From our August Home and Garden publication: Perceptions

Worker:

1. You have a summer or seasonal job. The goal for you most likely is to make as much money as you can during the summer break. You work in catering, at a coffee shop, a hotel cleaning rooms or you’re a server. Most likely you view your job as a temporary gig, not super important to you in the grand scheme of things. Your priorities are making money, making friends at work, maybe seeing your friends come in as customers. This job isn’t that important to you.

Customer:

2. You’re a guest checking into a hotel or a customer grabbing a coffee. The people you meet at the front desk, the housekeepers in the hallway or the barista serving you your snack are there “doing their job” — they serve a purpose to get you what you want in the short term. Your priority is being with your colleagues, friends and family. The people you’ve encountered don’t get as much of your time, attention or respect as the owner of the business would get from you.

Owner:

3. You own a business that employs seasonal staff. The attitude is that in your industry turnover is just high and there’s nothing to do about it. People who take jobs paying minimum wage or just above minimum wage won’t stick around long, so why invest in much training?

Shape shifter

If you’ve identified with any of the above (no shame or judgment here, I’ve been there myself), would you entertain a change in perspective?

Worker:

1. Your seasonal job matters A LOT. You have incredible power and influence on the tips you receive, the financial success of the place you work and on the connections you do (or don’t) make with customers. Those customers may open the next door for you in your career. That customer might be the big financial donor for your next passion project. You can have a huge positive influence on your community and the business.

Customer:

2. The people who are serving you, making your room up or preparing your coffee are worthy of your eye contact, a smile and a kind gesture. They’re people. They matter. They are someone’s child or spouse. We don’t know by looking if they’ve been abused, berated or shamed by the people who raised them. Hopefully they have been uplifted and encouraged, but we don’t know, do we? It takes just a moment to put the phone down, to look the person in the eye, to smile and say thank you. This matters.

Owner:

3. Frontline customer service staff are the face of your business. THEY are the ones interacting and serving the customers and guests that pay you money, frequent your business, allow you to be financially secure. They’re pivotal to your success. Customers will forgive a “mediocre mocha” IF their interaction with staff was positive and connecting. Customers won’t be back, bring people they want to impress or leave a great review if they have the BEST coffee (product) and the staff made them feel like an inconvenience, a bother or an interruption.

“Delivering great care is not just the right thing to do; it also makes great business sense. Seven in 10 U.S. consumers say they’ve spent more money to do business with a company that delivers great service,” Raymond Joabar, executive vice president of American Express’ servicing organization.

A new perspective

Imagine staff confident with their skills to transform irritated customers into people who love your business, who KNOW they make a difference AND are equipped to delight customers and guests, increasing tips and generating more revenue.

This not only increases customer loyalty, it leads to positive word-of-mouth marketing, increases profitability AND improves our communities.

Besides being a heck-of-a-lot of fun, empowering staff with training to create happy customers is key to creating a profitable, successful business (and being able to put your feet up).

For everyone interested in training to inspire, train, and empower staff to transform customers to loyal fans, connect to see how I might support you: Samantha@Kaizen.Zone.