Comments on: Don’t Hide From Customers http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/ Learn beneficial marketing and business principles from everyday experiences Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:08:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Joe Rawlinson http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-289 Joe Rawlinson Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:52:58 +0000 http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/#comment-289 Jared: Thanks for your comments. I like your idea of building T&T (training and trust). As a manager myself, I whole heartedly agree with you that independent, trained, and trusted workers free me up to focus on bigger opportunities and problems. The distractions of day to day logistics can too easily bog down longer term objectives. Jared: Thanks for your comments. I like your idea of building T&T (training and trust). As a manager myself, I whole heartedly agree with you that independent, trained, and trusted workers free me up to focus on bigger opportunities and problems. The distractions of day to day logistics can too easily bog down longer term objectives.

]]> By: Jared Chandler http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-288 Jared Chandler Fri, 02 Feb 2007 11:21:04 +0000 http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/#comment-288 Employee empowerment is often a key to customer satisfaction. It is an essential activity if a business desires to keep customers returning(or gain new customers via word of mouth). Empowering employees should free managment's time to think of ideas that make more money. The question to ask, in regards to the hotel situation, is why did something so simple as discounted rates, returned fees, and service delivery need escalation to management. For line level employees to feel empowered, management must invest in T&T(training and trust). It does not appear that this desk clerk had these investments put toward him. Lower paying jobs, such as front desk work, do not pay very well. Many companies then simply do not invest time and funds toward employee development. This is a mistake too often made in the service and fast food industries. I think I hire smartly. So, I have the right mix in my group(and i believe that is a skill in itself that managers need to build). If I train my teams and empower them(who are very much assets and not liabilities on the "books" for me) then I am free to think of business processes that save money and leverage corporate investment. This is the only way that I have personally had time to work on Six Sigma projects. BTW, I enjoy reading the commententary and comments on this site. I take a look at it every so often and it helps me think of ways that I might keep my own customers satisfied. Thanks to my mother in law for pointing me to it a while back. God Bless, Jared Employee empowerment is often a key to customer satisfaction. It is an essential activity if a business desires to keep customers returning(or gain new customers via word of mouth). Empowering employees should free managment’s time to think of ideas that make more money.

The question to ask, in regards to the hotel situation, is why did something so simple as discounted rates, returned fees, and service delivery need escalation to management. For line level employees to feel empowered, management must invest in T&T(training and trust). It does not appear that this desk clerk had these investments put toward him.

Lower paying jobs, such as front desk work, do not pay very well. Many companies then simply do not invest time and funds toward employee development. This is a mistake too often made in the service and fast food industries.

I think I hire smartly. So, I have the right mix in my group(and i believe that is a skill in itself that managers need to build). If I train my teams and empower them(who are very much assets and not liabilities on the “books” for me) then I am free to think of business processes that save money and leverage corporate investment. This is the only way that I have personally had time to work on Six Sigma projects.

BTW, I enjoy reading the commententary and comments on this site. I take a look at it every so often and it helps me think of ways that I might keep my own customers satisfied. Thanks to my mother in law for pointing me to it a while back.

God Bless,

Jared

]]> By: Joe Rawlinson http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-267 Joe Rawlinson Wed, 24 Jan 2007 01:56:18 +0000 http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/#comment-267 Glenn: Absolutely. <a href="http://www.returncustomer.com/2005/10/28/empowered-employees-save-sales/">Employee empowerment</a> can solve a lot of customer problems. In the experience my Dad had with his hotel, he specifically asked to see the manager when he went to the front desk. I suppose an empowered employee could have asked how he or she could be of assistance. However, the clerk immediately deferred any action to the manager. This was good in that the clerk did what my father asked but bad in that the issue probably could have been solved without the need to escalate. Glenn: Absolutely. Employee empowerment can solve a lot of customer problems.

In the experience my Dad had with his hotel, he specifically asked to see the manager when he went to the front desk. I suppose an empowered employee could have asked how he or she could be of assistance. However, the clerk immediately deferred any action to the manager. This was good in that the clerk did what my father asked but bad in that the issue probably could have been solved without the need to escalate.

]]> By: Glenn (Customer Service Experience) Ross http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-266 Glenn (Customer Service Experience) Ross Tue, 23 Jan 2007 23:24:24 +0000 http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/#comment-266 I've seen the acme of this in an incident at a Four Seasons where the clerk immediately refunded the guests' full night stay because they have several complaints. He didn't even think, it was almost instinctual. I've also seen the exact opposite when a desk clerk argued with the guest. Bottom line: Empower your employees. Regards, Glenn I’ve seen the acme of this in an incident at a Four Seasons where the clerk immediately refunded the guests’ full night stay because they have several complaints. He didn’t even think, it was almost instinctual.

I’ve also seen the exact opposite when a desk clerk argued with the guest.

Bottom line: Empower your employees.

Regards,

Glenn

]]> By: Joe Rawlinson http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-265 Joe Rawlinson Tue, 23 Jan 2007 01:13:00 +0000 http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/#comment-265 Phil: You're right. The less the front line employees do, the more that will fall back to management to correct. In the example I share my Dad's issues should have been resolved the first time. Prompt and accurate resolution of the problem would have eliminated the need for manager involvement or discounts. Phil: You’re right. The less the front line employees do, the more that will fall back to management to correct. In the example I share my Dad’s issues should have been resolved the first time. Prompt and accurate resolution of the problem would have eliminated the need for manager involvement or discounts.

]]> By: Phil Greazel http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-264 Phil Greazel Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:23:11 +0000 http://www.returncustomer.com/2007/01/22/dont-hide-from-customers/#comment-264 Another option is to create an atmosphere where good employees stick around. Then you can train them and have the trust in them to the point where they are empowered to rectify this situation before it escalates to the manager. Somebody in this equation didn't respect the customer enough to solve the problem and make amends prior to throwing it onto the manager's plate. Is it there more blame on the employee for not providing good service or the manager for not managing to the proper expectations? Another option is to create an atmosphere where good employees stick around. Then you can train them and have the trust in them to the point where they are empowered to rectify this situation before it escalates to the manager. Somebody in this equation didn’t respect the customer enough to solve the problem and make amends prior to throwing it onto the manager’s plate. Is it there more blame on the employee for not providing good service or the manager for not managing to the proper expectations?

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