My husband and I have a long standing Saturday morning ritual. We walk our dog (an elderly but still lovable Golden Retriever) to a local café for a latte or two and have a debrief about our business week. Initially, we tried a different café every time, but we’ve gradually whittled the list down to one real favourite. Why? Because rain, hail or shine, we get consistent, great coffee and really friendly service – regardless of which staff member takes care of us. Sure, we love having a chat to the owners if they’re on site, but whether or not they are there, the staff delivers the goods. Are you confident all of your staff provides a consistent customer experience? If you’re not sure, or you know you have problems in this area, try workshopping the issue with them. You could start with the areas where there might be inconsistencies. Things you might consider:
- Greetings. it’s important to be authentic here (I’m not a fan of scripts), but the basic approach should be agreed.
- Information gathering techniques. How do we establish what the customer needs?
- Up-selling practices. Once we know what they want, are there related products they could offer?
- Pricing policies (particularly if you allow staff to negotiate on prices).
- Complaints handling.
Think about what your customers expect. And what approach your business needs. For each area, you need to create a “best practice” standard that is consistently achievable. It shouldn’t be a straight jacket, but core values and expectations need to be clear. Test each part of the system – then review and adjust if necessary. Once everyone is satisfied with the result, add it to your standard procedures, and make sure the information is readily available to all staff (not gathering dust on a back office shelf). Training new staff is easy once you have this in place. Unambiguous guidelines on customer service remove uncertainty for staff. That really helps to lower stress, boost confidence and make your workplace a more productive and happier place. And it’s likely to encourage the right customers to come back.
