If you are managing a team of customer service professionals, make sure that they have a standard to work to, and that the standard is achievable. What is the standard behaviour for when a potential customer walks in to your establishment? How do you encourage your people to greet their new potential customers? Are your people aware of the standard? How often do you re-communicate the standard, and how do you communicate? I once worked in a retail business where the front line team were communicated with by putting notices on the office wall, despite the fact that the manager was there almost every day, in the same office, with them
How do you communicate your standards to your new recruits? Are you leaving that to chance? Again, I once worked in a large business where new employees were put in front of a computer for the whole of their first day, to go through the company’s online induction and statutory training, despite the fact that most of them had never worked in that industry before and had little or no idea of what they were supposed to be learning. The best companies ensure that their team members feel welcomed and valued when they join the team – then they are far more likely to make their customers feel welcomed and valued. Behaviour breeds behaviour!