A significant factor influencing customer perceptions is the attitude of the people with whom you interact. Meaningful interactions generally result in loyal customers, whether in person, on the phone, or during a chat session, and crap exchange can kill a brand. And the best attitude comes from empowered employees.
The process
When we hire a new employee, we know we should “hire for attitude and train for skill.” Unfortunately, when we are behind the 8-ball and have too few people to handle the work, we hire for skill because they are easier to get up to speed. Solve the short term-term problem and then worry about the future. This means we wind up living with our hiring mistakes. The new hires become “too valuable to let go,” even if they piss off your customers.
Assuming you hire people with a good attitude, you still have to do some heavy lifting to turn them into stars. Here is the high-level progression of these employees:
Shows up
You hire the new employee, agree on a pay plan, explain the medical insurance and other benefits, and attend to all the housekeeping steps. Then you introduce the newbie to her supervisor and co-workers. That went well because they had a welcome coffee and donut session. The newbie was pleased, and the old-timers are trying to keep this one because they are drowning and need relief.
A little training and the newbie is turned loose on the customers. Because she is charming, she can offset some lack of knowledge. She starts feeling good about the job and decides to make a 3-month commitment before deciding if she should stay or treats it as a temporary position.
Engaged
After a while, the newbie attends some in-house training courses, meets other employees, and learns about the history and products of the company. She is feeling good and believes she made an excellent decision to stay.
At the same time, the customers she deals with are starting to feel comfortable with her and asking more complex questions. She is now feeling inadequate and is second-guessing her decision to commit to the company. She is now at a crossroads and is starting to think, “Should I stay or should I go!” Then a miracle happens.
Empowered Employees
The not-so-newbie’s manager called her into his office and said, “Susie, you are doing great. Customers love dealing with you, and your co-workers believe you are a dream. You have the right attitude and care about our company. So, we are trying an experiment and want you to be one of the first people involved.” Naturally, she was surprised and had a million questions, but all she said was, “Tell me more.”
It turns out that the experiment involved providing additional training to customer-facing employees and then encouraging them to do whatever it took, within a few broad limits, to solve the customer’s problem. In other words, she would be empowered and always do the right thing. Her face broke into a huge smile, and she knew she had found a home. As time passed, her customers sensed that something had changed because their dealings with the company had less hassle and better outcomes. And they purchased more and recommended the company to their friends.
Sound too good to be true?
In the early ’90s, I took over an understaffed service department and was stressed out with too much work and too many rules. Without much fanfare, I decided to empower my group. I brought the field people into headquarters, got them and the inside folks into a room, and said, “From now on, when you have a customer problem, do what you think is right for the customer and us. If you are unsure, picture the lead article in your hometown newspaper and the paper in the town where we had our offices. If you are happy with the outcome, then do it. If you are unsure or think the cost may be too much, call me, and we will figure it out together.”
I also had the same discussion with each new employee we hired over the years. We never had any significant disconnects, and no one was criticized for spending extra money or going the extra mile for their customer.
That policy is still in effect today, and many people who heard my talk are still employed in the company. Sales have been great, repeat business levels are high, and the people still know they are empowered employees. And it shows in their performance.
The moral of this true story is that by encouraging good people to do good to take care of the customers, the business will prosper! Be brave!
About Middlesex Consulting
Middlesex Consulting is an experienced team of professionals with the primary goal of helping capital equipment companies create more value for their clients and stakeholders. Middlesex Consulting continues to provide superior solutions to meet the needs of its clients by focusing on our strengths in Services, Manufacturing, Customer Experience, and Engineering. If you want to learn more about how we can help your organization become more customer-centric, please contact us or check out some of our free articles and white papers here.