• Posted on Mar 5, 2020

Informed. Well-trained. Customer focused. Your employees have the power to transform your business and grow your customer base.

Our featured image depicts a customer (Jack who is not pictured) who has walked up the service counter while a salesperson is assisting a couple. He needs to ask the salesperson a question about the difference between the in store and online price of a coffee pot. The salesperson is in the process of researching a product online for the couple. Jack stands patiently waiting. He is never greeted nor acknowledged by the salesperson. Finally, the salesperson finishes assisting the couple. Three minutes later—after Jack has been standing and waiting. So, what did Jack do for three minutes? He scrolled his social media pages. What would you have done if you were Jack? Would you have patiently waited like Jack did? Or, would you have simply walked away never to return to that storefront?

Think customer service 101. A customer focused employee delivers next level customer service by extending a proper greeting and/or some form of acknowledgement within 15 seconds of a customer’s presence. If you think fifteen seconds is too short for an interactive connection, simply stand up and count for fifteen seconds. We’re talking about 15 seconds of someone standing directly in front of a salesperson and not being greeted or acknowledged. Now, stand up and count for 180 seconds (three minutes).

Within 15 seconds, a properly trained employee would have acknowledged Jack by saying, “Good afternoon, Sir. I’ll be with you momentarily.” A next level employee’s response would have been, “Good afternoon, Sir. I’m researching some information for these customers. I’ll be with you momentarily. Please feel free to look around. I’ll be with you as quickly as possible.” Or, the salesperson could have called for back-up assistance to help Jack, if available.

Think customer service 101. Did the salesperson make a positive impression on Jack? Probably not! But, it’s not an interaction beyond redirecting. As a leader/business owner, your goal is to create and continuously reinforce a next level customer focused mindset for your employees. Below are some tips that will guide you in engaging your employees to have a next level customer focused mindset:

* Share with your employees the financial goals of your business/organization and its current relationship with customers (internal/external).

* Communicate your vision and expectations to your employees.

* Articulate to your employees how they align with your vision and expectations so you can facilitate their buy-in.

* Explain to your employees the “why” behind your vision and expectations to provide insights related to the benefits of having employees who embrace and foster a customer focused mindset.

* Describe to your employees the impact of a customer’s chain reaction to poor customer service.

* Identify moments of truths to your employees so your employees will know when they did not meet your customer focused expectations.

* Solicit feedback from your employees to understand their needs related to support and resources.

* Offer targeted training to your employees on how to create memorable moments and lasting impressions on your customers.

Always remember! Informed, well-trained, customer focused employees will transform your business and grow your customer base thereby positioning your business/organization for next level success.