In leading your people, part of your role is to ensure everyone on the team is contributing. When eating at a nice restaurant, have you ever asked a passing waiter for something you needed, only to have them smile and tell you, “Sorry, this is not my section.”
You thought, “Lovely! Another crappy service experience,” as you swiveled your head back and forth, desperately looking for someone else who might be willing to help you.” Now you’re frustrated looking for a manager, another waiter, a busboy ANYONE!
Even worse, I was a waiter for six years, as I was going through college and grad school, so I’m not shy to get up and get what’s needed myself. My friend and business coach Bill Bachrach also waited tables back in his college years, and we cringe when we see bad service like this. It’s actually revolting to both of us, when it happens.
“Not the experience we expected for our guests from a nice restaurant like this.” I’ve actually seen Bill get up from the table and go to the waiter’s station to grab the coffee pot and the water pitcher himself to serve refills for the guests at our table. Disappointing, to say the least. I’m always thinking, does the manager or owner know about the low standard of service here?” They certainly should want to know about it.
I’m sure you’ve seen examples of poor service, it’s everywhere in business today. So why am I telling you this? If you’re in a service business, I think you know. This story can not, should not, ever happen in your business. You cannot have someone you lead tell a client, “not my section” when your client asks for something. As leader, it’s your job to ensure this never ever happens and to say that out loud routinely to the people you lead. Have you?
We recommend you keep working with your team until your clients tell you that the services you offer are radically different and better than competing businesses who do what you do. In most service businesses, it’s not enough to be marginally different and better than competitors. In the minds of your clients, you’re the same as your competitors, so you have no advantage.
You have to be radically different in the level of service and value you provide, if you want to have an advantage in the minds and hearts of clients. As leader, you explain to your team that “we must offer services that are night and day better than other companies.”
Leading your people, it’s your role to make sure everyone’s contributing, encouraging everyone to proactively work to exceed your clients’ expectations. Do you routinely connect the value of your team’s efforts with company revenue? How do you do that? The starting point is ensuring, “not my section,” can never happen.
Start with that and then ask your team for their thoughts about how. Once your team is committed to resolving any problem for a client, routinely ask your team for their contributions and ideas about how to consistently exceed clients’ expectations. Change the culture.
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