Happy Staff Create Delighted Customers

Make your customers feel at home with great customer service

I have a pal who always says, "hurt people will always hurt others." On the opposite end of the scale we have "delighted people will always make others happy." Making your clients feel welcome to your store is a result of your employees feeling delighted about themselves and manifesting it by greeting all your customers. Why are your staff unhappy?

Firstly, a drop in customers leading to a drop in sales. Thereby affecting their commission levels and their way of living. Secondly, there may have been a shift away from their usual buyers as your core buyers are leaving and many employees are not able to deal with the change. Thirdly, many may refer to stories of the "good old days", not realizing that dwelling in the past does not help the future. Finally, the overall economic weakness has a "doom and gloom" effect on everyone. Retrenchments are not uncommon and add to the lower morale.

There are two types of people at any organisation. The front line personnel who take care of the buyers and then all subsequent levels (including management) who take care of the front line people.

As managers you fall under the category of "all subsequent levels who take care of the front line people". Your role is to ensure that your staff are well taken care of. If the buyers are not coming into your store then you have to find a way to bring in more buyers. If they are miserable, you have to encourage them, and show your staff that tomorrow is a better day.

What are our expectations?

I am sure that you have given a lot of thought to what you wish our people to become. You may be frustrated because we have such great vision for our business and don't recognise why staff can't figure out how to achieve it. The problem could be that your people reflect your actual expectations. It is a rare employee who doesn't try to please the boss. perhaps it is not that they are not getting the message but that you are not giving the message you think you are giving.

The following passage was quoted from a former Vice President and General Manager of a large US department store: "if I walked by a ringing phone, rather than diving for it, so could the employees. If I did not stop to aid a customer who appeared confused, they could too. If I ignored a man waiting with irritation for his wife to come out of the fitting room and did not check to see if a cup of coffee or that day's paper wouldn't ease the boredom, why should anyone else be concerned?"

In a recent commentary, a retailing adviser visited a retailer who had always insisted that customer service was to be everyone's number one goal, but nobody seemed to pay any notice. The retailer was ready to fire all of their store personnel and start over with a more gifted group. The consultant however delayed such drastic measures and made a shop visit. What this advisor discovered is that although there was enough coverage on the shop floor, the employees were busy with housekeeping or inventory or some other activity that detained them from attending to customers. When the advisor interrupted any of these "busy" employees to ask for assistance, they were amiable enough but obviously stressed. After all, they had tasks to complete and to walk the advisor around or to ring up the purchase would cut into their time.

"There is a difference between activity and productivity" - Who Moved My Cheese, Dr. Spencer Johnson

This consultant eventually discovered that during subsequent shop walks with management, the managers made a big show of how unhappy they were with the state of the housekeeping and the slow paper work, that the employees had no choice but to sacrifice dealing with the customers to make their managers happy. Is your organization guilty of this? Are you setting high expectations of good customer service and then placing more emphasis on the tangible things like housekeeping?

by: Jon Chan.

POST COMMENT

Dell's commitment - towards Customers and Partners It Support Services. What Is That All About? Seo Services - What Is It? Getting Hvac Service To Get Better Efficiency Benefits of Outsourcing the Link Building Services Managed Hosting Provider - Getting The Right Services With A Managed Host Benefits of Escort Services in the Contemporary Age Tips For Choosing Efficient Web Hosting Services Considerations for Choosing a Landscaping Service Provider Engaging Customers with Facebook Applications Hajj | Hajj Services By Chicagohajj.com Avert Disaster By Using First Aid Services For Your Next Event Visa Application Service: Advantages