8 Top Tips on empowering your people to deliver a great customer experience
29/06/2009
From this recent research it has become apparent that during difficult times employers need to focus on engaging their staff effectively so that businesses can reap the rewards from customer loyalty and increased market share.
These eight tips will focus you on getting the best out of your people to ensure your customers receive an outstanding service.
1. Right Behaviours must start at the very top – Senior members of an organisation must set an example for their people, as the way they treat employees is reflective of how they will treat customers.
Hint: A standard must be set and EVERYBODY adhere to it.
2. Hire the right People – Getting the right people on board is essential when looking to engage all employees. The right people for your organisation can be determined once you know and understand your customer expectations. A culture can then be created to reflect and compliment these expectations.
Hint: Technical aspects of a job are easy to train people up on, customer focus and interpersonal skills are not, so hire people with these skills. Your people need to have the behaviour your brand requires and the values integral to it.
3.Provide training that will make your people deliver experiences – New employees cannot instantly utilise their attitudes, skills, and knowledge to deliver great customer experiences, in the same way that existing employees cannot transform theirs. All training needs to incorporate the values of the brand, as well as the knowledge, attitude and skills to deliver them.
Hint: People are a living extension of the brand, they need to bring the values to life and deliver directly to customers.
4. Ensure all your people have a development plan – Your people want a job that is worthwhile and turns them on. Development is needed as a form of recognition and reward for their efforts, and must be matched to their own needs and wants. Forward progression will also ensure that a positive mentality is kept.
Hint: Set a plan in place and ADHERE to it. If development is not encouraged, then drive and motivation is lost.
5. Communicate effectively – Communication is a key to success for most organisations, and therefore must be frequent and effective to keep everyone on board. This allows you to communicate the expectations you have and the behaviour you would like to see.
Hint: Communicate everything on all levels. Business plan objectives and goals should be embraced throughout the organisation so that your people have an understanding of the bigger picture and a willingness to go beyond the requirements of the job.
6.Ensure your people treat each other fairly – A positive successful environment can only be created if your people have respect and time for each other. A willingness to help each other strengthens the team and therefore strengthens the positive message that is then passed onto customers.
Hint: Regular team building exercises and rewards will keep your team bonded and focused on the same goal.
7.Allow, listen, and value – All your people should be able to voice their opinions, managers should listen and views should be valued. If they are to treat each other fairly, then all people should be treated fairly by those above them also. Your people will feel more valued as employees if they know they are being listened to and that their thoughts and suggestions are considered. This can help to prevent tension and de-motivation within your organisation.
Hint: Appraisals and regular one to one’s provide the perfect opportunity to put this into practice, by allowing each employee their own time to have their say and be heard.
8. Look after your People's health and well-being – Employers must be committed to their employees well-being and this commitment must be visible. All staff need to know that they are cared for and that their needs are put first in order to keep a positive mentality throughout the organisation.
Hint: Encourage healthy lifestyles to all your people, as well as the need to turn off from work after office hours. Reward systems can also work effectively here by keeping all employees in a positive frame of mind.
Author: Lynsey Blackburn
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