Most organizations have put considerable time and money into developing a benefits package that is a positive for their employees. Rightly, they expect that these benefits will contribute to a positive work environment and overall engagement.
However, Andy Philpott of Accor Services (one of the UK's leading providers of employee benefits, rewards and loyalty services), reports that in a recent study they conducted of rewards, benefits and employee engagement that only one-third of employers (33%) believed staff understand what benefits are available.
More concerning is that just one in five employees (21%) claim to have a good understanding of the value of the benefits available and one in 10 admit they have no clue about the value of these benefits.
Employees also seemed unsure whether their pay, benefits and incentives packages were competitive when compared with people doing similar jobs in similar organisations. Only 33% felt their company was competitive on pay, 25% on benefits and just 17% felt their organisation offered competitive incentives.
It is critical that we communicate the value of our benefits package effectively to staff. Successful communication is an foundational element in building employee engagement and the resulting performance, motivation and productivity benefits are not maximized if people are unaware of what the benefits are.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Showing posts with label Employee Engagement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Employee Engagement. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The new old rules of engagement
Not that we need to say it again, but more recent research confirms that increasing employee engagement increases performance. Most boardrooms see employee engagement as a key priority for the future and investment in engagement is set to grow -- even in the current economic environment.
This is a key finding of a comprehensive study of engagement practice undertaken in the UK, commissioned by employee engagement consultancy, Engage Group.
The survey of nearly 23,600 directors, managers and employees, conducted during October 2008 , reveals that effective engagement can demonstrably improve an organisation's performance.
A high level of employee engagement is one of the top three drivers of an organisation's performance, and nearly a third of the UK's senior leaders see a fully-engaged workforce as one of the most critical factors in their organisation's success.
Key findings from the report are as follows;
- Effective engagement can demonstrably improve an organisation’s performance
- Most boardrooms see engagement as a key priority for the future and net investment in engagement is set to grow, even in the current economic environment
- Despite growing board support for engagement, most employees still feel disengaged from their organisation – board buy-in has not yet, according to employees, been translated into action
- ‘New world’ aspects of engagement, particularly the appetite and ability of leaders at every level to share power and engage people in decision-making, emerge as powerful new elements of engagement
- Delivering on the ‘new engagement agenda’ will result in more engaged employees, more committed customers and faster growth
- Forceful ‘command & control’ styles of leadership have little, no or even a negative impact on engagement and performance levels – less than 40% of employees view their leader(s) as effective
- Employee satisfaction, the oldest assumed element of employee engagement, sinks near the bottom of the list of influential factors
- Internal measurement lags behind external measures of performance – only 28% of board members claim to use robust internal measures of employee engagement
- This study confirms an earlier thesis, the outcome of an extensive research programme carried out in partnership with McKinsey & Company, that the drivers of employee engagement are steadily shifting towards a new inclusiveness
For those of us who live in the world of employee engagement this comes as no surprise, but for those clients who are still struggling to find the time, money or motivation, maybe this will help.
You can download a complete copy of the full report at Engage Group.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
Robert Fulghum is the author of All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. As his title suggests, his basic premise is that what we learned everything important that we need to be a success in business and in life in kindergarten.
But let's make another comparison. How about all we need to learn about employee engagement we learned by observing kindergarten.
Think about your early days in school. Were you excited about going, learning, playing, meeting new people, and having new experiences? I suspect many of us were. When thinking back about our school days, our early grades were some of the most fun and also where we learned the most of our basic skills (i.e. the 3 R's).
So what happened as we got older and started to be less interested in school? What was the difference?
For the sake of discussion, I would propose were were less engaged because the learning environment became less about the student exploring, working together and more about the teachers dictating what we needed to know and lecturing about the subjects. Much less interactive.
Of course, we all had a great teachers in high school. But if you look at what made them great it was often the way they engaged the class versus simply "teaching" the material.
I think there is a lesson here. How can we take the best from kindergarten and incorporate it into our work environment? How do we re-inspire people to learn and grow based on the culture we set up?
What did we learn from our experience in kindergarten that we have forgotten?
Cheers!
Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
But let's make another comparison. How about all we need to learn about employee engagement we learned by observing kindergarten.
Think about your early days in school. Were you excited about going, learning, playing, meeting new people, and having new experiences? I suspect many of us were. When thinking back about our school days, our early grades were some of the most fun and also where we learned the most of our basic skills (i.e. the 3 R's).
So what happened as we got older and started to be less interested in school? What was the difference?
For the sake of discussion, I would propose were were less engaged because the learning environment became less about the student exploring, working together and more about the teachers dictating what we needed to know and lecturing about the subjects. Much less interactive.
Of course, we all had a great teachers in high school. But if you look at what made them great it was often the way they engaged the class versus simply "teaching" the material.
I think there is a lesson here. How can we take the best from kindergarten and incorporate it into our work environment? How do we re-inspire people to learn and grow based on the culture we set up?
What did we learn from our experience in kindergarten that we have forgotten?
Cheers!
Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Hire for Character not competence
Hiring properly is one of the keys to engaged employees -- making sure that the people you hire are the kind of people you want as part of your team.
I recently went to the hardware store looking for a part for a door. The first person pointed me in the right direction - no luck. I asked a second person who directed me to a third person who directed me to a fourth person.
Finally the fourth person took me directly to the appropriate section and then when they were also unable to find the correct part, looked on the computer to find it.
Everyone one in this chain had the "competence" of knowing where to look, but only 1 person had the "character" to make the time to take me there.
At Pret a Manger, they hire happy people and teach them how to make sandwiches versus trying to teach people who know how to make sandwiches how to be happy.
Be clear on the character you want and then make sure your hiring practices build in the behavioural requirements.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
I recently went to the hardware store looking for a part for a door. The first person pointed me in the right direction - no luck. I asked a second person who directed me to a third person who directed me to a fourth person.
Finally the fourth person took me directly to the appropriate section and then when they were also unable to find the correct part, looked on the computer to find it.
Everyone one in this chain had the "competence" of knowing where to look, but only 1 person had the "character" to make the time to take me there.
At Pret a Manger, they hire happy people and teach them how to make sandwiches versus trying to teach people who know how to make sandwiches how to be happy.
Be clear on the character you want and then make sure your hiring practices build in the behavioural requirements.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Thursday, November 13, 2008
No need for cutbacks in Employee Engagement
The 2008 Hewitt Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand were announced recently and there were a couple insights worth mentioning.
Not surprisingly study insights show a clear link between levels of employee engagement and virtually every measure of company performance. For example, Best Employers generated an average of 1-1/2 times more revenue and 2-1/2 times more profit per employee than the lower ranked organisations.
According to David Brown, market manager of Hewitt Australia and New Zealand: "The factors that drive employee engagement are a direct reflection on our changing social landscape. There are some universal factors that we see coming up again and again from year to year, such as;
Given the current economic climate, no company can absorb these additional costs as a result of cuts that negatively impact employee engagement.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Not surprisingly study insights show a clear link between levels of employee engagement and virtually every measure of company performance. For example, Best Employers generated an average of 1-1/2 times more revenue and 2-1/2 times more profit per employee than the lower ranked organisations.
According to David Brown, market manager of Hewitt Australia and New Zealand: "The factors that drive employee engagement are a direct reflection on our changing social landscape. There are some universal factors that we see coming up again and again from year to year, such as;
- career opportunities,
- recognition for work successes, and
- feeling that one's work makes a contribution.
- building a company culture that fosters productivity by 'walking the talk' and having company values that align with employees' personal values;
- having middle managers who understand and support business strategies; and
- building a diverse workforce."
Given the current economic climate, no company can absorb these additional costs as a result of cuts that negatively impact employee engagement.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Monday, October 20, 2008
Empowering Employees
Last summer my family had a chance to travel to western Canada and one of the outstanding places we had the opportunity to visit was the Columbia Icefields in northern Alberta - just south of Jasper. Truly an awesome part of our great country.
Years ago we decided that wherever we travelled we would collect small photographic fridge magnets to commemorate the many stops along our travels. Resultant when we were at the Icefields I looked for a Fridge Magnet for our collection.
However, in the vast selection of magnets at the souvenir shop there were none that showed the Icefield. There were lots of animals, other local attractions, generic Alberta, but none of the Icefields.
When I enquired of staff if they had any, they apologized and told me that they received a shipment only once each week and they always ran out of the Icefield magnets before the next shipment.
What an interesting commentary on the company. Here the front line staff knew exactly what the problem was, yet either no one had asked them, they had not been encouraged to provide this input, or worse, they has already provided this input and it had been ignored.
If feedback is not actively solicited and expected, then you are missing a huge insight into your customers needs. In addition to making input a central part of your culture, make sure that as part of your research plans you are building in a process to gather this input.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is working with (private and public) organizations to improve business performance by engaging employee teams to focus on the internal and external customer and deliver an intentional service experience that exceeds expectations and creates a point of differentiation from the competition.
He is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Years ago we decided that wherever we travelled we would collect small photographic fridge magnets to commemorate the many stops along our travels. Resultant when we were at the Icefields I looked for a Fridge Magnet for our collection.
However, in the vast selection of magnets at the souvenir shop there were none that showed the Icefield. There were lots of animals, other local attractions, generic Alberta, but none of the Icefields.
When I enquired of staff if they had any, they apologized and told me that they received a shipment only once each week and they always ran out of the Icefield magnets before the next shipment.
What an interesting commentary on the company. Here the front line staff knew exactly what the problem was, yet either no one had asked them, they had not been encouraged to provide this input, or worse, they has already provided this input and it had been ignored.
If feedback is not actively solicited and expected, then you are missing a huge insight into your customers needs. In addition to making input a central part of your culture, make sure that as part of your research plans you are building in a process to gather this input.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is working with (private and public) organizations to improve business performance by engaging employee teams to focus on the internal and external customer and deliver an intentional service experience that exceeds expectations and creates a point of differentiation from the competition.
He is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Friday, October 3, 2008
Pret a Manger vs. The Ritz-Carlton - Part 2
A further similarity between key business practices between Pret a Manger (UK sandwich shop) and The Ritz-Carlton is in the area of empowering employees. After all, given their focus on hiring for character, doesn’t it make sense to allow these great people to do what they do naturally (with some guidelines of course).
Like The Ritz-Carlton, they are also empowered to make sure the customer is satisfied.
At Pret a Manger, each team member is empowered from their first day at work to make their own decisions. For example, if you complain that you didn’t like your coffee at your local Pret, it is up to the team member you speak with, to decide how to resolve the situation. If you are spotted struggling with bags, team members are welcome to leave their post and go and help. It’s a question of using the common sense and respect that Pret looks for when it hires people.
Jay Chapman, Head of Communications, says, “It’s not uncommon to find that if you’ve been to Pret for your lunch every day for a week, the person behind the till will recognise you and decide to give you Friday for free. The manager keeps an eye on things, but overall the team members are empowered to make their own decisions”.
Result, Pret’s customers are happy. On average, 60% of feedback received by the Pret a Manger customer service department is either positive or neutral. Pret has not only succeeded in engaging their employees but their clients as well.
And why not? Jay’s philosophy is “If you treat your employees well and involve them in the decisions that will affect them, they’re much more likely to be engaged in carrying out the effects of those decisions.”
It comes as no surprise that both companies have both high employee engagement and high customer satisfaction. When you hire the right people for the job -- and then let them do the job, you will have happy, engaged staff, and it turn happy, satisfied customers.
Check out the full article if you haven’t already done so.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is exceptional customer service -- internally and externally. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand values and deliver an intentional customer service experience that exceeds expectations.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Like The Ritz-Carlton, they are also empowered to make sure the customer is satisfied.
At Pret a Manger, each team member is empowered from their first day at work to make their own decisions. For example, if you complain that you didn’t like your coffee at your local Pret, it is up to the team member you speak with, to decide how to resolve the situation. If you are spotted struggling with bags, team members are welcome to leave their post and go and help. It’s a question of using the common sense and respect that Pret looks for when it hires people.
Jay Chapman, Head of Communications, says, “It’s not uncommon to find that if you’ve been to Pret for your lunch every day for a week, the person behind the till will recognise you and decide to give you Friday for free. The manager keeps an eye on things, but overall the team members are empowered to make their own decisions”.
Result, Pret’s customers are happy. On average, 60% of feedback received by the Pret a Manger customer service department is either positive or neutral. Pret has not only succeeded in engaging their employees but their clients as well.
And why not? Jay’s philosophy is “If you treat your employees well and involve them in the decisions that will affect them, they’re much more likely to be engaged in carrying out the effects of those decisions.”
It comes as no surprise that both companies have both high employee engagement and high customer satisfaction. When you hire the right people for the job -- and then let them do the job, you will have happy, engaged staff, and it turn happy, satisfied customers.
Check out the full article if you haven’t already done so.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is exceptional customer service -- internally and externally. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand values and deliver an intentional customer service experience that exceeds expectations.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Monday, September 29, 2008
Pret a Manger vs. The Ritz-Carlton
I came across an excellent post in The Insider that you should read if you haven’t already done so. It features an interview with Jay Chapman, Head of Communications at Pret a Manger (a sandwich shop chain).
The thing that struck me was the similarities between one of the key business practices between Pret a Manger and The Ritz-Carlton. They both place very high emphasis on recruitment.
Like The Ritz-Carlton, prior to formal interviews for any role, all candidates (for any position within Pret) must work on the shop floor for a day. The team who works there gets a say on whether the candidate will fit in with the team there or whether they would like the person to work for Pret. If the answer is no, the candidate isn’t hired.
In this way the shop teams make decisions on who the next Purchasing Manager, the next Customer Service Advisor and the next Property Director are. On top of that, all new recruits spend a week or two working in the shop at the start of their employment.
Pret invests a lot in their recruitment process to make sure that their business is filled with “Pret people” from top to bottom and they actively encourage employees to bring their own personalities to work.
Jay believes this investment pays off one hundredfold -- 60% of staff at Pret’s head office began life on the shop floor -- and they know the business inside out.
Incidentally, ‘head office’ is described by Pret people as, ‘Hudsons Place’. This is because the people at Hudsons Place truly don’t believe they are any more important than the people on the shop floor – they’re just fulfilling a different function. This attitude of respect, treating everyone the same seems to run throughout Pret.
That kind of attitude comes from the top and sets the tone for the entire organizational culture.
So regardless of what kind of business you are in there is a lesson to be learned about hiring. Determine the culture you want and then design your recruitment to find those people.
At Pret, there is one quality which is an absolute must if you want to join the team – happiness. “You can’t hire someone who can make sandwiches and teach them to be happy,” says Jay, “So we hire happy people and teach them to make sandwiches”. This is hiring based on character versus competence, which you then train.
What are the key qualities you need to hire for -- and importantly, how have you designed your recruitment process to find those people.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is exceptional customer service -- internally and externally. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand values and deliver an intentional customer service experience that exceeds expectations.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
The thing that struck me was the similarities between one of the key business practices between Pret a Manger and The Ritz-Carlton. They both place very high emphasis on recruitment.
Like The Ritz-Carlton, prior to formal interviews for any role, all candidates (for any position within Pret) must work on the shop floor for a day. The team who works there gets a say on whether the candidate will fit in with the team there or whether they would like the person to work for Pret. If the answer is no, the candidate isn’t hired.
In this way the shop teams make decisions on who the next Purchasing Manager, the next Customer Service Advisor and the next Property Director are. On top of that, all new recruits spend a week or two working in the shop at the start of their employment.
Pret invests a lot in their recruitment process to make sure that their business is filled with “Pret people” from top to bottom and they actively encourage employees to bring their own personalities to work.
Jay believes this investment pays off one hundredfold -- 60% of staff at Pret’s head office began life on the shop floor -- and they know the business inside out.
Incidentally, ‘head office’ is described by Pret people as, ‘Hudsons Place’. This is because the people at Hudsons Place truly don’t believe they are any more important than the people on the shop floor – they’re just fulfilling a different function. This attitude of respect, treating everyone the same seems to run throughout Pret.
That kind of attitude comes from the top and sets the tone for the entire organizational culture.
So regardless of what kind of business you are in there is a lesson to be learned about hiring. Determine the culture you want and then design your recruitment to find those people.
At Pret, there is one quality which is an absolute must if you want to join the team – happiness. “You can’t hire someone who can make sandwiches and teach them to be happy,” says Jay, “So we hire happy people and teach them to make sandwiches”. This is hiring based on character versus competence, which you then train.
What are the key qualities you need to hire for -- and importantly, how have you designed your recruitment process to find those people.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is exceptional customer service -- internally and externally. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand values and deliver an intentional customer service experience that exceeds expectations.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Engaging Employees
The Hay Group, a global HR management consulting firm, recently surveyed 500,000 employees from 300 companies to assess the satisfaction levels of “committed” employees -- those who said they would stay with their company for at least five years compared to those who would leave after one year. They discovered that of the fifty influencing factors, pay was ranked the lowest.
There is little doubt that in many industry sectors salary plays a significant role in attracting quality job candidates. However, what many of us really seek is validation for our work. “Show me my contribution matters to the organization” rather than “show me the money” is the underlying message that employers should focus on.
But how does a company demonstrate validation? Some things for consideration are;
Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
There is little doubt that in many industry sectors salary plays a significant role in attracting quality job candidates. However, what many of us really seek is validation for our work. “Show me my contribution matters to the organization” rather than “show me the money” is the underlying message that employers should focus on.
But how does a company demonstrate validation? Some things for consideration are;
- Offer interesting and varied work assignments
- Have a clear growth path and incorporate on-going training & development
- Provide tasks and projects that stimulate interest and give people the tools, processes and support needed to thrive and succeed, while being challenged
- Formally and informally acknowledge your employees’ contribution to you and your organization
- Actively solicit on-going feedback
- Express genuine and specific appreciation for a job well done in a timely manner
Let me know if you have some success stories you would like to share.
Cheers!Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Employee Engagement vs. Customer-Focus
Like many of you, I have Google Alerts update me on new posts, news and information about customer service. I am delighted to see that customer-focus is being discussed in many non customer service blogs -- project management, HR, Brand Management, Marketing etc.
I see this as a good sign that the importance of customer service is being recognized in all aspects of business.
In a recent post on Product Management Tips, I spotted an interesting post that discussed the order of importance between customer, employee and competitor. An argument could be made for a number of orders, but I agree with the moderator that the order should be employee, customer and finally competition.
I tell my clients that customer-focus should be an outcome -- not a goal. The goal is employee engagement, if we achieve that goal, then customer service will follow and resultant we will have a competitive advantage.
However, be careful that just because you are employee focused that your processes don't become organizational-focused versus customer-focused -- that is an easy trap to fall into.
When you talk about customer focus in your organization, do you consider it a goal or an outcome? How would this change the way you did things?
Let me know.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
I see this as a good sign that the importance of customer service is being recognized in all aspects of business.
In a recent post on Product Management Tips, I spotted an interesting post that discussed the order of importance between customer, employee and competitor. An argument could be made for a number of orders, but I agree with the moderator that the order should be employee, customer and finally competition.
I tell my clients that customer-focus should be an outcome -- not a goal. The goal is employee engagement, if we achieve that goal, then customer service will follow and resultant we will have a competitive advantage.
However, be careful that just because you are employee focused that your processes don't become organizational-focused versus customer-focused -- that is an easy trap to fall into.
When you talk about customer focus in your organization, do you consider it a goal or an outcome? How would this change the way you did things?
Let me know.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is branded customer service that exceeds expectations. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Who’s in charge of your most valuable asset?
First you need to decide on what that asset is. Often people like to say their most valuable asset is their employees. They make statements like “Our most valuable asset goes out the door every night.”
But I would suggest that the most the valuable asset is the one your business cannot survive without -- your customers.
I say this not to diminish the importance of employees; actually my point is exactly the opposite. I think employees are extremely important because your employees deal with your customers’ every day. They are managing your most important asset -- the customer.
But do we accord them the respect this important role deserves? Too often we don’t give them the authority to do their job, we give them lists of rules of what they can and cannot do; we make them get Manager approvals to make decisions.
Yet because people (i.e. customers) are all different, the best solution to a problem is often different for each customer. By forcing a single solution for each customer, we may be spending too much on some and not enough on others.
For example, if you have developed a compensation policy that costs of $100 to implement, with Manager approval, wouldn’t it be better to give your employees full authority to spend up to $75 to fix the situation on the spot (after providing direction on the types of things they can do based on their judgement).
This option has 4 big benefits.
Something to think about.
Cheers!
But I would suggest that the most the valuable asset is the one your business cannot survive without -- your customers.
I say this not to diminish the importance of employees; actually my point is exactly the opposite. I think employees are extremely important because your employees deal with your customers’ every day. They are managing your most important asset -- the customer.
But do we accord them the respect this important role deserves? Too often we don’t give them the authority to do their job, we give them lists of rules of what they can and cannot do; we make them get Manager approvals to make decisions.
Yet because people (i.e. customers) are all different, the best solution to a problem is often different for each customer. By forcing a single solution for each customer, we may be spending too much on some and not enough on others.
For example, if you have developed a compensation policy that costs of $100 to implement, with Manager approval, wouldn’t it be better to give your employees full authority to spend up to $75 to fix the situation on the spot (after providing direction on the types of things they can do based on their judgement).
This option has 4 big benefits.
- We all know that the quicker a problem is fixed, the happier the customer.
- If most problems can be fixed immediately by the employee for maximum $75, you have saved money and created a more satisfied customer.
- The employee can probably provide a more customized solution because they are closest to the customer issue.
- The employee feels empowered and takes ownership of the situation.
Something to think about.
Cheers!
Bill's passion is great customer service. He works with clients to activate a “customer-focused” culture where engaged employees internalize the brand promise and deliver an intentional Branded Customer Experience -- internally and externally.
As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.
For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Importance of Goal Setting
A critical step to achieving exceptional performance is goal setting. Clear goals and corresponding measures, ensures employees understand what is important to succeed.
Ken Blanchard, in Customer Mania!, tells the story that when he was a college professor he used to give the final exam at the beginning of the course, and then spend the rest of the course teaching students the answers so they would know how to be successful on the final exam at the end of the course.
Real life should be like that. We should know what the final expectations are in advance, so we can develop the skills necessary to be successful.
Goals are set at the top and cascade down through the organization. Personal goals must be clearly linked to organizational goals. There should be a clear line of sight between the goals at the top of the organization to each individuals goals and activities. Every employee should be able to see how there daily activities align directly to and are supportive of the overall organizational goals.
For example, if an organizational goal is to increase sales, as a server, I must be able to see how my daily activities deliver excellent customer service and translate into a happy satisfied customer who will return often and tell their friends about their experience.
Only when each employee sees the importance their daily activities play in achieving overall goals will they internalize the organizational goals and recognize how valuable their contribution is to the success of the organization.
Cheers!
Ken Blanchard, in Customer Mania!, tells the story that when he was a college professor he used to give the final exam at the beginning of the course, and then spend the rest of the course teaching students the answers so they would know how to be successful on the final exam at the end of the course.
Real life should be like that. We should know what the final expectations are in advance, so we can develop the skills necessary to be successful.
Goals are set at the top and cascade down through the organization. Personal goals must be clearly linked to organizational goals. There should be a clear line of sight between the goals at the top of the organization to each individuals goals and activities. Every employee should be able to see how there daily activities align directly to and are supportive of the overall organizational goals.
For example, if an organizational goal is to increase sales, as a server, I must be able to see how my daily activities deliver excellent customer service and translate into a happy satisfied customer who will return often and tell their friends about their experience.
Only when each employee sees the importance their daily activities play in achieving overall goals will they internalize the organizational goals and recognize how valuable their contribution is to the success of the organization.
Cheers!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Empowering Employees
I have set a goal to read (or reread) 1 business book every 2 weeks. I was recently at the Canadian Franchise Conference, so I decided to re-read "Customer Mania!" by Ken Blanchard since it is the story of how YUM! Brands --owners of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants in the US -- is building a Customer-Focused company.
I was rewarded by having a couple concepts refreshed in my own mind; one was empowering employees.
In this book Ken tells the story of how Ritz-Carlton gives every front-line employee a $2000 discretionary fund to solve a customer service issue -- without manager approval.
David Novak, CEO for YUM Brands! liked this idea so much he implemented a similar policy, except the value was $10.
Although the values are quite different, they are actually very similar. Both amounts are significant in the context of the products available at the company.
In both cases the employees feel respected and empowered. They have the ability to address customer issues immediately and appropriately based on their first hand knowledge of the issue.
This discretionary fund becomes a competitive advantage because the person closest to customer -- and the problem -- feel they can make decisions and solve problems. This in turn develops an ownership attitude and customer service that creates fans!
Cheers!
I was rewarded by having a couple concepts refreshed in my own mind; one was empowering employees.
In this book Ken tells the story of how Ritz-Carlton gives every front-line employee a $2000 discretionary fund to solve a customer service issue -- without manager approval.
David Novak, CEO for YUM Brands! liked this idea so much he implemented a similar policy, except the value was $10.
Although the values are quite different, they are actually very similar. Both amounts are significant in the context of the products available at the company.
In both cases the employees feel respected and empowered. They have the ability to address customer issues immediately and appropriately based on their first hand knowledge of the issue.
This discretionary fund becomes a competitive advantage because the person closest to customer -- and the problem -- feel they can make decisions and solve problems. This in turn develops an ownership attitude and customer service that creates fans!
Cheers!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Something For Nothing
I had 2 very interesting experiences this past week while out shopping for materials to make some repairs around the house.
The first was to repair a step on our deck. I was looking for a 2 short pieces (less than 3 feet) of cedar which were both different widths (6 & 8 inches). The problem was that every lumber store I went to would only sell me 8 foot lengths -- at a cost of approx $20.00 each. So for my little step I needed to spend $40.00.
Being the frugal fellow that I am, I decided to drop by one of the local deck companies (Forest Deck in York Region) to see if they would sell me a couple shorter pieces they might have left over.
I spoke to the owner, who took me back to his yard and personally helped me select 2 good pieces that were the correct size. When I offered to pay, he declined with the comment "what goes around comes around".
A second trip was to Brofasco to purchase some washers. I found the perfect washer and ordered 30. In this case, the clerk explained they had a minimum purchase threshold of $10.00, so I was welcome to them with their compliments. The interesting thing is, the clerk was not the owner, but he sure acted like one. He understood that the financial loss of 30 washers (probably around $2.00) against the goodwill he created on behalf of his employer was worth the investment.
WOW -- both of these Moments of Truth teach us a lesson.
The first was to repair a step on our deck. I was looking for a 2 short pieces (less than 3 feet) of cedar which were both different widths (6 & 8 inches). The problem was that every lumber store I went to would only sell me 8 foot lengths -- at a cost of approx $20.00 each. So for my little step I needed to spend $40.00.
Being the frugal fellow that I am, I decided to drop by one of the local deck companies (Forest Deck in York Region) to see if they would sell me a couple shorter pieces they might have left over.
I spoke to the owner, who took me back to his yard and personally helped me select 2 good pieces that were the correct size. When I offered to pay, he declined with the comment "what goes around comes around".
A second trip was to Brofasco to purchase some washers. I found the perfect washer and ordered 30. In this case, the clerk explained they had a minimum purchase threshold of $10.00, so I was welcome to them with their compliments. The interesting thing is, the clerk was not the owner, but he sure acted like one. He understood that the financial loss of 30 washers (probably around $2.00) against the goodwill he created on behalf of his employer was worth the investment.
WOW -- both of these Moments of Truth teach us a lesson.
- Thinking like an owner gives you a different view on the policies. It makes you think longer term that just following rules like a robot. It also gives employees a sense of worth and importance within the organization.
- Small investments can made a big impression. Customers remember small things because of the emotional value. In both cases, the cost was very little -- but they demonstrated the type of company that I was dealing with. Since that time (aside from this blog) I have already told a number of people about my experiences.
So make sure your employees undersatnd how they can affect the overall business picture. Expect them to think like an owner, and act like an owner. Give them an opportunity to use good judgement -- you will be surprised by how well they do.
Cheers!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Hiring The Right People
One of the critical success factors for developing a great consistent brand experience is hiring the right people. I believe that involves looking at 2 key areas when hiring; competence and character.
Competence is the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job. Either they have these skills already, or you believe that with the correct training, they have the potential to learn to do the job well. This is often what most interviews and most training is geared towards.
However, even more important than competence is character. You should be looking for people who can get on board with your vision. People who get excited about your company vision and values -- who love working with and looking after customers.
I recall a story about the great Ritz Carlton hotel chain. Whenever they interviewed someone for any aspect of their business, they shared a meal with the prospect and accidentally dropped a napkin while eating. They were looking to see if the person naturally reached to pick the napkin up.
The purpose of this little test was to see whether "helping" was a natural characteristic or one that was just on display for the interview.
Of course this was just one method of digging in to find their character. They had many other techniques. But the real lesson here is that they clearly understood the kind of character they were looking for in their organization, and had specific elements within their hiring process to unearth these characteristic.
My experience is that if you have to chose between competence and character -- choose character every time. If you have the right person, you can always train for competence. it is almost impossible to change a persons character.
The best examples of this is the legion of stories of people who started at the bottom of the organization and who rose through the ranks to become a senior executive. These are always people who had the right character, just not yet the right competence.
So ask yourself, does your hiring process have elements built in that delve into the character of the potential employee to ensure that their character aligns with the results you want. If not, shouldn't it?
Cheers!
Competence is the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job. Either they have these skills already, or you believe that with the correct training, they have the potential to learn to do the job well. This is often what most interviews and most training is geared towards.
However, even more important than competence is character. You should be looking for people who can get on board with your vision. People who get excited about your company vision and values -- who love working with and looking after customers.
I recall a story about the great Ritz Carlton hotel chain. Whenever they interviewed someone for any aspect of their business, they shared a meal with the prospect and accidentally dropped a napkin while eating. They were looking to see if the person naturally reached to pick the napkin up.
The purpose of this little test was to see whether "helping" was a natural characteristic or one that was just on display for the interview.
Of course this was just one method of digging in to find their character. They had many other techniques. But the real lesson here is that they clearly understood the kind of character they were looking for in their organization, and had specific elements within their hiring process to unearth these characteristic.
My experience is that if you have to chose between competence and character -- choose character every time. If you have the right person, you can always train for competence. it is almost impossible to change a persons character.
The best examples of this is the legion of stories of people who started at the bottom of the organization and who rose through the ranks to become a senior executive. These are always people who had the right character, just not yet the right competence.
So ask yourself, does your hiring process have elements built in that delve into the character of the potential employee to ensure that their character aligns with the results you want. If not, shouldn't it?
Cheers!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Bell Canada
So I thought I would start with a recent experience with Bell Canada about my satellite TV. I had the occasion to contact Bell for the 3rd time this week because my satellite TV isn't functioning correctly. Imagine my surprise when each time they answered the phone "How can I provide excellent customer service today". Boy were my expectations set.
So what was my problem? Well the satellite box wasn't saving the TV Guide, so I couldn't tell what was playing unless I scrolled through every channel. The first time I called I was told to re-boot and then call back if that didn't work and they would send me a new box. After all, this one is a rental.
The second time I called I was assured they would fix the problem from their end, so no need to get a new box.
Obviously, since I was now calling a third time, the problem was still there. So imagine my frustration when I was transfered to 4 different people before getting resolution. And the worst part was I finally had to threaten to cancel my subscription to get what I needed.
So what was my problem? Well the satellite box wasn't saving the TV Guide, so I couldn't tell what was playing unless I scrolled through every channel. The first time I called I was told to re-boot and then call back if that didn't work and they would send me a new box. After all, this one is a rental.
The second time I called I was assured they would fix the problem from their end, so no need to get a new box.
Obviously, since I was now calling a third time, the problem was still there. So imagine my frustration when I was transfered to 4 different people before getting resolution. And the worst part was I finally had to threaten to cancel my subscription to get what I needed.
So what did I learn from this experience?
- Make sure that you are not over-promising. When we set customer expectations we have the opportunity to meet and exceed them. However, an over-promise can set an expectation that is impossible to meet, even with the best intentions
- Empower your employees to look after the customer the first time. Don't transfer the customer to get resolution -- particularly when common sense dictates the solution.
Cheers!
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