| About 20 years ago while I worked for American | | | | employees. It's not enough to merely set an |
| Stores Company (now part of Albertson's) I headed | | | | example, employees must hear, and hear again, |
| up a customer service program named "Smile and | | | | specifically what is expected of them with respect to |
| Speak Up." Employees attended a two-hour | | | | customer treatment. I once encountered the |
| customer service training class and then tried to be | | | | president of a retail chain who told his employees, |
| seen being courteous to customers by mystery | | | | "Whenever one of our faithful guests has a question, |
| shoppers who visited stores twice each week for | | | | I want you to remember my motto. My motto is |
| ten weeks. An employee could win small cash | | | | 'The answer is yes, what's your question?'" He |
| rewards plus the recognition of being a winner. My | | | | communicated his expectation that loyal customers |
| job was to organize the program and take to various | | | | were the life-blood of the store and everything |
| groups of stores.Most people associated with the | | | | within reason should be done to keep them coming |
| Smith and Speak Up program praised our efforts to | | | | back.Customer Service and Management Leadership |
| improve customer service in the stores. The wife of | | | | Training is the fifth element. Because everyone isn't |
| the chairman of the board, for example, once told | | | | naturally effective at delivering customer service, and |
| me that she could see a difference where the | | | | there are some techniques that work better than |
| program had been implemented. But even with the | | | | others, it is vital that every employee receive |
| general acceptance of the program, I was never | | | | adequate customer service training. In fact, to create |
| convinced of its effectiveness. This is why.True | | | | a culture of high service, employees must receive |
| customer service in a retail store is a combination of | | | | regular training. Management leadership training |
| five basic elements: (1) organizational culture, (2) | | | | creates a front-of-mind-awareness that determines |
| employee temperament, (3) leadership example, (4) | | | | not only what is important, but also how things are |
| communicated expectations, and (5) management | | | | to be done. Unfortunately, most customer service |
| leadership training. My good friend Chuck Coonradt | | | | training consists of nothing more than "retail charm |
| once defined organizational culture as the way things | | | | school." Smiling and speaking up to customers you |
| really work when the boss isn't looking. At a | | | | encounter in the aisle isn't enough. Real opportunities |
| Nordstrom department store, for example, I | | | | for customer service all too often happen when |
| generally experience superior customer service, even | | | | something goes wrong. For example, out of stocks, |
| when the boss of the clerk serving me isn't looking. | | | | price checks, voids, refunds, returns, and exchanges |
| That's because over an extended period of time | | | | are prime situations where a customer can be won |
| Nordstrom has created an organizational culture of | | | | or lost, depending on what the employee says and |
| superior customer service. How was this | | | | does while handling the transaction. Employees must |
| accomplished? The leaders of the organization had to | | | | be trained in specific methods and techniques of how |
| not only communicate the importance of exemplary | | | | to handle these special situations, or customers can |
| customer service, but they also had to personally | | | | be lost for life.The five elements of customer service |
| demonstrate high levels of service with their own | | | | are a framework to develop a climate or culture for |
| actions. Then, over time they created a culture | | | | consistent superior service. It's important to |
| helped define employee behavior.The second element | | | | remember that the issue really isn't "customer |
| is employee temperament, which is a technical term | | | | service." More accurately, it's creating a memorable |
| for what we commonly call personality. It is true that | | | | experience for customers. Don't forget that |
| some temperaments are better suited to deliver | | | | customers return to stores that are memorable, and |
| superior customer service than others. Sorry, but it's | | | | they don't return to stores that are forgettable. |
| true. But that does not mean that those of us | | | | What are you creating in your store, a memorable or |
| whose personality isn't naturally well suited toward | | | | forgettable climate?Consider the PE formula where P |
| customer service can't improve our skills above our | | | | equals the customer perception of what actually |
| natural inclinations. As evidence, stores that have | | | | happens while shopping in a store. And E equals the |
| consistent customer service are not staffed with | | | | customer's expectation of what will probably happen |
| employees of the same personality. Rather, the store | | | | when he or she does shop a store. If P equals E |
| has set a high standard and communicates its | | | | then the store did exactly what the customer |
| expectations to every employee, regardless of his or | | | | expected. If P is less than E the store fell short of |
| her personality.The third element is the example of | | | | the customer's expectation. And, if P exceeds E the |
| customer service demonstrated by the leaders. It is | | | | store did something more than what the customer |
| foolish for a leader to expect his or her employees | | | | expected. The only truly positive memorable |
| to deliver customer service at any level higher than | | | | experience is where P exceeds E. That must be our |
| what the employee sees on a daily basis from the | | | | goal.Superior customer service, that is memorable, |
| leader. In other words, the leader determines the | | | | can be defined as a situation where the shopping |
| upper control limit of service in a department, store, | | | | experience exceeds the customer's expectation of |
| or company. Watch the company president, vice | | | | what was going to happen. This means a clean and |
| president, or district manager while visiting a store | | | | safe store, where desired products are in stock and |
| and you'll see a demonstration of the upper control | | | | easily located, where employees are friendly and |
| limit of service. As an example, for over 20 years I | | | | helpful, and where the checkout is accurate and fast. |
| have shopped a supermarket only a few blocks from | | | | Effective customer service is far more than merely |
| my home. Without exaggeration I have shopped that | | | | being caught by a mystery shopper saying something |
| store over 1,000 times. And in all of those visits there | | | | nice to a customer. That's why I had a problem with |
| have been five instances where an employee has | | | | the smile game I played 20 years ago. It was nothing |
| spoken to me on the sales floor. Lately I find myself | | | | more than a band- aid or a temporary fix to a very |
| playing a game of walking near employees, just to | | | | complex problem. The good news is that I think I've |
| see if I can hear a "Hello," or heaven forbid | | | | learned a lot since the Smile and Speak Up days.Dr. |
| something like, "What could I help you find?" What's | | | | Richard L. Williams is a business consultant specializing |
| the problem? At the least it's the example set in | | | | in performance coaching, quality improvement, team |
| store and company leadership by example.The fourth | | | | development, and leadership development.To learn |
| element is the extent to which the leaders have | | | | more about management leadership training, visit our |
| effectively communicated their expectations to the | | | | website or contact us at 888-262-2499. |