Customer Care and Employee Care Go Hand in Hand
Delivering a level of service that will build true customer loyalty means caring for your employees..
I just returned from speaking at another Conference
on Customer Service Strategies. I enjoyed three days of learning and
networking with some of the best and the brightest minds in the field, and
in the entrepreneurial community. There was one thing in particular that was
so rewarding for me this year. The absolute recognition and affirmation in
almost every session that I attended that without creating an environment
where the workers feel valued and good about coming to work, you cannot even
hope to deliver a level of service that will build true customer loyalty.
Well it's about time. Isn't it? Wasn't it ludicrous to believe that we could
ask workers to care about customers if they didn't feel cared about? Isn't
it crazy to think that we can ask people to take "ownership" of the customer
and the customer's problems if we don't take ownership and create a
workplace where people can feel their sense of self-worth grow and where
they can learn and develop as people as well as performers?
Creating an environment where both customers and employees want to pledge
their loyalty is a function of good planning as much as good intention. As
companies begin to compete for qualified personnel (like they are now
competing for customers) we all need to get better at developing and keeping
talented staff. Losing talented employees costs you money and often costs
you customers.
The
challenge to find qualified, "good" people will get tougher. If you are
hiring technical staff or knowledge workers, you are already feeling the
pinch and it will get worse. What can you do to assure that you are building
the type of workforce that will help you create loyalty, internally and
externally? Here is a short checklist for creating a workforce that will
help you grow your business.
Hire right
Most companies don't put the time in up-front to understand what
kind of people thrive in their cultures and the kind of people they need to
take good care of customers and to grow the company. Develop a profile of
the kind of person that succeeds in your company. Know specifically what
kinds of attitudes and skills serve your customers best. For some positions
(like service or sales) it may make sense to do some testing. After all,
some things, like empathy, a key customer caring skill, cannot be taught.
Learn the
latest in behavioral hiring techniques and make sure everyone who interviews
know what they are. Make sure the applicant gets interviewed by a number of
people. Prepare well for interviews by talking to other members of the
hiring team and writing down key interview questions. Check references.
Orientation
This is where most companies really fall short. It's not enough to show
someone the rest rooms, the accounting department and the cafeteria and then
show them to their department. Companies that deliver world-class service
(even the small ones) have a formal orientation program, an employee
handbook and a variety of ways to introduce the new employee to the company.
During the orientation an employee is told clearly what the company (and the
department) expects of them. They are told the kinds of things they need to
do to succeed and even the kinds of things they would need to do to be
fired. The standards of the company are clearly articulated, and a good
teacher/trainer will share examples of how those standards are
implemented in day-to-day life. This is the time to explain the impact of
certain behaviors on the customer, and the company’s philosophies and belief
systems regarding the customers. It’s also time to look at who the
“internal” customers and suppliers are in the value chain.
Training
Every one needs to know what is expected of them. The clearer the job
description and the clearer the expectations are articulated the better a
new hire's chance for success. Don't "throw people in the water and see how
well they swim". That old management technique sets people up for failure,
not success. Train everyone in the company in "recovery skills" - the art of
dealing with an angry or distressed customer. Know that today's workers
expect you to provide them with more then just the training to do their job,
but also on skills that are transferable and help grow them professionally,
such as computer, communication skills, and interpersonal skills. Training
pays you back. Most companies do not do enough of it.
Create an environment where people can be heard and can participate.
The key relationship skills in business today have to do with building
trust, respecting others ideas and opinions and communication honestly
without blame or judgment. People want to make a difference and make a
contribution. If you want them to care about the customers you have to care
about them. Younger people especially want to have fun at work. The
generation formerly called "X" (they don't like the moniker, so will someone
please come up with something that works?) and the ones that follow have
different values and don't want their father's workplace! The new
generations want to feel excited and engaged in their work. They expect that
you’ll ask and respect their opinions. They want work that matters, and even
with that they don’t plan on staying too long.
Just as customer loyalty is critical to the long-term success of your
business, so too is employee loyalty. Start today to look at the systems you
have set up to support your growth in the future.
