative that the fact that this gave them another tool to use when they're interacting with customers. Our next group to be introduced to the Crucial Conversations Training was our customer service representatives. They found the training to be extremely insightful as they deal with customers every day and it helps improve the level of interaction with our customers and the result being increased sales and increased customer satisfaction.

What business benefits have you experienced as a result of Crucial Conversations?

An example of where we've used the materials effectively. Is that for the last two years, there has been incredible inflation in our material in our market, which cause emotion and a tough relationship with customers. I think we've been more effective communicating with our customers about the value we bring and about understanding their business by using the crucial conversations skills.

Another tremendous benefit of Crucial Conversations is that as we were having dialogue with customer, we knew that they also had to also go and have price increases with their customers. And as a result, we decided to scholarship a set of customers here in the Cleveland area. They took the program which made them more effective within their company. And they all sent very very strong thank yous and very sincere appreciation for us introducing them to crucial conversations.

How have your employees responded to Crucial Conversations?

My entire team bought in on day one. Several of them who have come from Fortune 100 companies have said it is the best learning experience in their professional careers.