Message from the President & CEO
 With the holiday season behind us and the New Year upon us it is time to start thinking ahead. In our world, the world of corporate training, we are already planning for the summer. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? However, our job is to support our customers, and some of our customers face their busiest season during the summer months. New hires, temporary workers, students, vacation coverage - it all takes place in a very condensed time frame. Your peak customer volume may come when you have your least experienced staff on duty. This sounds a bit like a recipe for disaster, also known as a recipe for customer complaints.
This is the challenge: how do we get summer staff up to speed? How can you be sure they will serve your customers according to your customer service standards and practices? How much revenue are you losing because your summer staff is not prepared?
 A solid orientation program which includes training is the answer. It's not just about the bottom line; it's about the employees too. Employees need to feel they are a part of the organization, even if only for two months. This can be accomplished by sharing your organization's mission, vision and values, talking to them about your culture and your customers, including expectations on how customers are to be treated.
Investing in training has long been seen as a retention strategy, so think long term - the staff you hire this summer may come back next summer or may help cover shifts throughout the year if they feel you have invested in them.
This is something to think about as you glance out your windows at the snow!
Audie McCarthy
President & CEO
P.S. For a list of MCE's "Getting Ready for Summer Programs", keep on reading!
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