On a training programme I attended the other day, we were running a little late and the trainer asked her assistant to double-check whether we could have lunch a quarter of an hour later than scheduled. The answer from the kitchen staff was categorically “No”, We’d booked it for 12.45 pm and that was when we were going to get it. Clearly, the chef was not aware of the principles of customer service.
However, how should we view our customer service when we look at it in relation to managing the staff?
Having worked hard to attract suitable people within the business, it strikes me that at the moment, there are some really unfortunate messages getting out. The other day, Billy, a young banker, was talking to me about how his boss had, during a performance appraisal discussion, led him to believe that if in 5 years time Billy was still with the bank, he certainly wouldn’t have reached Director status. This came as a terrible shock to Billy, who thought he was doing a good job, and so he immediately set about trying to find himself another job. His devotion to his existing job was noted by some of the more senior people within the bank, who actually queried why he was looking for another job. There were some seriously mixed messages going on!
The concept of looking after the people we’ve worked hard to attract into our businesses, may be novel, but if we don’t there will be no return on the investment. The glitzy bonuses will have worn off with the Spring sunshine. Your organisation has to work hard to make sure that the managers you employ are actually capable of doing the job, so that you don’t lose your customers but nor do you lose your good staff!
So what can you do? Using a competency framework helps to establish standards of behaviour, with detailed examples of how you expect somebody to manage their people in particular. Many organisations will hold their performance appraisal discussions in the Spring so why not run your process through the following checklist:
1. When did you last review the competency framework in your appraisal system?
2. How relevant are the competencies and the descriptions of behaviour? Have you changed or improved these recently? Do they connect with your core values?
3. When did you last organise training for your managers to make sure they are passing on the right messages and undertake appraisals effectively?
4. How do you check that the appraisals are being conducted fairly and reasonably, in line with the organisation’s overall standard? What form of “grandfather review” do you undertake?
5. If you do identify any actions as a result of the appraisal discussions, how do you know that these get actioned or implemented; how do you manage managers?
6. What external performance indicators do you use, such as client satisfaction surveys, lost or retained customers, customer recommendation or complaints? All of these help you to establish whether your management team are delivering against their job expectation.
7. Why not use a staff survey to check how your staff are feeling about the way they are being managed?
You need to make sure you are providing the right level of management and leadership in your organisation, otherwise the cost of lost customers, and replacing superb staff like Billy, will cost you more in lost profits.
Don’t ignore this part of the return on investment equation!
Patricia
For more information on the ideas and processes raised here do contact Patricia at Trafalgar – the People Business specializes in Managing Change and Performance Management. Contact us on: patricia@patriciawheatleyburt.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7565 7547 www.trafalgarpeople.com